Bookstores beware

College bookstores normally have the monopoly on textbook buy backs, but two UNCW students stood up to college bookstores everywhere and created a Web site where students can sell their textbooks directly to each other.

The creators, UNCW alumnus Kevin Flowers and senior Jeremy Lewallen describe their Web site as similar to Craig's list and Ebay. Students register through the site and create listings on anything, from textbooks to advertising for a roommate. By allowing students to sell to each other, Flowers and Lewallen eliminated the middle man-the hated bookstore.

"Going through school, the number one gripe was selling books back to the bookstore, because of how little money students get back," Flowers said.

The site began as a UNCW group on Facebook. Other colleges and universities had similar groups, and because of their popularity, Flowers and Lewallen decided to start Skip the Buy Back. They applied for the domain name to use on a Web site Lewallen already owned. The name, www.skipthebuyback.com, was approved and the creators began work on the design and formatting of the site.

Skip the Buy Back launched and is now running smoothly. The next step for Flowers and Lewallen is to acquire more registered users. Throughout November, they will have sign-up tables set up around campus. They have also sent press releases to several universities.

"We like to keep it completely free. Skip the Buy Back is a zero commission site; we just charge enough to maintain it. We have no intention of selling or taking a listing fee," Flowers said.

Currently, Lewallen acts as full-time moderator for Skip the Buy Back. Flowers holds the position of president and Lewallen is the vice president of the site.

Flowers and Lewallen expect for Skip the Buy Back to work. They said the college bookstores may have to cut back pricing, due to the site.

"SkiptheBuyBack.com is an ongoing opportunity for students to get the most for their textbooks," Flowers said.