Complete Berkeley Review Set For Sale!

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Members don't see this ad.

I'm selling my complete set of the Berkeley Review books. This is a total of ten books:

Biology I and II
General Chemistry I and II
Organic Chemistry I and II
Physics I and II
Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample

These books are in excellent condition. They were used once and there isn't any highlighting or notes. The Biology I cover does have some water damage (see picture) because it got wet while it was in my backpack. The price is going to be $327 and I will pay for shipping + insurance. I'm selling the books for what I paid for them because they are in almost brand new condition, and I'll ship quickly (if you bought through BR you'd have to wait up to two weeks to receive them). Additionally, I will throw in a free copy of EK Verbal 101 Passages if you want. The previous owner had underlined some passages in the beginning of the book, but there are still non-marked passages if you're bothered by the underlining.

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PM'ING ME:
I'm only selling these items as a set, and I will not ship out of the United States. Payment is through Paypal only. Sold as-is and no returns. PM me if you are interested. Thank you and good luck.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/Rosstamon05/IMAG0062.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/Rosstamon05/IMAG0063.jpg

 

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Bump

 

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BR SOLD!

In a couple of days, I'm going to be putting up EK 1001 Orgo, Gen Chem, Bio, and the Official Guide to the MCAT. PM me price offers if you're interested.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

BR SOLD!

Congratulations! I didn't want to say anything during your sale, but figured it's okay now.

You got more for a used set from at least a year ago (your picture shows the older physics and biology books that haven't been used in a while) than current ones cost new, although with shipping and the other book added in it might be about equal in cost.

 

[HerbalPlz]

Congratulations! I didn't want to say anything during your sale, but figured it's okay now.

You got more for a used set from at least a year ago (your picture shows the older physics and biology books that haven't been used in a while) than current ones cost new, although with shipping and the other book added in it might be about equal in cost.

The fact that people have to mail a check to buy the BR books is kind of...retro? The last time I did that was 10+ years ago.

Are the people at Berkeley Review just technologically inept or is there a reason why you guys don't allow online purchases?

I know I'd rather pay more than what BR site charges for the books just because some random person on SDN can process and ship the books out MUCH quicker than the actual publishers of the books.

 

[Bink]

The fact that people have to mail a check to buy the BR books is kind of...retro? The last time I did that was 10+ years ago.

Are the people at Berkeley Review just technologically inept or is there a reason why you guys don't allow online purchases?

I know I'd rather pay more than what BR site charges for the books just because some random person on SDN can process and ship the books out MUCH quicker than the actual publishers of the books.

+1. I figured it was a fair price because of the added risk of not waiting until the money was cleared to ship the books out.

 

[HerbalPlz]

+1. I figured it was a fair price because of the added risk of not waiting until the money was cleared to ship the books out.

Maybe you have a 2nd spare set lying around? 🙂 🙂

 

[CopToEM]

Congratulations! I didn't want to say anything during your sale, but figured it's okay now.

You got more for a used set from at least a year ago (your picture shows the older physics and biology books that haven't been used in a while) than current ones cost new, although with shipping and the other book added in it might be about equal in cost.

Looking back, I would have paid $50 more for a used set to avoid the hassle of ordering through the mail. You have a great product and the cost of taking orders online would increase your business tenfold.

Signed,

Pre-med with 10 years website development experience

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

The fact that people have to mail a check to buy the BR books is kind of...retro? The last time I did that was 10+ years ago.

Are the people at Berkeley Review just technologically inept or is there a reason why you guys don't allow online purchases?

I know I'd rather pay more than what BR site charges for the books just because some random person on SDN can process and ship the books out MUCH quicker than the actual publishers of the books.

The truth is that I can't defend the crappy website. It's frustrating to no end, because I'm sure they've gotten your same comment 1000s of times. I've told the webmaster plenty of times to the point where if I say it again, he'll probably beat me down. I have been told various reasons over the years and IMHO, it's the guy in charge of the website exerting his personality. He has his reasons that are valid to him.

I agree that one-click ordering is easier (I like that about Amazon), but the reality is that printing the form, filling it out, and then mailing it in with a credit card number adds two to three days to the process and you get the most uptodate books clean. Is that really so bad? To boycott new books and pay more for used books with writing (some of which are outdated) sounds like it comes from the same stubborness as not updating the website. If I were studying for it again, I'd shop for the latest books in pristine condition at the lowest price.

What I'm surprised about in this thread isn't the standard valid comments the website garners, but the fact someone paid as much as they did for older, used books. If they wanted to avoid the website and save three days, I get that. But why not buy the most current books if you are going to pay full price? Why get the outdated physics and biology books when the new physics is so much better and the new biology comes with extra practice tests?

Looking back, I would have paid $50 more for a used set to avoid the hassle of ordering through the mail. You have a great product and the cost of taking orders online would increase your business tenfold.

Signed,

Pre-med with 10 years website development experience

You are 100% correct. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see them do things vintage 90s (not just the website). The guys who run the show are not your typical business people to say the least. I'm not a businessman either, but even I can see the ways they could increase sales. They take antibusiness to a new level. I've seen every last one of the owners get obsessed with perfecting a handout for class or some lecture and invest hours and hours to get it just the way they want it, but they won't invest ten minutes to do some little things to increase their sales (not only the books but also the classroom course). They could expand their classroom course easily and double their book sales overnight, but they are more interested in asuaging their egos than making money. I honestly think they refuse to expand because they are afraid they wouldn't be the most popular in the new market. JMO.

Sorry to vent so much. Deep inside I agree with most of what everyone has posted. I can't blame people for buying used books (which I'd do to save money if I was in their shoes). It's just crazy when they pay so much for books that aren't the latest. That's really my rant more than anything.

 

[djkim]

I agree that one-click ordering is easier (I like that about Amazon), but the reality is that printing the form, filling it out, and then mailing it in with a credit card number adds two to three days to the process and you get the most uptodate books clean. Is that really so bad? To boycott new books and pay more for used books with writing (some of which are outdated) sounds like it comes from the same stubborness as not updating the website. If I were studying for it again, I'd shop for the latest books in pristine condition at the lowest price.

Agreed. People make too big of a deal mailing a form. It's outdated, and perhaps a major annoyance for those of us who are so used to one-clicking, but dealing directly with the company is safer. Not to mention, getting a decent deal takes time (first getting consensus what a fair deal is, then be on a lookout on Classified daily). I am sure mailing and 2-3 days of processing time is nothing compared to that.

 

[HerbalPlz]

I agree that one-click ordering is easier (I like that about Amazon), but the reality is that printing the form, filling it out, and then mailing it in with a credit card number adds two to three days to the process and you get the most uptodate books clean. Is that really so bad? To boycott new books and pay more for used books with writing (some of which are outdated) sounds like it comes from the same stubborness as not updating the website. If I were studying for it again, I'd shop for the latest books in pristine condition at the lowest price.

What I'm surprised about in this thread isn't the standard valid comments the website garners, but the fact someone paid as much as they did for older, used books. If they wanted to avoid the website and save three days, I get that. But why not buy the most current books if you are going to pay full price? Why get the outdated physics and biology books when the new physics is so much better and the new biology comes with extra practice tests?

I'm from Canada.

I checked your website and it had 2 phone numbers. I've been calling those same 2 phone numbers for 5 days now, and I've left messages every single day.

It's not a matter of paying full price or more for older books. For me it came down to if I send a money order to BR, what is the chance that it will get processed?

Think of it from the buyer's perspective. I've called the company, emailed, and I've even PM'd you BerkReviewTeach at least twice, and I've sent 3 emails to BR. Not one reply.

Then, on Friday, I find an ad on SDN for used BR books. I email him and call him, and my order is done in an hour.

So on 1 hand I have a seller that's been MIA for a week and not even attempted to call me. And on the other, some random person on SDN who can process and send the books out in 1-2 hours. Who would you choose to buy from? I think any person with common sense would choose the latter.

Want to know the worst part? I have relatives in California, very near Berkeley itself. They even volunteered to drive over to wherever you guys process book orders and place the order directly in person...but guess what? No one knows where the damn office is! And of course I can't contact you guys either to find out where you are.

AND for some reason, you guys charge a crapload for shipping. An absolutely absurd amount. It cost me $60 to get my books shipped from some random guy on the internet in USA to me in Canada. The BR site does not say the shipping price to Canada or anywhere international, it mentions you should contact them. Like I've said before, they're really bad at answering their phone, and the emails listed on their website are equally unresponsive. Doing my own research to determine how much shipping would be, reading various threads on SDN, www.premed101.com, and just googling, no one actually knows the exact shipping price but it seems shipping, from my own research, is around $200-$300...can't be sure on how many books were shipped, though.

Sure some of these problems may seem easily fixable...IF I COULD CONTACT BR.

EDIT: I want to add for all future readers of this post, that the actual BR books are amazing. I've been using my friend's for a 1-2 weeks now and they are worth whatever price you pay for them. It's just...how can a company hold something so valuable but be so clueless about running the business? Doesn't matter, suck it up and buy the BR books. If you don't want to waste time shipping your money order, waiting for the order to processed, and then getting it shipped back to you, find someone selling it like I did. I do not want anyone to think that the BR books are as bad as the BR company is with being available for contact and pricing/shipping info. In fact, if any of you want to get in contact with BR, then send a PM to BerkReviewTeach on SDN. In the past 2 weeks, he's the only person from the company that has actually responded! It looks like I PM'd him when he was busy with personal stuff.

 

[Swagster]

@HerbalPlz

It sucks you had such a bad experience. I think you made the smart choice getting them used. In the interest of fairness, I want to share my good experience. Like you, I did an insane amount of research before ordering. I could only find one person who took over a month, and it was a personal check. I found threads with people complaining, but the ironic thing was that most of the complaints were from people who didn't even order from BR. Kind of like this thread to be honest. You are talking about how long it takes for an order to be processed but you didn't actually order from them.

From my personal experience, my order took a week total from the time I mailed it to when it arrived at my apartment. They process orders fast and use two-day shipping. That's why they charge so darn much for shipping.

The shipping costs are crazy and it sucks they don't give you a choice other than Fedex. Shipping to Canada from the US is worse I'm sure. Do you have a BR site link with the $200-$300 price? That's insane.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I've even PM'd you BerkReviewTeach at least twice...

Because you called me out, I feel the right thing to do is to respond.

It wasn't "at least twice", it was exactly twice. You PMed me at 12:48 on Friday and then again seven minutes later at 12:55. I was logged off at that time, having gotten back to my real job. I had a memorial/funeral to attend on Saturday and went to Church on Sunday morning, so I didn't see your PM until Sunday night. That's also the time I saw your post about the terrible website and the fact you'd prefer to pay more money for used books than get new ones. In all honesty, that wasn't great motivation to respond to your PMs asking for special treatment to get BR books. I'm sorry for not responding, but it served no purpose to reply.

Now I read your comments that books take 1 to 1.5 months to get to Canada from BR. You didn't actually order them, so you can't really know. The fact is that it takes 2 days to 8 days from the time the order is processed until it arrives at its destination (not 1 week to 1 month), depending on the shipping choice and where you live (unless you pay with a personal check). Your disparaging comments about BR's email and phone service is based on something you experienced, but your comment about shipping time is factually incorrect and not a firsthand experience.

You also say that the "BR site says it would cost me $200-$300" for shipping to Canada. No where on the BR website does it say any such thing. Here is what is actually says:

• "The shipping and handling charges presented here are for orders within the continental United States only. If the shipment is going to Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada, you must call The Berkeley Review at (510) 843-8378 or email us at [email protected] for a shipping price quote (as outlined above)."

It would be nice if you could correct your comments.

I get that you feel hurt and want to vent. The website sucks, the guy on the phone never answers, and shipping is too expensive. As I mentioned in my previous post, there are aspects of the way they do business I can't fathom. But there is a commitment to quality and a sense of loyalty and caring at BR beyond any company I've ever heard of. It depresses me to read your comments, because I know the people they're aimed at. They are far from perfect and they could run their business in a more efficient manner, but they are good people and some of the comments you are making about BR are wrong.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but no matter how mad you may be, please stick to the facts.

 

[HerbalPlz]

Hey BerkReviewTech, I've edited my post to fix what I experienced myself and what I just read from other people. You're right, I should only post things are facts, and not change words.

Because you called me out, I feel the right thing to do is to respond.

It wasn't "at least twice", it was exactly twice. You PMed me at 12:48 on Friday and then again seven minutes later at 12:55. I was logged off at that time, having gotten back to my real job. I had a memorial/funeral to attend on Saturday and went to Church on Sunday morning, so I didn't see your PM until Sunday night. That's also the time I saw your post about the terrible website and the fact you'd prefer to pay more money for used books than get new ones. In all honesty, that wasn't great motivation to respond to your PMs asking for special treatment to get BR books. I'm sorry for not responding, but it served no purpose to reply.

Like I've said, the reason I'd buy used over new is just because I am actually in contact with the seller when I buy used. It seemed to me like I would be getting the shipment faster as well as they would be shipping to Canada.

I wasn't really looking for special treatment. I honestly thought you guys had a store or sold your books through the Berkeley bookstore. That's why I PM'd you asking if maybe my relatives could just drop into the store and pick them up.

Now I read your comments that books take 1 to 1.5 months to get to Canada from BR. You didn't actually order them, so you can't really know. The fact is that it takes 2 days to 8 days from the time the order is processed until it arrives at its destination (not 1 week to 1 month), depending on the shipping choice and where you live (unless you pay with a personal check). Your disparaging comments about BR's email and phone service is based on something you experienced, but your comment about shipping time is factually incorrect and not a firsthand experience.

The shipping time info is something I think is true, especially when shipping out of country. It's just simple fact. Packages that cross borders usually go through customs, they may be held for long amounts of time, and there's a good chance that the buyer would have to pay duties. This is true with most sellers, not just BR. The BR site mentions that you can call for information about expedited shipping...but good luck calling. And again, expedited shipping would cost more and is not the standard shipping. In comparison, when buying books used from someone else, they are able to mark it as a 'gift' and all transactions are done privately. This usually saves considerable time in shipping, and again, this point doesn't apply to just BR but to most merchants.

My opinion between buying new books from BR or used from someone on SDN or wherever, is this: if you have questions about ordering, shipment, or pricing, and these questions greatly affect your decision to buy (like the fact that I'm from Canada is a big factor for me and changes pricing/shipment/ordering), then I would say go with whoever answers your questions. In my case, I wasn't able to get in touch with BR, so I went with a SDN seller. In the end, you want the best value possible, and if you can get the newest set of BR books in pristine condition for 1/2 off, you'd be crazy to pass up on that.