Why buy books at the store instead of saving money online?

This [unedited] guest post is by a student in my EEP100 class (background post).
Please praise/critique/comment on its economic quality and importance to you.

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Ellena Nguyen says:

It's a widely known fact among students that textbooks cost a lot.  They can range anywhere from $20 to $100 something.  To make things worse, the school bookstores jack up the already high prices.  Sure, they offer used versions of the textbooks but those are usually only $10 to $20 cheaper than the new ones.  To really save money, students should buy their textbooks online.  They can easily save over $30 by buying online.  If it's so cheap though, why do textbooks still get sold out at the school bookstores?  Are college students just crazy and want to spend a lot of money?  Do they have some sort of sick aversion to saving  money?

You can find the answer by simply comparing the costs and benefits of each option.  Buying from the school bookstore might cost more but at the same time you get the book immediately, it's close by and you know you have the right edition.  Also, if you decide to drop a class, you can return the textbook for a full refund if it's within the full refund period.  On the other hand, buying books online might be cheaper but there are a lot more costs to it than just the price you pay for the book.  One of those other costs is the shipping fee.  That would be the transaction cost.  Not only do you have to pay for shipping but you also have to wait usually a minimum of 1 week before you actually receive the book in the mail.  This is fine if you order your textbooks early but most students don't buy their books until classes start.  While everybody that bought their books from the school's store can do their homework, you'll be waiting for a package that might or might not come. Along with the waiting time, there is also the possibility of buying the wrong edition or the book not matching the description.  Then you're stuck with a book you don't need and can't return.

Bottom Line: The prices at the school bookstore are more expensive than online but it's less risky.  Trying to save some extra bucks with online shopping might actually end up costing you more in time and money.