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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
MBS’ EZ Drop Buyback Program is the easiest way for students to sell back their
course materials. It’s designed to reduce textbook costs for your students and their
families by increasing the number of used books on the Virtual Bookstore available
for resale in the upcoming academic term. Beyond helping to reduce the overall
cost of course materials, our EZ Drop Buyback Program also serves as a fundraiser
for your school or affiliated organization. *Buyback services are provided by MBS
Service Company (MBS).
If you aren’t sure when
How the Program Works
or how to promote the
Your school, staff and faculty act as the buyback facilitator or you can choose to
EZ Drop Buyback, we
designate a school-affiliated organization to fill the role. As a free service to your
can send students the
school, MBS Direct will notify students and parents of the EZ Drop Buyback.
marketing materials on
Parents or students bring their books to the designated drop-off location, where
your behalf! Contact
the facilitators collect the books, pack the boxes, and assist with the shipment. In
your Account Manager
return, the organization receives a commission check for a percentage of the total
to get started.
value of books purchased at the buyback.
Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure a successful EZ Drop Buyback:
Step 1: Students Create Quote
Prior to the buyback, all students are instructed to create a quote for the books
they wish to sell. The quote creation process will instruct students to print multiple
copies of their quotes and to bring them on the day of the buyback. One copy of
the quote per bag must be submitted with the books they wish to sell, and one
copy should be retained for their records. We suggest 1 copy per 6 books being
The picture located to
the right is an example
of the quote creation
process. After the
student fills out all the
information, they will
receive the finalized
quote.
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Please note that a
finalized quote (all
finalized quotes are
given a quote number)
is needed that lists the
name and address of
the person selling his
or her books back.
This quote will remain
valid for 30 days.
EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
Quotes can be obtained by:
1. Students who purchased their books from MBS Direct during the current school
year will automatically receive an email notifying them to create a buyback quote at
their Virtual Bookstore.
2. Students who did not buy from MBS Direct may go online and create a new
quote by going to www.mbsDirect.net. Books sold back to MBS do not have to be
previously purchased from MBS Direct.
Step 2: Select and set up the buyback room
Setting up for your buyback is easy. All supplies needed for receiving and packing
We recommend that
books are provided by MBS and will already be on-site prior to the day of your
you set up a computer
buyback. It is recommended to arrange a location that accomodates good traffic
and printer near the
flow and organization. Buybacks work best in large rooms that can house both
buyback room in case
the quantities of books and the lines of students waiting to drop off their books—
a student forgets
for example, gymnasiums and cafeterias. Note: the room should be locked and
their buyback quote
secured at night.
or needs to print an
additional quote.
We recommend you clearly identify entrances and exits for the students and use a
series of tables to accept and pack books. Treat the area behind the tables, where
the books are being stored and packed during the buyback, as a secure area and
do not allow students to enter.
Step 3: Assemble Boxes
During set up, we recommend that you assemble a fair quantity of boxes ahead of
time, as it will prove to be beneficial. Additionally, it is recommended that you hang
the MBS Direct Poster titled “Maximize Your Buyback Check.”
Step 4: Accept Books
After each student hands you a copy of their quote and their books, please ask
them if they have included any extra books which are not listed on their quote. If
they do have extra books, advise them you recommend they create a new quote
so they can be certain we are buying back the additional books. They can choose
to create a new quote for their additional title(s) they have to offer. If they choose to
break up their transaction into two separate quotes, they will receive two checks.
*Please note: If you create a paritial quote for books previously purchased from MBS Direct,
you must wait 24 hours to create a new quote with the remaining MBS Direct purchased
books to receive Guaranteed Buyback.
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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
Step 5: Ensure Book Standards
MBS Direct will provide information for your buyback explaining what makes a book
acceptable or unacceptable. MBS staff will decide if a book is acceptable when the
books arrive at our facility. The following are the four most common reasons a book
is deemed unacceptable:
1) Severely damaged binding or a broken spine—visibly loose from the front and
back cover.
2) Any type of fluid damage—water, coffee, tea, or any other liquid that has caused
a book’s pages to become warped and brittle.
3) Excessive writing/highlighting—limited writing and highlighting is acceptable.
Example of poor spine
and cover condition.
Example of excessive
writing/marking.
Example of poor cover/
spine condition (left).
Water damage (right).
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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
4) Missing or torn pages and/or cover—any amount of missing or torn pages or
covers will make a book unacceptable.
MBS will handle books when they arrive at our facility, therefore you do not have
to actively reject books based upon our quality standards. We want to make you
aware of what will ultimately be rejected and why. The purpose of the EZ Drop
Buyback is for you to act as a facilitator for this convenient buyback. The final
transaction remains between the student and MBS.
Please do not tie or
tape bags. Use the
drawstrings provided.
Please hand the student
Step 6: Add Books and Quote to Bag, then Seal the Bundles
or parent an EZ Drop
Please write the student’s name, your school name, and the quote number
Buyback receipt (this was
on the bag using the marker provided. Next, place the quote in the MBS Direct
included in your EZ Drop
shipping bag (not in the books) along with the respective books (one quote per
Buyback Kit).
bag). Throughout the buyback process, it is important to keep students’ books and
quotes together in only their EZ Drop Bag. As you place books and quotes in bags,
we recommend that you stack the books and remove excess air.
Picture to the right is an
example of a finalized EZ
Drop Buyback Quote,
which must be printed.
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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
We have created an EZ
Step 7: Pack Sealed Bundles into Shipping Boxes
Drop Kit, complete with
Whenever possible, begin to consolidate individual EZ Drop bags into your
all necessary materials
previously assembled MBS boxes. Stack the book bundles and fold any loose
for your buyback.
plastic so that a nice column of books is created inside the box. Once you have
created a column of books, you are ready to drop it into one side of the cardboard
box. At a very minimum, you should be able to fit two bags of books in each
cardboard box; however, it is much more likely that with some careful packing, you
will be able to fit 4 or more bags in each cardboard box. Not only is a full box more
economical to ship, but it also makes the box stronger and will ultimately protect
the books while in transit.
Please send left over
EZ Drop kit materials to
MBS when the buyback
is completed. We will
provide you a prepaid shipping label so
you can send us back
materials at no additional
cost!
After you have filled a box with multiple shipping bags, seal the box with an
additional piece of packing tape across the top. After each box is sealed, place an
orange MBS label on a front corner of the box. The final step in preparation for
shipping cannot be done until all boxes are packed and are ready to be shipped.
Once all are sealed and labeled, count all boxes and write “1 of 23,” “2 of 23,” “3 of
23,” and so on, on the MBS Shipping label.
If students were not
Step 8: Contact MBS Direct
able to print a quote, or
Once all boxes have been sealed and secured in the EZ Drop Buyback room,
forgot, encourage them
please contact your Account Manager at MBS Direct. Tell the Account Manager
to go back to www.
how many boxes will be shipped and we will work with you to arrange a convenient
mbsDirect.net a few
pick-up time.
days after the EZ Drop
Buyback and complete
Step 9: Bundles are Received by MBS
our normal online
As shipments arrive at the MBS facility in Columbia, Missouri, we will process each
buyback process (which
bag and perform final verifications before payment. Any damaged or missing books
includes free shipping).
will be addressed with the student.
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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
Please note: Buyback
All unacceptable books will be held for no more than two weeks while the student
services are provided by
decides if they wish to pay the return shipping to retrieve those items. Our book
MBS Service Company
standards are clearly communicated when the student creates his or her quote.
(MBS).
Once each bag is verified and received, an email is sent to the student stating that
the shipment was received and a check has been mailed.
We have prepared this list of common questions and/or concerns you might
encounter at your EZ Drop Buyback:
On our in-demand titles
and if you are a returning
customer you’ll enjoy a
customer loyalty bonus.
1. A student without a finalized quote
A finalized quote is absolutely necessary for the buyback process. Without a valid
quote, the student will not know what books are being bought back and we won’t
know who to pay for the books received. Should a student arrive without their quote
or an incomplete quote without a name and address, please direct them to a place
where they can go online and create a new quote, or where they can access the
quote that has already been emailed to them. They must have a printed copy of the
quote when they return to the buyback location.
2. A student with more books than what is listed on their quote
If a student has more books than what is listed on their quote, they should access
a computer and create a new quote so that they are certain we are buying back the
additional books. They can choose to create a new quote for their entire amount of
books or just another quote for the additional title(s) they possess. If they choose to
break up their transaction into two separate quotes, they will receive two checks.
3. A student is missing books listed on their quote
If a student did not bring all books listed on their quote to the buyback, you do not
need to do anything. Students will not be paid for books that are not submitted
even if they are listed on their quote.
4. A student’s book is missing a component
When a student’s books arrive at the MBS facility, we will check for any required
components. If a student submits a book that is incomplete due to a missing
component such as a CD, audiotapes, study guide, etc., we will pay them the
market price for what they submitted.
*Please note: If you create a paritial quote for books previously purchased from MBS Direct,
you must wait 24 hours to create a new quote with the remaining MBS Direct purchased
books to receive Guaranteed Buyback.
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EZ Drop: Coordinator Instructions
For students selling
5. A student has too many books to fit in one EZ Drop bag
back more than 6 books
For MBS to properly receive each order and issue checks correctly, every EZ Drop
it is suggested that
bag filled with books must also contain a quote. If a case occurs where all books of
they show up to the EZ
one quote cannot fit in one bag, please make a photocopy of the quote and place a
Drop Buyback with at
copy in each bag. We suggest 1 copy per 6 books.
least two copies of their
quote.
6. A student forgot his or her books and can’t get them to the drop-off
If a student forgot his or her books and cannot get them before the on-site buyback
concludes, encourage them to go back to www.mbsDirect.net a few days after your
EZ Drop buyback has ended. At that time, students can complete the traditional
online buyback process, complete with free shipping.
7. If a family has lost or misplaced their quote
It is important they access the “My Account” section of the Virtual Bookstore to
reprint it. To keep Customer Loyalty, they must reprint the quote and not create
a new one. To maximize their buyback amount, families must only create a quote
when it is absolutely necessary. If they received a Guaranteed Buyback price, rest
assured, this will remain intact no matter what the situation.*
For a video demonstration of EZ Drop, visit:
http://www.mbsdirect.net/ezdrop/about.php.
To give your families a video demonstration, visit:
http://www.mbsdirect.net/k12ezdrop/about.php.
*If a family lost its Guaranteed Buyback quote, they must wait 24 hours to create a
new buyback quote to ensure Guaranteed Buyback funds.