In what the paper calls a "first-of-its-kind" lawsuit, two Daytona
Beach Community College students have sued Follett Higher Education
Group and the college for "unfair and illegal pricing practices" and
seek $5 million in damages, the Orlando Sentinel.
The pair charged the college and Follett with "overcharging students
pennies on each used-book sale and underpaying them when buying books
back."
In the class-action suit, which alleges breach of the contract between Follett and the college, violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and a civil conspiracy, the students argue that the few dollars per semester per student multiplied by "thousands of students at each of the company's more than 750 bookstores . . . adds up to millions."
A Follett spokesperson said that the company "believes this suit is without legal basis."
Before the fall semester began in August, plaintiffs Thomas Rebman and Danny Brandner say, the college bookstore illegally rounded up the prices of used books to the next 25-cent increment. "Used books that should have cost $88.69 and $85.31 were sold to them for $88.75 and $85.50, respectively," they argued.
When the pair sold the books back to the store, the store paid them less than 50% of the new retail price "as required by the contract." The suit uses as examples "the return of a college-algebra book that cost $118.25 new but was bought back by the store for $56.25, or less than half its new price." The student should have received $59.12, the suit alleged.
The school receives 10% of all bookstore revenues.
In the class-action suit, which alleges breach of the contract between Follett and the college, violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and a civil conspiracy, the students argue that the few dollars per semester per student multiplied by "thousands of students at each of the company's more than 750 bookstores . . . adds up to millions."
A Follett spokesperson said that the company "believes this suit is without legal basis."
Before the fall semester began in August, plaintiffs Thomas Rebman and Danny Brandner say, the college bookstore illegally rounded up the prices of used books to the next 25-cent increment. "Used books that should have cost $88.69 and $85.31 were sold to them for $88.75 and $85.50, respectively," they argued.
When the pair sold the books back to the store, the store paid them less than 50% of the new retail price "as required by the contract." The suit uses as examples "the return of a college-algebra book that cost $118.25 new but was bought back by the store for $56.25, or less than half its new price." The student should have received $59.12, the suit alleged.
The school receives 10% of all bookstore revenues.