University of Hawai’i Mānoa Bookstore

I don’t know why there are so many 3 star reviews about this place.
Maybe I’m just lucky that I was able to obtain good online customer service before school started. Anyway, they were very quick to reply to my messages regarding a course packet that I had to purchase at the last minute for my class.
So, on 1÷09÷2015, it was my first time going inside the bookstore.
The bookstore is huge! They sell various items ranging from UH apparel to dorm room supplies. Of course they also sell Macbooks, art supplies, and snacks as well. And, the best part is that there’s no tax! Yay!
I am giving four stars for a couple of reasons:
They’re overpriced! I can’t stress that enough. I will always purchase my textbooks through
and save money. Also, the prices aren’t displayed for the textbooks at all, so you have to print your book list from their online site before coming to the store.
If you’re ordering online, be patient. No really. Be patient. It takes 2 – 3 business days to process your order and then depending on how much you pay for shipping you may have to wait some more before FINALLY getting your book. How can it take THAT long when I’m living on the same island?
If you’re living in a dormitory, buy your necessities at a store because the bookstore is selling small items for a hefty price. For example, a small bottle of Listerine is $ 5.75. What the heck? That’s outrageous!
When just released books that are only published through the school are available to purchase, there is a chance that you’ll be stuck with the cashier for a while because the register will ring up parts of the ISBN code instead of the price (which has to be entered manually). For example, my course packet should be $ 19.95, not $ 28,100.50. It turns out that the 2 810 050 was a part of the ISBN code and not the actual price of the packet.

Where there is a will there is a way.
I have been studying hangeul [alphabet] (more specifically hangugeo [language]) off and on when time permits. It all started from watching a K-​Drama called Faith, aka The Great Doctor. There was a scene in episode 18 where the doctor did a riff from the English movie Love Actually where she confesses her feelings by writing down how she feels on a bunch of paper like cue cards & showing it to her love interest who is unable to read it btw because hangeul wasn’t invented yet (time travel plot). So instead she reads it out to him. I really wanted to know if the text matched what she was saying & of course the subtitles said otherwise. So it got me more curious. I really, really wanted to be able to read it! Curses!
That’s how it all started for me. I actually wrote it all down & gave up on it after a couple of hours. But I plugged away & studied here & there looking for reference materials along the way. Barnes & Nobles has a decent but small selection so I decided to try UH Bookstore which is disappointingly more limited. Maybe everything is accessed electronically or perhaps online these days?
Overall I was quite taken aback at the entire textbook selection for students which is severely limited, IMO. This store supplies the entire UH campus? Just by looking I wouldn’t think it does. Since I’ve been out of the education system far too long maybe things have changed in regards to how materials are accessed. More purchases happening online instead? Perhaps E-​Readers are used? I really don’t know.
There is a nice selection of art supplies if you’re into things like graphic arts or painting and such. There’s also school supplies, back packs, snacks, UH logo gear & gifts, and a computer/​laptop section.
So I ended up buying a Level 1 first year textbook as it contained interesting lessons with simple illustrations to support the contents. I was all gung-​ho about it for the first hour then immediately started to lose interest. Reminded me too much of going to school. Oh well, I gave it a gander.
So Three Stars for the bookstore review. Read on if you have an interest in learning the Korean language. Here are my reading recommendations and tips:
E-​Book: Learning Korean with a Smile-​Reading & Writing Hangeul by Adrian Perrig et. al. If I had to pick only one book this would be it.
APP: Hangeul 101 — Great learning tool app to support above book IMO. It definitely sped the learning process for me.
APP/​Website: TTMIK-​Talk to me in Korean. Helps tremendously with grammar & proper usage. Go at your own pace. I’m lazy so I’m still stuck on level 3.
APP: Scribe Korean. Good for vocabulary building.
KPop– Lots of catchy songs with great hooks. Find a song you like & find a hangeul version of the lyrics online. Excellent way to learn the pronunciation & improve reading skills. Remember John Park from American Idol four years ago? (I know, who watches that show?) I was surprised he has some albums out now. I like «Sipping my Life». It’s all in English, haha. And love «U». Uuuuuuuu… What a voice. I’m digressing. Sorry.
So I can say being able to read hangeul has it perks when it comes to watching dramas or going shopping now. Though my level is elementary I am always learning something new. How fun is that.

Bookstores can always be a pain in the butt. UHM is no exception. There are crazy long lines at the beginning and end of each semester.
There are just some things that are needed and required that can only be bought here in the library– like profs texts that they print in bunches and not in bulk. Sometimes you just got to get in line for the 1 book and be ready for everyone in front of you to have problems galore making the wait super long.
Yes– there is Amazon. No, it is not always the same text– the editions change slightly sometimes and the print run may be different from what the prof wanted sometimes. I know most of the time Eng 101 and the ilk that are mass produced are all the same but that dang Master Level Education text that had to be the right one was not online.
So just got to bite it and get the full price text.

Other reviews are correct– customer service is definitely lacking… but mind you many of the employees are also students or working their 19 hours towards paying for college. Not that I fault them, I go in knowing that they may or not care anything about me personally.
Art supplies are great. Get all your gear in one place is wonderful for art classes. I know again it is cheaper elsewhere but the convenience can’t be beat.
I don’t like the small selection (small to me) of Warrior shirts and gear. I have been to other campus bookstores that have a better selection and depth of wearables. Maybe since rent is not a factor for the store since it is backed by the University that they should take a page out of Marcus Lemonas– CampWorld playbook that says there is a huge profit margin in clothing lines. Corner the market and have Walmart envy your things.
Buying a computer is almost as horrible an experience as many other negative reviews say about some of their experiences. If it is not as simple as the clerk scanning a pack of gum and you handing the clerk a $ 10 bill, they almost always are confused and befuddled as what to do next. Two clerks could not answer simple questions like, «is there a warranty?» «is there refunds if this unit doesn’t work?» «is there anyone to ask if I have a problem with something?» Blank stares at those and more complex questions.
They do have some medicines and food items. Not much at all but at least it is something.
The book section for normal pleasure reading is small and well– not what it should be for a bookstore. Understandable in a way that they assume students don’t have money for books outside academics. But again — I have seen other university bookstores that are smaller in size of store with a larger wider collection.
3 stars cause you have to take the good with the bad– but it is a necessary evil for anyone that goes to UHM — you need to at least know where it is and when you really need something that you can find it to get in and get out alive.

Aside from the store being extremely over priced with their books. I recently bought a Macbook Pro from the store. I was assured that it was a current 2014 model. I immediately had issues with the laptop. I talked to the Apple rep at the store, they were not helpful, they discouraged me from having the store work on it because they would need it for a day at least and insinuated that I should take it to the Apple Store. After another month of issues I took it to the Apple Store. The genius was surprised that I even bought the computer that year since it was such an old model. Huge surprise. then he told me the machine had not been updated for two years and needed to be completely wiped. So I everything on the computer was lost. I got it back and still had issues, tried to take to the store and asked for a refund, they told me that I had to leave it for a week. I use my computer for work so it was not an option and after selling me a faulty machine, one that was already two years out of date. They would not consider a return.
Never buy a computer form here. Buy from the store.
Never buy books from here buy from Amazon.
Thanks for taking care of Alumni

the art supplies are pretty cheap here. lol and theres no tax!

4.23.13.
One of the few good things about the bookstore is it’s always freezing temperature – great for these recent hot, humid days…
Otherwise, customer service is usually junk and as usual bookstore prices are ridiculous. I will only come in here to buy something if I absolutely have to. As such, I have only been coming here for the past week or so to make graduation preparation purchases – still overpriced. If I didn’t have to, I would totally reuse my undergrad gown… but no, I can’t. I do have one caveat – I had a super nice student worker help me out last week – of course the bookstore ran out of sizes AND hoods, but she assured me that she would take down my contact info so they could put them on hold for me… and lo and behold I successfully picked up everything today – so thank you student worker, you are the reason why I am giving this review 3 stars!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #112/​365

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Reading other’s reviews, I don’t notice any explicit indication of the time of their visit.
Granted things get RIDICULOUS during the beginning and end of the year, they have a system and honestly, sometimes the reason why things take so long is because of us (customers).
In my personal experience, I’m in and out with no hassle. I know to buy my books elsewhere if I can, and I use online sites to sell back/​rent if I can.
I don’t come to the store for any other reason as their pricing is by no means a bargain by any stretch of the imagination. However, if you need something school related, there’s a good chance you may find it here (and save the hassle of hunting).
I just visited to pick up my cap & gown and they were very friendly in helping me find the section to pick everything up.
It’s nothing spectacular, but the bookstore isn’t hell either. You just need realistic expectations and be self-​directed most of the time.

Although small, the UH Manoa bookstore has a little bit of everything to fulfill the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
The best part about the bookstore is the Apple section. As an authorized seller of Apple products, they carry a decent stock of Apple computers, mp3 players, and accessories. They often run clearance sales on some of their computers.
The bookstore also carries a nice selection of UH logo wear and accessories. When you’re in a bind and need to buy a last minute gift for someone or need a shirt for a volleyball or football game, the bookstore is the place to go.
Need envelopes, paper, pens, candy, or soda? The bookstore has it all, and when it’s 3 pm and I’m dying for a candy bar, I prefer to buy it from the bookstore versus in the vending machines. You just never know how long those candy bars have been sitting in those hot stuffy vending machines, and sometimes those vending machines eat my money.
31 Unilocal Review Challenge: #10/​31

DON’T RENT TEXT BOOKS FROM THESE PEOPLE! Seriously, I just tried to return a text book I rented from Manoa bookstore and the clerk «felt» the pages and said the book was water damaged and then made me pay FULL PRICE for a brand new text book and would not accept it as a rental return. And then they wouldn’t buy it from me, again claiming water damage. I asked the clerk to «show» me the damage (there was none) and she said, «feel it with your hands, if you feel it, you can tell the book got wet and then dried.» I told her I didn’t read with my hands, that the pages were not marked, or wrinkled, or blurred or damaged, or in any way unreadable or even slightly more difficult to read, but she persisted.
Then, just to make my level of frustration soar, she proceeded to charge my credit card $ 78 when I just told her I didn’t have that much in the account and had handed her $ 70 cash (she was only supposed to charge the card the $ 8). After insisting for several minutes that I MUST have that much money because the card did not decline (please don’t get me started on how she could not understand that it was a Saturday, I had items pending, and the account would overdraw at midnight on Sunday… she could not accept that I knew the status of my bank account and she did not), she finally called over every other clerk in the store to get them to help her reverse the charge to my account… they told her what to do, I told her what to do, but she simply would not do it (refund the amount she had charged in error and then charge me again — the bookstore cannot VOID a mistake when they make one). Twenty-​five minutes later (I’m NOT kidding), she finally made a $ 78 refund and then charged the card $ 8. As she handed me the card, she said, «It takes several days to process a refund, you should have the money back by Thursday or Friday of next week.» ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME!!! So I waited 25 minutes for her to make a refund that STILL resulted in this MORON over drawing my checking account… I just didn’t know what to say. I was $ 78 in the hole because she imagined my book was damaged, and now I was going to be charged another $ 30 — because she «accidentally» ran my card when I had just handed her the cash.
And just FYI, the book store closed on the last day of finals 15 minutes after my last exam — which was an open book exam in STATS. I ran all the way to the bookstore from Shidler with my text book, but got there at 5:33 and they would not let me in. I had to take an 1.25 hour bus ride the next morning to return the book that they subsequently would not allow me to return and over drew my checking account for charges they were not supposed to make. Guess where I am going tomorrow morning? To buy books from UH Manoa Bookstore, LOL. I’ll be out front with my STATS book if anyone wants it! :)

TERRIBLE customer service. Unwilling to work with you. Lines out the door, charge full price for rented textbooks if not returned directly after last day of school. Just like the rest of UH Manoa, they treat you like cattle. Not to mention constantly under construction.

Compared to the bookstore of the mainland college I attended, this place is crap. (But it’s the best we’ve got.)
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service here is great, but not exceptional. The staff will help you find your $#!+, but without a smile. (I’d hate working at school too. Maybe that’s why I don’t…)
Not all of them are on the same page in terms of product knowledge, which is expected and quite unfortunate. I hate hunting down the few people that know their ish.
BUYBACK
Buyback sucks. I know that the UH bookstore doesn’t really have much control over the buyback pricing, but still…
The lines are horrendous.
I’d rather keep my books and lose that extra $ 10 I’d get back just to avoid the craziness and irritation from finding out I can’t sell back half of the books I brought to sell back.
BEST WE’VE GOT
The UH Manoa Bookstore is the best we’ve got on the island, so I guess it really isn’t that bad… Comparatively.
I’ve been buying school books here since I transferred from the mainland, and will continue to buy books here until I finish grad school and/​or whatever else I’m gonna do at UH.
PROPS
Props to the UH Bookstore for managing herds of crazy college student, creepers, and biatches. Thank you for always having your shelves organized and straightened, so that it’s easier for us to find the books we need.
Unilocal #049/​365

I believe that the bookstore is not the people in charge of the prices of books and what books are being sold. Probably the textbook companies sell the books to the university at a premium and the professors choose the books. So I will not review them on those two things.
What is left is the organization and the customer service they have at the bookstore.
Compared to most of the services and shops in the university this place probably has one of the best customer service skills. It is not over-​the-​top experience compared to retail though.
For organization and cleanliness.
It is probably the most clean and tidy places on campus also. Things are usually set in nice stacks and no trash around. Organization of the books is logical. The supplies are organized in some fashion and is probably logical to someone who works there I hope.
They started doing some construction so they had to move some of the registers which I am happy about that they didn’t just take them out without replacements. It now feels cramped in there but who really cares, we go there to buy books.
I wish that the different store in the university would have meetings about building customer service skills.

The good: Wide variety of UH team sports clothing and trinkets, a good variety of office supplies, binders, etc., sometimes things are on clearance at good prices.
The bad: Poor selection of trade books, some staff are very rude, the «computer» section staff are not knowledgeable or friendly, textbooks can often be bought on Amazon for a fraction of the cost in store. When you buy something they will ID you and stare at you like you are a criminal while the person in front of you who just spent $ 300 with a credit card won’t be IDed at all.

I spent my first two years of my undergraduate blowing my hard-​earned cash paying retail prices for textbooks, only to realize that Amazon charges 10%-90% less than the book store (Amazon normally carries tons of used copies, too!)
Ever since I have discovered Amazon, I’ve saved time (from not having to stand in those horrific, first-​week-​of-​the-​semester lines) and hundreds of dollars. Praise Buddha (or any other religious figure!)