Barnes & Noble will no longer manage the Student Union bookstore as of Feb. 16. Follett Corporation has been selected as its replacement to open in a renovated building on University Parkway now occupied by Neebo.
[Read: ULS Board to discuss new bookstore, dining option]
“Northwestern State University Foundation acquired this property directly across the street from the campus,” NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio said in a Feb. 14 press release. “The partnership between Northwestern, the NSU Foundation and Follett will create a dynamic and high-quality Campus Store experience for the university and community for years to come.”
An 8000-square-foot area is planned to provide NSU with a one-stop shopping facility on University Parkway for books, supplies, NSU-branded merchandise and fast food, including Chick-fil-A.
According to the press release, “Follett Corporation is the world’s largest single source of books, entertainment products, digital content and multi-media for libraries, schools and retailers.”
But some consumers don’t hold Follett in high regard and have voiced their opinions on popular review site Yelp. The company has an average one-star rating based on 16 reviews.
Users nationwide report low-quality books that are refused for replacement, overpriced books compared to competitors such as Amazon, a questionable buyback service and several complaints of an ambiguous $1 surcharge.
The only response was to the $1 charge, to which an employee of Follett listed as Ericka L responded with this: “Any time a customer uses a credit card on their bookstore’s website, we authorize the card for $1. It’s the lowest amount we can run as a pre-authorization to make sure the card is valid. You may notice this often happens at gas stations and restaurants.
“The dollar is not actually charged to the customer and it will just appear as a pending amount, eventually dropping off of the account entirely. You’ll see this dollar authorization on your account even if the order does not completely go through. The pending authorization will drop off of your account within three to five business days.”
During Barnes & Noble’s absence, students are encouraged to use Neebo across the street from Watson Memorial Library until Feb. 27. The new facility is planned for a fall 2018 opening.