Portland State Bookstore

Perfectly shambolic, unique bookstore with great stock — both recent paperbacks in great condition and rarer finds, matched with charming, clever staff who know their stuff, and a calm atmosphere where you’re happy to browse a wide selection. Cheapo books on the street outside, too.

Terrible service, terrible prices. Lazy employees and paying double if not more for stationary is ridiculous. We’re poor college kids, not rich people. You’d think if anyone was to give us a good price for school supplies it’d be the school. I hate the bookstore and so do most of my friends… Only go here if you absolutely need to.

THE WORST customer service around! After separating from NEEBO abruptly, causing major issues returning books because neither company wanted to take physical possession of the books. I called and left numerous voicemails for the bookstore, emailed, and got zero response so I went to the store (and made sure to bring a witness). It only got worse from there… They couldn’t find me in the system, she failed to listen to anything I said as I was explaining, then nonchalantly said «we’ll find somewhere to put these til we can take care of it». She got extremely frustrated when I asked for a receipt showing that they had possession of the books and made sure her signature was illegible, but I was satisfied having some proof that I had returned the books before the due date and went on my way. Flash forward 3 months and my card is now being charged for these books by the bookstore… Now I have to take the documentation I have to the bank and report a fraudulent charge on my account because this woman clearly didn’t «take care of it» as she assured me she would. I wish I could give less stars.
P. s. Amazon textbook rentals are cheaper & have longer rental periods anyway.

Dropped in to get my husband some school books and it just happened to be during a huge sale. Nice. Got some swag, books, and supplies. They grab the books for you, which is strange to me, since they just hand them to you to take upstairs anyway. Whats the point?
I went to SFSU for undergrad and feel like our store was a bit better. Otherwise, I don’t have much experience in college bookstores.

Everyone whose over the age of 30 here clearly has a look of, how did this become my life? Like any school bookstore everything is overpriced give or take.

Pretty awful. Have had only a single good experience there in my 3 years @ PSU. I think management most be bad because the employees seem completely miserable. Also, the lady who bought my books today refused to give me a receipt or my coins??? I mean, what kind of business does that? Do yourself a favor and go to Powell’s or Amazon first.

Textbooks are over priced

I love visiting Campus Bookstores where ever they may be. Of course, I would prefer my own alma maters (University of Iowa, Texas A&M, and UC Berkeley), but wandering the stacks, branded gear, stationary, and other sundries brings back lots of pleasant educational memories.
My Son and I wandered in last Friday, which netted him some art supplies and me a few temptations. The Store is multi-​level and with much to explore and possibly learn. Go Vikings!

University bookstores are notoriously lame. They’re busy the first week and the last week of every term, they provide books you need more than books you want, and they stuff clothing down your throats while you’re shopping. You’ll pay more than you think you should, and when you sell your books back you’ll get less than you think you deserve.
But at the end of the day, they’re ok. This is actually a very large bookstore with three floors of products. They have a decent selection of everything, including pleasure reading books, office supplies, stupid gifts, and (you guessed it) PSU clothing.
Be aware that though this is the PSU Bookstore, you cannot charge purchases to your PSU student account. I’m not really sure why.
Given that this is a university bookstore, this is relatively useful to non-​students. Overall, they’re A-​OK.

Awful awful service! The employees who work at the store are hit or miss, some are very nice and helpful and others are way too cool, but the person who called me about my petition for return was the most rude and condescending person and provided the worst customer service I have ever experienced. I will never purchase anything from the PSU bookstore ever again and I will never recommend it to anyone.

***This is a pretty run-​of-​the-​mill university bookstore at Portland State (right in Downtown Portland); there is still a decent selection of apparel and even a few reasonably priced school-​branded apparel for a university store; there was also a good selection of snacks and junk food; service was nice***
I think you should be able to find metered street parking or parking via pay lots or structures around Portland State.

Guess what, it’s a college bookstore! No kidding, what did you expect?
It’s not bad, the people seem pretty friendly and helpful when I need them. They have, you know, books and school supplies and PSU merchandise. There are also some electronics upstairs. The place gets crazy at the start of a new term, but don’t let the line down the stairs put you off, it actually moves pretty quickly. If you can go in the morning when they first open you’ll have the place to yourself.
Best tip: if you need a fancy calculator for math or stats, they have used ones upstairs. But they will run out, so get in there when you first know what you need. I saved $ 25 buying a used Ti83.

I’ve only been upstairs where you can get some (they’ll only print books like multi-​page stuff) printing done. The staff has always been friendly and helpful.

This place makes me want to cuss.
Such a horrible experience. Read on!
PSU is known as the commuter school, meaning a majority people dont live close to the school but close enough to drive. (woodburn, salem, vancouver, tigard, hilsboro ect)
Today I went in at (saturday)12:51, I was the only person along with my bf. So I went to get textbooks (2 of them). and guess what. The guy that worked there gave me the WRONG TEXTBOOK. Yes he gave me the wrong textbook, because there was a sign that said «please ask staff to get textbooks».
I told him I need an 8^th edition for stats by bluman and I got an USED 7^th edition that cost more than the new 8^th edition.
The most upsetting part is, the 7^th edition is not used by any stats class, so why was it even there in stock, is PSU trying to SCAM me?
Remember PSU being a commuter school, this means I have to spend 45+ miles to come up and exchange the book and drive 45+ miles to get back home.
Honestly, let me ask you, is it SO HARD to get the right book? I only had two books. It was so early in the morning, don’t tell me your brain was fried already? Don’t tell me that since I was the only customer, your brain needs time to warm up?
If the books I bought were psu-​customized, I wouldnt even go here. GO
!
The economy is not great, so I don’t understand why hire such inefficient people.
Regret #1: Transferring to PSU from UW-​Seattle.

I really hate coming here. The prices are not only the highest in town, the service is mostly poor as well. In the years I’ve been coming here, I have been helped by a couple of nice people, but mostly I am met with some of the most surly students ever at checkout. Do these people not have to go through an interview process just because its work study? Regardless, everything from sheet protectors to textbooks is so overpriced that I always shop around before being forced to buy my course materials here (because my loans took too long to order online…). I will say that the store is spacious, organized, and pleasant looking, so hey.

I always enjoy going to the book store when I need to and sometimes I will just go in to look around to see what is new. For students they have the course books, but they also have school supplies and they are an official seller of Apple. They also have PSU merchandise, general books, cards, magazines, art supplies and snacks. The staff is always friendly and the place has a good atmosphere. It does get busy during lunch time so make a visit in early morning or late afternoon.

My favorite college book store cuz it actually has a bookstore vibe. Unlike other stores where you know, it feels like its just an extension of the school. Portland has a rich history of good bookstores.

This is a great resource for anyone living or working in this area. The bookstore does have the usual course books (basement), but it also has a good selection of art supplies (basement), general reading for adults (main floor and upstairs) and children (upstairs), as well as computer items (upstairs), and gifts (main floor).
If you are in search of a quick gift, magazine, or greeting card from 8 – 5, stop in here.
Warning: You may want to check the website to see when classes start — the weeks proceeding and following the start of term can be extremely busy. Do not attempt to enter unless under dire need.