The end of the semester is coming up in a month so it’s almost time to bring back rentals to the University of Massachusetts Boston campus bookstore.
Located on the upper level in Campus Center, on the way to University Hall, the bookstore is an easy option for many students to buy or rent books for every semester but due to COVID-19, campus is closed until Aug. 6, 2020.
With classes held online, Wheatley Hall, McCormack Hall, the Integrated Science Complex, and what’s left of the Science Center—basically all academic buildings—are closed. Campus Center and the Quinn Administration Building are partially open, with only essential offices open. So, if campus is closed, how do students get their books back?
Kristin Bozzi is the store manager from Follett Corporation, the company who runs the bookstore. She was able to answer the when, where, and how in an email.
“I wanted to write [to] you today concerning the ways in which you can return your rental books. If you rented your books, you can sign into your online account and print out a shipping return label. Our rental due date is May 26, 2020. We have extended the charge date for non returned rental textbooks by ten days. This gives the five to seven days of shipping as well as our staff the ability to physically check in your rentals. If you have any rentals you do not need for studying/finals please feel free to ship them in early. All packages need to have your name, email and phone number on your rental account inside the package.
To initiate a rental check-in online, the rental patron must complete the following steps:
• Two ways to get a Rental Return Label :
1. Wait for the rental reminder email that is sent 14 days before your rental due date. Email is sent again seven days, three days, and the day of your due date. This email contains a link to generate a free return shipping label and packing slip.
2. Or you can immediately generate a free return shipping label by logging into your account by going to umassbostonshop.com:
a. Click the Sign In link on the top right side of the page to sign into your account.
b. Enter the email address you provided at the register or online when you rented.
If you don’t know your password, you can click Forgot Password link for a temporary password to be emailed to you.
c. Once you’ve signed in, click the link “Rentals”. You will be navigated to the Rentals page in your account.
d. On the Rentals page, scroll down the page to see the books you rented. Click the link “Return All Rentals by Mail”. You can also click the button “Return by Mail”. Both open a popup to select your rentals to ship back.
e. Follow the steps to generate and print the return label and packing slip. This option is available until your rental due date of May 26, 2020.
Note: The patron must include the packing list with the books and affix the FedEx shipping label to the outside of the box. If the patron does not provide the packing list in the package, it can delay the rental check-in process at the store. The patron then takes the package to any FedEx Ground shipping location.