Chad Purchased an Economics Text Book Online from Shady Press

question 7

Essay

Chad purchased an economics text book online from Shady Press Inc for $40. While the information contained in the book appears to be correct and current, the book itself began to fall apart almost immediately. After he complained about the situation in an electronic chat- room that had been set up by his course instructor, Chad discovered that a large number of other students had suffered through the same experience. Chad then emailed Shady Press to register his complaint and to ask for a rebate on at least part of the price. The company responded by saying that, as a matter of policy, it would not provide any sort of financial relief unless ordered to do so by a court. Although he is now even more annoyed at Shady Press than before, he assumes that he is, practically speaking, powerless to do anything. He has heard that litigation is expensive and he is unwilling to spend a lot of money in the hope of getting a refund on a book that cost only $40. Assuming that the company will not pay unless compelled by a judge to do so, what advice can you offer to Chad? Suggest, and briefly describe, several strategies that might overcome Chad's concerns about costs. (You need not go into great detail on each strategy.)

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Definitions:

Buckley Amendment

Refers to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

FERPA

(Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) affirms the right of all individuals to gain access to their school records, including test records.

Reliability

The degree to which an assessment tool produces stable and consistent results over repeated applications under the same conditions.

Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha

Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha is a statistic used to assess the internal consistency or reliability of a set of scale or test items.