St. Petersburg College (SPC) - Clearwater Campus — Local services in Clearwater

This complaint applies to both Clearwater and Seminole campus bookstore.

Issue 1: I ordered a rental that it turns out I actually didn't need, even though it was on the list of required text books. So I tried messaging someone through the bookstore website twice to have it cancelled or refunded and no one ever got back to me about it. So that's money out the window.

Issue 2: For this same rental, I was almost charged for keeping the book and a late fee at the end of the semester....when I had never picked it up to begin with. Customer service was able to stop this.

Issue 3: They send emails about price matching which states it applies to both rentals and purchases, but I was told by one employee that it only applies to purchased books, and someone else said it applies to purchased book and used rentals. Of course I received only new rentals because the website was conveniently out of used ones, even though that is what I had initially ordered.

Issue 4. My order for textbooks was supposed to be ready early in the week for pickup, my books were still not there after contacting them on both occasions. The staff kept saying they would be delivered here by the next day from Seminole. For some reason the other campus is refusing to deliver them. So I can't do my assignments until I receive these flipping books that I'm just trying to pick up.

Issue 5: To top it off, I was lied to about the store hours, an employee told me that they would actually be open on Saturday so I can finally pick up my books then. Next day I call to find out they are not so I am screwed and have to make a 3rd attempt to get them Monday.

I now have to risk getting a zero on my assignments because they are making me wait til Monday to get my overpriced rentals, which may or may not have been delivered yet to the correct campus. I don't know who I have to complain to or if I can have any of this rectified, but for my last semester I am making sure to get all my books from Amazon. I could have avoided all of this by not using the Campus Bookstore...

Very disappointed with the financial aide advising . Which is sad because I have been a straight A student here since 2020 and have an associates , certification and 75% done with my bachelors . I had some life events happen last year that were out of my control and I am not making what I was making in 2022 . I was denied Pell grants because of my income from TWO years ago . I called TWICE , and spoke to two different people explaining my situation in which they assured me that all I needed to do was bring it pay stubs and everything I can to prove I am in different circumstances now once fall terms started , so I did . The advisor refused to even look at anything I brought in and basically told me I’m out of luck until I file taxes next year and then I have to take more time off work to go back next term .. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE TWO PEOPLE TOLD ME ON THE PHONE . I wouldn’t have even wasted my time going in today and missing work if I would have known that. I explained to him the two people I spoke to , one before summer term began and one a few weeks ago and he stated he doesn’t even see where I talked to anyone . I walked out of there crying today . I never thought I’d have these feelings towards this school. But I am devastated and will be looking at other...

Update: update from my previous review. While I stand by what I originally wrote, after I posted that, someone reached out to me right away from SPC to try and make things right. Shay has been great and is currently helping problem solve with me before the summer semester starts. She's been super helpful and had a few options we could do to make things better.

The advising staff on campus here suck. I was a returning student after many years have passed. So I went in person and met with a man to get help on which classes I should take to finish up my AA. I needed to finish my electives with a couple others, so I signed up for a couple random classes to finish the requirement. Long story short now I have to pay out of pocket for one class this summer when I could’ve had it covered by my G.I. bill, because the advising staff member did not tell me this one class that is a requirement to start on my bachelors in the fall Would have completed my elective requirement for my AA.

How intro to education doesn’t fall under the guidelines of an education major baffles me. I feel like with the school you have to jump through so many hoops each semester when it should just flow seamlessly it’s all very confusing...