For college textbooks: how do you know the online version is what you need?

[punkin]

This is a budget related post because DD just called me from college in a panic. Her math book for this semester was $245 . I found what I think is the same book on Amazon for $189 (still expensive, but a huge savings). How do I know it's the same book with the same online access? I checked the isbn number so that should be OK, right? Reassure me, because I am horrified at these prices for a one semester book.

 

[DisCookie]

Usually the description will say if it comes with a card/code for the online service. The online service can also be bought separately and I have done that when buying a used copy of a textbook.

 

[HM]

Ask your DD to give you the ISBN numbers for the book, then check to make sure they are the same as the one on Amazon that you found (you can search in textbooks using the ISBN number too).

I bought most of my son's books through Amazon this year.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

you should also look into chegg. I've been renting my books ever since I found out about them. It's so much cheaper ($30 to rent vs $200 to buy) and they pay for return shipping!

At my school you can buy the online code separately from the book- although we never had to use the online stuff!

 

[woody5]

I am a college math professor. If the book you are looking at on Amazon is used, it will NOT have the access code to use the online site. If your daughter can live with an ebook only, the cheapest route is usually to buy access directly for the publishers website. This will give you all of the online components and an ebook. For example, in my classes, the package of book and online access is $200 where as access only to the website with ebook is $90.

 

[daughtersrus]

I've bought many textbooks online for DD's. What I've found is that Amazon isn't always the cheapest. Google "compare textbook prices" and you will come up with sites that will do the work for you. You enter the ISBN# and it will search Amazon, Half.com, Alibris, Ebay, AbeBooks...If you got to retailmenot.com you may be able to find some coupon codes. Some of these stores also participate in Ebates so if you link through them, you will get a % back.

One thing to make sure to look for is that the book you are buying is not an "International" or "Instructor" copy. These books are difficult to resell. Amazon and Ebay prohibit the sale of them but they don't do a good job at policing the listings. People will list them under the US Student edition and then put a blurb in the description as a disclaimer.

For the future, try and get the books as soon as possible. I sell all of the books on Amazon. I wait until it gets close to the start of the semester because they prices are generally much higher than they were the week before. I never list them at the end of the semester unless I know that they are coming out with a new edition.

My DD's never used the online access code or the CD's that some of the books came with. If I bought the book new, I would list in the description that the access code was still valid. If it's not listed as such, as a buyer, I would assume that the access code was no longer valid.

 

[punkin]

I am a college math professor. If the book you are looking at on Amazon is used, it will NOT have the access code to use the online site. If your daughter can live with an ebook only, the cheapest route is usually to buy access directly for the publishers website. This will give you all of the online components and an ebook. For example, in my classes, the package of book and online access is $200 where as access only to the website with ebook is $90.

The book I am looking at is brand new and they say it has online access. I just sent the link to DD for confirmation of isbn and online access and hopefully, it will be the same book only cheaper. It's a brand new edition, so hopefully she can sell it back at the end of the semester and get some of the money back.

 

[JB2K]

This is a budget related post because DD just called me from college in a panic. Her math book for this semester was $245 . I found what I think is the same book on Amazon for $189 (still expensive, but a huge savings). How do I know it's the same book with the same online access? I checked the isbn number so that should be OK, right? Reassure me, because I am horrified at these prices for a one semester book.

I'm a recent student and perhaps I can add...

Did the $245 include online access to a school-specific program such as MathXL? If so, you don't need to pay the extra $$, as your student can sign-up for MathXL online at www.mathxl.com (and signing-up on the website is slightly cheaper than buying the codes from the campus bookstore).

Also, be aware that many books have been re-written over the past year. It's always best to reference the syllabus (which should have the name of the textbook, author/authors, and edition/version number), which will be available on the first day of classes.

Good luck!

 

[daughtersrus]

The book I am looking at is brand new and they say it has online access. I just sent the link to DD for confirmation of isbn and online access and hopefully, it will be the same book only cheaper. It's a brand new edition, so hopefully she can sell it back at the end of the semester and get some of the money back.

Make sure that you check the price that they will give you before she sells it back at school. The first semester, my oldest DD sold the math book that I paid close to $200 for back and get less than $10

At that point, I vowed to take the time and sell them myself.

 

[JB2K]

Budget tip...it's always better to sell used textbooks at Half.com than to sell it back to the campus bookstore (a.k.a. Barnes & Noble at many institutions of higher learning).

 

[punkin]

Make sure that you check the price that they will give you before she sells it back at school. The first semester, my oldest DD sold the math book that I paid close to $200 for back and get less than $10

At that point, I vowed to take the time and sell them myself.

Wow!!! They get you coming and going, don't they?

It looks like the same book (DD just texted), so I went ahead and ordered it. It should be here Friday. I am going up to see DD this Sunday (to bring a few things she forgot when she left last week) so I'll bring it up then.

 

[punkin]

Budget tip...it's always better to sell used textbooks at Half.com than to sell it back to the campus bookstore (a.k.a. Barnes & Noble at many institutions of higher learning).

Thanks. I was looking at Amazon, and they have a way to sell back used books too. Right now this book would sell back at $150. I wonder what they will give me at the end of the semester?

 

[Eastern]

Also check to see if there is a book exchange group for your daughter's college on Facebook. My son goes to a state school and many kids try to sell to each other before resorting to Amazon and last of all, the college bookstore.

They can bargain through private messaging and then meet at school to make the deal. Sometimes people will cut the price of the book after the first week just to get rid of it. Then you can sell it back to Amazon and one time, I even made money on the deal.

Rule #1: always check isbn #. Some books are nearly identical and the isbn # allows you to be sure it's the right edition. Many times, it's the same price to buy the book & online access new rather than purchase just the online access and find a used book that you can resell.

Also, Amazon won't take back books with heavy highlighting, ripped or damaged covers, or broken binding/hinges, so if you get a cheap used book, sometimes it's more expensive in the long run than paying more initially for a nicer one. In the end, you can sell the nicer one back.

 

[DISdreamin']

Sometimes you'll find out things the first day of class that are helpful. I know instructors will sometimes point out the different ways the book can be accessed (buying used, ebook, renting at chegg, etc), and sometimes online access is absolutely necessary, sometimes it's just an available part of a bundle but not required. It's hard to tell until you go to class and hear what the instructor has to say. Sometimes instructors will put books on reserve that students can use to get by until their books they order come in, too.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

The book I am looking at is brand new and they say it has online access. I just sent the link to DD for confirmation of isbn and online access and hopefully, it will be the same book only cheaper. It's a brand new edition, so hopefully she can sell it back at the end of the semester and get some of the money back.

My school won't buy back math textbooks & they have them specially made for the school so you can't really get them elsewhere.

 

[Momoftwins+1]

Bigwords.com is a good site for rentals a purchase steering as well...it looks t a ton of sites all at once.

Worst that can happen with your daughter if the book doesn't have a code with it when it arrives is she will have to pay for it separately on the website for the text (mymathlab, ConnectPlus etc)

All my business type classes demand the online code content because tests an assignments ate submitted on them so that is why the code is crucial. Over the last four years I've had many moments of textbook bundle sticker shock and so has my wallet...have her take advantage of rentals for the classes that don't require online codes. I saved a ton with rentals on my more generic mandatory core classes ( ie 30 bucks versus 120 the school wanted etc )

 

[Eeyore98]

One thing to make sure to look for is that the book you are buying is not an "International" or "Instructor" copy. These books are difficult to resell. Amazon and Ebay prohibit the sale of them but they don't do a good job at policing the listings.

Just to add more info to this (I worked for years in a college bookstore), those books are difficult to resell because they are technically illegal to sell in the US, thanks to laws that publishers have managed to get passed. No one is going to come after one student selling an international edition to another via flyers, but any business that sells them (bookstores) or allows them to be sold through their site (Amazon, Craigslist, etc.) can face serious penalties.

So, you will not be able to sell an international/instructor/complimentary copy to the bookstore during buyback either.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

the cheapest route is usually to buy access directly for the publishers website. This will give you all of the online components and an ebook. For example, in my classes, the package of book and online access is $200 where as access only to the website with ebook is $90.

Did the $245 include online access to a school-specific program such as MathXL? If so, you don't need to pay the extra $$, as your student can sign-up for MathXL online at www.mathxl.com (and signing-up on the website is slightly cheaper than buying the codes from the campus bookstore).

This is exactly what my university is using, I had to return my book because all I needed was the access code... all of the information is located on the website via an ebook.

My suggestion is to have your DD email her professor or (if she can) wait for the first day of class so you wont be wasting money on things you dont need!!!

 

[punkin]

This is exactly what my university is using, I had to return my book because all I needed was the access code... all of the information is located on the website via an ebook.

My suggestion is to have your DD email her professor or (if she can) wait for the first day of class so you wont be wasting money on things you dont need!!!

Actually, the professor apologized to the class on the first day because he knows the book is expensive, but he felt that it was the best book for the class and he wants them to make sure to have the online access as well since they will need it.

On the bright side, the book shipped from Amazon this morning.