Tell me about Chegg for book rentals?

[spima3]

I read that Chegg.com is really good for renting college textbooks.

We've checked the college bookstore, and lots of "used" books on the shelves. I also asked about access codes and CD's. etc. and was told any book that had the latter would be specially wrapped, and none of her books were like that.

SO, I am thinking renting the books through Chegg.com will work and save us over $500. My only concern is "how" good this site really is.

How long do you need for shipping? Are the books in decent condition? How does there 21 day return policy work, and has anyone used it? What is the worst experience you have had with this site?

DD18 starts school Aug 26, so I know I need to order soon. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA, lori

 

[CKBear]

I used Chegg a couple of years ago when I had to take my last few credits in order to sit for the CPA exam. I had no problem using them for books; I ordered my books as soon as I knew what I needed to be sure I'd have them in time for class. I saved the box and packaging material so when the semester was over all I had to do was put everything back in the box it came in and ship it back to them. If I remember correctly, I didn't have to pay return shipping it was covered in the cost to originally rent the books.

I wish this had been an option when I was actually in college, I would have saved a ton of money on buying books, even though I sold most of my books back I still thinking renting would have been a cheaper option.

 

[ZiPaD3doDAH]

Being a college student I ALWAYS rent my books from site's like Chegg.

Why pay full price for a book (most are around $200) and then have to worry about selling it?!

In short, Chegg is 100% legit. So is Bookrenter.

You can choose how long shipping takes but it's usually 4-7 days I believe. Books are in great condition. Never had any that were highlighted or written on. I've never had a problem with this site.

Over the years Chegg has gotten bigger in terms of popularity so the prices go up a bit. I like to use Chegg AND bookrenter & compare prices.

Most of the time right before school starts they send a newsletter with a promo code for free shipping, or a quick search on google for a promo code could do the trick.

 

[Chelley00]

We bought quite a few of DS's textbooks from Chegg last year and then again this year. What we couldn't find on Chegg we got from Amazon. Just make sure and double check the ISN number to make sure you are getting the correct version of the book. Never had a problem and it saved us so much money!

 

[MSSANDRA]

DS rents every book he can through Chegg. He has never had an issue and never been dis-satisfied. Shipping is quick as well. We save sooo much money using them. If there is a book he thinks he wants to keep, he can buy it, still much cheaper than anywhere else we have found.

 

[Colleen27]

Do the third-party rentals really save money? The school I attend has their own rental program but it isn't a cost-saver... I needed 4 books last term and without exception the cost of a rental was higher than the cost of a used text after subtracting the end-of-term buyback. If my courses were on campus I could see doing it for the convenience factor, now having to worry about getting stuck with books that aren't being bought back because they aren't going to be used the next term, but at my school you pay a little more for that convenience.

 

[jcarter29]

I rent as many of my college texts as possible from Chegg, bkrenter.com, etc. and have had no issues. I usually search the bk that I need and rent from whichever of the major rental companies is cheapest (consider shipping if it isn't included). I only bought one book last semester and rented everything else...hoping to do that same again this one.

Kim

 

[Grandmatoniko]

My daughter rented her anatomy and physiology book for her summer class with no problem...good luck!

 

[carobear]

I used Chegg all the time! Loved the convenience of it and the decent prices. They were really easy to return. It was a good experience all around. Like another poster said, look for a promo code!

 

[marius97]

Do the third-party rentals really save money? The school I attend has their own rental program but it isn't a cost-saver... I needed 4 books last term and without exception the cost of a rental was higher than the cost of a used text after subtracting the end-of-term buyback. If my courses were on campus I could see doing it for the convenience factor, now having to worry about getting stuck with books that aren't being bought back because they aren't going to be used the next term, but at my school you pay a little more for that convenience.

This is my experience too...once I know what books that I need, I make a spreadsheet with the cost of purchase and rental from all the big retailers (Chegg is VERY reputable.) When I compare my rental cost to the net price after selling a book back through Amazon or similar place, purchasing almost always has been a better deal. It may only be $5-10 on a book, but it still is better. For some people the risk of a book not being bought back might not be worth the few dollars in savings.