Websites for College Textbooks?

[vikster1]

Where have you purchased college textbooks? Campus store or online?

Do you find they are cheaper online?

Thanks

 

[Sarah627]

It's been a couple years since I purchased textbooks, but I always used Textbooks.com. They were always cheaper and have a very generous buyback policy. I bought a couple from Amazon, but I much preferred textbooks.com for the convenience. They even sent a return shipping label to send the books back at the end of the semester. I honestly don't know how campus bookstores stay in business. Their prices are outrageous and ours had super rigid buyback policies that made it very difficult to get a decent amount back.

 

[disneylove69]

I bought mine on Amazon. I got most books as brand new still in original wrapping for a fraction of the cost. I then re-sold them on Amazon for more than I paid for.

 

[ThisIsJason]

Amazon, Chegg.com for rentals.

It's been a couple years since I purchased textbooks, but I always used Textbooks.com. They were always cheaper and have a very generous buyback policy. I bought a couple from Amazon, but I much preferred textbooks.com for the convenience. They even sent a return shipping label to send the books back at the end of the semester. I honestly don't know how campus bookstores stay in business. Their prices are outrageous and ours had super rigid buyback policies that made it very difficult to get a decent amount back.

Pretty easy if it is like the local college I work for. All math and science starting this fall semester have switched to "school custom books" binder/one usage type for the classes. It is now written that if you do not have the school version of the book by the 3rd class meeting, you will be dropped. Next fall more are to switch as well.

 

[SingingMom]

We always got DD's books from Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Sometimes new, sometimes used. We never used the university's bookstore unless the book was only found there. The school's books were always more expensive.

 

[DisMommyTX]

I recommend addall.com . It searches multiple online sites at once. If the professor requires online access components, you will probably have to buy it new, but it is still usually cheaper directly from the publisher or on amazon.

For all 'custom' books and anything else you get at the campus bookstore, be sure to purchase asap. They will run out and it can take weeks to get more. Also, always keep your receipt and leave everything in the original packaging. Sometimes during the first week the professor will tell you that a particular book is not needed. The bookstores will only take them back if it is still shrink wrapped.

 

[Teacup53]

I have used Bookrenter.com and gone through Ebates.com to get cash back. They have been great - free shipping to and from for the books and different length rentals. Also, try googling the books because sometimes you can find a free PDF of the book (just found one for my graduate thesis course) $225 saved

 

[rcraw45425]

Amazon and Textbook Brokers are my go to. We have a local Textbook Brokers across from main campus, I'll check if they have it and go ahead and rent, then call them and they'll pull the order and my daughters pick up. Amazon is very prompt in most cases, but make sure you order with plenty of time to spare. I had one case where they decided to use Media Mail, about the cheapest slowest form out there. I wound up having to call and have it cancelled as it was going to take them two weeks to get it to us.

 

[beach baby]

One other thing to note is if a book has an online access packet, the access code is a one user code. A new packet would have to be bought with used books. Seriously, college textbooks are outrageous!

 

[indimom]

We've primarily used Amazon. Occasionally other sites listed here. No problems with any of the books. Prices were often 30-50% less than the bookstore price. Occasionally, we got used textbooks for 80-90% less. There were rare occasions when the bookstore price was cheaper (generally loose leaf copies of the textbooks that you would put into a binder).
Some professors are fine with students who use outdated editions, changes between the books are typically subtle. But, it's up to the student to note any changed/missing information in their text. In my experience, most of the differences are in page numbers, locating charts/graphs, etc., rather than NEW/Changed information.
Be cautious when you are buying textbooks that come with an online resource/passcode. I've gotten used books that didn't have the passcode when I needed one. I had to go online to buy that also, killing any real savings on the used text.
AND I've bought a new book in order to get a better deal with the passcode, only to have the professor announce on Day one that we wouldn't be using the online resource.
If you can find out in advance whether the online resource is required, it will help you make the best choice for the budget. This becomes easier after the first semester or so when you start to know professors or make friends with other students who have taken particular classes in prior semesters.

 

[rcraw45425]

I've found with the two I've mentioned that in most cases pass codes are provided or will be mentioned. I did have a problem with a linguistics book for my older daughter this summer actually having like 30 pages missing. Weird thing was one of her classmate's books had the same ones missing and no way to realize until you have a n assignment covering those pages

 

[madge]

Where have you purchased college textbooks? Campus store or online?

Do you find they are cheaper online?

Thanks

this semester, Amazon was the cheapest for nearly all purchases & rentals ... having them all come from the same place made it worth the extra cost on one book.

I have used Bigwords in the past to compare.

 

[Colleen27]

I honestly don't know how campus bookstores stay in business. Their prices are outrageous and ours had super rigid buyback policies that made it very difficult to get a decent amount back.

That's easy - they have a captive audience in all the students who use their financial aid to cover books. The two schools I've attended recently (community college and university) have slightly different procedures but both set things up so that students using financial aid to buy books have little choice but to go to the campus bookstore. At one, students can charge books to their account if they're expected to have a financial aid refund but because refunds aren't processed until after add/drop so charging at the campus bookstore is the only way those students can access their financial aid to get books. At the other, refunds are processed a few days before the start of the term so in theory students could buy their books where ever they like, but the turn-around is too short to accommodate ordering online and having books shipped. So those students end up at the campus bookstore, hoping there are still some used copies left on such short notice.

For my books, I use Bigwords.com to compare costs and then order from where ever is cheapest. Between my college texts and DD's high school books, even the few bucks difference between one site and another can add up.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

My daughter used half.com & Amazon for all hers & then resold & made more $$ back on them. We bought very little from the FSU or UNF bookstores.

 

[HM]

We've mostly used Chegg.com and Amazon.
This semester, Amazon had the best pricing for rentals for the books we needed, and with Prime shipping, we got free delivery.
The only things we buy at the school store are the ones that are only available there. Some professors have books made for their classes that you can't get anywhere else. This time it was a lab book for my DDs chemistry lab.

 

[WVMomof3]

How is Amazon about returns on rentals? I am using them for the first time, my daughter is taking an online college class while in High School, so this is new to us. I decided to try rental at Amazon, but after I did it, someone told me they tell you your book is in too bad of condition to buy back. Has anyone else had this experience?

 

[tvguy]

My daughter used half.com & Amazon for all hers & then resold & made more $$ back on them. We bought very little from the FSU or UNF bookstores.

Both my kids used half.com

 

[HM]

How is Amazon about returns on rentals? I am using them for the first time, my daughter is taking an online college class while in High School, so this is new to us. I decided to try rental at Amazon, but after I did it, someone told me they tell you your book is in too bad of condition to buy back. Has anyone else had this experience?

I've never had that happen. All our returns have been accepted. The kids have done a good job keeping the books close to what they looked like when they got them. I've been through several semesters of this.

We got one book that came in bad shape (don't remember if it was Amazon or Chegg) and we took pictures of it when we got it in case we had any trouble with the return. It was excepted without problem.

We try to keep the box the books came in to use for sending back. When it gets close to time for returns, Amazon contacts you to let you know. You print out a return form and UPS label and then drop the box at a UPS store.

 

[thepops]

My daughters used Bigwords.com for both buying and selling most of their textbooks.

 

[tiggerluver12]

Chegg.com is awesome. My daughter found out a few days ago that she received a book scholarship - had already ordered rentals. Once they arrived I just called Chegg - they emailed me return labels and will give me a 100% refund!

Chegg is THE place for rentals. They are the least expensive and are easy to return. Customer service is the best!!