Websites for College Textbooks?

[prettypatchesmsu]

I use Amazon.com for mine. I've found most used on there and they are like new. Got one for a third of what they wanted for it new. I haven't tried selling on Amazon yet, but I'm considering it!

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Let me just chime in here. One of my daughters is in her second year in college at Dalton State College here in north Georgia. She has been renting her books the entire time. Well she did so again this semester. And the school is now making them purchase some online codes with some of her classes to go with the books. So I had to fork over an extra $117 plus the rental of her books.

This is such a money grab! The schools must be being hit on their bottom line with students renting books and not buying them so this is how they are screwing us.

 

[powellrj]

Also check and see if your childs school has a textbook facebook page. My DD was able to borrow several books and also got a couple for free. She also gave a few away. She knew nothing about the facebook page and I found out about it from another parent, so it would be worth it to look into.

 

[Eastern]

I have been ordering college textbooks for the past 5 years. I prefer Amazon because their customer service is good and they are really prompt with rental deliveries. I rarely use expedited shipping because regular shipping is so fast on the rentals (when rented through Amazon). When I have had problems with books (poor condition upon arrival) they have always credited me without a problem.

 

[Eastern]

I use Amazon.com for mine. I've found most used on there and they are like new. Got one for a third of what they wanted for it new. I haven't tried selling on Amazon yet, but I'm considering it!

I haven't sold books myself but I often do the Amazon trade-ins. I've gotten some good amounts for books that I've traded in, even copies that have been used before. If I don't like a price, I wait and sometimes it goes back up. Depends on demand and whether or not a new edition is coming out.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I haven't sold books myself but I often do the Amazon trade-ins. I've gotten some good amounts for books that I've traded in, even copies that have been used before. If I don't like a price, I wait and sometimes it goes back up. Depends on demand and whether or not a new edition is coming out.

I do not know much about trading them in. Is it pretty easy to do?

 

[vikster1]

Thank you for all the responses!! I feel like a dinosaur, we only had college bookstores in 1994. This is a whole new world. Hopefully I will be able to find some good deals. That way I can save me for Disney. hehe

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This is ds18's first semester in college. I had heard of chegg so I compared them to Amazon and the campus bookstore where we can also rent. Amazon beat every price except for 2 that we're renting from the campus bookstore. We have prime so we've already had the books and classes don't start until after Labor Day.
Amazon was so much cheaper by a long shot. One book was $60 new, $40 used and only $13 to rent from Amazon. It was a no brainer.

I didn't know we could simply buy codes separately from the books. How much do they cost roughly? Two of his computer books we bought new because they come with single-use codes which of course are not guaranteed when renting or buying used. The one was over $140 everywhere but we found a 3rd party Amazon seller for $84 claiming it was brand new so we took a chance. The code packets were completely sealed so hopefully no problems. At least they pertain to his major so there's a chance he might refer back to them some day but for non-major classes we're renting for sure.

 

[penn19]

This is ds18's first semester in college. I had heard of chegg so I compared them to Amazon and the campus bookstore where we can also rent. Amazon beat every price except for 2 that we're renting from the campus bookstore. We have prime so we've already had the books and classes don't start until after Labor Day.
Amazon was so much cheaper by a long shot. One book was $60 new, $40 used and only $13 to rent from Amazon. It was a no brainer.

I didn't know we could simply buy codes separately from the books. How much do they cost roughly? Two of his computer books we bought new because they come with single-use codes which of course are not guaranteed when renting or buying used. The one was over $140 everywhere but we found a 3rd party Amazon seller for $84 claiming it was brand new so we took a chance. The code packets were completely sealed so hopefully no problems. At least they pertain to his major so there's a chance he might refer back to them some day but for non-major classes we're renting for sure.

I'm running into this now. My ds came home today (and yes he started classes today but, I have learned the past few semesters that he doesnt always need the books that are on his list) and said some of the books he just needs the access codes. Where can you buy just the access codes? A couple of books he needs both the book and the access code but as noted above, if you rent or buy used, there is no guarantee that you will get it. Very frustrating.

 

[HM]

I didn't know we could simply buy codes separately from the books. How much do they cost roughly? Two of his computer books we bought new because they come with single-use codes which of course are not guaranteed when renting or buying used. The one was over $140 everywhere but we found a 3rd party Amazon seller for $84 claiming it was brand new so we took a chance. The code packets were completely sealed so hopefully no problems. At least they pertain to his major so there's a chance he might refer back to them some day but for non-major classes we're renting for sure.

Most of the codes my kids have to buy are around $99. So, we usually come out ahead renting the book and buying the code over getting a new book. If you bought the new book, you could sell it afterward and recoupe some of the cost, but it won't be close to what you bought it for originally (since it no longer has a valid code).

 

[Eastern]

I do not know much about trading them in. Is it pretty easy to do?

Yes. They give step by step instructions. You can submit your ISBN number and see how much you will get. You don't have to continue the transaction if you don't like the price. At the end you print out the labels and it ships free.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

DS had two books that are particular to the University and we had no choice but to buy them at the bookstore. His math class has an on-line program that you have to buy for over $100 and of course it's not available anywhere else. All of the other books we bought or rented through Amazon.

 

[powellrj]

We just had something happen I hadn't seen before. DD is getting her books and opened one yesterday while DS was here. DS said he used that book when he was in college and still had it. Only problem was this book said it was for her college only and had extra chapters in it. We assumed it was because he went to a state school and she goes to a private christian school. Just something to be on the lookout for too.

 

[HM]

We just had something happen I hadn't seen before. DD is getting her books and opened one yesterday while DS was here. DS said he used that book when he was in college and still had it. Only problem was this book said it was for her college only and had extra chapters in it. We assumed it was because he went to a state school and she goes to a private christian school. Just something to be on the lookout for too.

Do they have the same ISBN#? If so, the books should be identical. (a new ISBN# has to be given to each new version of a book).
She should return hers for a refund and use your son's if that's the case.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Amazon, Chegg.com for rentals.



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.

We have run into this at my freshman son's university. That and the books that have an online code required by the professors that won't work if you buy used or rented books. Grrrrrr. I got all the ISBN numbers, spent 4 hours online researching and would have only saved $40. Classes started yesterday so waiting for them to ship would have put him behind. The $40 wasn't worth getting behind. His books for this semester will be about $650.

 

[Shmily1]

Rent them from Amazon. It was super cheap! They were great to deal with. We rented it, they sent a reminder to send the book back, we did, and never heard from them about it again. We rented it for $27.xx and it was almost $300 to buy it. I was happy!

 

[cedricandsophie]

My grand daughter rents many at Amazon. Cheap and an easy return.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My sons college has been online textbook mostly so far (he's a sophomore this year) so he's just used the link he got from the professors to pay for his access.
It's worked out well so far and hasn't been too expensive.

He said he might have to buy one actual textbook this year but it's not 100% confirmed yet. He'll just get it at the college if that's the case since he'll need it pretty quick and the mail service at the college is horrible.

 

[ThisIsJason]

We have run into this at my freshman son's university. That and the books that have an online code required by the professors that won't work if you buy used or rented books. Grrrrrr. I got all the ISBN numbers, spent 4 hours online researching and would have only saved $40. Classes started yesterday so waiting for them to ship would have put him behind. The $40 wasn't worth getting behind. His books for this semester will be about $650.

I am taking grad classes with the university I work for. Last semester one of the classes I took, needed a book with a access code, said screw it and decided to wait to buy it from the bookstore seeing it was about $190 bucks after tax. Went to the class and the professor teaching told those who had it to return it and just to buy the access code from the bookstore for $75 after tax. There was a digital copy of the book with the code. I do not know if all books are like this but it is something to look into for the future.

 

[vikster1]

What are access codes and online codes for? The textbook or special information?