Online Book Rentals

Discussion in Product Reviews started by K'Lyn • Sep 3, 2014.

  1. K'Lyn

    K'LynNew Member

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    Has your experience renting online books been a success? Most college students rent to save, and in some cases they end up paying more for damages previously made or late fees. How often does this happen and is it still worth renting in order to save some dough?
     
  2. LuckyGirl08

    LuckyGirl08Active Member

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    When I was in college I rented almost all of my books online. I found it a whole lot cheaper than the campus book store. They delivered my books fast with free return postage.
     
  3. Colebra

    ColebraActive Member

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    Yeah, I don't think so...

    There's no such thing as renting books in Portugal, where I'm from.
    But I've seen this business model quite a few times on Shark Tank, and it seems it does not put the costumer at much of an advantage.

    Certainly not for those who end up picking up the book just a few times, and let it rest on the table with a beer on top...
    :cool:
     
  4. H.C. Heartland

    H.C. HeartlandActive Member

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    My cousin bought used books for her university schooling. They were still expensive but she found it cheaper than buying them new. After she was done, she then resold them to other students who were taking that class. I have seen several companies online now that allow you to either 'rent' or 'buy' the used books. Some have chosen to still buy new because the source material comes with additional online features that call for a source code in order to obtain them. In looking back to some Ethics books I rented from the library as opposed to purchasing for some classes I was taking, I wish I had bought them and still had them today. But then again, I love my library! It has become more of a decoration for my living room than something that is practical. I rarely get rid of a book once it is in my hands. I doubt books on such subjects as calculus would be re-used in the future. But depending on what type of work you find in the future, it might be worth keeping some of them and thus buying.
     
  5. DancingLady

    DancingLadyActive Member

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    I don't think this was even an option when I was in college, maybe my school didn't do it. I never heard of this before but this is a wonderful thing to help student save money. I am disgusted with the way students are ripped off by publishing companies and people who think they should be paid way more than is reasonable. I bought used books and even old editions if I could get away with it to save money. I knew I wouldn't be keeping any of these books anyway.
     
  6. jneanz

    jneanzActive Member

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    With previous classes, I was able to rent many textbooks as Kindle books, which really saved money. This year, I am renting actual books through Amazon. I love the system even though there are some books that I end up keeping because they are a good source of information. Overall, I end up saving between 50-60%, compared to new books.
     
  7. Melissast

    MelissastActive Member

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    I have never heard of this before but it sounds like a great deal to help college students out. I will have to remember this when I go back to school next year. I can image it would be cheaper to rent then to pay the fifty to hundred dollars a book that each subject requires you to have.
     
  8. Amanda K

    Amanda KActive Member

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    I got by in most of my classes by buying an old edition of the textbook. So long as the teacher does not assign particular problems as graded homework, it's not an issue. I made Dean's List my last two semesters with all old edition textbooks. I just bought them from Ebay or Amazon. They were often 10% of the price of even a used version of the new textbook. And, I just sold them back on eBay to a like-minded person when I was done. So, I basically paid nothing for textbooks for a year. I just wish I had figured it out earlier. Even if passcodes for online homework are shrink-wrapped with the text, you can usually buy them a la carte from the publisher's website.
     
  9. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

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    If you ever face late fees or charges for damages, then that's entirely your fault. Getting a book back on time isn't difficult at all, and damages upon arrival should result in a call to customer service immediately. I've had nothing but positive experiences through online textbook rental sites, and most of them offer competitive prices on their books. Compared to buying even used textbooks, you really can't beat this opportunity.
     
  10. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    Yes, it's worked out nicely for me. If you have a tablet or something to read, it's even better and a lot more convenient to study off of in class or at home. The best part is the price; it's almost always a lot cheaper, in some cases roughly 50% off than the print text version. What's also nice is you can print off certain pages that you think you need a hard copy for. And if you plan to rent the book anyway, it's a great, inexpensive option to go ahead and get.
     
  11. milyjohnson

    milyjohnsonActive Member

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    I have never rented a book online, but it does seem helpful for college students. I should have done that when I was in college. It would have saved me some money on the books. The used books I bought were almost expensive as the new books.
     
  12. lrd913

    lrd913Active Member

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    Renting books will save a small fortune over the course of four years, but make sure renting is right for you. I'm a fan of buying older versions (if they don't differ much), or finding PDF's of textbooks online. They are easy to find if you have the time to look for them. It always made my life easier because I was saving money and I always had my PDF files handy on my tablet.

    A word of caution would be to double check your rental agreement before you sign. One of my friends had to pay a fee because she highlighted her textbook. She rented through the university bookstore and they said that "they didn't allow it"....so always check to make sure.
     
  13. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    I've never tried renting books through online channels. I did try renting from someone and was lucky enough to return the book in one piece without any untoward damages. From your statement alone, it's apparent that online book rentals aren't that convenient as they do more damage than harm to the person renting books. It's better to buy used books at Ebay, Amazon or Craigslist. Not only will you get to own them, you can take them out and study them without pressure.
     
  14. Strykstar

    StrykstarActive Member

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    This seems like a good idea, although I've never tried it.
    It seems like a business that invites quite a bit of piracy though, I'm sure many people end up pirating copies of the book.