<p>My D will be at NYU and there is an option to rent some textbooks vs buying them. Has anyone done this before? Any advice?
thanks!</p>
<p>My D rented several of her books from the campus bookstore last year (not NYU). Saved us quite a bit of money and none of them were books she’d want to keep. Just make sure D knows when to return them when the semester is over. I think my D could return them after she got back from winter break so the lines were shorter.</p>
<p>we checked out rental prices vrs buying used textbooks online, and found we could spend less buying books and then recoop some of those costs by reselling them oursleves!</p>
<p>Renting, if less than 50% if the cost of purchase, has been a big cost saver for us. We frequently use Chegg, so no return shipping costs, and combining online coupons, rebates, etc. further reduces the cost. Buying and reselling is another option, although there is a risk that if the edition changes the value will drop like a rock.</p>
<p>When shopping for books I have usually found I can get good used books (sometimes new if older edition) cheaper than renting. And I get to resell the book at the end of the semester. But, I know some swear by renting. I think you just need to shop around and compare.</p>
<p>My son rented last semester. In his case, he got cheaper than the used ones at his bookstore. We used two different services, not Chegg, but both of them were wonderful service and free shipping. In fact, he sent one book to the wrong place when he returned them and they were both very accommodating about helping us to get it straightened out.</p>
<p>Thanks! I had never heard of Chegg. I just worry that in buying used bookds I am not getting the same edition. Not sure if ISBN numbers change with different editions. I noticed that some books have the same ISBN number and different publishers-so confusing…</p>
<p>I only rent books that I know I won’t need for another semester. I use Chegg. They also sell books- after they have rented a book out so many times and the condition is “low” (but still usable/readable) they will sell the book for a pretty low price. I got my Spanish book last year for six (yes, SIX) dollars, when it’s about 85 New and 50-ish used.</p>
<p>Thanks for that info it is very hepful!</p>
<p>We buy nearly all books used online and then resell if they are not ones we want to keep. It has worked out cheaper than renting. </p>
<p>When we search for books we use the books ISBN number. There is website called dealoz that compares new, used, and rental prices from many websites. We are always careful to read the descriptions and have never received a wrong edition. Usually go for good or above condition and avoid any that say lots of highlighting or writing. Have had a couple of incredible bargains - one that was $100 everywhere else was described as having some water damage and was for sale for $3.99 - you could barely see the damage. We have only once had a problem in 4 years - a book that never arrived. Had to file a claim with Half.com and they refunded the money.</p>
<p>Overall I think buying used and reselling can be more cost efficient than renting.</p>
<p>wow that was really helpful and I am going to check it out today. Like I said, sometimes the ISBN numbers are the same but the publishers are different so I was worried to order the wrong book.
Thanks again!</p>
<p>Son1 buys on Amazon and Son2 buys some and rents others. Never been a problem for either.</p>
<p>We’ve rented books and this can work well as a way to save money. One caveat: the new textbook moneymaker is to add a CD-Rom to the book. This may not come with a rented book and if you have a professor that requires that you use it or requires the online code for homework, you may be up a creek.</p>
<p>wow what a sneaky thing to do!</p>
<p>^Most used books won’t come with the CD/access code either. It’s not really a problem as these are available for purchase on the publisher’s website. IIRC, there’s usually a $20-$50 charge, depending on the publisher and the text.</p>
<p>We’ve actually had brand new books come without the CD/access code…although they were included in the product description! B&N did this to my D with a Bio book several years age and then refused to compensate or pay her return shipping. Needless to say, we don’t order from them anymore…</p>
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<p>That should not be true … the ISBN number should be a unique identifier for only one book.</p>
<p>From [Frequently</a> Asked Questions About the ISBN](<a href=“http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp]Frequently”>http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp)
“The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.”</p>