Do comparison shopping for college textbooks online on clarkhoward.com

Clark recently took his oldest child to college for the first time and came away with some musings about how much things have changed since he was in school. Back in the day, he went to campus with one trunk full of belongings. At his daughter's school, students showed up with fridges, microwaves, coordinated bedspreads and more. He even saw one student carrying in a 36-inch LCD hi-def TV. Meanwhile, everyone has cars on campus these days. When Clark was studying, freshmen weren't allowed to have vehicles. Sophomores could do so only with parental permission or if they had a job. Of course it goes without saying that when Clark was in college, there was no Internet, computers or cell phones. He used a typewriter and had one professor who did not allow papers to be turned in with any corrected letters on the page. If you made a mistake while typing -- even in the last sentence -- you had to start all over again.

Clark has one bit of advice for anyone who doesn't want to pay those hefty prices for college textbooks. His daughter's roommate spent $580 on books for class, while his daughter has to pay $135 for one book! Clark says to shop around for the books online. CheapestBookPrice.com, AllBookstores.com, Biblio.com, AbeBooks.com, A1Books.com, BookFinder.com, ValoreBooks.com and Textbook411.com are all good sites for this purpose. Amazon is also doing big business selling college text books, and there are some British book websites that offer science textbooks for about 40 percent off the domestic price (even when you factor in the cost of international shipping.) Don't buy your books before class starts. Go the first day and ask your professor if you can buy a prior edition and try to find it used.

What others are saying

Chegg
In regards to what the woman said about not renting from Chegg, go back and read the title! Clark never said that Chegg was always cheapest, so if you went there thinking you wouldn't need to look anywhere else, then you clearly misunderstood. Comparison shopping is a lot of work, but if you want the best prices, that takes looking at several sites, considering shipping, etc. And yes, I totally disagree with the last part about waiting until class starts. Not only will you possibly miss out, but books get higher the closer to class you get. Just put something in the Chegg cart and watch the price rise every day you wait to order. Supply and demand, people! You're much better off emailing your professor as soon as you know what classes you'll be taking.
By Emily @ 11/17/09 08:47:05 PMreport abuse
DON'T RENT FROM CHEGG
On a Clark Howard recommendation, my husband instructed my son to rent books from Chegg.com. Big mistake! The savings on one book to "rent" was aboout $25. He could have purchased the book from Amazon.com then sold it back on the site -- if he sold this $100+ book for just $25 he would have broken even. The other book was less to purchase new on Amazon than it was to "rent" on Chegg.com. That book never arrived and the customer no service was just that! It took several calls and lots of time on hold to have a refund issued. I will NEVER use Chegg.com again!

Upon talking to a customer no service manager, I learned that the book that was rented for $93 that could have been purchased from Amazon for $117 could have been sold back to Chegg for about $70.00 if it had been purchased. Because it was rented for $93.00 it must be returned -- nothing is refunded. DON'T RENT FROM CHEGG! Purchase from Amazon then sell back to Chegg.
By gparker @ 10/02/09 06:29:55 PMreport abuse
BookAse.com
Bookase.com will enable you to compare the prices of books and textbooks all over the world in order to determine which online retailer is the most convenient one for you. It offers various option on shippng methods. So that you can choose which option suits you the best. It also provides discount coupons to furhter reduce on the cost of the books. This site aims at replacing traditional bookstores with a price comparison engine for the major online bookstores worldwide connecting both buyers and sellers directly
By Amit Sehgal @ 09/30/09 03:20:54 AMreport abuse
Used textbooks
Berkeleybooks1.com has an assortment of used books and textbooks. Saved a lot of money there.
By John @ 08/24/09 03:43:08 PMreport abuse
Textbooks
Chegg.com and CheapestBookPrice.com saved me over $200 off the school's bookstore!
By John B @ 08/06/09 10:35:45 PMreport abuse
Addall.com
This is also a good source for books both text and otherwise.

Hope this helps!
By Jon B @ 07/20/09 09:37:28 PMreport abuse
Chegg.com
Finally finishing up my BA, I've had to buy a few books over the years and gained some insight along the way. Don't keep your textbooks for referencing later...you won't and the web is a much better/faster resource. Always buy used if available, you can benefit from prior owner's notes & highlighting and your resell price will most likely not change unless you mistreat your book. Compare used book prices with rental prices, sometimes buying a used book can be cheaper than renting a new book and you may still be able to resell the book when done. As far as book rentals, I use Chegg.com for pricing, ease of use, paid shipping through UPS, frequent email reminders and they'll even plant a tree every time you do a transaction.
By Jon @ 07/20/09 12:38:00 PMreport abuse
Bookrenter.com
If you are taking a class that you know you will not want to keep the book later (such as those general ed classes!) then a GREAT way I have found to save money is to RENT the textbook instead of purchasing it. The site I use is www.bookrenter.com. You have the option to choose how long you want to rent the book for, and you can extend the time if necessary. Return shipping is free as well
By Kim @ 06/16/09 08:08:13 PMreport abuse
low-priced textbooks
fetchbook.info is the best. It searches all of the other sites and will list in order least expensive including shipping.
By tom @ 06/07/09 01:31:54 PMreport abuse
Used books
Before the semester starts, get your booklist and email the professor to see if it's current and if any books areinterchangeable with older(cheaper) versions. Doing this really cut costs and didn't require us to wait for the 1st day of class toget the info.
By Janey @ 03/21/09 05:58:20 PMreport abuse
Just a quick note to those who are using half.com. If the book gets damaged during shipping or for any reason the buyer doesn't want it you the seller have very little or no rights.

I recently mailed a book to a buyer and I was told it was not delivered in the condition I promised. I was forced to pay for shipping both ways, had to accept the now destroyed book and return the money I received from the sale.

Half.com said that they had done a "thorough investigation" but when I asked for proof they never replied.
By Clayton @ 11/07/08 07:59:43 PMreport abuse
www.campusi.com
I just graduated last Dec. from an adult degree program in a private School in NC. So all of my books were delivered, whether I got them in the school bookstore or not. The bookstore prices were outrageous, but I was given this web site in my Sophomore year and used it all the way through. The site will do a web search for the cheapest prices available. Last I used it, it searched 60+ sites to include half.com, amazon.com, google bookstore, and more. It was great I even got one book for 15 dollars to my door that was 130 in the bookstore before shipping.
By Mike White @ 11/06/08 12:58:29 PMreport abuse
http://www.betterworld.com
Better World Books is a great site for used textbooks! Use the coupon code JHAL08 for a 10% discount! (Coupon good for a one-time use on or before December 31, 2008) 2 million New & Used Books. Free shipping in the USA, $3.97 worldwide.
By Jozi Hall @ 10/30/08 05:40:17 PMreport abuse
BetterWorld.com = CHEAP BOOKS
I'm a bookworm and recently began buying books from BetterWorld.com. I now recommend this site to all my friends and family. Prices are cheap (includes free shipping) and the company supports literacy, libraries and the environment. Why buy NEW, when USED is often better???
By Jon @ 10/21/08 07:21:01 PMreport abuse
College Textbooks
I have one child that graduated from college in May. He actually "checked" his textbooks out of the library and used. We never bought any after he figured out he could do this after his freshman year. I have a daughter that is now in her third year and this fall we "rented" from www.chegg.com. They I ordered here at home with credit card after getting ISBN information and they were delivered to her door. There will also be a return label to UPS them back to chegg at their cost. I paid about 60.00 for 4 books! I am a teacher and I get my classroom "stuff" from alibris.com.
By Vicki @ 09/25/08 06:45:54 PMreport abuse
Half.com
I bought my textbooks on Half.com and then sold them on there too. For a few of my books I only ended up paying about $25 to use the book for the whole year! Others that I kept for reference after graduation cost me ~70% of the bookstore cost. At my school there was a website that told you the required and suggested textbooks to get posted a month before class started. It's bad to wait until class starts, I did that one semester and with shipping time got WAY behind. I ended up being lost in class for a week and spending a weekend reading to catch up.
By Kate @ 08/02/08 11:06:42 AMreport abuse
Used Textbooks
As a college professor who is still paying off my own very expensive education, I support students' buying used textbooks online. But I definitely disagree about waiting until the first day of class to buy them. My students who do that often wind up waiting so long to receive the books in the mail that they do poorly on the first test and miss several homework assignments. If you want to get your books online, e-mail your professors as soon as you register to find out what you need. If you buy the wrong edition, don't pester your professor to help you figure out where assignments can be found in your textbook, and don't be surprised if the professor refuses to accept work submitted in the wrong edition of a lab manual or workbook.
By Dr. K @ 06/13/08 11:38:08 AMreport abuse
I am the queen of buying cheap textbooks
Always find out your textbooks as soon as possible. A site that I use for 90 % of my text book purchases is half.com. It is fantastic. I have a general rule of thumb to never pay more than 70 % of retail for my text books and many times I pay way less.

It is also very helpful to post a "wanted" sign on a bulletin board at the school with a list of the books you are looking for. A lot of students would rather sell directly to you, rather than sell back to the bookstore, because they will get more for it. Some good locations to do this are near the bookstore, in the student union, or near the classrooms of those classes.
By Katy @ 05/21/08 07:32:28 PMreport abuse

Chegg

In regards to what the woman said about not renting from Chegg, go back and read the title! Clark never said that Chegg was always cheapest, so if you went there thinking you wouldn't need to look anywhere else, then you clearly misunderstood. Comparison shopping is a lot of work, but if you want the best prices, that takes looking at several sites, considering shipping, etc. And yes, I totally disagree with the last part about waiting until class starts. Not only will you possibly miss out, but books get higher the closer to class you get. Just put something in the Chegg cart and watch the price rise every day you wait to order. Supply and demand, people! You're much better off emailing your professor as soon as you know what classes you'll be taking.

By Emily @ 11/17/09 08:47:05 PMreport abuse

DON'T RENT FROM CHEGG

On a Clark Howard recommendation, my husband instructed my son to rent books from Chegg.com. Big mistake! The savings on one book to "rent" was aboout $25. He could have purchased the book from Amazon.com then sold it back on the site -- if he sold this $100+ book for just $25 he would have broken even. The other book was less to purchase new on Amazon than it was to "rent" on Chegg.com. That book never arrived and the customer no service was just that! It took several calls and lots of time on hold to have a refund issued. I will NEVER use Chegg.com again!

Upon talking to a customer no service manager, I learned that the book that was rented for $93 that could have been purchased from Amazon for $117 could have been sold back to Chegg for about $70.00 if it had been purchased. Because it was rented for $93.00 it must be returned -- nothing is refunded. DON'T RENT FROM CHEGG! Purchase from Amazon then sell back to Chegg.

By gparker @ 10/02/09 06:29:55 PMreport abuse

BookAse.com

Bookase.com will enable you to compare the prices of books and textbooks all over the world in order to determine which online retailer is the most convenient one for you. It offers various option on shippng methods. So that you can choose which option suits you the best. It also provides discount coupons to furhter reduce on the cost of the books. This site aims at replacing traditional bookstores with a price comparison engine for the major online bookstores worldwide connecting both buyers and sellers directly

By Amit Sehgal @ 09/30/09 03:20:54 AMreport abuse

Used textbooks

Berkeleybooks1.com has an assortment of used books and textbooks. Saved a lot of money there.

By John @ 08/24/09 03:43:08 PMreport abuse

Textbooks

Chegg.com and CheapestBookPrice.com saved me over $200 off the school's bookstore!

By John B @ 08/06/09 10:35:45 PMreport abuse

Addall.com

This is also a good source for books both text and otherwise.

Hope this helps!

By Jon B @ 07/20/09 09:37:28 PMreport abuse

Chegg.com

Finally finishing up my BA, I've had to buy a few books over the years and gained some insight along the way. Don't keep your textbooks for referencing later...you won't and the web is a much better/faster resource. Always buy used if available, you can benefit from prior owner's notes & highlighting and your resell price will most likely not change unless you mistreat your book. Compare used book prices with rental prices, sometimes buying a used book can be cheaper than renting a new book and you may still be able to resell the book when done. As far as book rentals, I use Chegg.com for pricing, ease of use, paid shipping through UPS, frequent email reminders and they'll even plant a tree every time you do a transaction.

By Jon @ 07/20/09 12:38:00 PMreport abuse

Bookrenter.com

If you are taking a class that you know you will not want to keep the book later (such as those general ed classes!) then a GREAT way I have found to save money is to RENT the textbook instead of purchasing it. The site I use is www.bookrenter.com. You have the option to choose how long you want to rent the book for, and you can extend the time if necessary. Return shipping is free as well

By Kim @ 06/16/09 08:08:13 PMreport abuse

low-priced textbooks

fetchbook.info is the best. It searches all of the other sites and will list in order least expensive including shipping.

By tom @ 06/07/09 01:31:54 PMreport abuse

Used books

Before the semester starts, get your booklist and email the professor to see if it's current and if any books areinterchangeable with older(cheaper) versions. Doing this really cut costs and didn't require us to wait for the 1st day of class toget the info.

By Janey @ 03/21/09 05:58:20 PMreport abuse

Just a quick note to those who are using half.com. If the book gets damaged during shipping or for any reason the buyer doesn't want it you the seller have very little or no rights.

I recently mailed a book to a buyer and I was told it was not delivered in the condition I promised. I was forced to pay for shipping both ways, had to accept the now destroyed book and return the money I received from the sale.

Half.com said that they had done a "thorough investigation" but when I asked for proof they never replied.

By Clayton @ 11/07/08 07:59:43 PMreport abuse

www.campusi.com

I just graduated last Dec. from an adult degree program in a private School in NC. So all of my books were delivered, whether I got them in the school bookstore or not. The bookstore prices were outrageous, but I was given this web site in my Sophomore year and used it all the way through. The site will do a web search for the cheapest prices available. Last I used it, it searched 60+ sites to include half.com, amazon.com, google bookstore, and more. It was great I even got one book for 15 dollars to my door that was 130 in the bookstore before shipping.

By Mike White @ 11/06/08 12:58:29 PMreport abuse

http://www.betterworld.com

Better World Books is a great site for used textbooks! Use the coupon code JHAL08 for a 10% discount! (Coupon good for a one-time use on or before December 31, 2008) 2 million New & Used Books. Free shipping in the USA, $3.97 worldwide.

By Jozi Hall @ 10/30/08 05:40:17 PMreport abuse

BetterWorld.com = CHEAP BOOKS

I'm a bookworm and recently began buying books from BetterWorld.com. I now recommend this site to all my friends and family. Prices are cheap (includes free shipping) and the company supports literacy, libraries and the environment. Why buy NEW, when USED is often better???

By Jon @ 10/21/08 07:21:01 PMreport abuse

College Textbooks

I have one child that graduated from college in May. He actually "checked" his textbooks out of the library and used. We never bought any after he figured out he could do this after his freshman year. I have a daughter that is now in her third year and this fall we "rented" from www.chegg.com. They I ordered here at home with credit card after getting ISBN information and they were delivered to her door. There will also be a return label to UPS them back to chegg at their cost. I paid about 60.00 for 4 books! I am a teacher and I get my classroom "stuff" from alibris.com.

By Vicki @ 09/25/08 06:45:54 PMreport abuse

Half.com

I bought my textbooks on Half.com and then sold them on there too. For a few of my books I only ended up paying about $25 to use the book for the whole year! Others that I kept for reference after graduation cost me ~70% of the bookstore cost. At my school there was a website that told you the required and suggested textbooks to get posted a month before class started. It's bad to wait until class starts, I did that one semester and with shipping time got WAY behind. I ended up being lost in class for a week and spending a weekend reading to catch up.

By Kate @ 08/02/08 11:06:42 AMreport abuse

Used Textbooks

As a college professor who is still paying off my own very expensive education, I support students' buying used textbooks online. But I definitely disagree about waiting until the first day of class to buy them. My students who do that often wind up waiting so long to receive the books in the mail that they do poorly on the first test and miss several homework assignments. If you want to get your books online, e-mail your professors as soon as you register to find out what you need. If you buy the wrong edition, don't pester your professor to help you figure out where assignments can be found in your textbook, and don't be surprised if the professor refuses to accept work submitted in the wrong edition of a lab manual or workbook.

By Dr. K @ 06/13/08 11:38:08 AMreport abuse

I am the queen of buying cheap textbooks

Always find out your textbooks as soon as possible. A site that I use for 90 % of my text book purchases is half.com. It is fantastic. I have a general rule of thumb to never pay more than 70 % of retail for my text books and many times I pay way less.

It is also very helpful to post a "wanted" sign on a bulletin board at the school with a list of the books you are looking for. A lot of students would rather sell directly to you, rather than sell back to the bookstore, because they will get more for it. Some good locations to do this are near the bookstore, in the student union, or near the classrooms of those classes.

By Katy @ 05/21/08 07:32:28 PMreport abuse

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Aug 27, 2007 -- Do comparison shopping for college textbooks online

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