Can we talk about textbooks? New vs used vs rent?

[Ann.without.an.e]

What do you guys do?  I would love to hear any experiences you have to share.  I have heard that sometimes the textbook isn't even needed so students should wait until after the class begins but then....what if they miss something???

 

Thanks :)

[Hilltopmom]

Here's where I asked about this recently :)

Hope that helps

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/648750-do-you-wait-until-after-first-class-to-purchase-texts/

[HomeAgain]

We buy used when we can.  DS needed three books for his Eng Lit course: an anthology and two specific editions of novels.  New would have run over $200 for the three, but used was under $100.

I don't rent because it's often not cheaper.  For example, he needed the anthology for two semesters.  At $40/semester for the rental, it was cheaper to buy.  (not to mention his professor encouraged reselling, even going so far as to offering the kids a list to sign up on at the end of the course to be contacted by the next class who were in need of the same materials).

 

Anything that needs a code should be bought new.  I guess, really, you just have to take it course by course and make the determination for yourself.

[historically accurate]

New if it needs a code. Used if it doesn't. I haven't tried rental yet - I'm afraid it will get lost.

 

Last semester was DD's first semester in dual enrollment. She had a college specific text with a code needed ($154!). Then, they changed the book for the summer session, so she couldn't sell it back. For the fall, I was able to purchase 1 book used and the other needs the access code. 

 

DH is returning to school this semester; yep, he needs the code for his one class. Bleah!

[Dmmetler]

My highest priority for this fall is making sure DD gets the 2nd math teaching class-because the code is used for both and expires after one year. I think her college must have a contract with Pearson, because it sure seems like every single class has a "My X Lab" code required. You can buy the book used, but when the code costs as much to buy as the bundle, you don't save anything.

[Lanny]

ALWAYS search for textbooks with the ISBN number. NEVER search for textbooks with anything but the ISBN number. VERIFY the ISBN number, before you click to buy.  We have never rented, because we live in South America. That works for many people, but there was a recent thread on WTM where they returned the textbook, the company said it was in bad condition and charged their credit card for a new book. There is no way one can dispute that.  Sometimes, a "New" book will cost less, or just slightly more, than a "Used" book. I am looking at a book for DD that is like that now. Less than one dollar more for a "New" book.  Some "New" books on Amazon, etc., may have a school stamp and are heavily discounted. Some "New" books do not have an Unused Access Code. If an Unused Access Code is necessary, confirm with the Seller, via Messaging, before purchasing and ask them to confirm the access code has not been.  Apparently sometimes the Access Code is sold separately. If possible check with the Instructor to see if they plan to use the Access Code during the course.  I never pay for premium shipping. Always $3.99 Standard Shipping within the USA.  Sometimes, people have delays with Premium Shipping, because it is an unusual transaction for the Seller. Sounds illogical, but I have seen that in more than one Feedback on Amazon.  Read the most recent Feedbacks and especially for the past 30 days.  We have purchased several textbooks that were sold for $0.01 (one cent plus shipping) that were in excellent condition.  At least one book listed on Amazon as "Used-Very Good", when DD inspected it, she said it was a "New" book. It had a school stamp (school district North of San Francisco) but she said it "smells like a New book".   I have purchased several books on eBay and saved $ over what the same book in the same condition was selling for on Amazon at that time.  For Amazon items, you can use the CamelCamelCamel.com service to check for price drops.   Two of the textbooks we need to buy for DD now, I checked the prices on Alibris and AbeBooks yesterday.  I think I will buy one of them on Alibris and save $5 over buying it from the same Seller on Amazon, by using a Discount Code.   We bought a Textbook for DD that is normally used in college courses, Used, and to my surprise, it came with an Unused Access Code. Occasionally, you will see Used Textbooks listed with an Unused Access Code. Confirm that with the Seller, via Messaging, before you click to buy if you need the Access Code.

[Riverland]

If it requires an access code (hate those!!), then we only buy new.

 

We've only done a rental once. It was the one time when the savings was significant enough to warrant it. I've always been concerned that Amazon or whoever will say that it was returned in poor condition and charge me, or that we'll forget to return it at all. And, yeah, we nearly did forget.

 

Once or twice we've bought International Versions and saved quite a bit of money. But it is a gamble because there are some differences - like different problems (an issue only if the professor assigns those).

 

The vast majority of textbooks I buy used from Amazon. Their new price is almost always less than the university bookstore. But usually I buy used, "very good" or "like new" books.

 

I try to start shopping up to 2 months prior to the start of the semester. Often the best deals (used on Amazon) do not come with fast shipping.

 

If I can't find reasonable savings buying a book early and my kids are pretty sure they won't actually need the book, then we wait until class starts.

 

Books that they'll never need again, we try to re-sell back to the university bookstore or to Amazon.

 

I tend to use Amazon the most, because with Alibris/AbeBooks/etc. I really have to wade through the international versions to find the U.S. ones.

 

[JanetC]

Renting is great if you can return the book in good condition. Your kid has a coffee accident and the replacement cost on the rental will be higher than buying new. If the book comes in both hardback and paperback, I rent hardback for durability reasons.

[gstharr]

The 7th grader must supply his own books.  The school recommends or has set up arrangements with Follett Books.  Many colleges use this company as well.  However, we do not buy or rent from them..  As Lanny as thoroughly explained, use the ISBN to buy the books on Amazon.  Our used books purchases on Amazon are a fraction of the cost of Follett.

[Pawz4me]

DS21 has had excellent results renting though Amazon. Never had a problem. He's learned to wait to make sure he does in fact need the book and has only had an issue once so far.

 

DS18's university has its own rental program through their bookstore which all students are automatically opted into. I think the fee is $148/semester regardless of how few or how many books are needed. One can opt out if desired. We're going to give it a try and see how it works. It seems like a relatively good deal financially, especially considering that it should be very convenient and eliminates the decision of whether to go ahead and get a book or wait to see if it's really needed. I'm not sure how they handle access codes.

[Hilltopmom]

One of ds's fall books we can rent a "digital copy" of through the bookstore, trying that option this time around.

[Lanny]

One of ds's fall books we can rent a "digital copy" of through the bookstore, trying that option this time around.

 

DD is just beginning with her first eBook Textbook.  TTUISD changed, to new High School Math courses, early last September, that use eBooks.  She had enrolled in Geometry during August 2016, which used a traditional textbook.

 

2 days ago, she enrolled in Algebra 2.  The eBook license was USD $15.75 and there is no Sales Tax or Shipping or delay for shipping involved. The license is for one year.  

 

They also have a paper version of that textbook available. I think it was approximately USD $105 plus shipping and probably we would also need to pay FL Sales  Tax.

 

That is from MBS Direct in MO, the company that acts as the TTUISD "Bookstore".

 

For us, overseas residents,  the eBook is a big winner, not just because of the enormous price differential, but because DD got access to it immediately. No Shipping charge. No FL Sales Tax (our Forwarder is in FL and we have everything sent there and then Forwarded to our house).

 

NOTE: I NEVER CONSIDER buying books on Amazon that are listed in "Acceptable" condition for DD.  I try to buy books listed as "Used-Very Good" for her, but will drop down to "Used -Good", if there is a big price differential.

 

When I have the book on Amazon, I will check the different prices, New, Used-Like New, Used-Very Good  and then Used-Good. Sometimes I can get her a book listed in better condition, for the same or less money.

 

Quite a few of the used textbooks we have purchased have been in better condition than the Seller showed in their Amazon listing.  

 

I do not consider FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) listings, because in some Feedbacks for those I have seen where Amazon deleted the Negative Feedback from the Purchaser, because they say it was the fault of Amazon.  Conclusion: Positive Feedback Ratings for FBA Sellers may be falsely high.

[elegantlion]

I generally buy, trying to find used if possible. Books with codes, I will generally buy new. Also agree about checking on multiple semesters. Two of ds's text were used for multiple semesters. Our bookstore will have used, but you have to get there early (like 10 days before school starts) to get the best selection. 

[Bootsie]

We have not found that rental saves enough money for the hassle associated with it.  We have done a combination of new and used, depending on the availability and cost of each.   DD has also found that she can often buy books from students who took the class the previous semester (or trade books with someone)

 

 I don't worry too much about whether the book is really "required."  Some students think that if the professor doesn't say, "You must work Problem 9 on Page 37" that the book isn't needed; I encourage my children to read the book for the class to improve learning, not simply to make a certain grade in the class.  

 

If a book is in an area that the student is unlikely to consider further study, we will often go the used book route and try to resell the book at the end of the semester.  For, books that the student may want to hold on to we check to see if a three-hole punched version is available from the publisher.  

 

If a student is considering dropping the class or changing his schedule, we will sometimes wait to buy the book.  Some of the online products will have free temporary access.  For example, many of the Pearson MyLab products will allow a student to register for 2 weeks for free and start homework with the material transferred to the permanent account once the student pays for access.  Also, many of the access codes give access to an online edition of the book (not fully searchable, etc., but the student can usually access one chapter at a time).  Then, the student can pay for the access code and an online book--and then pay a slight additional fee for a three-ring punched paper version to be mailed to them (without Pearson charging for postage).  The three-ring punched version cannot be resold to the bookstore, but it gives students the ability to carry only certain chapters with them and to mingle notes and the book together.  

[teachermom2834]

The best option generally varies from class to class. We take it on a case by case basis what makes the most sense.

 

We have done more and more rental all the time, though. Rentals through the university bookstore are easy to pick up and drop off. They send an email reminder and the kid has been dropping them off after the final.

 

We have also rented through Amazon and it is very easy. We save the envelope it comes in and drop it by the UPS shipping storefront. We even did that for a required high school text last year.

 

We have not bought many books new. Mostly we have found them used or rented.

Edited July 9, 2017 by teachermom2834

[ocelotmom]

I buy used as much as possible. Previous editions even, when it seems likely to be successful (ie. classes that don't have problem sets).

 

When there are mandatory access codes, I find that I can often buy the code on its own separately, and it still ends up being cheaper.

 

I'm generally pretty gentle on textbooks, so I sell them afterwards and recoup most or all of the cost (I expected to make a profit on one from this semester, but then I spilled tea on it. Ah well).

 

I've never rented. I might consider it if it were significantly less than the used cost. But only an electronic rental, because otherwise I'd end up spilling tea on it.

[KarenNC]

We did a rental through Amazon for history last semester and will do it again for her history class in the fall.

 

I'm hoping to find the English one used, as it's a Norton anthology. It's the shorter one for Am lit, 8th edition and we already have the full 7th ed., so we may wait until she gets the syllabus to see if she needs it for the few stories that aren't either in both or readily available online for free. If not, rentals are available.

 

I think we're out of luck on the two classes this semester that require codes, unfortunately. For those we'll definitely wait until the first day of class, as sometimes evidently profs have given out discount codes on the first day.

[MarkT]

 

 

I swear the cc made a rule last year to not give out the ISBN. The only reason I can think of is to boost the bookstore sales. They changed the bookstore and cc student website so that from your class schedule you click a "buy books" button and it only gives the title, edition and author and options to buy new or used and rent, but no ISBN. It's also missing from all of his syllabi. That's weird, right?

Bookstore was probably lacking sales.  Oh well, now you have to visit the bookstore to get the ISBN unless it is the only current edition.

 

Hopefully programs like this should help keep text book prices down:

https://www.tcc.edu/academics/degrees/textbook-free

Edited July 10, 2017 by MarkT

[regentrude]

I swear the cc made a rule last year to not give out the ISBN. The only reason I can think of is to boost the bookstore sales. They changed the bookstore and cc student website so that from your class schedule you click a "buy books" button and it only gives the title, edition and author and options to buy new or used and rent, but no ISBN. It's also missing from all of his syllabi. That's weird, right?

 

If you have title, author, and edition, that should suffice. If these are the same, the books with different ISBNs will be identical in content and just different in presentation (hardcover, softcover, one volume, split volume, lose leaf).

Your DS should contact the professor to ask whether any access codes are required.

[regentrude]

Hopefully programs like this should help keep text book prices down:

https://www.tcc.edu/academics/degrees/textbook-free

 

but evaluating OERs is a huge pain in the neck for the instuctor, because without reputable sources (which used to be established publishers) you cannot even guess at the quality of the material and have to proofread the entire open source text to see whether it has mistakes. That's the main barrier. I would long have adopted a free textbook if I didn't dread spending months going through random OERs with a fine tooth comb. (And if one didn't have to worry about providing the material in an alternate format for students with disabilities. One poster on this board was forced to adopt OERs for her classes and that was immensely time consuming)

[GailV]

Amazon rentals have worked well for us.  I save the boxes, labelling them as to which book came in which box.  They email a reminder to return them, and it's really easy to just pop them back in the box with the correct paperwork and ship them back.

 

We also buy used, sometimes through Amazon.  One time older dd happened to find what she needed while browsing at a local Half-Price bookstore, which was really exciting.

 

We've been able to purchase access codes separately.  Most of the professors have been pretty good about helping the kids figure out the best deals -- for example, explaining whether they can purchase the access codes and a used book to save money.

 

The biggest money saver was when dd stopped taking engineering classes ... wowza, those books are expensive!

[MarkT]

but evaluating OERs is a huge pain in the neck for the instuctor, because without reputable sources (which used to be established publishers) you cannot even guess at the quality of the material and have to proofread the entire open source text to see whether it has mistakes. That's the main barrier. I would long have adopted a free textbook if I didn't dread spending months going through random OERs with a fine tooth comb. (And if one didn't have to worry about providing the material in an alternate format for students with disabilities. One poster on this board was forced to adopt OERs for her classes and that was immensely time consuming)

In the SW world, open source is accepted because it is "crowd sourced" to look for defects. OER textbooks could should be done the same way. Quality rating websites would also help.  

 

[i am not against publishers and authors making money from text books but pricing has just gone crazy in the last decade.]

[J-rap]

We rent from Amazon as our first choice.  It's great.  They send you a reminder when it's due, and also send you a postage-free label.  Sometimes my dd is able to rent them through her school too, though generally Amazon is cheaper.  If we can't rent, we'll buy used.  Last resort is buying new, which does have to happen sometimes, unfortunately.  Generally we've been able to sell our books on Amazon when done about half the time.

 

 

 

 

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

DD is just beginning with her first eBook Textbook.  TTUISD changed, to new High School Math courses, early last September, that use eBooks.  She had enrolled in Geometry during August 2016, which used a traditional textbook.

 

2 days ago, she enrolled in Algebra 2.  The eBook license was USD $15.75 and there is no Sales Tax or Shipping or delay for shipping involved. The license is for one year.  

 

They also have a paper version of that textbook available. I think it was approximately USD $105 plus shipping and probably we would also need to pay FL Sales  Tax.

 

That is from MBS Direct in MO, the company that acts as the TTUISD "Bookstore".

 

For us, overseas residents,  the eBook is a big winner, not just because of the enormous price differential, but because DD got access to it immediately. No Shipping charge. No FL Sales Tax (our Forwarder is in FL and we have everything sent there and then Forwarded to our house).

 

NOTE: I NEVER CONSIDER buying books on Amazon that are listed in "Acceptable" condition for DD.  I try to buy books listed as "Used-Very Good" for her, but will drop down to "Used -Good", if there is a big price differential.

 

When I have the book on Amazon, I will check the different prices, New, Used-Like New, Used-Very Good  and then Used-Good. Sometimes I can get her a book listed in better condition, for the same or less money.

 

Quite a few of the used textbooks we have purchased have been in better condition than the Seller showed in their Amazon listing.  

 

I do not consider FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) listings, because in some Feedbacks for those I have seen where Amazon deleted the Negative Feedback from the Purchaser, because they say it was the fault of Amazon.  Conclusion: Positive Feedback Ratings for FBA Sellers may be falsely high.

 

I wanted to offer one comment on this statement-I've bought many books (including DD's texts) and other products from sellers that are fulfilled by Amazon.  Never had a single problem.  I don't think they are any more or less likely than any other sellers that advertises on Amazon to be faulty in some way.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I think it really depends on the options your student has...

 

How much grace period after the first class does the professor give before expecting everyone will be reading the text?

Is there a campus book store that can supply the required book on demand?  Is there a campus book service cheaper or speedier than Amazon/ABE/eBay/etc.?

How does your student study?

Will the text be useful as a reference for a later course or even reused?

Is there a local market for used texts?

Is the prof known for insisting on a new edition every year (thereby eliminating resale)?

 

The answers to these questions are very campus and student specific.

 

DD is pretty much expected by the second class meeting to have acquired her texts and there is no on campus bookstore at her small LAC (the online resellers being cheaper drove them out of the book business-now everything is school supplies and spirit gear).  You have to factor in the cost of speedy shipping (many used book sellers only ship media mail, especially on sites like Amazon) and how quickly you need the text in order to decide when/how to purchase.  Does your student need to highlight or underline as part of interacting with their book?  If so, a rental would be a terrible choice.  Buying used could be distracting if it is full of someone else's notes.  Can a book be sold on campus after the course or if the course is dropped?  Do you actually care if you can resell a book or do you just write off book money as a fixed, non-recoverable expense?  One other note-DD has a professor who she knows, through prior experience, has long and challenging reading lists.  This prof has already posted the syllabus and she plans on acquiring the books now in order to begin her readings, reduce stress during the semester, and then during the semester will prep for class by reviewing notes and text mark-ups.  She also hopes that her language prof will announce the text soon so she can begin prepping vocab study cards/flash cards, again as a time saver during the semester.

 

I will add that all of this is hard for a first year student to know. Her first semester, she had to wait for orientation and advising before looking for books.  As this all occurred during the week before classes started she was a bit late in obtaining some texts.  This was far from ideal but unavoidable.

  

Edited July 10, 2017 by JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst

[3andme]

I've had good luck buying college texts on ebay for significantly less than listed on Amazon. You can set an email alert when new items are posted. However, this works better when you have a few months in advance to buy the books as the deals don't pop up all the time. 

[Mom22ns]

We've become big fans of ebook rentals direct from the college because they include codes for about 1/4 of the price of the new book. In fact dd rented a $250 book online from the university bookstore ($50) - to get the code, and a physical copy of it from amazon($25) for a total of $75. 

 

We rent books they don't plan to keep as often as possible. My best rental find for fall is a $200 textbook - no code, that I was able to rent from Amazon for $20.

 

Anything they want to keep, we buy. If codes are necessary we buy new. If not, we shop used and see what the best value is. If it is something they want to keep, we don't want a beat up copy, so we look for a copy in good shape and if there isn't much savings, we'll go ahead and buy new. If there is quite a bit of savings, we'll buy it used. 

 

 

[Night Elf]

Call the university bookstore and ask if they have a price match policy and/or rental option. My dd's university has both so we've gotten all her books from the university bookstore. Yes, dd did end up getting a couple of books that weren't used in class. That ticks me off. The instructor didn't say 'don't buy'. For her second year, she's decided to wait and get each book as an assignment is given to see if she really needs the book. I think if her bookstore didn't price match, we'd go ahead and buy from Amazon before classes begin and take a chance on whether or not it's needed. I don't like spending money I don't have to but we can't guarantee when a book will be shipped and delivered, and there could always be a delay in mail on campus getting to students in a timely manner. Last year, campus mail lost a box I sent and she didn't get it for two weeks. That was the only time that happened but still it shows there is a possibility.