Book Rental

When attending college money is always tight. Textbook rental is one of the great ways to save on expenses. This reduces the initial outlay that you will have to make. The saving for renting as opposed to purchasing can be as much as 50 to 75 percent off the list price. This also makes for an easy way to get rid of textbooks when you are through without the hassle of reselling.

This is a growing trend the National Association of College Stores says about half of the 3,000 member retailers will offer textbook rental. That is about 200 or 300 more than last year reputable retailers have gotten into the textbook rental business.

Do remember that when renting textbooks they will want the books returned in the condition that they were sent to you so you cannot write in them or use them for target practice. Books are traditionally shipped within 48 hours and received in 5 to 7 business days there are quicker shipping methods but these will cost more. The rental period is normally 60 90 days with the maximum being 130 days one semester this is the normal length of time. Books may be kept longer than 130 days but there will be additional fees that will be charged. These additional time periods are normally in allotments of 15 to 30 days.

When renting books most sites do not guarantee that supplements such as cds, study guides, and access codes are available, so check with your professor determine if these added materials are necessary or not. When ordering you may be able to question as to whether or not these items are available.

Some web sites offer price comparison this lets students see which is the best option whether to purchase with the hopes of selling later and redeeming part of their money or whether rental is the best way. Sometimes buying a used book and selling back at the end of the semester is the best way to go. Many people like the idea of just taking the books back or mailing them back without the hassle of selling them. This is definitely a great option for cash strapped parents and students.