New textbook alternative for students on budget

New semesters bring new classes, and many students become frustrated watching their bank accounts go down as textbooks stack up. As most students know, textbooks can be bought outside the SGA Bookstore.

Web sites such as Amazon.com and Borders.com are popular among students hoping to save costs.

But there's a lesser known alternative that's become a growing trend among college students: renting textbooks.

SRU students haven't seemed to jump on the book-renting bandwagon, but other college campuses are swarming with students who use this new method.

Heather Sikinia, a 20-year-old junior business major at West Virginia University, said that she's been using Chegg.com to rent her textbooks for about a year now.

"I don't have to worry about trying to sell my books if the bookstore no longer accepts that type of book," she said. "And once I rent the book, it pays the shipping. Nor do I pay a ridiculous price for each book. It saves the student more money."

Sikina said that renting textbooks was "pretty popular" at WVU, and added that the only downfall of renting is facing a deadline when the books need to be returned.

Web sites, like BookRenter.com, allow students to rent textbooks for a fraction of their retail prices. Books can be rented for time periods of 30, 45, 60, 90 or 125 days-equivalent to one full semester.

On the site, students can search for the book's author, title or ISBN.

After finding the correct book, it can be added to an online checkout bag.

This site requires registration before purchasing, but there's no membership fee.

Once all books are added to the checkout bag, customers can then give their payment information and send the books on their way.

Premium shipping-3-7 business days-is free, but faster options are available for a shipping charge.

The rental period begins once the book has been delivered.

Textbooks then must be repackaged and returned once the rental period is over and shipment must be dropped off at UPS by the due date.

Students can always opt to purchase the book or request an extension after their rental period is over.

And though renting seems like the obvious choice for students who don't plan to use their textbooks in the future, but it does have some burdens.

According to BookRenter.com, if the shipment drop-off is one day late, there's a charge equal to 20 percent of each book's retail price.

There is then a two-week extension and if the book is still not returned within that timeframe, there's a charge equal to 140 percent of each book's retail price.

If textbooks are damaged-including tears, stains and heavy markings or highlighting-the renter is charged full retail value of the book to replace it.

If textbooks are lost, there's a charge of 140 percent of the retail price, plus a $10 service fee.

On the other hand, if a book is damaged when delivered, renters have just three days to request a replacement, but trying to cancel orders may be difficult.

After that three day period, users aren't refunded for their order.

Chelsea Cain, a 20-year-old sophomore in the Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management program at Point Park University, said that she started renting books last semester.

"I feel that renting books has grown a great deal at Point Park over this past semester and will probably continue to grow since the price of many of the books is over $100," she said.

Cain said that she'd recommend renting to other students, but noted that it does have its setbacks.

"The negatives of renting books are the fact that you must send them back at the end of the semester, and also you don't get any money back at this time," she said.

Although renters won't get any of their money back, students who buy books often end up in the same situation.

The SGA Bookstore doesn't buy back books that'll no longer be used at SRU, or have been damaged.

When the bookstore does approve buying back a book, it buys it for 50 percent of its retail price, according to the SGA Bookstore's Web site.

One SRU student, Eric Ames, a 23-year-old health and physical education major, views buying books as a good investment.

"I usually like to keep my books because I'm planning on become a teacher and it's good for my professional library," he said.