Where can you find the cheapest college textbooks online? With education costs on the rise, college students are seeking ways to save money wherever possible. However, a person can only eat so much ramen soup or mac and cheese. Enter the online textbook marketplace.
Average
The self-described "best place to rent or buy college textbooks," Valore is one of the largest online textbook marketplaces. Founded by a college student as a way to help others deal with the rising cost of textbooks, this company has been around since 2001.
Marketplace means options
With Valore being a marketplace, customers are purchasing from more than 20,000 verified sellers and rental providers through this network, instead of purchasing directly from Valore. Those on the marketplace can be bookstores or individuals who have a lot of books to sell. Their listings are free, not paying until the item sells. Payments go through Valore's network and then the sellers ship the orders within 48 hours. Valore then takes a flat-rate commission of 15% on all sales. Keep in mind that all used books won't include access codes, CDs, or other supplemental materials, though there may also be new books available (so read descriptions carefully).
Partnership with a top textbook provider
Chegg, one of our previously reviewed as "very good" companies, has combined with Valore for their book fulfillment since 2022. In fact, their website now redirects their customers to Valore. While this seems like a good combination, some reviewers complained about the rental service being significantly different, leaving them unhappy with the results of this merger.
Rentals can be extended or purchased
Rental textbooks are offered on Valore as well, with free return shipping. In many cases, you'll be permitted to extend or purchase the rental book. Remember, they won't have the supplemental materials, and you are only permitted light highlighting and writing in the text. If you return the book in a condition below "good, usable," you will be responsible for the damage. Late fees or purchase charges may occur if you miss the deadline.
Free standard shipping
Free standard shipping is offered at Valore and typically takes 3-5 business days to arrive, but shipping times are not guaranteed. Expedited shipping costs $6.99 for the first item plus $2 for additional items and is expected in 3 business days. Second business day ($19.99 + $4) and next business day ($29.99 + $5) are not offered by all sellers on the Valore marketplace, so keep that in mind if you need it quickly.
Limited returns permitted with a fee
Offering convenient returns if you drop a class, Valore gives you 14 days to send back in unnecessary textbooks for a refund. You'll pay shipping costs to send it back and incur a 15% restock fee (charged at the seller's discretion). To return an eTextbook, there is a different policy which requires returns within 10 days with no more than 20% of the text viewed or printed. There are other companies with more lenient policies, so keep this in mind if you purchase or rent here.
Sell back your books with fast payment
Valore says they make selling your texts back to them fast, easy, and stress-free, claiming to offer competitive quotes and fast payments. They will even provide a free shipping label for you. Be sure to check out the minimum condition requirements for sellback items to avoid having your sale rejected.
Higher end of rental fees
The textbook we checked at every online retailer was available to rent for $94.99, and there were no copies available to purchase either hard copy or eTextbook. This was $10 higher than other rental places. This is one drawback of the marketplace model: not having every textbook available in all formats at all times.
Not enough feedback to decide to use them
The BBB has given Valore an "A+" rating and they are an accredited business with only one complaint in the past year. Across online review platforms, Valore has earned 3.2 to 4.61 stars out of 5, from 200 reviewers. While this isn't much feedback, we are concerned with the high number of 1-star reviews they have. Negative reviewers ranted about late payments for sellbacks, difficulty returning books, confusing online policies and fine print, and poor customer service. On the other hand, the many 5-star reviews gushed about fast shipping, great customer service experiences, and affordable options. We'd like to see more reviews to balance out the negative and the positive, but considering the BBB rating and lack of complaints, we believe Valore is at least worth checking out.
Average option for renting or buying
Valore's marketplace offers a possible one-stop shop since they have so many sellers, but the popular textbook we sought was only available for rental at a higher rate than other retailers. Combined with the high number of low reviews and limited return policy, Valore is just an average option for getting your college textbooks.
Continued from above...
With education costs on the rise, college students are seeking ways to save money wherever possible. However, a person can only eat so much ramen soup or mac and cheese. Enter the online textbook marketplace.
Instead of visiting the school's bookstore where books will cost the most, countless students are turning to online options to purchase their required textbooks prior to the start of class. These retailers provide unique money-saving options, such as rental titles, eTextbooks, and used books, often at significant savings for students across the country.
Not only can you save money by purchasing a used textbook, but you may even be able to slash costs with a rental text. When deciding between purchasing and renting textbooks, keep your end goal in mind: what will you be doing with the text while you have it and after you are finished using it? Those who don't need to reference a text for a future class may find that renting suits them just fine.
Some companies will even offer multiple rental time periods to meet students' needs. However, if you like to highlight, you should purchase a book, as many companies do not want you to write in their books (though some do permit a limited amount - be sure to read the rental agreement). However, if a book comes with CDs or access codes, your rental (or used textbook) likely won't include them.
Another option many textbook companies have started to offer is digital books or online access to materials. This can keep costs down and reduce landfill waste. But, some people read better from hard copies of books and would like a chance to recoup some of their textbook costs by reselling a used textbook, which isn't possible with digital options.
There are many factors to consider when comparing online retailers for college textbooks. Here are the top ones on our list:
To help save you time and money, we at Top Consumer Reviews have sifted through the most popular online textbook retailers. Check out our top choices, order your class materials, and get back to the business of learning.
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