eCampus Textbooks Review | The university investor

Books and course materials can add up. According a studythe average student spends between $628 and $1,471 per year on books and supplies.

Paper books can cost up to $400, with average prices between $80 and $150. In addition, the cost of each new addition increases by an average of 12%.

Use online bookstores like eCampus can help you cut costs by renting your textbooks and study materials online. eCampus offers digital books, physical books, and has a buyback program for books you no longer need and want to sell.

There are many online textbook sites like Amazon, Chegg, and Campus Books Rental. What sets eCampus apart from others?

What is eCampus.com?

eCampus is a textbook rental retailer based in Lexington, Kentucky. A pioneer in the textbook industry, the site has been around since 1999.

Today, eCampus continues to provide used and new electronic textbooks for sale and rental, Study materialand book redemption services. Electronic textbooks, or e-books for short, are digital books that can be purchased and read on electronic reading devices.

The company recommends that you download VitalSource’s Bookshelf app to access your e-books. Here are links:

The company also partners with various colleges, universities, and K-12 schools.

How eCampus.com works

The process is simple. Go to the site and do a search for the book you need. You should do an ISBN or International Standard Book Number search to make sure you find the right book. There are probably tons of books with the same title or similar ones.

The site allows you to make comparisons for the price of the book across their other sellers in the marketplace. From there, you can choose how long you want to rent it for. The site offers rental options from a full semester or shorter. You also have the option of buying the book new or in e-book format.

When you register, you have access to eCampus coupons. Some books even ship for free. Just be sure to check the estimated time it will take to be delivered.

You can use PayPal or your credit card to purchase on eCampus. They also give you e-book versions of your manual for seven days with an access code. This gives you time to catch up on your reading while you wait for your book to arrive.

Once your books arrive, you are allowed to highlight up to a third of the book or make notes in the book, but be careful. The company charges for any excessive damage that renders the book unrentable.

Return your book to eCampus

When you are ready to return, eCampus recommends placing the book in any type of box. Return shipping labels are provided in advance, so just drop them off at the post office.

You can also get an extension. To do this, log in to your account and choose how long you want to extend the rental. It can range from 15 to 130 days.

If you wish, you also have the choice of purchasing the book. To do this, contact eCampus customer service before the due date.

Sell ​​your books on eCampus

eCampus offers instant quotes for the books you want to get rid of. They accept textbooks, novels, biographies and non-fiction. If you are unsure, you can check. The site says they take “almost anything else off our shelf”.

eCampus recommends sending clean, unmarked books, if possible. They’ll accept books with your handwritten or highlighted notes, but anything excessive probably won’t be accepted.

Consider selling sooner rather than later, so as soon as you’re done, ship it before new editions of the book come out.

Their marketplace has a large number of people who may want to buy your book. You must complete a quick application with your name and email address before selling.

Similar to searching for a textbook, you enter the ISBN number. According to to placeyou can get more eCampus than what your school bookstore offers.

When you sell your textbooks to them, shipping is always free. Just print the eCampus label and send them your books.

You can get paid by PayPal, check, ACH, or get store credit.

marketplace seller

There is also something called a market vendor. These are for people who have a lot of books to sell. If this is you, you may be able to sell directly to other students. When you get his route, eCampus charges 15% commission.

eCampus also offers you a shipping credit so that you can cover the costs when shipping. There are no other fees or hidden costs associated with becoming a marketplace seller and you can receive payments by direct deposit.

Must Read: The best places to sell your textbooks in 2023.

How eCampus Compares

Of course there is Amazon. You may be able to find a cheaper option for books there, but keep in mind that shipping times may differ. eCampus often ships its books within 24 hours, while Amazon can take five to eight days.

If you’re using eCampus, make sure you understand how long it takes to ship. Some online eCampus reviewers left negative reviews because their materials did not arrive on time.

Another factor to consider is the cost of shipping. eCampus will not charge you but you must spend more than $35 during Amazon Prime offers free delivery. Most books will set you back over $35, so while that won’t be an issue, it might be if you have a smaller order.

The other great site to consider is Barnes and Noble. Like eCampus, they require a $35 order for you to qualify for free shipping.

Chegg is another option. They are known for textbook rental and according to their site, you can save up to 90% on textbooks from their 750,000 book library. They offer 21-day refunds on returns, but don’t have a buy-back option like eCampus does.

Instead, Chegg offers students a subscription to Expert Learning Support, which offers things like homework help and exam preparation and practice, starting at $15.95 per month.