BookRenter Review

Did you know that approximately 20 million trees are felled everyday for paper used in books? As much as I like books, I cannot ignore the fact that the conservation of Mother Earth is getting harder and harder each time a college history class is required to use a 500-page textbook.

The solution to this problem? Textbook renting. No doubt it saves up a lot more paper than when students decide to buy their own books and throw them into a box never to be opened again later on. BookRenter.com has been in the business of renting out textbooks to college students since the site’s founder, Colin Barceloux, was a college student at the Santa Clara University in the early 2000s. Now, it has emerged from its dorm room office to one of the biggest online book renting sites available.

At BookRenter, you have the option of renting your book for one entire semester or a quarter if you are taking special classes or post-graduate classes. You can also rent books for 60, 45, or 30 days and ask for extension periods just in case you decide that you need the book for several more days. Extension periods run for 10 days, 30 days, 45 days, and 60 days.

What I like very much about BookRenter is that the company offers a 15-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to return the book you ordered and receive a refund. To return a book, notwithstanding whether it is because you want your money back or your rental period has expired, you only have to print a prepaid UPS shipping label and attach it to your package. There are no additional costs for shipping anymore. You can also have a book replaced if you find the first rental in very bad condition (e.g. broken spine, torn pages, stains, etc.). Just simply call up BookRenter’s customer service department, which is available every Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM (Pacific Standard Time), within the first three days of your receipt and BookRenter will replace the book with one of better quality.

I also like the fact that the company ships its books very quickly. They have options for ground shipping, which takes three to seven business days, and 2-day and 1-day shipping for those who badly need to have the books. This is unlike other online book rental sites that request you to wait for up to nine days before you can receive your book. BookRenter also allows onsite tracking, so you do not need to visit the carrier’s site to locate your package.

BookRenter is a recommendable site for college students, especially those strapped for cash, because it helps a lot in making expensive college textbooks available for many of them.