BooksRun is a website where you can buy, sell, and rent textbooks. Like many similar platforms, you can search publications by typing the ISBN, author name, or title in the search bar. The website will retrieve a list of results, including prices and availability.
In this BooksRun review, we’ll take a closer look at the company, its services, and how it stacks up against its competition.
Pros & Cons
Features, Courses, and Materials
BooksRun is for students who want to find cheap textbooks. The rent option allows you to get just the right resource at a low price and return it as soon as you’re done. Anyone can use the website, whether they’re college students or not.
BooksRun is very similar to other book marketplaces. It connects sellers and buyers, making it easy for you to find a wide selection of study material from various professions. BooksRun shipping is completely free, but if you want a faster delivery, you need to pay $3.99 per item. This can come in handy if you’re running late with a project or an exam.
Among others, the company has social responsibility policies aligned with students’ way of thinking. To be precise, whenever you rent a book from the website, you get points you can donate to plant trees. This alone should persuade young people to prioritize BooksRun over their competition.
One of the great things about this service is that you can use the BooksRun app to search titles on your phone. This is somewhat of a rarity within the niche.
Here are the things you can do through their website:
Sell Books
Many people use the BooksRun sell books service to get rid of old titles. For example, if you’re a former student, this could be a great way to get back some of your previously invested money. The company offers fair prices, so it’s not as if you’re giving the books away.
The selling process is rather straightforward. First, input your ISBN in the search bar and check the available titles. Every buyer will make their own offer. Given that there is no shipping deadline, you can sell anytime. These offers are updated daily, so you can always log in after a few days to check if you can get a better price.
When sending the book, all you need to do is print the shipping label, which you get for free with a buyback order. Drop the package at the postal office or FedEx, and wait up to four days to get your money via PayPal or check.
Keep in mind that when using the BooksRun sell textbooks feature, the minimum order is $10. Otherwise, the company can’t provide a free shipping label.
Buy Books
The buying process is very similar to selling. Start by typing in the author’s name, title, or ISBN into the search bar. Check the available sales offers, and click on the one that suits your budget. Even if you make a mistake and order the wrong title, you have 21 days to return it according to the BooksRun refund policy.
The company offers a lot of advantages to its users. The high number of resellers makes it easier to find a cheap textbook. These titles are categorized based on their condition, so you have the option to purchase either new or used items.
All standard orders get free shipping, and there is no minimum order price. Given that there are approximately one million books listed on the site, you’re almost guaranteed to find the right title.
At this time, the company only covers the US and Canada. You can’t order books from other countries. If you buy something you don’t need, or if a textbook is in bad shape, you can’t get a replacement. However, you can always return the book and get a refund if you do it within the first 21 days after the purchase.
When buying books, don’t forget that you can use the BooksRun coupon code to get a discount.
Rent Books
When you get an item, you’ll also receive a label allowing you to return the book for free. If you’re running late with your studies and the initial rental period is too short, you can always pay $15 to keep the textbook for another 15 days.
You must go to the rental page when you wish to return the books. After printing the free shipping label, which is valid for 25 days after renting a textbook, you can use it to send a book back to BooksRun with no additional costs.
A user is responsible for returning the textbook within the allocated deadline. If you don’t do so, you’ll pay for the extension period. If you fail to return the item for the second time, you’ll pay the full price of the textbook.
According to the BooksRun return policy, you can’t get a refund on rentals. The good news is that you can always return the title without being charged for shipping. You can always purchase the book from the rental order page if you like it.
eTextbooks
eTextbooks have become more popular in the last few years. The great thing about them is that you can access them instantly as soon as you make the payment. Like with all other BooksRun titles, you can return an eTextbook within the first 21 days after purchase, and you’ll get your money back.
Bookshelf app will allow you to download the study material onto four devices (two mobile devices and two computers). You might even get a BooksRun promo code for the app and reduce the price.
According to the company, buying eTextbooks is a great way to save money. These titles are much cheaper than hardcovers, allowing you to save up to 70%. One reason for this is that the company doesn’t have to cover shipping costs. Given that these are digital publications, you can also reduce your carbon footprint.
B2B
BooksRun is a reliable partner to bookstores and other book-related businesses. A company can sell all its unwanted inventory through this platform, and you can also utilize it to buy in bulk. If you’re a dropshipper, you can relay the order to BooksRun, and it’ll send the product to the designated address.
If you’re an affiliate, you can get up to 9% of the sales commission. This offer is especially great for textbook reviewers and other influencers who work with books. You can use any platform to drive traffic to BooksRun.
The company has an amazing model for everyone who wants to buy in bulk. Its dedicated account managers can also assist bigger clients. In fact, the incredible BooksRun customer service is one of the main reasons you should do business with the company.
Users can also source textbooks automatically from BooksRun. You can get a list of everything currently available by asking for an FTP file or an API. Once the order is processed, the title will be sent to the customer within a day.
Lastly, if you’re struggling to sell books through your website or brick-and-mortar store, you can always do it via the BooksRun platform. The company takes a 15% commission on each sale, and you don’t have to worry about any other fees.
Ease of Use
If you read any BooksRun review, you will notice that this platform is quite easy to use.
When making a purchase, you can expect the item within a few days in the same condition described on the website.
To search for titles, you need to input some basic data, and the algorithm will return a list of all the currently available textbooks. You’ll also get some extra information, such as the author’s name, the publisher’s, and the format. On the right, you can see the lowest price available. By browsing the queue, you’ll get a list of all the resellers and their asking price.
According to numerous BooksRun customer reviews, this is one of the best service providers within the textbook niche. Even if you have limited information, like only one part of the title, the algorithm will still return a list of textbooks that contain that particular keyword.
Plans & Pricing
If you’re looking for the best prices, online textbook marketplaces such as BooksRun are your best bet. The company pairs up sellers and buyers, so you’ll always get the best price.
Keep in mind that this platform doesn’t have fixed prices. So, if you’re looking to save money, it’s much better to be patient. eTextbooks are also a great option and will always be cheaper than hardcovers. You can also find various coupons and offers that would allow you to reduce the price even more.
If your order is over $10, you receive free return shipping.
Refund Policy
Compared to some of the BooksRun alternatives, this company has a transparent refund policy.
First off, it’s worth mentioning that you won’t get insurance unless you specifically pay for it. Furthermore, the company won’t cover any damage during shipping, even if an irresponsible sender causes it.
The general rule is that you can return almost any book within 21 days of purchase. You’ll get your money back once BooksRun receives the item.
The company doesn’t provide refunds for textbooks with adjusted quotes and processed titles.
Online Ratings
Most BooksRun reviews indicate that this is a very safe and reliable provider. Its score usually ranges from 4 to 5 (on a scale from 0 to 5), depending on the review source.
For example, the company received a 4.25 score on ResellerRatings.com. Like with many other marketplaces, some of the main issues people had with BooksRun were the occasional late deliveries and poor condition of the titles. Nevertheless, 71.2% of users gave it a 5-star rating.
Another reputable review source, SiteJabber, gave the company a 4 out 5 based on 530 reviews. The platform ranks 5th among all textbook rental companies on this website. Although BooksRun received a 4 for most of its features, users were very critical of its return policies, giving it a 2.5 out of 5.
If we compare BooksRun reviews with competition scores, you’ll quickly realize that this is one of the best textbook rentals in the US. Among others, the company got the most favorable reviews from ShopperApproved.com. According to 6,191 reviews, the platform received a score of 4.8, with an impressive 5,320 5-star reviews. Users who had issues with the service mentioned slow delivery, not receiving the book at all, or getting it in poor condition.
Value for Money—Final Verdict
BooksRun review scores are high for a reason. If we’re talking about value for the money, this company is ahead of its competition. eTextbooks can help you save an enormous amount of money during the course of your studies. Furthermore, you can access these electronic files from your phone, which is the preferred method for younger generations.
The company provides a refund if you bought it in the last 21 days. Most other providers are not that forthcoming when it comes to textbook returns. Collecting points to save trees is another thing that differentiates BooksRun from its competition.If you have trouble with the platform or your order, you can always contact the company via email or the BooksRun phone number.