Chegg Review: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

Chegg is basically an online university bookstore. You can rent, buy, and sell textbooks all through Chegg. It also has a study component that includes textbook solutions and access to experts who can answer questions.

There are plenty of places to purchase textbooks for university classes. But if you want a good price and the convenience to purchase and have the book delivered right to your door, Chegg might be what you’re looking for.

In this article, we’ll take a tour of what Chegg has to offer.

Who Is Chegg?

Chegg provides textbooks to university and community college students. Its CEO is Dan Rosensweig. Chegg is based in Santa Clara, CA, and was formed in 2005. The company went public in 2012 and trades under the stock symbol CHGG.

Chegg benefited tremendously from the transition to virtual education throughout 2020 during pandemic lockdowns. In its Q1 2021 investor report, it reported 55% year-over-year revenue growth. And, according to the report, the site also currently averages 19 million unique monthly visitors.

What Do They Offer?

Chegg provides textbooks for purchasing and renting. They also have information on how to sell back used textbooks. Its target audience is university and community college students. In addition to textbooks, it provides tutoring services through Chegg Study.

With Chegg, students can save up to 90% off the list price of textbooks. There is also a 21-day risk-free return policy on physical books. This can come in handy if a student decides to drop a class.

Buying Textbooks

Many students are familiar with buying textbooks from the university bookstore. However, these are often new books sold at full price.

Not only are Chegg books much cheaper than new books, but you also don’t have to make a trip to the bookstore. Instead, books are delivered right to your door. You'll also receive 7-day instant access to the eTextbook version of the book while you're waiting for it to arrive.

Renting Textbooks

Renting textbooks is a cost-effective way to pay for class materials. Chegg makes renting textbooks easy. Once you are finished with a rental, use the prepaid return shipping label to return the book.

If you don't return your book by the due date, you'll be charged an extension fee (25% of the original rental cost) which gives you an extra 10 days to return it. If you don't return it by that extended date, you'll be charged a purchase fee. Or if you want more rental time, you can always extend the rental period.

Rentals usually come in good shape with some signs of wear. You can highlight text in rentals but Chegg discourages writing in them. In addition to renting, some books are available for purchase either as used or new.

When selecting a book to rent, you’ll see its due date. Textbooks have close to three months before they must be sent back. You’ll also see the book’s list price and Chegg discount as well.

Note that rentals are used textbooks and generally do not come with supplemental materials such as CDs, DVDs, access codes, or lab manuals. If you want those, you’ll need to purchase a new textbook.

eTextbooks

Some textbooks have an eTextbook available. An eTextbook is a digital version of the physical textbook. You can access the eTextbook on connected devices. You can also search and highlight text.

Monthly rental rates start at $6.99 per month and they come with a 14-day return policy. eTextbooks cost a little less than the physical textbook, but they are an additional purchase. eTextbooks can be rented for 120 or 150 days. Or you can buy them.

Sell Your Textbooks

Chegg used to buy used textbooks but stopped doing that a while back. If you click Sell from the top menu, you’ll be brought to a page that recommends using GoTextbooks and provides a link to them.

Related: How To Resell Your Textbooks And The Best Places To Do It

Chegg Study

Chegg Study is a subscription-based study service. You get access to textbook solutions and expert Q&A 24/7. It says that the average response time to questions submitted by its subscribing students is 46 minutes.

Chegg Study costs $14.95 per month. However, if you buy or rent a textbook from the site, you'll receive a 4-week free trial of the service.

Is Shipping Free?

No, you do generally have to pay for shipping with Chegg. But they often run free shipping promos such as waiving the shipping charges on orders of $35 or more. Also, you won't have to pay to send your books back as Chegg provides prepaid shipping labels for returns.

How Does Chegg Compare?

Chegg separates itself from other retailers by offering so much more than just textbooks. If you're looking for an all-in-one learning platform, Chegg is going to be hard to beat.

But if you need to buy or rent textbooks, Chegg's extra features won't be a selling point. And, in that case, you may be able to find better prices and terms by choosing one of Chegg's competitors like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Check out how Chegg compares in this quick table:

How Do I Open An Account?

You can visit Chegg's website to create your account and start shopping. You'll have the option to either create a unique username and password or log in with your Apple, Facebook, or Google credentials.

Is It Safe And Secure?

Chegg’s website does use encryption and a secure payment method. However, it should be noted that it has suffered three data breaches over the past four years. The worst of the hacks took place in 2018 when information from over 40 million customers was leaked. 

No website is completely invincible to cyberattacks and those that are as large as Chegg are natural targets for hackers. Still, three breaches in such a short period of time is worrisome and could cause one to wonder if Chegg is investing enough time and money into its data security systems.

Contact

Many questions about the Chegg platform have already been addressed and answered on their Help Center. However, if you more questions you can text their team at 408-351-0942 or call them at 855-477-0177.

Most customers have reported satisfying experiences when dealing with Chegg support. The company is currently rated 4.0/5 on Trustpilot from over 4,800 customer reviews.

Who Is This For And Is It Worth It?

The Chegg platform is incredibly popular with college students. It’s convenient to have textbooks shipped to your address. And given the generous 21-day return policy on physical textbooks and potential cost savings, Chegg is certainly worth checking out. 

However, it isn’t the only game in town. Amazon is a competitor of Chegg's as well as Barnes & Noble and several others. Make sure to compare prices for the textbook you need at multiple textbook rental sites before pulling the trigger.

Common Questions

Let's answer a few of the most common questions that people ask about Chegg:

Can I purchase a membership to get free shipping?

No, unlike Amazon or Barnes & Noble, Chegg doesn't have a paid membership tier that always offers free shipping regardless of order size.

Does it have an eBook reader app?

Yes, and it allows readers to easily navigate, search for keywords, and highlight.

Can students use this to cheat?

Students could certainly try to manipulate Chegg's study tools to get answers to exam questions or gain other unfair advantages. However, Chegg has several policies in place that are meant to uphold academic integrity, including its Honor Shield, Honor Code Policy, DMCA copyright removal process, and more

Why I have been locked out of my account?

Chegg accounts can only be used on up to two separate devices per month. If you try to log in on more devices then this in a given month, it could indicate that your account is being shared and it will be locked while Chegg investigates. Chegg says that it will notify suspended accounts of the result of investigations within 48 hours either way.

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