My Question
I appreciate being a member of the Rewards program. However you exclude e-books. You sell the Sony Reader, but don't provide any content for it. I'm forced to use the Sony eBookstore, which, though you've co-branded it, doesn't participate in the Borders Rewards program.
This is a serious issue for me, and is degrading my enjoyment of Borders. You promote and sell the Sony Reader, co-brand the eBook Library software, but remain at arm's distance from content.
I shop your store to find books I want, then go home and shop Sony to see if they are available, and if they aren't, go BACK to the store and reluctantly purchase the printed edition. You can understand how this is not a pleasant shopping experience. If I DO find the book on Sony's site, I can't use your coupons. This is a lose-lose situation, and I'm on the verge of taking ALL my business to Amazon.
Borders' Response
Thank you for contacting Borders Customer Care with your comments and Borders.com inquiry.
Feedback from valued customers like you is essential to us as it allows us to keep in touch with areas where we can improve our services. Your suggestion will be included in our regular reporting to our various departments and in information presented to the executives at Borders. While I cannot guarantee that a change will be made, we appreciate your sending us your ideas.
We are currently making improvements to the Borders.com web site. As a result, you may encounter some service interruption. Be assured that we are working to enhance your online shopping experience as quickly as possible and we encourage you to visit us again soon. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Thanks again for taking the time to write to us. If you should have any other thoughts on how we can improve the shopping experience at Borders stores, please don?t hesitate to share these with us.
My Reply
This is non-responsive. I purchased the Sony Reader at a Borders book store. The Sony Install CD had the Borders name and logo on it. It was reasonable to assume, then, that I could purchase books from Borders to run on this device. I feel I was misled. Telling me you'll float the idea up the chain of command until eventually an executive notes my objections as a tick mark on a bar graph does not address my concern.
Borders' Response
Thank you for contacting Borders Customer Care with your inquiry,
You can go online to
www.borders.com and purchase the e- books for the Sony reader. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
I hope that this information is helpful. If you should have any other questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us.
My Reply
NO, you cannot. Please re-read my original email. You provide a link from your site to the Sony site. When I thus purchase a book, I'm purchasing it from Sony, which doesn't participate in the Borders Rewards program. Again, please re-read my original email for a full discussion of the problems with the current system.
Borders' Latest Response
Thank you for contacting us about Sony e-readers,
Due to the high prices of electronics and restrictions set by the manufacture they our excluded from our coupon offers and Borders rewards program.
Thank you again for writing. If you have any other questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us at
rewards@bordersstores.com