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Old 05-17-2013, 05:33 PM   #1
koland
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Posts: 8,560
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: TN, USA
Device: kindle(all), nook, nookcolor, Sony, Kobo, epic, iphone, iPad, pc
Gift Cards .. What can Kobo possibly be thinking?

I first saw this mentioned over in the Romance bargains thread (deals forum), but wanted to mention it here, too, in hopes that Kobo will see it and try to explain their reasoning: You can no longer buy gift cards for Kobo online.

Which means many of us can no longer get them at all or, at least, not easily (or without a considerable added expense), as you must find a local retailer to purchase them. Since buying for a non-US company is such a pain for those in the US (my credit card companies either block all purchase from them or allow them only after activating a fraud alert on the card, requiring a phone call on each purchase and if you miss it, the card gets blocked until it is cleared). Sure, Paypal is an option ... but that is tied to the same credit cards, so it doesn't really help. Not to mention, what a pain it is to have all those tiny charges to wade thru on a statement (and it must cost Kobo more, too, as they have a transaction charge each time, instead of only once).

For many, you also get hit with money exchange fees with each card hit, so the gift cards were highly favored by all (and many countries have zero access to physical gift cards, so those guys are left entirely in the cold).

So, to Kobo: What were you thinking? Sure, you might drive a half-dozen people to find an indie bookstore (the ones participating are few and far between; in a city in the top 100 in the states, there is only one here and it requires a trip downtown and paying for parking, which means I and no one else here will shop there soon, at least not to get a gift card to use online). The other choices seem to be Fry's and BestBuy and both (rightfully so) don't back third party gift card purchases (otherwise, "everyone" would be buying, using, then returning them). I don't buy any gift cards from third parties and always recommend others to do the same. There is little benefit (just buy from the actual store, where you are often rewarded with a bonus card, too) and too much risk (used codes, counterfeit cards, etc) and no protection (from the store or otherwise).

Unless Kobo simply wants to lose all their online only customers (an odd choice, for an online only store), this seems to be simply another case of a company shooting themselves in the foot. I mean, those indie stores can always sell cards to their existing customers and this won't drive any new ones in; instead, it will just drive away customers that had been shopping at Kobo in the past.

In the meantime - get someone to just comment out ALL the text on your "eGift" page, since no one can actually get such a thing, anymore (let alone send it). Instead, you are now in the "Gift Card" business and in a pain the rear method of redemption one, at that.
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