Not possible to buy several Kobo-books at once?

[AnneT]

I have bought books at Kobo before, but never purchased/tried to purchase more than one at the same time.

But after I read the KoboBooks.com Discount thread, I wanted to buy several books today, and noticed that I have to go through the billing process already after having chosen my first book. Only after I have paid the book, I get a button 'continue shopping'.
Is this always like that? Quite annoying to have to sign in to paypal for every single book...

Ann

[Victoria]

I've definitely bought multiple books from the Canadian Kobo site. Perhaps the single purchase forced choice was related to the discount code you used?

Update: Anne T - my apologies for the bum steer. As they say, i have a good memory - just short

[AnneT]

I doubt it, since I got the payment dialogue before I was asked for a discount code.
(And I could use the same discount code for the second book I bought...)

[Ninjalawyer]

I don't think the Kobo site has ever allowed you to buy more than one book at a time unfortunately.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

I don't think the Kobo site has ever allowed you to buy more than one book at a time unfortunately.

That's correct - there's never been a "shopping cart" system.

[AnneT]

Ok, that's clear now... I was wondering what I was missing...

[murg]

And beware of Quick Buy, it doesn't let you use coupons.

[bartveld]

Don't they want to sell more books!?

[ottdmk]

There is a school of thought that the preferred mode of buying off of an ebook reader is to have as few clicks as possible before the book is downloaded to the device. Kobo seems to have decided that there is no point in having a shopping cart on their web store when they do not have one for on-device shopping. As the Kobo model does not support sales... (discount codes only apply to a single book) they may have a point.

[Danger]

Be that as it may. I don't buy from Kobo anymore unless I can't get the book anywhere else or there is a really great discount code that I can use on a book that allows me to use it. Unfortunately for Kobo (and myself) it is rare that these two coincide. Combine that with lack of a shopping cart, other places get my business as I usually buy upwards of 5 books at a go. Particularly if I run into a series or author I find I really like.

Personally I don't see why the two can't coincide. Add books to a shopping cart, go to check out when you are done, books that allow discount codes have a spot to enter a code (books that don't tell you so). Choose which book you wish to use whatever code you have on, enter code, site validates each code, click finish purchase, proceed to pay and you are done.

Ahh well just being too simplistic I guess. Since they haven't done that it must be too hard to implement.

[bartveld]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

There is a school of thought that the preferred mode of buying off of an ebook reader is to have as few clicks as possible before the book is downloaded to the device.

Yeah, that's a trend that is especially rampant in ereader land: treat your customer like a dumbass.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by bartveld

Yeah, that's a trend that is especially rampant in ereader land: treat your customer like a dumbass.

It's not "treating your customer like a dumbass" at all. "One-click buying" works beautifully on the Kindle bookstore. Making the buying process as simple as possible is a thing that Amazon have got absolutely right. Other bookstores could learn a lot from them. One of the reasons that the Kindle has been so enormously successful is that Amazon don't just sell you the reader - they've got the whole "ebook infrastructure" thing - the integration of reader, bookstore, customer service, etc - spot on, whereas Kobo really make you have to "work" to buy a book.

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by HarryT

whereas Kobo really make you have to "work" to buy a book.

not sure when you last bought a kobo book, but it really is as easy as kindle nowadays

I know many don't like the quick buy setting as it doesn't allow discounts, but this works the same as one click for kindle, select book and click buy, thats it

even with that turned off, you click buy, get another page for payment info/discount, enter/change if relevant and click buy now, done

obviously this is if you are sticking with the kepubs and using a kobo reader/app

if you want to read the book on a non kobo device then yes, it needs more steps, but so does getting a kindle book on a non kindle device