Classic Bought a Badly Formatted Book From B&N

[lionel47]

I bought a copy of "Influencer" through the nook while waiting for a flight yesterday. When I opened it to read, I found out the entire book

is formatted with all the text centered on the page.

It's legible, however, it is annoying. I guess I have tow questions:

• Is it possible to reformat the book for left justification using Calibre or something? I couldn't do it through the nook interface.
• Is it worth following up with B&N? The fact that this book costs $19.95US adds insult to the injury. However, I do realize most business books are more expensive.

I just downloaded the book from the B&N web site and expected an epub file. However, it has the .pdb extension. Could that have anything to do with it?

[geertm]

Originally Posted by lionel47

I bought a copy of "Influencer" through the nook while waiting for a flight yesterday. When I opened it to read, I found out the entire book

is formatted with all the text centered on the page.

It's legible, however, it is annoying. I guess I have tow questions:

• Is it possible to reformat the book for left justification using Calibre or something? I couldn't do it through the nook interface.
• Is it worth following up with B&N? The fact that this book costs $19.95US adds insult to the injury. However, I do realize most business books are more expensive.

I just downloaded the book from the B&N web site and expected an epub file. However, it has the .pdb extension. Could that have anything to do with it?

If you download the book using the PC B&N reader you should get the epub version. Perhaps that one is better formatted?

[lionel47]

Originally Posted by geertm

If you download the book using the PC B&N reader you should get the epub version. Perhaps that one is better formatted?

Thanks for the suggestion. I installed the B&N reader app and downloaded the book again. However, it is a .pdb file. Great idea, though.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by lionel47

I bought a copy of "Influencer" through the nook while waiting for a flight yesterday. When I opened it to read, I found out the entire book

is formatted with all the text centered on the page.

Is it worth following up with B&N? The fact that this book costs $19.95US adds insult to the injury.

Complain to B&N. Complain to the Publisher. Such appalling formatting is not on. I suspect that B&N did the conversion to .pdb and their automated conversion hasn't worked well.

[lionel47]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Complain to B&N. Complain to the Publisher. Such appalling formatting is not on. I suspect that B&N did the conversion to .pdb and their automated conversion hasn't worked well.

Consider it complained. I will let everyone know what they say.

[lionel47]

Well, I got a faster response from customer service than I expected.

"Thank you for your email regarding the quality of the text in your
Barnes & Noble eBook, "Influencer". Please accept our sincere apologies
for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Because this file is provided by the publisher, we are forwarding your
feedback to them for review. You can change the Font and Size format for
your ebook display, but unfortunately, you cannot change the centered
text to left justified, as the format is the way the publisher has
presented it.

As stated on our website, Barnes & Noble eBooks cannot be returned and
are non-refundable once they have been downloaded to a computer or
device. Our records show that your eBook was successfully downloaded
after purchase."

[beschuit]

If the publisher doesn't respond, I would de-DRM it, and re-author the book.

[lionel47]

Originally Posted by beschuit

If the publisher doesn't respond, I would de-DRM it, and re-author the book.

I tried to re-author the book using Sigil. The left justification worked. However, the first letter of every paragraph became its own paragraph. I'm not patient enough to go through the entire book to fix that. And I am not adept enough technically to figure out an automated fix. So, I have put that book away for now and will wait to see if the publisher comes up with anything soon. If not, I will do my best to stay away from that publisher.

[terekkincaid]

Originally Posted by lionel47

As stated on our website, Barnes & Noble eBooks cannot be returned and
are non-refundable once they have been downloaded to a computer or
device. Our records show that your eBook was successfully downloaded
after purchase."

Don't let them smokescreen you with that crap. If you bought a defective book, they owe you a credit. They can de-authorize it easily (thus removing it from your possession), and you have email proof that they have acknowledged there is a problem. Kick it up the chain. Go to consumerist.com and search for EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) and find instructions on how to send one. Be sure to CC: tips@consumerist.com. B&N won't want the bad PR, and will probably not only refund the $20, but give you an extra $20 for bringing the problem to their attention. Don't let them get away with it. Use the internet for the power of good!

[bookwerm]

Originally Posted by terekkincaid

Don't let them smokescreen you with that crap. If you bought a defective book, they owe you a credit. They can de-authorize it easily (thus removing it from your possession), and you have email proof that they have acknowledged there is a problem. Kick it up the chain. Go to consumerist.com and search for EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) and find instructions on how to send one. Be sure to CC: tips@consumerist.com. B&N won't want the bad PR, and will probably not only refund the $20, but give you an extra $20 for bringing the problem to their attention. Don't let them get away with it. Use the internet for the power of good!

I wholeheartedly agree. You should also let B&N know this is a severe disadvantage to using them over Amazon/Kindle, as Amazon reacted to similar complaints about bad formatting from Kindle owners a few months ago and now allows for eBooks to be returned up to 7 days after purchase for issues such as this one. This is definitely one advantage Kindle has in the marketplace over the nook.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by bookwerm

Amazon reacted to similar complaints about bad formatting from Kindle owners a few months ago and now allows for eBooks to be returned up to 7 days after purchase for issues such as this one.

FWIW, Amazon has allowed returns since day one.

[riemann42]

I have had several eBooks that the conversion to .pdb was awful. You can tell when the TOC doesn't work.

SOMETIMES, I have found that adding &mediaProfile=Hrc to the end will download an epub.

Or delete it off the nook and redownload it.