The Kobo DRM-free epub fiasco

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Here's a case history of problems with a DRM-free ePub, and customer support.

I recently bought Full Fathom Five which is a Tor book, and so DRM-free.

In my library it's labeled as "Download options: EPUB (DRM-Free)" and there's a "DOWNLOAD EPUB" button

Ahh, it's one of those pesky epub3 drm free types ..... they're the format that sits in the naughty corner, 'cos they're always trouble makers for Kobo.

[DiapDealer]

I just bought another one as well.

Another Tor title, Harrison Squared

From the Product Details page:

Tom Doherty Associates, March 2015
Imprint: Tor Books
ISBN:9781466852716
Language:English
Download options:EPUB3 (DRM-Free)

In my Library, it lists the Download options as:

Download options: EPUB (DRM-Free)

Beside it, is the "DOWNLOAD EPUB" button that takes me to the Oops! page.

Oops!
Sorry, we're unable to locate the content you're looking for. The content may no longer be available or the link you followed may be broken. The problem has been reported. In the meantime, try a search.

If you continue to receive this notification, please contact our Customer Care department for assistance:

Call 1-855-732-3662 (8am-12am EST)

Email: help@kobo.com (24 hours)

I've been down this road with Kobo customer support many times now. I'm not doing it again. Especially since the text on the Oops page clearly indicates that the problem has already been "reported."

[murg]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I just bought another one as well.

It's an ePub3 book, and we all know that Kobo doesn't let you download those, even though it looks like it will let you.

The 'problem has been reported' simply means that they error in downloading a book has been logged into a log file, and if someone ever looks at your specific issue, they will see that you did indeed attempt to download the book, and there was a problem doing so. Other than that, no one will ever know that you attempted to download the book and failed.

At least Kobo CS has improved enough not to get you to factory reset your device.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by murg

It's an ePub3 book, and we all know that Kobo doesn't let you download those, even though it looks like it will let you.

Not exactly true. There are people in this very thread who claim to have been able to directly download EPUB3 purchases. I might also direct you to KoboBrodie's post in this thread where he claims that:

"Is Kobo at all considering offering direct downloads of EPUB3?"

Hi pssquirrel,

Yes Kobo is and should be offering epub3 for direct download.

In general if our item page has 'download options' (you can find this in the product info at the bottom of the page), the download option should work from the My Library page once purchased.

If the download isn't working where stated (i.e. 404 page not found errors or missing buttons) that's a problem and it needs to be fixed. We're investigating the issue now to determine root cause.

But you're right ... I DID know before hand that there was a good chance I wasn't going to be able to download the DRM-Free EPUB3 book. I've been down this same road many times with Kobo CS about these books since this thread started. But until they make it abundantly clear that these book won't be able to be directly downloaded BEFORE the books are purchased (and remove the download button from the library that they know perfectly well isn't going to function), I will continue to scream bloody murder about it.

None of the kepub-only books in my library have a download button that doesn't work, after all.

[pssquirrel]

If you haven't seen, there's a new thread on this in the Kobo forum. Of particular interest is post #11 from BrodieKobo (who works at Kobo):

Originally Posted by BrodieKobo

You should absolutely be able to download this book [which has the download option of "EPUB3 (DRM-FREE)] as an adobe DRM free epub3. The fact that you are not is a bug on our end that we are working hard to resolve. [emphasis added] I will escalate this to our product team, but by no means are you not supposed to be able to download it ... Also - our customer care team is misinformed about the ability to download. I will send them an update so they are aware of the issue.

Things are looking up? Or am I just a sucker for good PR

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pssquirrel

Things are looking up? Or am I just a sucker for good PR

Probably a little of both.

At least BrodieKobo takes the trouble to come here and say things that sound encouraging. He seems sincere, anyway. And it's better than the canned responses from CS (or the responses from real people that ignore the questions actually asked, and instead, answer ones you didn't ask).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BrodieKobo

Hi DiapDealer,

This is actually a bug, thanks for pointing this out. I've forwarded your issue along to our development team and they've confirmed this is in fact happening. We'll get on fixing this ASAP as it's obviously not the desired effect we want our customers to experience when purchasing a book. Thanks for finding this!

Brodie

I've found another bug. If I delete a sample from the library and it's no longer in the trash, I cannot purchase the full book as the system thinks it's in my library when it's not.

Also, if I buy a free eBook and delete it and then try to buy i again, I cannot as the system also thinks it's still in my library.

What's the point of deleting from the library if you have to keep all samples in case you may one day want to buy the full book?

[pssquirrel]

@JSWolf -- And here I was hoping things were looking up

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Try opening a ticket here and then calling.

Frankly, I can't be bothered. I've already got the book and finished reading it. I've reported the problem. That Kobo can't do the right thing with a bug report is their problem

Originally Posted by pssquirrel

If you haven't seen, there's a new thread on this in the Kobo forum. Of particular interest is post #11 from BrodieKobo (who works at Kobo):

Thanks! I thought I'd seen an acknowledgement that it's a bug somewhere, but got the wrong thread. Never mind, BrodieKobo should see it whichever thread I posted in.

[lkmiller]

A while back I bought Unlocked by John Scalzi. It is another DRM-free EPUB3 from Tor. In my library it says "Download options: EPUB (DRM-Free)", but there is no button at all (not even one that doesn't work). On the product page it says "Preview already in library" and has a buy button even though I actually bought the full book at the beginning and never had just the preview in my library. So it is very screwed up.

[JSWolf]

A sample should never be associated with the full eBook. They should be two separate things. That way when you go to clean up your library of all the samples, you won't end up no being able to buy the full book.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A sample should never be associated with the full eBook. They should be two separate things.

Depends what you mean by associated. One of the nice things a Kindle will do for you is to position you to the same location in the full book as you had got to in the sample.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A sample should never be associated with the full eBook. They should be two separate things. That way when you go to clean up your library of all the samples, you won't end up no being able to buy the full book.

Nope, as long as it is done right I don't see what the problem is. e.g. Amazon does it right.

Just because Kobo is buggy does not mean the fundamental idea is bad. It's just buggy, that is kind of the meaning of "bug".

[bla]

And the book vendors wonder why so many go the pirate route .. you just keep making it harder and harder for legitimate customers .... they should take the lesson that the software vendors finally learned about annoying customers with obnoxious copy protection stuff and DRM is about obnoxious as you can get

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by bla

... [book vendors] should take the lesson that the software vendors finally learned about annoying customers with obnoxious copy protection stuff and DRM is about obnoxious as you can get

How do we convince ebook vendors and publishers to give up DRM? I asked this question in this thread, and it seems vendors and publishers have little incentive to do so.