Aura HD For U.S. Buyers... - Page 9

tnforpaul45 · 04-27-2013, 01:08 PM

Believe me when I say that impatience for a new Kobo eReader can be very uncomfortable, but I've had good experience with Kobo so far.

I would advise patience. Kobo is not nearly as large a company as Amazon, and from what I am hearing, they have been blown away at the popular interest in the Aura. Like any company, as interest grows, they will scale accordingly!

Be patient. It's worth it

taming · 04-27-2013, 01:14 PM

This will be my last post on the subject of margins. The space on the bottom is supposed to be exactly the right size so that when the menu for font changing etc are invoked no text is covered up. The same for the top margin and other choices that come up when the menus are invoked.

Currently there is a font related bug that can create additional white space on the page at the bottom. This was an issue in an earlier firmware iteration and will no doubt be fixed post haste. In the meantime, I have chosen to use kepubs directly from kobo or epubs that are converted to kepubs via calibre. The margins we are supposed to see is what I have with these settings.

I know that in the US you cannot see an aura to check this out for yourself. You can however go to an independent book store and see a Glo. On the Aura there are 8 additional lines of Glo content on a page. You can compare that with your Kindles etc. if you wish to.

Kobo apparently is not trying to capture US market share, in general. Use whatever machine floats your boat. There may be larger eink devices from the manufacturer of your choice down the line.

omf · 04-27-2013, 01:45 PM

I wouldn't mind waiting and being patient if I had a sense that the company I'm dealing with is competent enough to deal with basic things like an online order tracking system. The fact that Kobo can't seem to do this doesn't make me feel comfortable spending a couple hundred dollars with them, though.

After being promised that my order was not lost (even though I have no way of seeing that myself) and that it would ship on the 25th, my credit card was not charged and I did not get a shipment confirmation.

I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with their customer care trying to cancel my order. They obviously couldn't find the order (despite my giving them my order number) and have promised to forward the request to another department who will contact me "soon". I'm not holding my breath.

The Aura HD may be a great e-reader, but it's not good enough to make up for the fact that Kobo has awful customer fulfillment systems in place. I could understand this if they were a recent start-up, but the company has been around more than long enough to have worked these problems out.

louden · 04-27-2013, 01:48 PM

Wow, lots of negative posts on buying from Kobo in the US. I'd say my purchasing experience was completely uneventful (which is good) - got an email confirmation, shipping confirmation, and I can track my package via USPS.

My .02

david8866 · 04-27-2013, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnforpaul45

Be patient. It's worth it

It's not about patience. I did not expect it to be shipped until May, because it was listed as pre-order.
It's about lousy customer service. It had been 10 days, my order was still not in KOBO's system. Each time I contacted them, I got an incident number, but no follow-up. When I wanted to cancel the order ( by on-line chat), my order miraculously showed up in the system; when I checked back within minutes, my order was not there again.
I called all 3 phone numbers, no, there was no order. I asked them to cancel my order whichever way they can. KOBO called me to assure me my order will be shipped within 15 days.
That was yesterday. This morning I called again to make sure my order is cancelled, there was No Order in KOBO's system.
KOBO is a lousy company, isn't it

Edit: Yesterday KOBO asked me what ereader and what color I ordered. Now I begin to see why.

AnemicOak · 04-27-2013, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louden

Wow, lots of negative posts on buying from Kobo in the US. I'd say my purchasing experience was completely uneventful (which is good) - got an email confirmation, shipping confirmation, and I can track my package via USPS.

My .02

My purchase went flawlessly too and I have my Aura in hand, but if my experience had gone like some of the others here I'd be complaining with the best of them

It also doesn't help that their CS is notoriously not great.

It's obvious they aren't all that good at selling physical goods so maybe they should have stayed with not doing it. They didn't start doing it again until recently and something definitely appears broken. What I'd really like to see is for them to come up with some US partners like Borders once was.

graycyn · 04-27-2013, 02:32 PM

My ordering experience went smoothly, other than that I am used to getting a shipping confirmation a bit sooner. I am *glad* they are selling devices again from the website, because there were NO independent booksellers in my rural area that carried a Glo.

The closest independent seller was a 4 hour one way drive from me. To drive and purchase something like the Aura would add a tank of gas, plus the price of a hotel room for an overnight stay to the cost of the device. I'm thankful Kobo put devices available to order on their site!

jeankap · 04-27-2013, 02:43 PM

FYI - I got my aura today. The only reason my order was in limbo was completely my fault - a typo in my email address when I placed the order.

I'm in the states, BTW.

I was able to resolve everything about my order in a 20 minute DM twitter conversation with @KoboHelp. Once they got in touch with me, resolution was almost instantaneous. I highly recommend going directly to Twitter for Kobo CS in the future.

grooks · 04-27-2013, 03:08 PM

I'm in the situation where there is nothing wrong with my order. Kobo acknowledges my order but no one can tell me when it is going to ship. Ordered on the 17th and credit card was charged on the 19th.

I've already decided Tuesday is my cutoff date.

drew2720 · 04-28-2013, 08:42 AM

same here grooks..nothing wrong with order...got my 2 email confirmations (the 16th)..credit card charged (the 19th)..no shipping date as of today (the 28th). I do have incident #s from the emails I have sent, but no solutions. How hard can it be to ship something when everything is in order and they are obviously shipping? I just want a shipping NOTICE so I can at least know what I have paid for is on the way and I will receive it a some point. I feel I have been patient enough..........

evanft · 04-28-2013, 10:35 AM

Did you check your spam or trash folder for the shipping email? That's where mine was.

Rob2246 · 04-28-2013, 10:44 AM

Drew2720

Good morning did you try online chat ?? I did not receive any emails at all from Kobo but I had my order number given to me by chat and a few days later I was able to get a tracking number. I ordered on the 22nd.
Good Luck.

robko · 04-28-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew2720

I just want a shipping NOTICE so I can at least know what I have paid for is on the way and I will receive it a some point. I feel I have been patient enough..........

Since it's going to the US (I assume) this will be a little different for you, but in Canada it was shipped one night and the shipping e-mail landed in my inbox the next day likely about the same time the parcel was arriving at my door. So if you haven't got a shipping e-mail it may not be physically shipped yet. I can understand being ticked that they've charged you even though it isn't shipped.

icallaci · 04-28-2013, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louden

Wow, lots of negative posts on buying from Kobo in the US. I'd say my purchasing experience was completely uneventful (which is good) - got an email confirmation, shipping confirmation, and I can track my package via USPS.

My .02

Same here. Ordered my Aura, got immediate confirmation, credit card charged, two days later got my shipment confirmation, and received my Aura one day ahead of schedule. Very smooth.

Dr. Drib · 04-28-2013, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet54

Your experience sounds like mine, I emailed them a couple days ago and they acknowledged the order with my shipping order number and said it was not expected to ship until the 25th and then I would get a tracking number. I live in Oklahoma City . Ordered on the 18th with my paypal and it completed and paid them on the 19th.

I have always been a Kindle user but have been looking for an epub reader as I use calibre to convert and also the Library Loan here in OKC sometimes only has epub and I hate reading on the overdrive app. This looks like exactly what I was looking for. I have been playing with the Kobo app on my ipad but so far am unimpressed with it. My fav reader is my paperwhite eink.

...and your favorite FUTURE ebook reader will be the one you're holding in your hands right now...[right below your avatar name.]

Don

04-27-2013, 01:14 PM	#122
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	This will be my last post on the subject of margins. The space on the bottom is supposed to be exactly the right size so that when the menu for font changing etc are invoked no text is covered up. The same for the top margin and other choices that come up when the menus are invoked. Currently there is a font related bug that can create additional white space on the page at the bottom. This was an issue in an earlier firmware iteration and will no doubt be fixed post haste. In the meantime, I have chosen to use kepubs directly from kobo or epubs that are converted to kepubs via calibre. The margins we are supposed to see is what I have with these settings. I know that in the US you cannot see an aura to check this out for yourself. You can however go to an independent book store and see a Glo. On the Aura there are 8 additional lines of Glo content on a page. You can compare that with your Kindles etc. if you wish to. Kobo apparently is not trying to capture US market share, in general. Use whatever machine floats your boat. There may be larger eink devices from the manufacturer of your choice down the line. Last edited by taming; 04-27-2013 at 02:22 PM.

04-27-2013, 02:32 PM	#127
graycyn Wizard Posts: 1,496 Karma: 11250344 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NE Oregon Device: Kobo Sage, Forma, Kindle Oasis 2, Sony PRS-T2	My ordering experience went smoothly, other than that I am used to getting a shipping confirmation a bit sooner. I am glad they are selling devices again from the website, because there were NO independent booksellers in my rural area that carried a Glo. The closest independent seller was a 4 hour one way drive from me. To drive and purchase something like the Aura would add a tank of gas, plus the price of a hotel room for an overnight stay to the cost of the device. I'm thankful Kobo put devices available to order on their site! Last edited by graycyn; 04-27-2013 at 02:45 PM. Reason: paragraph space

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04-27-2013, 01:08 PM	#121
tnforpaul45 Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 1196756 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kobo Glo, Kindle DX	Believe me when I say that impatience for a new Kobo eReader can be very uncomfortable, but I've had good experience with Kobo so far. I would advise patience. Kobo is not nearly as large a company as Amazon, and from what I am hearing, they have been blown away at the popular interest in the Aura. Like any company, as interest grows, they will scale accordingly! Be patient. It's worth it

04-27-2013, 01:45 PM	#123
omf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2007 Device: Windows Mobile 6	I wouldn't mind waiting and being patient if I had a sense that the company I'm dealing with is competent enough to deal with basic things like an online order tracking system. The fact that Kobo can't seem to do this doesn't make me feel comfortable spending a couple hundred dollars with them, though. After being promised that my order was not lost (even though I have no way of seeing that myself) and that it would ship on the 25th, my credit card was not charged and I did not get a shipment confirmation. I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with their customer care trying to cancel my order. They obviously couldn't find the order (despite my giving them my order number) and have promised to forward the request to another department who will contact me "soon". I'm not holding my breath. The Aura HD may be a great e-reader, but it's not good enough to make up for the fact that Kobo has awful customer fulfillment systems in place. I could understand this if they were a recent start-up, but the company has been around more than long enough to have worked these problems out.

04-27-2013, 01:48 PM	#124
louden Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Nook ST/Kobo Aura HD	Wow, lots of negative posts on buying from Kobo in the US. I'd say my purchasing experience was completely uneventful (which is good) - got an email confirmation, shipping confirmation, and I can track my package via USPS. My .02

04-27-2013, 02:43 PM	#128
jeankap EReading Gadget Maven Posts: 36 Karma: 61950 Join Date: May 2007 Device: All of 'em.	FYI - I got my aura today. The only reason my order was in limbo was completely my fault - a typo in my email address when I placed the order. I'm in the states, BTW. I was able to resolve everything about my order in a 20 minute DM twitter conversation with @KoboHelp. Once they got in touch with me, resolution was almost instantaneous. I highly recommend going directly to Twitter for Kobo CS in the future.

04-27-2013, 03:08 PM	#129
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	I'm in the situation where there is nothing wrong with my order. Kobo acknowledges my order but no one can tell me when it is going to ship. Ordered on the 17th and credit card was charged on the 19th. I've already decided Tuesday is my cutoff date.

04-28-2013, 08:42 AM	#130
drew2720 Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: KS Device: K2i, K3, DXG, PW2, Sony prs650/350,KoboMini/AuraHD	same here grooks..nothing wrong with order...got my 2 email confirmations (the 16th)..credit card charged (the 19th)..no shipping date as of today (the 28th). I do have incident #s from the emails I have sent, but no solutions. How hard can it be to ship something when everything is in order and they are obviously shipping? I just want a shipping NOTICE so I can at least know what I have paid for is on the way and I will receive it a some point. I feel I have been patient enough..........

04-28-2013, 10:35 AM	#131
evanft Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 695156 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Kindle 4 NT	Did you check your spam or trash folder for the shipping email? That's where mine was.

04-28-2013, 10:44 AM	#132
Rob2246 Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 529794 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Philadelphia Pa Device: kindle,nook ,ipad,kobo	Drew2720 Good morning did you try online chat ?? I did not receive any emails at all from Kobo but I had my order number given to me by chat and a few days later I was able to get a tracking number. I ordered on the 22nd. Good Luck.