03-05-2011, 04:12 PM | #16 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,364
Karma: 3724797
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: California
Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch
|
My post for the original deal is from the email that I got.
The offer now is for a 30% off coupon for a future deal. So if you buy $55.00 worth of books from the list, before March 23 you will get a coupon for 30% off a book from the list (minus any agency books). It's not really clear but it sounds to me like it is only good for 1 book. What I pasted on this offer was from their website, but after I posted this I also got an email and it says exactly the same thing. The other thing I wonder about it is if they are going to make us buy off a list, why still have agency books on it? Why not just have a list with no agency books? I don't know how someone could object to a gift card, either, but they definitely thought better of this offer for some reason. |
03-05-2011, 04:44 PM | #17 | |||
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
|||
Advert | |
|
03-05-2011, 04:46 PM | #18 |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Can you purchase Agency ebooks using "Border Bucks?" Kobo's original promo was similar although they were more generous.
|
03-05-2011, 04:56 PM | #19 | |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Quote:
15% off a $9.99 ebook is only a $1.50 and still some left over as profit if 70/30 split ... less than the original $3.00 |
|
03-05-2011, 08:25 PM | #20 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 2,364
Karma: 3724797
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: California
Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch
|
I think the statement about the egift card was just an error not corrected when they changed the original terms, because everything else refers to it as a coupon. I suppose, though, even the original terms could have not allowed the egift card to be applied to agency books, since they were giving us the card it could be considered a rebate. They may have changed the terms just to make this more straightforward.
Quote:
I looked at a Penguin book and it said this: Quote:
|
||
Advert | |
|
03-05-2011, 08:53 PM | #21 |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Then Kobo's egift card wouldn't have worked on Agency books either since it's the same situation. Why would publishers allow it on Kobo but not Border's when they use the same ebook retail system.
My guess is Kobo couldn't program the egift card redemption to only allow use on certain books. Whereas coupons have always been so. |
03-05-2011, 08:57 PM | #22 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 2,364
Karma: 3724797
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: California
Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
03-05-2011, 10:37 PM | #23 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,345
Karma: 52398889
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
Quote:
I don't know how Borders Bucks works, exactly, but it's not a gift card, or they'd call it a gift card. I have a promotional gift card from BN, for example, that I got free directly from BN. I can apply it to anything I buy from BN, Agency or not, just the same as a purchased gift card. |
|
03-06-2011, 03:52 AM | #24 |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Kobo was offering an egift card as a reward or rebate. Border Bucks works the same way. As Nightbird helpfully pointed out Agency books can't be purchased with them.
One of two things happened. Kobo couldn't program the egift card to work with the publisher's conditions on select ebooks or the Agency 6 disallowed it as it does the Border's Bucks promotion. Yes, it is difficult to understand. It's one of the reasons people dislike the Agency system. The Agency publishers are the retailers and have complete control of the ebook purchase and currently the don't allow discounts or rebates of any kind. Your B&N gift card wasn't due to any merchandise purchase you made, I believe. |
03-06-2011, 09:08 AM | #25 |
Zealot
Posts: 126
Karma: 7724
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Middle Ga
Device: PRS-600 and PRS-350
|
Keep in mind:
Kobo gift cards != Borders reward bucks The gift cards are in the classical sense -- they're pre-purchased, transferable store credit. They can be used for anything (except more gift cards) at face value. They would be nearly worthless as GIFTS if you couldn't use them on any product. The reward bucks are a promotion. It's a store discount with a balance value. @Catlady In short, as a sole source supplier, a company would have control in contract negotiations proportional to their demand, and the agency 5+1 hold most of the in-demand books. Not all distributors fell in line with Random house's new contract and their distribution licenses expired. But over-control in a negotiation isn't without consequences -- Adding a 6th publisher to the lockdown has kicked off movement in the EU's Anti-trust regulators. They're not looking to see if the contracts are valid, they're checking to see if the free market has been locked down by one or a few big players (the 6 largest publishers). If they can prove collusion, there will be hefty fines to pass around and regulation of the industry. Unfortunately government regulation is regional and seldom do the consumers win. |
03-06-2011, 01:16 PM | #26 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,364
Karma: 3724797
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: California
Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch
|
Quote:
BTW, another oddity of Kobo's system is you CAN actually buy a gift card with a gift card. In other words, if you have $3.00 left in your store credit from a gift card and you buy another gift card for $50.00, you will only be charged $47.00 and you will then have $50.00 in your account. |
|
03-06-2011, 05:52 PM | #27 |
Zealot
Posts: 126
Karma: 7724
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Middle Ga
Device: PRS-600 and PRS-350
|
@nightbird,
that's genuinely bizarre. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. |
03-06-2011, 09:39 PM | #28 | |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Quote:
Maybe Border's complained about it. Since they exclude their "Bucks" reward system. The normal gift cards everywhere are you pay retailer $25.00 to receive a $25.00 gift card to be used for any purchase. |
|
03-06-2011, 09:52 PM | #29 |
Zealot
Posts: 126
Karma: 7724
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Middle Ga
Device: PRS-600 and PRS-350
|
FBone,
You can use Kobo gift cards on Agency books. Kobo gift cards != Borders reward bucks. |
03-07-2011, 06:46 AM | #30 |
o saeclum infacetum
Posts: 20,193
Karma: 222235366
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New England
Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5
|
The B&N free gift cards came with the purchase of a gift card.
It's possible to get a discount of nearly 8% on agency books at B&N if you use Mr. Rebates or a similar portal. Buy a gift card through Mr. Rebates and get a 4% discount, then use the gift card for purchases, also going through Mr. Rebates. |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Trade Would like to swap B&N gift card for Kindle gift card? | waterwagen | Flea Market | 2 | 01-25-2011 12:47 PM |
$10 for $20 Amazon Gift Card - Living Social Deal | RoccoPaco | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 51 | 01-21-2011 07:12 PM |
Hey Guys - Amazon Gift Card Deal up in the Deals/Freebies Forum | abookreader | Amazon Kindle | 0 | 01-19-2011 10:15 AM |
Kobo: Gift cards + promo codes may not be a fair deal | CraftyDan | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 24 | 01-18-2011 09:08 AM |
FREE B&N $10 EGift Card With $100 Gift Card Purchase | NightBird | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 17 | 12-27-2010 04:05 PM |