Is this site legitimate?

HarleyB · 12-12-2012, 05:41 PM

I recently found a site selling books [mod: removing direct link to bookbuddie pirate site] and it seems too good to be true (which probably means it IS too good to be true!)

I have ignored it for a few days thinking it must either be a scam to steal my credit card details or a pirate site that charges but I'm about to buy several new release books and the idea of getting them for at most $1.49 is very appealing.

I can't find very much information about it at all - does anyone here know anything about it?

Thanks.

pdurrant · 12-12-2012, 05:53 PM

Yes, of course it's a scam. They don't have permission from the copyright holders to sell any of those books, and not a penny of any money you give them will end up with the authors.

Apart from the ridiculously low prices for mainstream books, the 'smoking gun' is the presence of the Harry Potter ebooks. Those are not available form anywhere except Pottermore.

Please don't give your money to crooks. If you're going to pirate ebooks, at least do it in a way that doesn't reward criminals.

pidgeon92 · 12-12-2012, 05:55 PM

It's interesting how on the front page they show a lot of popular book titles, but when you go to browse in their catalog (ie, fiction), almost everything is public domain. The whole thing seems really fishy. I tried signing up for the free two-book download, but I balked at the spot they wanted me to enter credit card details.

HarleyB · 12-12-2012, 06:02 PM

Yes I guess I knew it had to be a scam but I so wanted it to be real...
Sorry about posting the link but I didn't know how to find out otherwise. Thanks for removing it.

jersysman · 12-12-2012, 06:51 PM

Anytime the topic of a thread is something like "Is This Site Legitimate?" . . .
99.9999999999999999% of the time, it is not.

Apache · 12-12-2012, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jersysman

Anytime the topic of a thread is something like "Is This Site Legitimate?" . . .
99.9999999999999999% of the time, it is not.

That low huh?
Apache

pdurrant · 12-13-2012, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

That low huh?
Apache

No, it's probably more like just 99.99% of the time.

kennyc · 12-13-2012, 07:20 AM

The thing I'm confused about is why are they even there. Why haven't they been ordered to be taken down?

BWinmill · 12-13-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jersysman

Anytime the topic of a thread is something like "Is This Site Legitimate?" . . . 99.9999999999999999% of the time, it is not.

Wow, Mobileread is popular! That number means that we would have over 200 trillion legitimate site questions per day.

Anyhow, I get your point: if it's too good to be true it probably is. On the other hand, at least people have the decency to ask before (presumably) using such a site. In the rare case that it does turn out to be legitimate, it also gives us a chance to learn about new legitimate sources for ebooks. (As an example: how many people would look at a site full of indie books and think that it is illegitimate because the prices are much lower than sites that focus upon selling books from the big publishing houses?)

crich70 · 12-13-2012, 12:07 PM

The thing about pirate sites is they seem to get booted off of one spot on the net and then pop back up somewhere else. That genie is well out of the bottle I think. I think most of them would vanish if a) books that everyone wants to read as ebooks but aren't yet available were available and b) if said ebooks were available at a reasonable price. The Legitimate vendors cut their own throats when they charge more than the pbook copy of the same book for an ebook copy. Of course both are very old arguments. I can't help but wonder if when the net was 1st built anyone foresaw the problem that would develop.

DiapDealer · 12-13-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

I can't help but wonder if when the net was 1st built anyone foresaw the problem that would develop.

Of course. Al Gore's no dummy.

kennyc · 12-13-2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Of course. Al Gore's no dummy.

jersysman · 12-13-2012, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Of course. Al Gore's no dummy.

Darn you!! That was an expensive cup of coffee that is now all over my monitor!!

kennyc · 12-13-2012, 03:22 PM

That'll teach you to buy expensive coffee!

DiapDealer · 12-13-2012, 03:38 PM

No charge for that coffee snarf! The first one's on me.

12-12-2012, 05:41 PM	#1
HarleyB Fanatic Posts: 546 Karma: 1038700 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast Australia Device: Kobo (RIP), iPad, iPhone 4, Kobo Touch x2, Kobo Glo	Is this site legitimate? I recently found a site selling books [mod: removing direct link to bookbuddie pirate site] and it seems too good to be true (which probably means it IS too good to be true!) I have ignored it for a few days thinking it must either be a scam to steal my credit card details or a pirate site that charges but I'm about to buy several new release books and the idea of getting them for at most $1.49 is very appealing. I can't find very much information about it at all - does anyone here know anything about it? Thanks. Last edited by pdurrant; 12-12-2012 at 05:51 PM. Reason: removed direct link

12-12-2012, 05:53 PM	#2
pdurrant The Grand Mouse Posts: 24,353 Karma: 73606030 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle 2; iPhone 3G; Bookeen Opus; NOOK ST GlowLight	Yes, of course it's a scam. They don't have permission from the copyright holders to sell any of those books, and not a penny of any money you give them will end up with the authors. Apart from the ridiculously low prices for mainstream books, the 'smoking gun' is the presence of the Harry Potter ebooks. Those are not available form anywhere except Pottermore. Please don't give your money to crooks. If you're going to pirate ebooks, at least do it in a way that doesn't reward criminals. __________________ Kai Lung Raises His Voice, now available at Amazon and BooksOnBoard A new collection of ‘Kai Lung’ stories by Ernest Bramah, including four previously unpublished stories. Need professional help formatting your ebook? Send me email.....................Books I've read in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

12-12-2012, 06:51 PM	#5
jersysman Guru Posts: 905 Karma: 1714348 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Device: Nook Color, Sony PRS-T1 Red, Kindle Fire, Kindle PW	Anytime the topic of a thread is something like "Is This Site Legitimate?" . . . 99.9999999999999999% of the time, it is not. __________________

12-13-2012, 07:20 AM	#8
kennyc Priorities! Priorties! Posts: 29,941 Karma: 37216234 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Galaxy SIII; Xoom; Kindle Fire	The thing I'm confused about is why are they even there. Why haven't they been ordered to be taken down? __________________ Kenny A. Chaffin Art Gallery - Print Gallery - Writing&Poetry "Strive on with Awareness" - Siddhartha Gautama

12-13-2012, 03:22 PM	#14
kennyc Priorities! Priorties! Posts: 29,941 Karma: 37216234 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Galaxy SIII; Xoom; Kindle Fire	That'll teach you to buy expensive coffee! __________________ Kenny A. Chaffin Art Gallery - Print Gallery - Writing&Poetry "Strive on with Awareness" - Siddhartha Gautama

12-12-2012, 05:55 PM	#3
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 1,895 Karma: 3627630 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle 2, Kindle PW, Kindle DXG, Sony 950, Boox M90, Kobo Aura	It's interesting how on the front page they show a lot of popular book titles, but when you go to browse in their catalog (ie, fiction), almost everything is public domain. The whole thing seems really fishy. I tried signing up for the free two-book download, but I balked at the spot they wanted me to enter credit card details.

12-12-2012, 06:02 PM	#4
HarleyB Fanatic Posts: 546 Karma: 1038700 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast Australia Device: Kobo (RIP), iPad, iPhone 4, Kobo Touch x2, Kobo Glo	Yes I guess I knew it had to be a scam but I so wanted it to be real... Sorry about posting the link but I didn't know how to find out otherwise. Thanks for removing it.

12-13-2012, 12:07 PM	#10
crich70 Wizard Posts: 4,157 Karma: 13864505 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	The thing about pirate sites is they seem to get booted off of one spot on the net and then pop back up somewhere else. That genie is well out of the bottle I think. I think most of them would vanish if a) books that everyone wants to read as ebooks but aren't yet available were available and b) if said ebooks were available at a reasonable price. The Legitimate vendors cut their own throats when they charge more than the pbook copy of the same book for an ebook copy. Of course both are very old arguments. I can't help but wonder if when the net was 1st built anyone foresaw the problem that would develop.

12-13-2012, 03:38 PM	#15
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,844 Karma: 23400772 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 2	No charge for that coffee snarf! The first one's on me. __________________ “Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.”

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