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Originally Posted by eschwartz
I am really quite confused about this Readers United thing myself -- I mean, I get it that Amazon is just putting out some general counter-PR, but I guess I basically agree with everyone already that it's not really in anyone's best interest but the BWMs to lower their prices. Dang. I miss so many exciting things over Shabbos. 
Amazon is awesome at retail (including offering seamless access to products of all types) but they really need some better PR guys. |
Other then the childish response to the author's united childish publicity stunt I don't think it was that bad. I interpret it as a final warning rather then a PR stunt.
If you read what they wrote it's all directed to the consumer but they sent it to authors. (Why is that? Amazon has been very controlled about their messaging). Most of the messages in there resonate strongly with consumers and I'm sure they're all directly from complaints that Amazon has received about ebook pricing. I've seen them all on this forum.
If Amazon takes that message direct to their customer base (unfiltered by the publisher friendly media) it really paints the publishers in a corner. It's kind of like when Steve Jobs came out against DRM on music. It makes it really hard for the publishing cartel to keep trying $14.99. If they pull their books from Amazon then Amazon can claim they're only doing it to rip off consumers.
Amazon could have taken this position in 2010 when they were faced with the illegal conspiracy. Instead they kept mum and took all the shots about how they were being bullies by removing the buy button. It's pretty telling that they're preparing to get vocal about it now.