Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
I think it's exactly opposite. To change metaphors, it's the contestants who killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
Let me be clear; I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, because I happily and greedily sought and used the high codes myself. But the contests became grossly abused, with people generating hundreds of codes to the point where anything under 65% was largely disdained. So the distribution of discounts went kerflooey compared to the tables and it didn't even work as a marketing tool, as fake emails were the agent.
The contests as they were had become a losing strategy for Kobo. I think all they can do now, and what they're trying to do here, is rein in people's expectations to a much more reasonable level regarding how often they can expect discounts and how good those discounts will be. But it'll be a rough adjustment on both parts; Kobo's sales will undoubtedly be down in the immediate term and customers will feel cheated when they're expected to pay close to list for a book.
The good times had to end. It wasn't sustainable. It hasn't happened yet, but I expect one day they'll start enforcing geographic restrictions and verifying IP locations and credit card addresses. In the end, I'll miss the ability to buy books not sold in the USA more than I'll miss the discounts.
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Very good post. I remember the days when an unlimited 40% off code was like some kind of mana from heaven. Now I can't even be bothered to use it and even the 55% off codes are slightly disappointing. Obviously we have to readjust our thinking. Fortunately, at about 30 books a year I've got a 10 year backlog so I can afford to wait for those rarer deals.