Kobo Australia & the desktop app

rube · 10-16-2018, 07:52 PM

Just a FYI. I don't use a Kobo ereader but I do sometimes buy ebooks from Kobo. I'm in Australia. I don't know how long it's been there because I haven't bought an ebook from Kobo for a while but I now need to use the Kobo Australia website. (Ok, got that all sorted). In the process of all this I tried to use the Kobo desktop app. It synched but a half dozen books didn't have download symbols. These are books I can download from the website. (To cut a long long story short) I uninstalled the app, downloaded from the Kobo Australia site, installed and synched and I still can't download those half dozen books. I used the online chat at Kobo to check this out and (cutting a long story short again) the recommendation is that I uninstall the app and only use the Kobo Australia website. There is some sort of disconnect between the app and the website. They will pass this issue on to their techie people.

stuartjmz · 10-16-2018, 07:56 PM

Rube, thanks for the heads up. I'm in NZ, after reading this, I will see if mine behaves the same way. Nobody gives a dam about antipodeans, it seems

stuartjmz · 10-17-2018, 02:13 AM

It seems like this might be one of those rare times when NZ beats Oz - I have only bought 7 books for my Clara so far, all are available through the desktop app as well as the website.

davidfor · 10-17-2018, 08:50 AM

I'm not seeing a problem with this here. The book I bought on the weekend has downloaded. It did download an update. It is now at 4.10.9694. My books are all bought via the Oz version of the site, or very occasionally from the device or app on my phone.

In any case, even if it isn't downloaded all the books, there is no real reason to have uninstalled the application. Even if it isn't working properly, it isn't going to stop you downloading directly from the web site.

rube · 10-17-2018, 04:31 PM

There's a couple of things that may have affected my experience: it's been ages, over 2 years, since I've bought through Kobo so I can't say for sure but I'm thinking the ebooks without the download symbol were probably bought through Kobo US. I wasn't aware there was a Kobo Australia and I don't know when that started as a separate space.

Also I don't use a Kobo ereader (someone who shall remain nameless put their elbow on the screen years ago).

And in the end, all said and done, I decided I didn't need an app that wasn't consistent when the website works fine. When I do buy from Kobo I'll just use the site.

And it was the advice from the customer service people, something I found quite funny, I usually expect such companies, after trying to solve such a problem to blame the customer in some way

davidfor · 10-17-2018, 06:42 PM

Which country version of the Kobo store you use is based on your address in the account. If you use an Australian address, you will have to use the Australian URL. If you have US address, you use the US URL. This does affect what books are available to buy, but, it shouldn't affect what you can download once you have bought the book. Kobo don't really check the address, so you change it and see what happens.

But, the advice from customer service to remove the application is probably based on the fact it isn't that useful. It is handy for setting up a device, but the WiFi is usually better. You can sync books to the Kobo ereaders. But, if you don't have one (or, don't have a working device) then it doesn't help. You can use it to read books, but, there are better reading apps. And if you want to read the books in another app, then you need to download the epub from the store rather than use the application.

10-16-2018, 07:52 PM	#1
rube rube Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2016 Device: none	Kobo Australia & the desktop app Just a FYI. I don't use a Kobo ereader but I do sometimes buy ebooks from Kobo. I'm in Australia. I don't know how long it's been there because I haven't bought an ebook from Kobo for a while but I now need to use the Kobo Australia website. (Ok, got that all sorted). In the process of all this I tried to use the Kobo desktop app. It synched but a half dozen books didn't have download symbols. These are books I can download from the website. (To cut a long long story short) I uninstalled the app, downloaded from the Kobo Australia site, installed and synched and I still can't download those half dozen books. I used the online chat at Kobo to check this out and (cutting a long story short again) the recommendation is that I uninstall the app and only use the Kobo Australia website. There is some sort of disconnect between the app and the website. They will pass this issue on to their techie people.

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10-16-2018, 07:56 PM	#2
stuartjmz Nameless Being	Rube, thanks for the heads up. I'm in NZ, after reading this, I will see if mine behaves the same way. Nobody gives a dam about antipodeans, it seems

10-17-2018, 02:13 AM	#3
stuartjmz Nameless Being	It seems like this might be one of those rare times when NZ beats Oz - I have only bought 7 books for my Clara so far, all are available through the desktop app as well as the website.

10-17-2018, 08:50 AM	#4
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	I'm not seeing a problem with this here. The book I bought on the weekend has downloaded. It did download an update. It is now at 4.10.9694. My books are all bought via the Oz version of the site, or very occasionally from the device or app on my phone. In any case, even if it isn't downloaded all the books, there is no real reason to have uninstalled the application. Even if it isn't working properly, it isn't going to stop you downloading directly from the web site.

10-17-2018, 04:31 PM	#5
rube rube Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2016 Device: none	There's a couple of things that may have affected my experience: it's been ages, over 2 years, since I've bought through Kobo so I can't say for sure but I'm thinking the ebooks without the download symbol were probably bought through Kobo US. I wasn't aware there was a Kobo Australia and I don't know when that started as a separate space. Also I don't use a Kobo ereader (someone who shall remain nameless put their elbow on the screen years ago). And in the end, all said and done, I decided I didn't need an app that wasn't consistent when the website works fine. When I do buy from Kobo I'll just use the site. And it was the advice from the customer service people, something I found quite funny, I usually expect such companies, after trying to solve such a problem to blame the customer in some way

10-17-2018, 06:42 PM	#6
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Which country version of the Kobo store you use is based on your address in the account. If you use an Australian address, you will have to use the Australian URL. If you have US address, you use the US URL. This does affect what books are available to buy, but, it shouldn't affect what you can download once you have bought the book. Kobo don't really check the address, so you change it and see what happens. But, the advice from customer service to remove the application is probably based on the fact it isn't that useful. It is handy for setting up a device, but the WiFi is usually better. You can sync books to the Kobo ereaders. But, if you don't have one (or, don't have a working device) then it doesn't help. You can use it to read books, but, there are better reading apps. And if you want to read the books in another app, then you need to download the epub from the store rather than use the application.

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