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#1 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Karma: 18051062
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra Colour, Libra 2
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Kobo Support, What Can I Expect?
Hi
I am thinking of buying my first Kobo ereader. I started with Sony ereaders and knew with them not to expect any support, that's how I found Mobileread all those years ago, then I switched to Amazon, and their support is brilliant so I was wondering, what support can I expect for a Kobo device? I just want to be prepared that's all so any info and guidance would be appreciated. Thanks |
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#2 |
Wizard
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Karma: 5469320
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Kobo
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It's hit and miss and can run from "brilliant" to utterly dismal depending on the situation. And there are not really any definable situations that are consistently good or bad. The only thing I could say for sure is that Kobo is less tolerant of covering screen substrate breakage under warranty. While that's probably fair since in most cases it's likely user caused (even if they don't think so or realize how they damaged it), it appears that Amazon just takes the hit on replacement even if it's not their fault so people get very upset when Kobo won't cover it.
Having said that, for anything not hardware related you won't likely find a more knowledgeable or helpful forum than the Kobo one on Mobileread. |
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#3 |
Wizard
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Karma: 5843878
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Device: Pocketbook Pro 903, (beloved Pocketbook 360 RIP), Kobo Mini, Kobo Aura
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Ii have had a good experience so far: when my first Mini started to malfunction, and I was in Mexico with no Kobo presence at all, the people with the online chat were very helpful, and said I could get a susbtitute, but would have to go back to where I purchased it originally (a WHSmith where I live). I passed through Heathrow with my device and nothing else (though presumably they cna check serial numbers), simply explained that Kobo had written that I could exchange it, and the chap simply exchanged it with a new one, giving me a receipt for it for warranty purposes. This to me is great customer service.
More recently, I had a problem with a book purchased from Kobo: for some reason it had been encoded as if it were a book in Italian, so that to get the vocabulary to work it required a few extra touches. They offered to refund the book (I did not take the offer up). All in all, I am very pleased with their customer service, but from other experiences others have been less lucky. |
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#4 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Karma: 68407974
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Australia
Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles
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Unless you need a device replacement (or have book issues, which is kinda separate; not all Kobo users buy books there): the best Kobo support you can expect will usually be here on Mobileread. I've found that there's a terrifically knowledgeable and helpful community here.
Re contacting Kobo: I've done so a couple times, and listened to experiences here and elsewhere. My suggestion is to use phone or live chat, not email. There is a small but extremely vocal community elsewhere who are very, very upset that Kobo won't replace their smashed devices under warranty, and who claim that the device just smashed itself, sitting completely undisturbed in a case on a shelf. I've never quite been able to figure out what exactly is going on there, but there you go. One other perspective. |
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#5 |
Wizard
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Karma: 9503859
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: France
Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD (broken), Kobo Clara BW
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It seems their e-mails are easily seen as junk. The time I've had to deal with them, since they couldn't reach me via e-mail, a nice person called me (from Canada!). Everything was settled soon after.
So far, I haven't had a hardware issue but as Paola for me it would mean to hop to the nearby FNAC and explain my issues. |
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#6 |
Wizard
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Karma: 14328611
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3
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There have been a lot of people who have been disappointed (or at least a few people who have been disappointed loudly) and probably more than a fair share of people who are satisfied but they're probably not going to post that on the forums. I've had to contact them a few times and I can't say I have much to complain about. I like the fact that I've never needed to contact them for anything to do with my reader because it's been absolutely solid. I have had to contact them about website/subscription issues.
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#7 | |
Wizard
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Karma: 3212428
Join Date: Jun 2011
Device: iphone stanza, kobo touch,ASUS TF300,KOBO GLO, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Mini
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Quote:
regards JAck |
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#8 | |
Wizard
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Karma: 9503859
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: France
Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD (broken), Kobo Clara BW
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Quote:
![]() ![]() I have tried to change some settings of my gmail address to no avail. However, when they were answering my e-mails everything went fine. |
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#9 |
Member
![]() Posts: 10
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Brittany in France
Device: KOBO GLO by FNAC
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Well, my first 2 e-mails came through very well on my hotmail account, but those were administrative. Still waiting for a solution or maybe there is not any?
09/04/2013 09:25 AM your time (15.25 in France) FNAC is not an option being 35 km away and explaining my (computer-e reader issues in French). Thanks to the people here on mobileread, I learned a lot, tried a lot but cannot get any further. Mind you, the best support Kobo could have given me was a micro sd adapter in the package when I bought the Glo ![]() Now I am waiting for the adapter too, because I opened up my Glo ![]() The little Glo-monster is still smiling (cannot get him away), but I am sure to have the last laugh, beginning with grabbing a real paperback. |
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#10 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,821
Karma: 9503859
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: France
Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD (broken), Kobo Clara BW
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#11 |
Wizard
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Karma: 5843878
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Device: Pocketbook Pro 903, (beloved Pocketbook 360 RIP), Kobo Mini, Kobo Aura
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#12 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Karma: 68407974
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Australia
Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles
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And I should perhaps add a tiny caveat to that, though it's not directly related to this thread or aimed at the OP at all: the best way to glean great support from volunteers is not to storm in shouting about how [brandname] is a giant steaming pile of sh*t and how everyone who likes or uses [brandname] must be effing idiot. No matter how much trouble you're having with your device and how frustrated you are. The impulse to spend your spare time on being helpful and providing free tech support seems to evaporate under those conditions.
Useful knowledge up front, that somehow a few folks haven't quite got a handle on yet! |
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#13 | |
Member
![]() Posts: 10
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Brittany in France
Device: KOBO GLO by FNAC
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#14 |
Connoisseur
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Karma: 25278
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: New Zealand
Device: KOBO Aura HD
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Bad experience. I just got into the e-reader bandwagon and wasn't smooth. Ordered the Aura HD through Kobo's website and got charged in CAD rather than NZD. Ask for a refund. Contacted customer service twice and said already escalated to 2nd level. Got an email yesterday and said will escalate to another different dept.
This is in the 8th day now. Not my mistake but theirs and yet take so long to process my refund. This is like buying from a dodgy website. Still waiting . . . Ordered the Aura HD from my local bookstore on last Sunday and it arrives yesterday. My advise, if your local stores sell Kobos' devices, buy from them. |
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#15 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Karma: 14008730
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PA (USA)
Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre 1, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle, Kobo Libre Colour
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arggg....wrong thread.
Last edited by booklover6; 09-11-2013 at 09:43 PM. |
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