Kobo snatched my book right out of my hand

pearlie · 04-18-2012, 04:37 AM

I have a problem here that got me really, really frustrated. If you are reading a book you bought from the bookstore and midway through your reading, the bookstore manager comes by and snatched it out of your hand and give you back your money. How would you feel?

That is exactly what happened to me and I would like to know why it happened. I bought a book a few days ago from Kobo.com with a promocode and began reading. While I was in the 4th or 5th chapter, I noticed a typo error. I also found out that the reference or bibliography section was not accessible. These are not that important, but being my usual conscientious self, I sent Kobo an email informing them about the errors.

The next thing that happened was exactly as above. My book just disappeared as I was reading it. I did not know what happened, I checked my library, it isn't there. I checked my inbox and found a email that simply said they acknowledged the errors and that they are not sure when it can be rectified and so they removed my book and refunded me my money.

It was unbelievable. I felt that a good customer service would actually ask what I would prefer because even if Kobo sold it to me, the book is now my property, they have not right to take it back without my persmission. If they asked, I would have said that it is alright - I will live with the missing section and the minor typo errors until they can rectify it as I really, really need to be reading the book.

I wrote them again explaining the above very nicely and asking that they return the book to me, and this time, the reply was even shorter and frustrating, "We have removed this ebook from your library and have provided you with a store credited due to the report on typos, errors and missing selections."

Have they actually read my emails?

I have never been so frustated with any kind of purchases until now.
Arrghh!!!!!!!!

danskmacabre · 04-18-2012, 04:43 AM

I remember reading an article a couple of years ago about Amazon and the kindle.
the book 1984 was sold by Amazon.
apparently the company that claimed to have the rights to the book didn't, so Amazon pulled that book from everyone's Kindle without their permission.

That convinced me I would never buy any ereader that required me to connect it to the internet to buy things.

I never buy books from the kobo store directly to my KT for this reason and I only buy books and download to my PC and copy to my KT on my own terms.

HarleyB · 04-18-2012, 09:18 AM

pearlie I had a simliar experience to you with a book that had some errors but luckily Kobo listened to me when I said that I didn't want a refund. Like danskmacabre I immediately download the epub version of my books and back it up so that it is safe.

As you have received a refund can't you just repurchase the book? Or have they removed it from the store as well as your Kobo?

everklear · 04-18-2012, 10:02 AM

Not a consolation to you, and not much help now, but I always download a copy to a PC and strip the DRM so this sort of thing can't happen. It's extra work, and a bit of a pain in the butt (time-wise). It also means you have to have a PC and the time to get set up for DRM removal.

On the subject of Kobo support reading emails for understanding, not so much. I've recently had an exchange with them where I berated them for not reading my earlier e-mails and giving canned responses and their response to that was that maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough. That didn't go over too well with me.

everklear · 04-18-2012, 10:26 AM

I should also mention that having an unencumbered version of the book means that I can fix typos and other simple problems fairly easily. If the missing section of the book is present in the file(s) then you can also access that information and, if willing to dive deep enough into the formatting and navigation files in the epub, it's possible to fix the navigation problems too.

Gardenman · 04-18-2012, 10:46 AM

Pearlie
Welcome to the world of ebooks. Kobo and most ebook sellers tell you that you do not own the ebook. You have only the right to read the book. Everyone should always save a backup copy on their pc just in case something like this happens.

the.Mtn.Man · 04-18-2012, 11:50 AM

This is the reason I always seek out public domain or other DRM-free versions of books.

Ninjalawyer · 04-18-2012, 03:23 PM

Not quite the same situation, but I've had books mysteriously vanish from my Kobo account on two occasions now, and dealing with customer service to get them back was a nightmare.

I cannot stress enough that everyone should be backing up their Kobo books as soon as they buy them, and not just relying on Kobo's cloud. It's not particularly difficult and it can save a lot of hair-pulling later.

Canorka · 04-19-2012, 01:53 AM

Yep, my workflow is always buy book --> download the regular epub version --> import to Calibre (thus stripping the DRM) --> upload to my Google documents for future use if needed.

Done and dusted.

plib · 04-19-2012, 06:46 AM

Another voice agreeing with most of the above. Don't rely on anyone's "cloud".

zeb · 04-19-2012, 05:18 PM

Haven't Kobo outsourced their customer service to a third world country, explaining why they are just following scripts and have no understanding or judgment when problems arise? I feel the answer you got is exactly of this type. That is why I never go with ISPs or utility companies that use them, because they are simply useless.
Note my comment is not against third world people, but the companies that use them and force them to follow a script, with no training whatsoever.

It is sad, because their device is cool, they provide a nice alternative to Amazon, and have some level of Linux support. But the book prices and customer service are indeed sub-par.

jackastor · 04-23-2012, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canorka

Yep, my workflow is always buy book --> download the regular epub version --> import to Calibre (thus stripping the DRM) --> upload to my Google documents for future use if needed.

Done and dusted.

I agree with this method. I do the same for all books I buy from Kobo or anywhere else. As long as the epub or adobe drm reference is linked I have no issues to doing this. I prefere to keep things on my sd card any way so if tragedey strikes (master reset required) I can restore my books imediatly and keep all my book marks intact.

Regards

Jack'

LuvReadin · 04-23-2012, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by everklear

I berated them for not reading my earlier e-mails and giving canned responses and their response to that was that maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough.

This really calls for a jaw-dropping smiley!

jackastor · 04-23-2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

This really calls for a jaw-dropping smiley!

this would work as well Me thinks.

Orn8one · 04-23-2012, 01:03 PM

Kobo removed two of my books with no explanation. I now have one back and would have two if they flipping well read the emails. Days go by without replies and in the meantime the book I was reading disappeared. They are all gone from the Kobo 'cloud' Library not just my apps and Touch.
If they concentrated more on making the product work and less on integration with social media it might help.
My moan about books disappearing and emails not being read is at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=175048
I wish you more success than I have had. We should both learn about Calibre but I just wanted this to be simple.

04-18-2012, 04:37 AM	#1
pearlie Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: iPhone 4, new iPad	Kobo snatched my book right out of my hand I have a problem here that got me really, really frustrated. If you are reading a book you bought from the bookstore and midway through your reading, the bookstore manager comes by and snatched it out of your hand and give you back your money. How would you feel? That is exactly what happened to me and I would like to know why it happened. I bought a book a few days ago from Kobo.com with a promocode and began reading. While I was in the 4th or 5th chapter, I noticed a typo error. I also found out that the reference or bibliography section was not accessible. These are not that important, but being my usual conscientious self, I sent Kobo an email informing them about the errors. The next thing that happened was exactly as above. My book just disappeared as I was reading it. I did not know what happened, I checked my library, it isn't there. I checked my inbox and found a email that simply said they acknowledged the errors and that they are not sure when it can be rectified and so they removed my book and refunded me my money. It was unbelievable. I felt that a good customer service would actually ask what I would prefer because even if Kobo sold it to me, the book is now my property, they have not right to take it back without my persmission. If they asked, I would have said that it is alright - I will live with the missing section and the minor typo errors until they can rectify it as I really, really need to be reading the book. I wrote them again explaining the above very nicely and asking that they return the book to me, and this time, the reply was even shorter and frustrating, "We have removed this ebook from your library and have provided you with a store credited due to the report on typos, errors and missing selections." Have they actually read my emails? I have never been so frustated with any kind of purchases until now. Arrghh!!!!!!!!

04-18-2012, 04:43 AM	#2
danskmacabre Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 3593438 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Glo. Galaxy Tab S 8.4	I remember reading an article a couple of years ago about Amazon and the kindle. the book 1984 was sold by Amazon. apparently the company that claimed to have the rights to the book didn't, so Amazon pulled that book from everyone's Kindle without their permission. That convinced me I would never buy any ereader that required me to connect it to the internet to buy things. I never buy books from the kobo store directly to my KT for this reason and I only buy books and download to my PC and copy to my KT on my own terms. Last edited by danskmacabre; 04-18-2012 at 09:57 AM.

04-19-2012, 05:18 PM	#11
zeb Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 2634 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	Haven't Kobo outsourced their customer service to a third world country, explaining why they are just following scripts and have no understanding or judgment when problems arise? I feel the answer you got is exactly of this type. That is why I never go with ISPs or utility companies that use them, because they are simply useless. Note my comment is not against third world people, but the companies that use them and force them to follow a script, with no training whatsoever. It is sad, because their device is cool, they provide a nice alternative to Amazon, and have some level of Linux support. But the book prices and customer service are indeed sub-par. Last edited by zeb; 04-19-2012 at 05:20 PM.

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04-18-2012, 09:18 AM	#3
HarleyB Fanatic Posts: 565 Karma: 1113286 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast Australia Device: Kobo (RIP), iPad, iPhone 4, Kobo Touch x2, Kobo Glo	pearlie I had a simliar experience to you with a book that had some errors but luckily Kobo listened to me when I said that I didn't want a refund. Like danskmacabre I immediately download the epub version of my books and back it up so that it is safe. As you have received a refund can't you just repurchase the book? Or have they removed it from the store as well as your Kobo?

04-18-2012, 10:02 AM	#4
everklear Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 8644 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Device: Kobo	Not a consolation to you, and not much help now, but I always download a copy to a PC and strip the DRM so this sort of thing can't happen. It's extra work, and a bit of a pain in the butt (time-wise). It also means you have to have a PC and the time to get set up for DRM removal. On the subject of Kobo support reading emails for understanding, not so much. I've recently had an exchange with them where I berated them for not reading my earlier e-mails and giving canned responses and their response to that was that maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough. That didn't go over too well with me.

04-18-2012, 10:26 AM	#5
everklear Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 8644 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Device: Kobo	I should also mention that having an unencumbered version of the book means that I can fix typos and other simple problems fairly easily. If the missing section of the book is present in the file(s) then you can also access that information and, if willing to dive deep enough into the formatting and navigation files in the epub, it's possible to fix the navigation problems too.

04-18-2012, 10:46 AM	#6
Gardenman Wizard Posts: 1,120 Karma: 9335038 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA Device: sony prs-350,Nook HD+, Kindle 2nd gen, kindle keyboard	Pearlie Welcome to the world of ebooks. Kobo and most ebook sellers tell you that you do not own the ebook. You have only the right to read the book. Everyone should always save a backup copy on their pc just in case something like this happens.

04-18-2012, 11:50 AM	#7
the.Mtn.Man Guru Posts: 710 Karma: 2483502 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kobo Aura	This is the reason I always seek out public domain or other DRM-free versions of books.

04-18-2012, 03:23 PM	#8
Ninjalawyer Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 18573626 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Nexus 7 (2013)	Not quite the same situation, but I've had books mysteriously vanish from my Kobo account on two occasions now, and dealing with customer service to get them back was a nightmare. I cannot stress enough that everyone should be backing up their Kobo books as soon as they buy them, and not just relying on Kobo's cloud. It's not particularly difficult and it can save a lot of hair-pulling later.

04-19-2012, 01:53 AM	#9
Canorka Connoisseur Posts: 90 Karma: 4254 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Norway Device: Kobo Touch	Yep, my workflow is always buy book --> download the regular epub version --> import to Calibre (thus stripping the DRM) --> upload to my Google documents for future use if needed. Done and dusted.

04-19-2012, 06:46 AM	#10
plib Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 6356004 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kobo Touch	Another voice agreeing with most of the above. Don't rely on anyone's "cloud".

04-23-2012, 01:03 PM	#15
Orn8one Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 8362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northamptonshire UK Device: Kobo Touch, Sony 650 and Cool-er	Kobo removed two of my books with no explanation. I now have one back and would have two if they flipping well read the emails. Days go by without replies and in the meantime the book I was reading disappeared. They are all gone from the Kobo 'cloud' Library not just my apps and Touch. If they concentrated more on making the product work and less on integration with social media it might help. My moan about books disappearing and emails not being read is at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=175048 I wish you more success than I have had. We should both learn about Calibre but I just wanted this to be simple.

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