Kobo has me reconsidering paper books

deborahjeanne · 08-15-2014, 05:31 AM

I purchased a $50 kobo gift card while waiting for a replacement credit card. Put it on my account and it was all good. Purchased a second one when that ran low. However for some reason it didn't show up on my account, and I had discarded the card.

Contact kobo customer care. Get an email saying they will call me in 30 minutes. 2 days later contact customer care. Get an email saying they will phone me in 30 minutes. 24 hours later receive an email from customer care.

After days of re-explaining the problem to them several times they say : "sorry, we have no record of it, we can't do anything for you. Try contacting the store where you bought it". Even though I had proof of purchase, kobo refused to do anything. Of course the store has nothing to do with it, the fact that kobo suggested that just added to my irritation.

I have been using kobo ever since the kobo touch came out. I have quite honestly spent hundreds of dollars in that "store". They come up with all these discounts, and send emails if you don't buy books, but they can't credit me for $50 that their system screwed up? I told them I would return to nookbooks.

Thing is I'm canadian, and though I have a nook colour and an account I don't really feel comfortable buying nookbooks from them. I assume the iBookstore will be a hassle to read on anything but my phone. I don't have a lot of options I feel and I'm just getting tired of dealing with the whole mess.

I think I'd like to go back to buying a book in a store, and having it in my possession, lending it to a friend if I like or sharing with my daughter without all the hassle and hoops all these ebook companies seem to have.

I can often buy the paper books cheaper anyways, since stores don't seem restricted in putting discounts on them.

{vent finished}

Deborah

GeoffR · 08-15-2014, 06:53 AM

I'm not in Canada, but here the cards are activated by the card seller at the time of purchase, and so only they can match a receipt to a card purchase.

So if you don't have the card, and your only proof of purchase is a receipt from the place you bought the card, then I think you really do need to deal with the place where you bought the card.

dakini · 08-15-2014, 12:45 PM

So I guess what we've learned is to not dispose of the card until you're sure it shows up in your account. Unfortunately, problems with gift cards do happen -- I just had a problem of no balance happen with a gift card at a store. It was easily resolved with the physical card, and the store took my word on how much mum had placed on the card.

I do think there are a lot more options than just using the nook and nook books or the Kobo store and the Kobo, but that might involve you learning to sideload in order to use an online bookstore you like.

08-15-2014, 05:31 AM	#1
deborahjeanne Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 456 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Nook Color. Kobo Touch (died 2014). Kobo Glo.	Kobo has me reconsidering paper books I purchased a $50 kobo gift card while waiting for a replacement credit card. Put it on my account and it was all good. Purchased a second one when that ran low. However for some reason it didn't show up on my account, and I had discarded the card. Contact kobo customer care. Get an email saying they will call me in 30 minutes. 2 days later contact customer care. Get an email saying they will phone me in 30 minutes. 24 hours later receive an email from customer care. After days of re-explaining the problem to them several times they say : "sorry, we have no record of it, we can't do anything for you. Try contacting the store where you bought it". Even though I had proof of purchase, kobo refused to do anything. Of course the store has nothing to do with it, the fact that kobo suggested that just added to my irritation. I have been using kobo ever since the kobo touch came out. I have quite honestly spent hundreds of dollars in that "store". They come up with all these discounts, and send emails if you don't buy books, but they can't credit me for $50 that their system screwed up? I told them I would return to nookbooks. Thing is I'm canadian, and though I have a nook colour and an account I don't really feel comfortable buying nookbooks from them. I assume the iBookstore will be a hassle to read on anything but my phone. I don't have a lot of options I feel and I'm just getting tired of dealing with the whole mess. I think I'd like to go back to buying a book in a store, and having it in my possession, lending it to a friend if I like or sharing with my daughter without all the hassle and hoops all these ebook companies seem to have. I can often buy the paper books cheaper anyways, since stores don't seem restricted in putting discounts on them. {vent finished} Deborah

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08-15-2014, 06:53 AM	#2
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	I'm not in Canada, but here the cards are activated by the card seller at the time of purchase, and so only they can match a receipt to a card purchase. So if you don't have the card, and your only proof of purchase is a receipt from the place you bought the card, then I think you really do need to deal with the place where you bought the card.

08-15-2014, 12:45 PM	#3
dakini not "it" Posts: 236 Karma: 1687996 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: Kindle 7th gen	So I guess what we've learned is to not dispose of the card until you're sure it shows up in your account. Unfortunately, problems with gift cards do happen -- I just had a problem of no balance happen with a gift card at a store. It was easily resolved with the physical card, and the store took my word on how much mum had placed on the card. I do think there are a lot more options than just using the nook and nook books or the Kobo store and the Kobo, but that might involve you learning to sideload in order to use an online bookstore you like.

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