Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[Terisa de morgan]

BTW, does the credit apply if the currency is not $ at the country?

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

BTW, does the credit apply if the currency is not $ at the country?

A previous poster told us that their UK account got 3 pounds. (Whereas the rest of us got $5)

I suspect that the money in the account promo is only for AU NZ CA US and UK.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by 1234

Does anyone know how price matching is supposed to work with tax? They don't seem to have refunded the tax when I tried price matching. I seem to have ended up spending more on wasted tax as I earned from getting 10% off Amazon's price.

If the refund were actual money back, they'd need to give you the difference in the tax back too. But since the refund is store credit, they still collect tax on what you actually spent. At least that's how I understand it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[murg]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Okay, so who's worked out how Kobo chose the accounts that get the $5?

(Yep, I know the temptation is to say: by throwing darts at the dart board ...... )

(I wondered if it was still politically correct to say 'blind man's bluff', or 'pin the tail on the donkey', so I chose the dart board analogy instead! )

Clearly not 'pin the tail on the donkey'.

As we've discussed, Kobo couldn't find its ass with both hands...

[Hemmi]

I have 3 Kobo accounts, only one got the $5 credit and that's one I haven't purchased anything on in a long time. Nice change from the same 90% off coupons they keep sending that account that have never worked.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

A previous poster told us that their UK account got 3 pounds. (Whereas the rest of us got $5)

I suspect that the money in the account promo is only for AU NZ CA US and UK.

South Africa..... 5$ (not Rand...)

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Geoff, the points you earned specifically from the promo, how much are they worth in $ terms?

I spent $54.95 (5 non-discountable books at $10.99) and received 5475 super points. 5200 super points is enough to buy a book with a list price up to $11.00.

[MickiTee]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

I have 3 Kobo accounts, only one got the $5 credit and that's one I haven't purchased anything on in a long time. Nice change from the same 90% off coupons they keep sending that account that have never worked.

Same here. Now I just have to find something to buy. Time to check my non fiction wish list.

[Alastair_S]

Originally Posted by JoHunt

I just got an email from Kobo notifying that they've added $5 to my account (valid until April 18). Here's a screen shot of the details:

I received no email but on checking my account I discovered that Kobo has deposited £3 there. So thanks for telling us how long we have before the offer ends (I'm assuming it's the same date for all countries, but then again, we are talking about Kobo).

[1234]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

If the refund were actual money back, they'd need to give you the difference in the tax back too. But since the refund is store credit, they still collect tax on what you actually spent. At least that's how I understand it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

The problem is I'm still paying tax on the part I'm not supposed to have really "spent", and will have to pay again when I do spend it.
I paid $19.99 + 13%($2.60) tax.
Amazon has the book for $9.99, so they gave me back the difference plus 10% of Amazon's price, for a total of $11 refunded.

This means I only really paid Kobo $9 for the book.
I should only have had to pay 13% of $9($1.17).
When I use the $11 store credit I'll have to pay tax again.

The extra tax ($1.43) cost me more than the incentive ($1.00 off) saved me.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I spent $54.95 (5 non-discountable books at $10.99) and received 5475 super points. 5200 super points is enough to buy a book with a list price up to $11.00.

So it looks like you bought 6 books for the price of 5 ....

From your earlier posts I know that the points system suits your buying style and I'm not commenting against that, but I do think that acquiring points is an expensive way to proceed for a customer, and quite an inexpensive way for Kobo to proceed.

[Amaryllis]

Possibly. But if you are buying books that you would buy regardless of whether you got points or not (as I do), then the points just end up getting you a free book or two. I got a few bonus points last week - but I earned them on a couple of .99 or 1.99 books that were on sale that I would have bought anyway. I don't have the VIP membership, but I still get some points each time I buy. I've just let them add up. I've had one free book with points, and I've enough points to get another. I've "earned" them simply for doing what I would do anyway.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by 1234

The problem is I'm still paying tax on the part I'm not supposed to have really "spent", and will have to pay again when I do spend it.
I paid $19.99 + 13%($2.60) tax.
Amazon has the book for $9.99, so they gave me back the difference plus 10% of Amazon's price, for a total of $11 refunded.

This means I only really paid Kobo $9 for the book.
I should only have had to pay 13% of $9($1.17).
When I use the $11 store credit I'll have to pay tax again.

The extra tax ($1.43) cost me more than the incentive ($1.00 off) saved me.

I think it is done differently in different countries, so you probably need to say which country you are in and see if someone from that country knows how it works.

My guess is that in most countries where prices are tax-inclusive, the store credit should also be tax-inclusive, and is applied to the tax-inclusive price of your next purchase. But in countries where the price doesn't include tax (which seems to apply to your case) then the store credit would also be tax-exclusive, and so it would be applied to the tax-exclusive price of your next purchase and then tax added to the balance. If that is the case then you won't be paying tax twice, and your refund has been calculated correctly.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

So it looks like you bought 6 books for the price of 5 ....

From your earlier posts I know that the points system suits your buying style and I'm not commenting against that, but I do think that acquiring points is an expensive way to proceed for a customer, and quite an inexpensive way for Kobo to proceed.

yes, I paid for 5 books and effectively got one of a similar value for free, which is a better deal than I would get buying them somewhere else, and better than I could have got buying at Kobo before the super points scheme started. (These are books where the publisher sets the price and doesn't allow promo codes.)

Maybe we look at things differently, but the way I go about buying books is I first decide which books I want to read (without regard to price or availability), then I work out how I can get those books at a reasonable price. If the books are expensive or only available in paper then I put them on my wishlist and wait a while in the hope they will reduce in price or become available as an ebook, but eventually I am going to buy them even if I have to buy the paper version and pay full list price. A super points bonus day (or multi-use promo code if the books are discountable) is a good incentive to take the plunge and buy some of those books I have accumulated on my wishlist.

I know some take a different approach, starting with the price they are willing to pay and then looking for books that fit the price; and will say that if a book is too expensive then they just won't read it at all and will buy something cheaper instead. I can understand that in theory, but I could never think that way.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by 1234

The extra tax ($1.43) cost me more than the incentive ($1.00 off) saved me.

I noticed that the terms and conditions of the price match guarantee have changed, the amount credited is now the difference between the competitor’s advertised price and your Kobo purchase price (excluding taxes), plus 10% of the competitor’s price. That is less generous than the 10% of purchase price is was before.

I can't remember if the original terms excluded tax or not. (There is currently no tax on ebook purchases where I am, so I didn't take notice.) Maybe that has changed too?