Angry with Amazon (Kindle for PC)

[covingtoncat73]

I wasted so much time "chatting" with Amazon reps as to why I couldn't download a graphic novel I'd bought on my Kindle for PC. It took about five of them and an hour or 2 to find out Kindle for PC is not compatible with graphic novels.

This is not okay. There was even a message when my download failed to get the most recent PC app. I messed around with that, deleting and deregistering and then downloading and registering again several times.

There was nothing to indicate that the graphic novels were not compatible. The reps even had to do a lot of investigating to figure that out (obviously).

If I had not bought the Android tablet, the graphic novels would be useless to me as the screen on my phone, which as Kindle for Android on it as well, is far too small for a graphic novel.

With all this frustration over that, I am not even going to bother contacting them about the fact that my eBook, Pure, by Andrew Miller (great book), does not display correctly in the black screen/white text setting I use in the dark (the text remains black, I believe, thus invisible). I'll just have to read it in sepia. It is too difficult to explain things to the reps. They would never understand.

[AnemicOak]

Which graphic novel is it? Any graphic novel I've seen on Amazon always has "Available only on these devices" with a small drop down arrow below the price and page count. Which usually only includes the Fire/Android app and sometimes the iOS app and the Cloud Reader.



I think the problem with Pure is a bug in KF8 support. I tried the sample on my phone and it does the same thing you describe. I sent an email using the apps feedback feature which hopefully goes to the developers. I also sideloaded a regular Mobi version of the sample and it displays fime in night mode (white on black).

[covingtoncat73]

Thanks, AO. That drop-down for compatibility was probably on there. I just didn't notice it and I've bought three graphic novels. It still took the reps way too long to figure it out. Thankfully, I do have the tablet, so I can certainly view the graphic novel on that.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

Thanks, AO. That drop-down for compatibility was probably on there. I just didn't notice it and I've bought three graphic novels. It still took the reps way too long to figure it out. Thankfully, I do have the tablet, so I can certainly view the graphic novel on that.

Yes, they could definately do a better job of highlighting the fact that they only work on certain devices. Yours isn't the first post I've seen about it. It does seem strange that Kindle Support wouldn't know to check this first thing.

[AnemicOak]

LOL, I'm getting your frustration now.

Apparently the feedback you send from the Android app goes not to the developers, but the customer service (I thought that was what Help was for). First they told me that it was because Pure was a fixed print layout Kindle book which only works on K4PC, K4Mac and K4 iPad. When I pointed out that the sample downloads and works on K4 Android and even on my old K2 they said that maybe the publisher just didn't allow that feature (night mode) on this specific book .

I'm pretty sure it's a KF8 bug (since regular azw/mobi works fine), but I'm not going to fight them on it if they don't even want to try to figure it out. Supposedly they've "forwarded your concern to the appropriate people in our company" and they'll "consider your feedback as we plan further improvements".


I forgot how much different support can be with them via email with their canned responses .vs calling them on the phone.

[covingtoncat73]

Ha! Yes. And "chatting" is what I had to do because I am a bit hard of hearing. If you add it even a little bit of an accent and/or language barrier, it makes it really difficult for me on the phone.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Yes, they could definately do a better job of highlighting the fact that they only work on certain devices. Yours isn't the first post I've seen about it. It does seem strange that Kindle Support wouldn't know to check this first thing.

What I would like to see is an automated checking to your registered devices. I have a Kindle for PC, Kindle for iPhone, and Kindle 4 registered. If a book is not compatible with any of these, I would like to see a "are you sure you wish to purchase this book since it is not compatible with any of your devices" idiot reminder to click through or hit cancel before the purchase goes through. Of course since everyone can do the Cloud reader it could say if it is compatible with that too.

[andreabc]

Originally Posted by Joykins

What I would like to see is an automated checking to your registered devices. I have a Kindle for PC, Kindle for iPhone, and Kindle 4 registered. If a book is not compatible with any of these, I would like to see a "are you sure you wish to purchase this book since it is not compatible with any of your devices" idiot reminder to click through or hit cancel before the purchase goes through. Of course since everyone can do the Cloud reader it could say if it is compatible with that too.

Don't they have something like this already in place? I remember that a friend told me that she couldn't "buy" a freebie because she only had the Kindle Cloud reader registered for her account and the book worked only on the devices.

edited to add:
Yes, you'd get a message that goes like this:

<Name>, we did not find a Kindle device or reading app registered to your Amazon account for which this content is available