Direct eBooks not a deal, no freebie and just plain silly

JSWolf · 03-11-2011, 11:33 AM

I just received email from Direct eBooks and for the prices are a lot silly. Three eBooks mentioned in the email. Two are silly priced at $14 and $26.95 and the third is priced at $9.95 and is PDF.

So either I pay too much for authors I've never heard of before or I buy in a format I don't want. What gives?

Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki is shown in the email to cost $9.39. Go to the site and it's $26.95.

The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz is $14.00 both in the email and online.

Black Stump Ridge by John Manning and Forrest Hedrick is said to be $29.95 in the email but online it's only $9.99. That's not bad. But, it's only PDF. That is bad.

So I'm getting email for books from authors I don't know with prices and/or formats I won't pay/don't want. Why is direct eBooks doing this? if they are going to send email, make the offers attractive.

GlenBarrington · 03-11-2011, 12:07 PM

There is no law that says people in business have to be clever.

GeoffC · 03-11-2011, 12:09 PM

I've un-subscribed from direct e-books because of their prices....and then I discovered they use another mail address that I also had to un-subscribe from ....

koland · 03-11-2011, 12:11 PM

9.39 would be a good deal on Guy Kawasaki's book. Except they can't sell it for that (or the $26+ quoted). It's an agency title (Penguin Publishing) and must be sold for $12.99 (at least, in the US: is this a non-US company?).

GeoffC · 03-11-2011, 12:13 PM

I thought they were in Eire ....

JSWolf · 03-11-2011, 12:45 PM

They aren't in the USA as far as I know. But really. Silly prices/formats on unknown authors. Not a way to run a business.

koland · 03-11-2011, 01:14 PM

Unknown in Ireland, perhaps. Guy Kawasaki is known here (at least in some business book and computer circles). Never heard of the others, though.

And the prices are, indeed, stupid.

Catlady · 03-11-2011, 02:38 PM

Gregg Hurwitz is hardly an unknown author!

Maggie May · 03-11-2011, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I thought they were in Eire ....

You are correct Geoff. They are based in the south of Ireland in Co. Cork.
I notice they have a U.K. telephone number listed on their site also. I have bought some books from them recently. They are expensive so I won't be visiting them too often.

Mag.

JSWolf · 03-11-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

Gregg Hurwitz is hardly an unknown author!

He may we'll be a known author (but not to me), but $14.00 is too much.

lene1949 · 03-13-2011, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I've un-subscribed from direct e-books because of their prices....and then I discovered they use another mail address that I also had to un-subscribe from ....

Me, too!

FizzyWater · 03-13-2011, 07:44 PM

I guess I assumed their pricing was based on UK pricing. I can say I think there customer service is exceptional - I was given a gift certificate for Direct ebooks and couldn't get the books to download no matter which browser I tried. (And I do it regularly from Kobo, Overdrive library sites, Fictionwise - when they sold epub, B&N, so I know that I CAN download ADE epub books). They downloaded the ASCM files for me and then I could open them and download the books into ADE (and it took four visits to find books to read - never once did they complain or suggest I shop elsewhere!)

I got to experience geographic restrictions "from the other side", though, which I why I don't go back to that site any more. And their lists of companies that books can be sold in are NOT alphabetic, which made it even more frustrating because you had to read through five lines of countries to figure out if yours was included.

03-11-2011, 11:33 AM	#1
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Direct eBooks not a deal, no freebie and just plain silly I just received email from Direct eBooks and for the prices are a lot silly. Three eBooks mentioned in the email. Two are silly priced at $14 and $26.95 and the third is priced at $9.95 and is PDF. So either I pay too much for authors I've never heard of before or I buy in a format I don't want. What gives? Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki is shown in the email to cost $9.39. Go to the site and it's $26.95. The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz is $14.00 both in the email and online. Black Stump Ridge by John Manning and Forrest Hedrick is said to be $29.95 in the email but online it's only $9.99. That's not bad. But, it's only PDF. That is bad. So I'm getting email for books from authors I don't know with prices and/or formats I won't pay/don't want. Why is direct eBooks doing this? if they are going to send email, make the offers attractive.

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03-11-2011, 12:07 PM	#2
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	There is no law that says people in business have to be clever.

03-11-2011, 12:09 PM	#3
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	I've un-subscribed from direct e-books because of their prices....and then I discovered they use another mail address that I also had to un-subscribe from ....

03-11-2011, 12:11 PM	#4
koland Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,560 Karma: 8033155 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN, USA Device: kindle(all), nook, nookcolor, Sony, Kobo, epic, iphone, iPad, pc	9.39 would be a good deal on Guy Kawasaki's book. Except they can't sell it for that (or the $26+ quoted). It's an agency title (Penguin Publishing) and must be sold for $12.99 (at least, in the US: is this a non-US company?).

03-11-2011, 12:13 PM	#5
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	I thought they were in Eire ....

03-11-2011, 12:45 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	They aren't in the USA as far as I know. But really. Silly prices/formats on unknown authors. Not a way to run a business.

03-11-2011, 01:14 PM	#7
koland Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,560 Karma: 8033155 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN, USA Device: kindle(all), nook, nookcolor, Sony, Kobo, epic, iphone, iPad, pc	Unknown in Ireland, perhaps. Guy Kawasaki is known here (at least in some business book and computer circles). Never heard of the others, though. And the prices are, indeed, stupid.

03-11-2011, 02:38 PM	#8
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,418 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Gregg Hurwitz is hardly an unknown author!

03-13-2011, 07:44 PM	#12
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	I guess I assumed their pricing was based on UK pricing. I can say I think there customer service is exceptional - I was given a gift certificate for Direct ebooks and couldn't get the books to download no matter which browser I tried. (And I do it regularly from Kobo, Overdrive library sites, Fictionwise - when they sold epub, B&N, so I know that I CAN download ADE epub books). They downloaded the ASCM files for me and then I could open them and download the books into ADE (and it took four visits to find books to read - never once did they complain or suggest I shop elsewhere!) I got to experience geographic restrictions "from the other side", though, which I why I don't go back to that site any more. And their lists of companies that books can be sold in are NOT alphabetic, which made it even more frustrating because you had to read through five lines of countries to figure out if yours was included.