Content Special Offers for new Kindle (KSO)

[Statch]

Has anyone else tried to buy one of the Special Offers books and had it let them use a credit card? I have a substantial gift card balance, and don't intend to use it up by July 9, so I wouldn't be able to take advantage of this offer if it insists on using up the gift card balance before charging the credit card, since this offer apparently requires use of a credit card.

[RainingLemur]

What offer are you trying to take advantage of?

[shibamistress]

It wouldn't let me use my gift card balance--I HAD to use a credit card, so I assume you will too.

eta: and I had over a hundred dollars in my gift account, so it wasn't an issue of it not covering the whole balance. It said I could use a gift account if I wanted to, but I tried five times and it kept insisting on a credit card number, so I gave up. I also went back afterwards and tried to change the payment method but it would only let me change it to a different credit card, so I guess it won't let you use an account balance for this purchase. (This is the buy a kindle book and get a gift card offer, btw).

[Statch]

I want to use the 'spend $10 and get a 10 gift card' one right now, but I'm also curious for future offers, since I normally carry a gift card balance. (I just got my Kindle with special offers so this is new for me.)

[koland]

Originally Posted by belden

I leave my WiFi on all the time so it must have happened sometime between about 8 AM when I last saw it and now.

I checked mine after 8am (about 9am) and that was when it disappeared. Not sure why this offer decided it was a 6-hour one (then again, last Saturday all the lightning deals on the site were for Sunday only until mid-day or so, when Amazon finally fixed it).

I checked my directory - the only offer that has downloaded all day has been the $10 book offer. The tools offer is over, but still on my Kindle. The Skins offer downloaded yesterday, but is in the future.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by koland

that's the one that disappeared on me. I could see it in the View Special offers list, clicked on it and was told it was "unavailable" and then it was gone!

BTW, calling and complaining got me put on hold and eventually a $20 credit to make up for missing out on the offer.

My calling and complaining about not getting the Tool offer yielded nothing for missing out on it.

These two examples indicate that everyone is supposed to get the GPS offer and only some were supposed to get the Tool offer.

BTW, the GPS offer is back on my Special Offers page.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by koland

Looks like all of them (all that I've seen or heard about), other than these current two offers. I'll dig out my USB cable in a bit and see if I have any other new upcoming ads for viewing. I'm hoping the visa $10 comes back (note that this current one isn't visa, but you can't use a gift card balance on it, either).

I received four more offers in my assets folder while I was gone today. Two more of the "use your Visa to buy a Kindle book and get a $10 credit" and the other two were the GPS and Camping offers. So it looks like Amazon will be serving up lots of "free books" with these $10 credit offers; which is always a good thing.

The GPS offer was probably resent to fix the apparent glitch in their system over it disappearing on so many Kindles.

The Camping one baffles me because the first one hasn't been used yet. Do they plan on offering it twice, and within such a short time of each other?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Lemming_in_ND

I didn't get the GPS offer, just the $10 offer on select Kindle books. What's strange is I remember seeing the GPS offer in my assets folder, but it is no longer there. I used to have the $50 camping one too, but it appears to no longer be there either. The other 3 you listed I do have.

I just checked my folder again and the GPS and Camping offers are gone from mine also. That explains why they were sent to me all over again today.

Go check your folder; I bet they've been resent to you.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by chas0039

Well, here is the official word from a rather knowledgeable Amazon Kindle Rep.

1. Not every Kindle gets the same offers.

2. Of the few that are not for everyone, the allocation is random, not based on any marketing scheme.

That's basically how it was explained to me after I called about not getting the Tool offer.

3. If you are scheduled to get an offer download and your WiFi is off, you will get the download next time you turn it on.

I figured as much; otherwise, people wouldn't be getting all of the ads. Something the advertisers would definitely frown upon.

[koland]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

My calling and complaining about not getting the Tool offer yielded nothing for missing out on it.

These two examples indicate that everyone is supposed to get the GPS offer and only some were supposed to get the Tool offer.

BTW, the GPS offer is back on my Special Offers page.

Except I got tools only late the 21st.

and hey, mine too - so I sent in for it. don't know if I'll use it or not, but might as well sign up, just in case...

[chas0039]

Originally Posted by koland

I have a written reply from an equally knowledgeable sounding rep - it says everyone gets every offer, with no discrimination as far as choosing who gets what.

Based on what we are seeing here, it would appear that he is wrong, but I can see no advantage to Amazon to sending out to some and not to others, unless it is a foreign country.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by chas0039

Based on what we are seeing here, it would appear that he is wrong, but I can see no advantage to Amazon to sending out to some and not to others, unless it is a foreign country.

Yep, that rep is wrong. Of course, that's the way it goes with CS reps; some have correct info and others don't. Luck of the draw.

Amazon's decision not to send the same offers to everyone has made me an unhappy camper. I was going to get a couple more KSOs as gifts, but not any more after my experience with the Tool offer.

Plus they still haven't activated my Audible offer. Since it expires tomorrow, I'll be back on the phone with them today.

Amazon's Kindle and Audible divisions are not meeting my needs at the moment.

[ProfCrash]

You saved money on a ton of other offers and because you did not save money on one offer you are choosing to not give people that you like the same chance to save money on many an offer?

I am going to take a guess and suggest that activating the two free months with Audible before accepting the 6 free books thing is what caused your problem.

[koland]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

You saved money on a ton of other offers and because you did not save money on one offer you are choosing to not give people that you like the same chance to save money on many an offer?

I am going to take a guess and suggest that activating the two free months with Audible before accepting the 6 free books thing is what caused your problem.

I know for a fact that I had to cancel my free trial before I could sign up with the $6 offer. I suspect that had I been in a "real" subscription (not a free trial), it would have gone right thru.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

You saved money on a ton of other offers and because you did not save money on one offer you are choosing to not give people that you like the same chance to save money on many an offer?

It's not just one offer; that's just the tip of the iceberg. There'll be future ones I'll also miss out on because of their policy to send certain offers to selective Kindles.

As a consumer, it should be my decision as to which offers I want and which ones I don't; not theirs. Until they change that policy, I see no reason why I should support further sales of this ad platform.