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Old 02-28-2012, 07:09 AM   #31
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Amazon's price changing system is totally automated. If it reduced the price, it's because their search system really did (or thought it did) find it cheaper elsewhere. There's no human intervention in the system at all.
Perhaps when this goes to court, thr presiding judge might bar Amazon's lawyers from appearing befor the bench, to underscore that if Amazon wants a no human intervention system then the rest of society can give that to them too.
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Old 02-28-2012, 08:47 AM   #32
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Authors - or any creative beings ?

Read ?

Contracts ?
Alas, authors are as subject to the Amazon mantra as are consumers. The mantra: Amazon is my friend, and will (I hope) do me no harm.
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Old 02-28-2012, 08:51 AM   #33
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Amazon's price changing system is totally automated. If it reduced the price, it's because their search system really did (or thought it did) find it cheaper elsewhere. There's no human intervention in the system at all.
Kind of like dropping a nuclear bomb. Once the on button is pressed, all human intervention ceases and we hope the robots and computers do the "right" thing. Although, Harry, your explanation of the process may be correct technically, there is something missing when every subsequent decision following pressing on is left to to digits that are either black or white and cannot deal in shades of gray.
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Old 02-28-2012, 08:57 AM   #34
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Although, Harry, your explanation of the process may be correct technically, there is something missing when every subsequent decision following pressing on is left to to digits that are either black or white and cannot deal in shades of gray.
Obviously the process isn't completely automated—with no manual intervention possible—since the situation appeared to be remedied by the next day.
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Old 02-28-2012, 09:22 AM   #35
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Originally Posted by rhadin View Post
....there is something missing when every subsequent decision following pressing on is left to to digits that are either black or white and cannot deal in shades of gray.
But that's the price you pay for self-publishing.

One of the big costs of publishing, as I'm sure you understand, is paying human beings to perform tasks. Consumers want ebooks at rock-bottom prices; Amazon, in order to provide ebooks at rock-bottom prices, has to automate processes that are easily automated, such as price comparisons. (Not that humans would do much better.)

Similarly, Amazon doesn't have much impetus to hire hundreds of "self-publishing ombudsmen" to deal with these kinds of issues.

Caveat emptor.
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Old 02-28-2012, 10:39 AM   #36
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Its' kinda funny, because Amazon's price comparison stuff is patented six ways from sunday. They make a ton of money via arbitage and finding the lowest price that you (yes, you, person reading this) would be willing to pay. Depending on who you are, where you live, and what you've bought.. your price for books and other things are different than mine. It's all a very, very intricate system that is built to squeeze the last dime from everyone.

Ever wonder why , when you're looking at a book recommended in a forum or blog that it seems like the cost isn't too bad (especially in pbooks or ebooks where the publisher hasn't demand set a price?) and you almost click that button? It's because Amazon knows you.
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Old 02-28-2012, 05:34 PM   #37
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Hey, don't tell people at MR that reading is optional....some of them might have a heart attack...especially the ones reading a book every day or two.....There are enough free books to keep most people happy if it comes down to avoiding Amazon....plus there are always...small publishers...and publishers in other languages...besides English




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For me, I really don't care one way or the other. Reading is an optional life activity. If it gets too restrictive, I'll find something else to do. No big deal.
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Old 02-28-2012, 07:45 PM   #38
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For me, I really don't care one way or the other. Reading is an optional life activity. If it gets too restrictive, I'll find something else to do. No big deal.




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Hey, don't tell people at MR that reading is optional....some of them might have a heart attack...especially the ones reading a book every day or two.....There are enough free books to keep most people happy if it comes down to avoiding Amazon....plus there are always...small publishers...and publishers in other languages...besides English

^ This. Books are a way of life.
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Old 02-28-2012, 11:48 PM   #39
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Hey, don't tell people at MR that reading is optional....some of them might have a heart attack...especially the ones reading a book every day or two.....There are enough free books to keep most people happy if it comes down to avoiding Amazon....plus there are always...small publishers...and publishers in other languages...besides English
...and the backs of cereal boxes...
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Old 02-29-2012, 02:13 AM   #40
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...and the backs of cereal boxes...
i love reading the backs of cereal boxes as well as their sides
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Old 03-04-2012, 05:51 PM   #41
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I have also noticed price fluctuations on my eBooks, but the Amazon agreement states that the money paid the author does not fluctuate although the sales price does. That is what I have seen with my eBooks at least.
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Old 03-04-2012, 05:56 PM   #42
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...and the backs of cereal boxes...
...
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Old 03-04-2012, 07:22 PM   #43
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For me, I really don't care one way or the other. Reading is an optional life activity. If it gets too restrictive, I'll find something else to do. No big deal.
Really?

Maybe you're referring to leisure reading. I can't imagine any normal or day to day activity, even work, that does not require reading or learning via reading.
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Old 03-04-2012, 07:41 PM   #44
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Really?

Maybe you're referring to leisure reading.
Correct.
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Old 03-05-2012, 03:58 AM   #45
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I have also noticed price fluctuations on my eBooks, but the Amazon agreement states that the money paid the author does not fluctuate although the sales price does. That is what I have seen with my eBooks at least.
It depends what deal you're on with Amazon. If you're on the 30% (?) royalties deal, the price Amazon pay you is fixed. If, however, you're on the 70% royalties deal, then it's the selling price, not the "list price", that the payment is based on.
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