Amazon Taunts France

[ckpeck@comcast.n]

I got an auto response from Amazon once that since I bought a children's novel, based on others what others have purchased, I might be interested in a thick ophthalmologist's medical journal! Once I recovered from laughing, I wrote to Amazon and told them them might want to have actual humans check these things before they go out.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

I just got an email from Amazon.
subject : Get Amazon Kindle at a New Reduced Price
"As someone who has shown an interest in
Kindle, you might be excited to know we
recently reduced the price to $359."

Now, I have to wonder. Amazon knows my shipping and billing addresses (which are the same, and are both in France). The email address i receive their mails on ends in .fr. When i've ordered from them, i've used a french credit card from a french bank to pay. given how much information they track about their customers, you'd think they would realise that a kindle is not really an option for me. So what is this ? Willful provocation ?? trying to make me jealous ?? or... are they planning to launch the Kindle in France, and they're trying to generate some reeeeally early buzz ?

I got the same e-mail to my ".co.uk" address. I think they are just sending them out to anyone who's ever bought from "amazon.com", without bothering to filter out the non-US e-mail addresses.

I've just sent them an e-mail saying that I would indeed like to take advantage of their kind e-mail and buy one. I'll let you know what the response is .

[Jellby]

Well, you can actually order a Kindle from any country, I believe, you just have to choose a US shipping address. I don't think they are incurring in false advertising.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I got the same e-mail to my ".co.uk" address. I think they are just sending them out to anyone who's ever bought from "amazon.com", without bothering to filter out the non-US e-mail addresses.

I've just sent them an e-mail saying that I would indeed like to take advantage of their kind e-mail and buy one. I'll let you know what the response is .

heh, yes, please do...

Originally Posted by Jellby

Well, you can actually order a Kindle from any country, I believe, you just have to choose a US shipping address. I don't think they are incurring in false advertising.

...although i suspect the response will be the above one (when i tried to order, i think if i tried to put in a US address, there would have been no problem. as i said before, Amazon wants EVERYBODY's money, not just dollars. in fact, maybe they want my money MORE than dollars right now, since the dollar is so devaluated. )

[Roberts324]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

I just got an email from Amazon.
subject : Get Amazon Kindle at a New Reduced Price
"As someone who has shown an interest in
Kindle, you might be excited to know we
recently reduced the price to $359."

Now, I have to wonder. Amazon knows my shipping and billing addresses (which are the same, and are both in France). The email address i receive their mails on ends in .fr. When i've ordered from them, i've used a french credit card from a french bank to pay. given how much information they track about their customers, you'd think they would realise that a kindle is not really an option for me. So what is this ? Willful provocation ?? trying to make me jealous ?? or... are they planning to launch the Kindle in France, and they're trying to generate some reeeeally early buzz ?

They just don't mind, and it does not cost un sou de plus to them to spam you.

Can you imagine that my books published on Lulu.com (see my signature) appear on Amazon, but are said to be "unavailable" (while they are readily available, you bet).

Méthodes de voyous.... How do you say that in English?

By the way, were the Kindle available at an acceptable price here (which means NOT 359 € !!!) it would be interesting to find whether it would sell, given that it is a closed system and severed to Amazon...

I'd bet it would not sell well; open systems (the one you can easily compile texts from anywhere on the net for) would sell better, I think...

Robert

[LazyScot]

Hmmm. I wonder if the fact they are pushing it means that the sales are dropping/have dropped off?

[axel77]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Never ascribe malice to something easily explained by stupidity...

Sir, I'm not evil, I'm just stupid.


.. BWuuuhahar har har har har *cough* *cough*

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

see what i do for you....

Oh, dear. Did they taunt you a second time?

Cheers,
Marc

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Oh, dear. Did they taunt you a second time?

Cheers,
Marc

Zelda to Amazon : "I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I've always used it/heard it as...

"Never attribute to malice that which can be due to incompetence."

BOb

It's Hanlon's Razor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

'Hanlon' = (probably) Heinlein, in 'Logic of Empire': 'You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity'

[axel77]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

Zelda to Amazon : "I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

Amazon to Zelda: As someone who recently sent us quoted material, you might be excited to know we recently reduced the price of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to $11.49!

[chef]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Hmmm. I wonder if the fact they are pushing it means that the sales are dropping/have dropped off?

Or maybe they are finally using some of that marketing budget they allocated for it. It was so hot in the beginning they didn't even have to spend any marketing money. Yay, free publiciity.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by axel77

Amazon to Zelda: As someone who recently sent us quoted material, you might be excited to know we recently reduced the price of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to $11.49!

stop it, you'll give them ideas.

Originally Posted by chef

Or maybe they are finally using some of that marketing budget they allocated for it. It was so hot in the beginning they didn't even have to spend any marketing money. Yay, free publiciity.

meh, you all knew about the kindle already. i should point out that despite the link included in the original mail for my forwarding convenience, i have not in fact become an amazon mail-bot, transfering their ads to 500 of my closest friends.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

It's Hanlon's Razor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

'Hanlon' = (probably) Heinlein, in 'Logic of Empire': 'You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity'

I never said it was original....RSE

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

heh, yes, please do...

...although i suspect the response will be the above one (when i tried to order, i think if i tried to put in a US address, there would have been no problem. as i said before, Amazon wants EVERYBODY's money, not just dollars. in fact, maybe they want my money MORE than dollars right now, since the dollar is so devaluated. )

I got the standard response:

At this time, we are unable to offer the Amazon Kindle and associated digital content from the Kindle Store to our international customers due to import/export laws and other restrictions. Whispernet, which allows you to take advantage of Kindle's wireless features, is currently available only in the United States.

which is, of course, entirely missing the point of my e-mail. I wasn't asking why I can't buy a Kindle - I'm well aware of the reasons for that, and I understand them. I was asking why they sent me an e-mail offering to sell me a Kindle when my e-mail address clearly identified me as living outside the US.