Book Depository ceasing ebook sales!!!

[CommonReader]

I feared that this would happen when I heard that they were purchased by Amazon. Amazon has just successfully destroyed one of the last competitive retailers for English language ebooks for those who are living on the Continent. Kobo is the last one that remains and they do not offer many of the books that are available at Amazon.
I suppose I should go and start to look for some good pirate sites now?

[ClareK]

It's sad to see that The Book Depository has lost its independence. I received the same email, but I'm a bit confused by it - I've already downloaded the ebooks I'd bought and transferred them to my ereader, and I can't understand why I would want to download them again. Can anyone explain why we were apparently allowed three downloads of each book?

[kennyc]

I had never heard of or used them. Maybe that was part of the problem.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I had never heard of or used them. Maybe that was part of the problem.

I used them (still use them occasionally) for pbooks. If there's a book I just "have to have" that's being released in the UK before the US... it's hard to beat that free international shipping. I don't think that part of their business is changing. Just getting rid of ebooks.

[AnemicOak]

I don't think they ever seriously tried with ebooks.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by ClareK

It's sad to see that The Book Depository has lost its independence. I received the same email, but I'm a bit confused by it - I've already downloaded the ebooks I'd bought and transferred them to my ereader, and I can't understand why I would want to download them again. Can anyone explain why we were apparently allowed three downloads of each book?

Clare I don't choose to download my last 'opportunity' either. Like you, I've already downloaded my book and I've cleaned it, and it was just a bit of light fillup for me anyway.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I mean that if they have promised you three downloads they just can't take that away without re-negotiating with their customers, or at least give them enough time to adapt to the new situation. Two weeks hardly seem enough.

I can see that this may affect some people who may not have already down loaded their purchase, or who, for some reason can't use the copy that they've already downloaded, but I don't require any further copies of mine.

I think one difference with Book Depository and other sites who suggest that you 'always' have access to your ebook purchases is that Book Depository didn't suggest storage of ebooks on their site.

That would have a greater impact if customers had maintained their purchases on that site and downloaded at a time suitable for their reading needs.

For me - I don't need another copy of that purchase, having already cleansed and placed it into my library.

Be interesting to see though if others do get caught out time wise.

[Lynx-lynx]

Re the Amazon take over of Book Depository, this is what the Guardian reported 27/10/11:

The Office of Fair Trading's decision to allow Amazon's purchase of its smaller competitor the Book Depository to go ahead threatens the future of bookselling, the Booksellers Association has said.

The OFT began its investigation into the deal in July, when a host of book industry bodies spoke out against the move, including the Publishers Association, the Booksellers Association , the Independent Publishers' Guild, the Bookseller Group and the Society of Authors.

On Wednesday, the OFT cleared the acquisition, saying there was "limited pre-merger competition" between the two websites, with Amazon's share of the online book market strong – it is estimated to be as high as 70% by experts – and the Book Depository accounting for between two and four per cent of online book retail. Post-merger, Amazon would continue to face "strong" competition from other online retailers, bricks and mortar booksellers and supermarkets when it came to bestsellers, said the OFT, while it would also face "competition and rivalry" on "deep range" titles from other online competitors and Amazon Marketplace sellers.

Founded in 2004, the Book Depository aims to sell "less of more" rather than "more of less", offering free shipping on its range of six million titles to more than 100 countries around the world. It claims to be Europe's fastest growing bookseller, and to be the UK's largest dedicated online bookseller.'


http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...depository-oft

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

".......The Book Depository has come to the decision to cease selling eBooks, as we feel that the customer experience we were able to offer was not as good as it should have been. This is partially driven by complexity in format and the number of differing devices, which we found often led to customer frustration......."

Poor souls....wassums all confoozed, then ?

Should've asked here...I mean, commercial concerns can't be expected to have everything at their fingertips, can they, what do we think we're buying, knowledge ?

Come on, it's a big ask, give 'em a break ........

Yep ... I think you've hit the nail on the head Carpetmojo.

It'd be easier for the Book Dep to plead dumb and ignorant if they weren't already long termers in the book industry, and owned by one of the biggest ebook sellers in the world!!!!

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I don't think they ever seriously tried with ebooks.

I agree. It seemed to me like they were only dabbling a bit on the eFront.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Founded in 2004, the Book Depository aims to sell "less of more" rather than "more of less", offering free shipping on its range of six million titles to more than 100 countries around the world. It claims to be Europe's fastest growing bookseller, and to be the UK's largest dedicated online bookseller.'


http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...depository-oft

I hope that there is a European reaction to this news.

And yep ..... I think this move by Amazon / Book depository smells a bit like restrictive trade practices in disguise.

This statement just does not ring true to me:

'The Book Depository has come to the decision to cease selling eBooks, as we feel that the customer experience we were able to offer was not as good as it should have been. This is partially driven by complexity in format and the number of differing devices, which we found often led to customer frustration.'

If the Book Dep wanted to stop selling ebooks then just stop selling them ..... why tell such a porky!!!!

[carpetmojo]

At the risk of my head being piled up beneath a truckload of calumny ..... is this the first time Amazon have simply bought out a competitor and blatently asset-stripped it like this ?

With a main difference to the "normal" practice - that of not selling off a part of the operation, but just shutting it down to reduce competition ?

[Valkrider]

The advantage for me of using Book Depository was that they ignored the stupid geographic restrictions. They delivered books to me that no other English supplier would. As a UK ex-pat living in another EU country I want to buy my books in my native language NOT the local language. They were the only supplier that I found that was prepared to do this. Oh well off to search out some alternative sources.

[andreabc]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

Amazon has just successfully destroyed one of the last competitive retailers for English language ebooks for those who are living on the Continent.

Originally Posted by Valkrider

The advantage for me of using Book Depository was that they ignored the stupid geographic restrictions. They delivered books to me that no other English supplier would.

I was never able to purchase any ebooks from them (I always got the "Not available for you" message), so I'm wondering which countries they officially covered besides the UK... does anyone know?

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by andreabc

I was never able to purchase any ebooks from them (I always got the "Not available for you" message, so I'm wondering which countries they officially covered besides the UK... does anyone know?

Definitely Australia.