Aura HD For U.S. Buyers...

[Pierre Menard]

Originally Posted by jeankap

Check your typing, and try @KoboHelp before emailing or dialing the phone. I have since been following @KoboHelp, and see in my Twitter time, in that they are very responsive to kobo readers in need

That's great, but I don't use twitter and would have no idea how to go about getting help in that way. And presumably you wouldn't have needed to, if the "purchase history" on kobo.com actually showed your purchase--you probably could have discovered that error for yourself.

Ordered mine lunchtime friday, so now 5 business days out and nothing but an invoice and a bunch of marketing emails to show for it. Hardly a lifetime, but for ordering post-release date (and showing in stock, and been charged already) it's longer than it should take to hear something, whether "shipped" or "there's a problem." I'd set a week as the point where I would contact them, so I guess I'm on chat later today if nothing happens before then. Don't wanna.

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by jeankap

Couple of points... I ordered mine on announcement day, and received it on Saturday, Apr 27, Canadian Post.

The only reason I did not receive any emails from either Kobo or Canada Post was because I (as in me, myself, and...) screwed up typing my own email addy into my order (I ordered from my iPad whilst attempting to man a conference booth with a raging upper respiratory infection. So much for my own quality check...).

I announced to 4 "venues" that I had no info: here, the kobo beta readers group on Google, my friend Ben, who works at Kobo, and the Twitterverse. Within 5 seconds of stating I had a problem, @ KoboHelp was on the case... The guys at the kobo beta readers tried to help, and my friend Ben tried to help, too, but it actually took longer for their emails to come back to me than it did for that one Twitter conversation with @KoboHelp to happen.

Moral of story... Check your typing, and try @KoboHelp before emailing or dialing the phone. I have since been following @KoboHelp, and see in my Twitter time, in that they are very responsive to kobo readers in need.

As for the Kobo Aura itself... Love it. Have already finished 2 books and started on a 3rd since it got here last Saturday. Wish I had a sleepcover, but don't want the added weight of a leather cover (the fitted leather kindle touch cover added a ton of weight to my Kindle touch). May try to jerryrig something or find something over on etsy, instead.

Thanks for the encouragement, this is helpful. I only posted to this thread out of frustration with myself. I waited until the 25th to order (I'm habitual about following rules). Kobo got it off by the 30th, Canada Post got it to US Customs right away. This is the third day now that it's been sitting in Customs.

I'm not really complaining. When I buy something directly from a merchant in China it typically takes 3 to 6 weeks to arrive. I had thought to wait and let the Independent Bookstore organization handle the importing job, then I could walk into a shop, buy it, and walk out with my Aura in hand. But I couldn't wait, so this is really all my own doing.

BTW, I've been looking for a lightweight solution too. I decided to put a clear skin on my Aura. Amazon has them for $14. I've had that type on an iPod Nano and it's pretty thoroughly non-slip. It's not being shipped until May 13 but these weigh less than a cover, protect the surface and give you a good grip.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[allovertheglobe]

For some perspective on shipping delays: I ordered mine on the 15th (the day it was announced AFAIK, and there shouldn't have been shortages yet) and it finally arrived on the 30th, 15 days after the order, 5 days after shipping officially started.

It was actually shipped very quickly from HK (2 days!), otherwise it would have taken even longer. There were quite a few people who order days after me and received theirs sooner, so obviously Kobo doesn't ship them in order received...

And they mixed up a (separate) cover order that was included... Direct sales are obviously not their strength, maybe it'll get better though.

[EldRick]

Mine is a dark maroon, and comes with a PINK button. What are they thinking up there? canadian weed must be really strong.

[Pierre Menard]

Originally Posted by EldRick

Mine is a dark maroon, and comes with a PINK button. What are they thinking up there? canadian weed must be really strong.

Pink? Can you post a pic? In the official pictures, the power button on the espresso was purple, where the others were red (or one red and one orange?). That's actually part of what swayed me to the espresso--I hadn't liked the whole "splash of color" on the power button (weird how they were touting it in the videos like it was some great design innovation, too), but the purple on brown did work for me.

[AnemicOak]

Mine looks different under different lighting, from a chocolaty brown to an almost black. The button is magenta.

[pidgeon92]

I'll go with magenta as well. It's not a hot or a light pink. It looks a touch brighter in the pic than it does in natural lighting.



You can only see the button if you are looking at the top or back of the unit, as the top slopes downward from the front of the unit towards the back.

[david8866]

I ordered on 17th, today KOBO called me. My KOBO saga ended today.

KOBO asked me whether another name was listed under my account? Because I am the only person, KOBO will ship out my order, I should receive it within 5-7 days. The possible credit card thief concerned me, KOBO assured me not to worry, no need to contact my credit card company, and, no explanation. If I ordered another one on-line today, the order should arrive within 5-7 days. My cancellation was not on their computer screen, so I asked the KOBO rep to cancel it for certain.

KOBO had very busy first week when Aura HD came out, now it's back to normal. (My guess, so-called ereader enthusiasts already ordered theirs; others either don't know yet, wait for more reviews, or don't think it worths $40-$50 more.)

My take on the whole thing: KOBO's system messed up, until KOBO can verify the "suspected" situation, my order was not processed. It'd be nice (as a gesture) if KOBO expedite my order, but honestly, 3-5 days of shipping time is not much different from 5-7 days. KOBO didn't cancel my order, maybe they think I'd like to have it even when it's late.

The end.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by david8866

I ordered on 17th, today KOBO called me. My KOBO saga ended today.

KOBO asked me whether another name was listed under my account? Because I am the only person, KOBO will ship out my order, I should receive it within 5-7 days. The possible credit card thief concerned me, KOBO assured me not to worry, no need to contact my credit card company, and, no explanation. If I ordered another one on-line today, the order should arrive within 5-7 days. My cancellation was not on their computer screen, so I asked the KOBO rep to cancel it for certain.

KOBO had very busy first week when Aura HD came out, now it's back to normal. (My guess, so-called ereader enthusiasts already ordered theirs; others either don't know yet, wait for more reviews, or don't think it worths $40-$50 more.)

My take on the whole thing: KOBO's system messed up, until KOBO can verify the "suspected" situation, my order was not processed. It'd be nice (as a gesture) if KOBO expedite my order, but honestly, 3-5 days of shipping time is not much different from 5-7 days. KOBO didn't cancel my order, maybe they think I'd like to have it even when it's late.

The end.

I am sorry for your ordeal and feel your frustration -- my experience was very similar. Ordered on 4/16, generic email, no invoice, lost order, could not find a record of it to cancel, etc. But somehow they managed to charge my credit card with no record of my order. (which forced me to submit a dispute with my cc company). I finally gave up with KOBO.

I hope you have a resolution after all the hassle.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Ordered on the 25th (Espresso, no case) and received my invoice yesterday. Alas, still no tracking number.

Update - just received my tracking number today. Now it's just up to the post offices.

[Pierre Menard]

Thanks for the pic, pidgeon92. That looks like what I expected, so I guess I've been smoking the same stuff.

I did do the CS chat today to check on my order. And frankly the tone from the rep was borderline hostile. Not in response to anything I'd said--I really only got out my initial question with the order# and date, and that it was charged but I hadn't heard any further info since. The gist of it was, "We don't do anything until we get the cash. Just because it's on your card doesn't mean it went through." (I am now reassessing every credit card purchase I've made ever.) I forget his exact words, but at some point he said something like, "that's just how it is." I imagine the "... you dirty defrauding thief" part was implied?

The thing is I don't actually think it's really about the charge, and even if it were there's no reason to say that to a customer. Just, "Yes, I do see your order and it's showing in process. I apologize that things are taking longer than usual with the new product launch, but you should be hearing something by X date." And done. I hadn't had any thought of cancelling my order before, even though the extra time gave me a chance to rethink my slightly-too-impulsive purchase decision, but I have to say that experience left a very unpleasant taste for doing business with them.

[93terp]

I started this thread detailing my mind-numbingly awful experience with Kobo's online ordering system & customer service. I mistakenly thought my situation was over after my third order attempt, which was the only successful one I had, or so I thought. How wrong I was! Kobo has managed to sink lower in their incompetence than I could have ever imagined. I wish I was exaggerating!

Tuesday of this week (30 April) I received 2 emails from Kobo that were from my original 2 pre-orders. These were the 2 orders that the Kobo service reps said they had no record of in their order tracking system. So today I get 2 more emails from Kobo with tracking info for these 2 orders!! I have email transcripts of all my chat sessions with Kobo where they assured me that both orders were cancelled using the order #s I had for them!!!

How is it possible that they can be this incompetent??? How is that they even manage to stay in business?? As I'm currently on vacation with family, I have not called Kobo or started an email chat with them on this new screw-up of theirs. I don't have the patience - or desire to ruin this long weekend of R&R - dealing with their morons in customer service. I dread to think how impossibly frustrating the return process is going to be for these 2 orders....

[guitarizt]

That is horrible 93terp. Hopefully they didn't charge your card. It's ironic you're getting 2 extras and I've been waiting 7 business days for mine to ship.

[HansTWN]

I ordered on the 20th, and they shipped on the 29th. Took only 2 days to arrive at my US address from HK. I had sent a reminder (asking for a shipping date update) on the 23rd. They had no info at that time.

[93terp]

Originally Posted by guitarizt

That is horrible 93terp. Hopefully they didn't charge your card. It's ironic you're getting 2 extras and I've been waiting 7 business days for mine to ship.

Yep, of course they charged my card!! The incompetence is really staggeringN