Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[taming]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

I've just sent Kobo Customer Care an email saying that I think that Kobo is in breach of Australian consumer laws because Kobo didn't state a fact pertinent to the sale of an ebook prior to purchase - that is they did not state what format the ebook was in.

I've asked for my money back ....

I would guess that Kobo will refund without any problem. I have never been sure exactly how the books are put into the content management system. It may be that O'Reilly didn't submit the zip file. Stranger things have happened.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by taming

I brought it up again with them when they added the link to show what devices each purchase can be read on. My point was that they needed to indicate the drm status and whether the book was reflowable or not. In the old days, that would be epub vs pdf, but that is no longer necessarily the issue these days with reflowable pdf as part of the epub3 standards and fixed format epubs showing up as well.

The problem is that the device info doesn't help at all - for kepub only they tell you you can read it on e-readers; they don't explicitly state it's for Kobo readers only.

Thanks for bringing this up with Kobo - let's keep our fingers crossed they listen to you!

[witchkitten]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Okay, this 50% off special has just turned way off for me on the first purchase!!

Great, I thought - an O'Reilly book at 50% off - yep I bought it.

But - Kobo has recently changed it's Aus site to the 'new' look Kobo website and I didn't realise that I was buying a kepub ebook.

I didn't get a choice - and nor do you know it's format even after purchase!!!

Yep, it can only be viewed on the Kobo desktop or on a device - NO epub version offered.

Yucko

So - beware, or caveat emptor as they say in the classics!!

I had a similar experience. I purchased a book not knowing that it was only available in the kepub format. I have a Nook so the kepub isn't useful to me at all. I called Kobo's customer service and they refunded my money for the book in the form of a store credit.

It's frustrating because Kobo doesn't indicate that the Adobe Epub format is not available until after the book is purchased and the Adobe download link doesn't show up. I think I may have discovered a away of telling which books are kepub only by looking at the supported devices. The kepub book I bought doesn't support Blackberry while all of the Adobe Epub books I've purchased do. I don't know if this is always the case but it's worked so far. Kobo really does need to make the file format clearer in the future.

[taming]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

The problem is that the device info doesn't help at all - for kepub only they tell you you can read it on e-readers; they don't explicitly state it's for Kobo readers only.

My belief is that it is an error with their content management system when a book is kepub only--at least if it is listed as being readable on eink devices. The fixed format books meant for only Kobo tablets or Kobo apps on other tablets may be another story.

This was written and crossed with the post mentioning the Blackberry usable books. Interesting. Not a very good way to tell folks this sort of thing, for sure.

[melmac]

This codes dangerous! I've already purchased 5 ad still have a long wishlist to look through

[mimosavj]

Hi

What is the new design and kepub? I bought like 10 books today and they seem to be normal epubs, how can we tell if a book is offered as epub or kepub?

Thanks
mimosa

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by mimosavj

Hi

What is the new design and kepub? I bought like 10 books today and they seem to be normal epubs, how can we tell if a book is offered as epub or kepub?

Thanks
mimosa

Mimosavj I don't know what country you're in, but Kobo is rolling out a new look website, which is a pain the a because in this new website you can't identify the format of the ebooks prior to their purchase.

That is important to know if, for example, you don't want to buy a book in PDF format, or kepub format.

As Taming and other members will tell you - they have mentioned to Kobo for some time now that the format needs to be included in the information, as it was with the previous versions of the Kobo website.

Kobo hasn't listened to it's customers about this important issue

[taming]

This is what I wrote to Kobo most recently. It went to senior managment staff--not Tier 1 or 2 support. It is part of an ongoing conversation with them. They have been responsive and very much attentive. I actually do expect things will change.

I have gone on and on about needing more information about formats. Several people report that they have purchased books that are only available as kepubs--most recently a title from O'Reilly. Someone chimed in and said that the way to tell if an epub was available is if Blackberry is listed as a device. Really? Really?

There has to be a better way. Who the heck is going to figure this out?

See: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=3468

People need to know:

1) Is a book only available for use on a Kobo device (eink or Kobo tablet)
2) Is the book reflowable-- some folks never want a non-reflowable format if using a smaller device
3) Does the book have DRM

[Lynx-lynx]

To be clear here is the name and author of the O'Reilly published ebook that I purchased this morning that does not have the format divulged either before or after purchase:

The Modern Web
By Gasston, Peter

[taming]

Also to be clear : this should never happen, but it is very rare. If it were a common problem the Kobo board and this thread would be filled with example after example. We're not exactly quiet when stuff like this happens.

[mimosavj]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Mimosavj I don't know what country you're in, but Kobo is rolling out a new look website, which is a pain the a because in this new website you can't identify the format of the ebooks prior to their purchase.

That is important to know if, for example, you don't want to buy a book in PDF format, or kepub format.

As Taming and other members will tell you - they have mentioned to Kobo for some time now that the format needs to be included in the information, as it was with the previous versions of the Kobo website.

Kobo hasn't listened to it's customers about this important issue

Hi

I'm from the United States and I hope the kepub problem won't happen to the books on my wishlist which is quite long for now... Sigh!

[witchkitten]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

To be clear here is the name and author of the O'Reilly published ebook that I purchased this morning that does not have the format divulged either before or after purchase:

The Modern Web
By Gasston, Peter

Blackberry isn't supported for this book, which supports my theory that checking for the absence or presence of Blackberry devices under supported devices will tell you whether or not the book is available in the Adobe Epub format. Of course, you wouldn't know this unless you already made this mistake and happened to notice the lack of support for Blackberry devices on the kepub book. This method probably doesn't apply to PDF files either because I assume they'll work on Blackberries.

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Great, I thought - an O'Reilly book at 50% off - yep I bought it.

Personally, I prefer to buy O'Reilly ebooks directly from the publisher as they're DRM free and come in multiple formats (Kindle, EPUB, and PDF).

I understand your frustration, though, and went through something similar a while back where a title was on Kobo's site twice... once as kepub only and the other as Adobe DRM. I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention and bought the kepub one. I went back later and the kepub only one was no longer available to purchase. Customer service had me delete it and they readded it so that I got the right one, but it's frustrating and I hope I don't have it happen on the new site.

[taming]

Originally Posted by mimosavj

Hi

I'm from the United States and I hope the kepub problem won't happen to the books on my wishlist which is quite long for now... Sigh!

I have purchased 297 books from Kobo and it has never happened to me. I always download the epub versions for archival purposes. I have occasionally run into other problems, but not this one.

[Lynx-lynx]

Okay, I've just cracked the kepub issue and I've posted it into this thread.

In short, I now have a formerly kepub book as an epub book, in Calibre and cleaned and ready for any of my devices.

That is, without having to sync Kobo Desktop with any device - I freed the kepub without syncing it.

Please ask questions in that thread.