The little white lies Amazon tells...

[IcecreamLtDan]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I still don't "get it." I usually "get it" by now. Is there anything to be got here?

I got a headache. Is that the point?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

The OP bought the ebook. They were questioning the bargain of purchasing the audiobook version, along with the ebook. Based on the original post, it doesn't appear that they had intended to even consider the audiobook version before getting the notice of it being available for a reduced price until after they had purchased the ebook version.

Ok, so it's the "List Price" that the OP believes is unfair. It should say $16.95 instead? I could be persuaded after very sound reasoning.

Now, if someone wanted just the audiobook and Amazon didn't mention the bundle offer and subsequent savings, then I may label Amazon as a sneaky child.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Ok, so it's the "List Price" that the OP believes is unfair. It should say $16.95 instead? I could be persuaded after very sound reasoning.

Now, if someone wanted just the audiobook and Amazon didn't mention the bundle offer and subsequent savings, then I may label Amazon as a sneaky child.

The bundle price is listed on both the ebook and audiobook product page. You don't have to purchase the ebook to see the bundle pricing. The OP does say that they saw it on the checkout page, but it's visible on the product pages too.

[Vmurph]

I don't mean to change the subject, but I didn't even know Amazon was offering discounts for bundles. Are the audiobook versions always that low? And if so, are they available for a lot of titles, or just certain ones?

Also, how does that work? Do you make the purchase from Amazon's site, during checkout, and then download it from Audible?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Vmurph

I don't mean to change the subject, but I didn't even know Amazon was offering discounts for bundles. Are the audiobook versions always that low? And if so, are they available for a lot of titles, or just certain ones?

Also, how does that work? Do you make the purchase from Amazon's site, during checkout, and then download it from Audible?

The discounts are something they started when Whispersync for Voice launched a couple of years ago. The discounted copies can be priced $0.99 to $12.99 (at least that's the highest I've seen) on included books. Not all books offer a discounted copy. The discounted audio can be purchased right after buying the Kindle book or it can be purchased at the Audible site later on (the discount offer can go up/down or no longer be available later). It's retroactive to any Kindle books already purchased as well. You can see if any of your previous purchases match up with discount audio using the Matchmaker on Amazon's site.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Vmurph

I don't mean to change the subject, but I didn't even know Amazon was offering discounts for bundles. Are the audiobook versions always that low? And if so, are they available for a lot of titles, or just certain ones?

Also, how does that work? Do you make the purchase from Amazon's site, during checkout, and then download it from Audible?

It's only available in the US.

[Vmurph]

Wow, thank you, Brian! So many...yay

Thanks, Harry. I'm in the US

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Apache

Mine was meant to show that Amazon is not evil. Mine was meant to show how companies always try to make it look like you got batter deal than you did.
Apache

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Yeah, I pretty much get battered on any deal I'm involved in.

I left out the word not when composing my post.
Apache

[Alfy]

No, it was not an "Amazon is evil thread", thank you for not putting words in my mouth. In return, I will try to explain myself more clearly.

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

The OP bought the ebook. They were questioning the bargain of purchasing the audiobook version, along with the ebook. Based on the original post, it doesn't appear that they had intended to even consider the audiobook version before getting the notice of it being available for a reduced price until after they had purchased the ebook version.

Yep.

And yes, I maintain the calculus made by Amazon is bogus (not that they are the only ones, I have always been suspicious of any "you save $$$" tags). The book is listed at $15.99, and the audiobook version at $25.96; total: $41.95. At Amazon price, I pay $9.99 for the book and $3.99 for the audio; total: $13.98. I would have thus have saved $27.97, i.e: 67%.

Now yes, that's actually a good offer and it's much better than a kick in the butt. I still take exception to the labelling of the website. I do not SAVE 87% anywhere in that transaction. And I am a little worried no one else sees that... (checks if he has taken his pills in the morning...)

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's only available in the US.

It's available in the UK. I've bought audio books that way. From memory, you have to buy the audio books from audible.com rather than audible.co.uk, but it works with Kindle books bought at amazon.co.uk.

I don't think they publicise it anywhere on the UK sites, but the Matchmaker link that Brian posted does work.

Originally Posted by Alfy

Now yes, that's actually a good offer and it's much better than a kick in the butt. I still take exception to the labelling of the website. I do not SAVE 87% anywhere in that transaction. And I am a little worried no one else sees that... (checks if he has taken his pills in the morning...)

If you took up the offer, you would have saved money as the offer stated. Is your complaint that the wording implies that you'd already saved 87% by buying the ebook?

[soulfuldog]

+1 to what avantman42 has just asked. I still don't get your point, which is why I half-jokingly asked in the first place if this is another of those "Amazon is evil threads"? I don't see anything other than how this is a good deal by Amazon - not one I'm interested in as I don't listen to audiobooks, but still a nice offer.

Would you walk into a shop and complain that the ticket price on a jacket says you have saved 20%, because you haven't bought the jacket so therefore haven't saved 20%? Or if you'd bought a pair of shoes and it said you could buy some socks for half price and save 50% you'd complain because you haven't bought the socks so not saved anything?

Edit: ignore this, I get your point now having read the replies and reread your post, you are complaining just about the mathematics of the savings, albeit wrongly!

[Vmurph]

Originally Posted by Alfy

The book is listed at $15.99, and the audiobook version at $25.96; total: $41.95. At Amazon price, I pay $9.99 for the book and $3.99 for the audio; total: $13.98. I would have thus have saved $27.97, i.e: 67%.

I do not SAVE 87% anywhere in that transaction.

The mistake you're making is assuming that the "you save" amount refers to the entire transaction, which it does not.

The "you save" amount refers only to the amount you save on the audiobook. If the audiobook retails for $29.95, but you only pay $3.99, then you have saved 87%. (or would save if you purchased it)
.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Alfy

I just bought the Kindle version of a book called "The Daedalus Incident" for $9.99. At checkout, I had this offer:

"Now that you own the Kindle book, you can add the professional narration for $3.99 to switch between reading and listening without losing your place.
List Price: $29.95
Reduced Price: $3.99
You Save: $25.96 (87%)"

Errr... Except you can't get this offer if you did not buy the book, so the "you save" tag is completely bogus.

As I said, not a big one. STILL.

The only "STILL" here appears to be an inability to do basic mathematics.

If you choose to buy the audiobook you can buy it for $3.99, rather than $29.95. A saving of $25.96 on a price of $29.95 is indeed 87%.

What's the problem?

[Vmurph]

Perhaps it's the wording that confounds him.

"You save" is just a shortened way of saying, if you purchase this "you will save" or "you will have saved", depending on whether you have or have not chosen to purchase it yet.

I think the other thing that's confusing you, is thinking that info appears only after you complete your purchase, implying that you HAD saved. Not so. I believe it's already there before you purchase the audiobook. It's showing us what the savings on the audiobook will be.
.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The only "STILL" here appears to be an inability to do basic mathematics.

If you choose to buy the audiobook you can buy it for $3.99, rather than $29.95. A saving of $25.96 on a price of $29.95 is indeed 87%.

What's the problem?

But the only way to have the discount price is to pay $9.99 first. You can't pay only $3.99 and get just the audible version.

I think, as someone pointed out before, it depends if one sees the whole transaction or only the audible one.

I get the OP reasoning, but I'm not sure that would an issue for me though.