Amazon is testing “Kindle Unlimited,” an ebook subscription service for $9.99/month

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

The store on my PW is not the same as the experimental browser. If you consider them the same, my apologies for my misunderstanding.

No problem - just a difference in terminology. The store is just a predefined page on the PW's browser.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Would you be kind enough to quote the section of that page which describes how to return books other than using the web browser on the Kindle or PC, please? I can certainly see no such option.

it is on their web site, it must be easy to find because I found it shortly after posting & was intending to come back & edit my post.

LMGTFY...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=201550640

From your Kindle device or free Kindle reading app:

Open the Kindle Store.
Access the Kindle Unlimited landing page:
Kindle eReaders: Select All Categories, and then select Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle Fire tablets: Select Kindle Unlimited.
Free Kindle reading apps: Select Kindle Unlimited.
Select My Kindle Unlimited Books, and then Return.

I make that just 3 hoops... PLUS 1 selection

that's my Amazon defence good deed for the day done. now back to bashing them on other aspects.....

PS the book store ( on my KIndle fire) is NOT a page in the browser, & it never was on my old kindle, i'ts a compelte different UI

[elemenoP]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Well yeah; but when it also includes content that can't be returned, the practice is very unethical.

Additionally, Amazon has a federal lawsuit hanging over its head for in-app purchasing by children. I hope they get nailed to the wall over this.

Shame on Amazon!

Tubemonkey, have you ever actually tried to return digital content that you purchased erroneously? I have, and they have always given me a credit. The wording is something like, "returns of digital purchases are not allowed... but as a courtesy we'll do it for you." They can tell, after all, if you read the book/watched the movie, etc. If you haven't, they will give you the credit. Or do others have experience to the contrary?

eP

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by cybmole

PS the book store ( on my KIndle fire) is NOT a page in the browser, & it never was on my old kindle, i'ts a compelte different UI

On all the pre-touch Kindles the store is a standalone app.
On the newer touch and PWs it is a *local* HTML5 app if I remember correctly. So is the reader app, which is why it was so easy to jailbreak it originally.

http://the-digital-reader.com/2011/1.../#.U8qEF47D_MI

the software running on the Kindle Touch is written mostly in HTML5 and JavaScript, not the Java that all the other Kindles use. In fact, the menus can be thought of as webpages in disguise. Pretty cool, huh?

I thought it was cool.
Especially once we started seeing epub readers for jailbroken Kindles.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Tubemonkey, have you ever actually tried to return digital content that you purchased erroneously? I have, and they have always given me a credit. The wording is something like, "returns of digital purchases are not allowed... but as a courtesy we'll do it for you." They can tell, after all, if you read the book/watched the movie, etc. If you haven't, they will give you the credit. Or do others have experience to the contrary?

eP

Twice; once with an app and the other with an MP3. They did the one-time courtesy bit. I assume that I've used up my one-time for each of those and that future mistakes will be tough luck.

All purchases should require a confirmation screen before finalizing.

Another practice I dislike is how they prioritize payments. If you have a credit balance on your account, it will get used before they charge your credit card. I found out the hard way and to call Amazon to get it resolved. So the only way to bypass this feature is to call Amazon and have them place the order so that the entire amount is charged to your credit card. You should be allowed to choose your payment method on all purchases; not some purchases.

[Barty]

As a test, I tried looking for all the non public domain books I've read in past two months. Zero out of nine was available as KU.

On the other hand, the first 2, 3 pages of Kindle Select 25 were all KU. That's rather dishonest, isn't it? Okay, I kind of knew their editorial selections were not based strictly on literary merit, but this is just blatant marketing.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Barty

As a test, I tried looking for all the non public domain books I've read in past two months. Zero out of nine was available as KU.

On the other hand, the first 2, 3 pages of Kindle Select 25 were all KU. That's rather dishonest, isn't it? Okay, I kind of knew their editorial selections were not based strictly on literary merit, but this is just blatant marketing.

Depends on how you look for books. If you go up and down best seller lists, no they won't be in KU. If you start looking in KU and it is filtered to show nothing else it becomes easier. You can change your reading habits, if you are willing to give KU a chance. There can't be only junk books in there. Not going to happen to read unlimited bestsellers as soon as they come out on $9.99 a month.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Barty

As a test, I tried looking for all the non public domain books I've read in past two months. Zero out of nine was available as KU.

On the other hand, the first 2, 3 pages of Kindle Select 25 were all KU. That's rather dishonest, isn't it? Okay, I kind of knew their editorial selections were not based strictly on literary merit, but this is just blatant marketing.

You didn't know the Kindle *Select* 25 list, like the Countdown timers, is only for KDP Select titles? That it is *supposed* to be marketing? That it is part of the incentives Amazon offers Indie publishers to go Amazon-exclusive?


Other promos (and the alsobots) are neutral, but that one isn't.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

You didn't know the Kindle *Select* 25 list, like the Countdown timers, is only for KDP Select titles? That it is *supposed* to be marketing? That it is part of the incentives Amazon offers Indie publishers to go Amazon-exclusive?


Other promos (and the alsobots) are neutral, but that one isn't.

The also boughts are NOT neutral. There is an algorithm for deciding how often and when a book shows up in also boughts. In the old days, it could be as little as one similar purchase but it is constantly being tweaked to determine who and how often.

The countdown timers are available to small publishers as well, I believe. However, they don't seem to work very well as a marketing tool. Originally I believe Amazon said there would be a list of books on countdown, but it was updated infrequently and/or missing. The last time I put a book in it (Soul of the Desert) it did appear in the list, but I don't know if anyone ever knew about or found the list.

[fjtorres]

Quick reminder: Amazon.com isn't all there is to Amazon.

And within Amazon's publishing empire there are five main units: Amazon publishing (which is a kinder gentler tradpub), Audible, Createspace, KDP (non-exclusive ebook distribution), and KDP Select (Kindle exclusive ebook distribution).

For those familiar with video game publishing:

- Amazon Publishing titles are the equivalent of First party titles, controlled by the platform holder

- KDP titles are the equivalent of Third party titles, controlled by the publisher and often cross-platform

- KDP Select titles (currently the bulk of Kindle Unlimited) are the equivalent of second party titles, controlled by the publisher but exclusively tied to the platform by mutual agreement

More than anything, the ebook business is coming to resemble the console gaming business, right down to the split between the big traditional publishers (like EA, Ubisoft, Activision, etc) and indies. The biggest difference is that in console gaming, the big publishers cooperate with the platform holders instead of declaring war on them.

[Jessica Lares]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I hate 1-click ordering and find the practice to be despicable; especially since apps, MP3s, and digital videos are not eligible for refunds. All purchases should require confirmation before going through and in-app purchases should require a password for each and every purchase.

I once got Amazon to refund me for a MP3 album I bought 6 months ago. My reasoning? "There's a track missing and I've only just realized since I'm redoing my iTunes library!"

It's cumbersome to go in the chat and talk to them, but they'll do it.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

I once got Amazon to refund me for a MP3 album I bought 6 months ago. My reasoning? "There's a track missing and I've only just realized since I'm redoing my iTunes library!"

It's cumbersome to go in the chat and talk to them, but they'll do it.

Last time I had to chat with Amazon was a 2 pack toner for my printer, and only one cartridge got sent. Since it was not through Amazon warehouse, but only fulfilled by Amazon they could not offer me to send the missing item. They did offer to refund me half the money as one option and the other to just send the whole thing back and refund all money. I chose to keep the one toner, and get half my money refunded. They did not even ask for any proof that there was only one cartridge in the package. The last time I accidentally bought a book, I did not even need to chat. Was returned in minutes before the money even got out of my account.

So easy refunds and making customer happy is still going strong for Amazon. Never had a complaint about it.

[GlenBarrington]

And they offer a high number of books that I am likely to read. Which is Science fiction and historical fiction by less well known authors. In fact, several of the books I've already bought are in the list. (not sure if that is good or bad! LOL).

I'm thinking that I will probably sign up, but I don't think I want to do it the day after it is announced, especially since it sort of sounds like an accident forced their hand into maybe making it "official" a bit early. I'd like to see if the service is 'tweaked' a bit in order to work the kinks out.

I will probably watch it closely and sign up in a month or two.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

The last time I accidentally bought a book, I did not even need to chat. Was returned in minutes before the money even got out of my account.

Books are returnable; apps, MP3s, and instant videos are not.

[Jessica Lares]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Books are returnable; apps, MP3s, and instant videos are not.

They SAY that, but it's doable. I've returned MP3s, apps, and IAP. They'll tell you it's a one-time thing, but they'll do it as long as there's a legit reason for doing so. Even if it's just, "I read the promotional terms wrong."