Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[ferrywoman]

Chapter One did specifically refer to the same people with the same complaints. I imagine anyone with no reason to be unhappy with Kobo will continue to patronize them. I have two friends who both maintain one account each have the same issue or two as a few of us have, and another one who has never had a problem. I'm putting it down to luck.

I mostly have given up on Kobo and its issues but still buy from them for one reason: their exchange rates for my currency.

Originally Posted by sekhemty

How do these discounts from kobo are suppose to work?

I've nerver received anything like that, despite being registered to the site since some years now and having acquired some books.
Do they send the promotional codes directly to one's email? Do you need to have bought a certain number of books from them? Do you need to be in a particular country?

They email the codes and a ton of other offers. You should enable email updates (under My Account) to get notified of their promotions, including coupon codes. After that is also down to luck, if user reports of having never received any codes even with emails on are anything to go by.

[sekhemty]

I have subscribed to email updates and usually receive their offers, but I have never received the discount codes (which I find more useful since I could use them with the books that I actually want to buy); but maybe they just don't do this everywhere: I live in Italy, and like I said, I've never seen a discount code...

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by sekhemty

How do these discounts from kobo are suppose to work?

I've nerver received anything like that, despite being registered to the site since some years now and having acquired some books.
Do they send the promotional codes directly to one's email? Do you need to have bought a certain number of books from them? Do you need to be in a particular country?

You have to opt in to their email sign up to get them and sometimes some people still don't get them. It's a bit of a gamble as to who gets them or how often.

I'm another happy Kobo customer. I liked the contests, but I'm just as happy to use a 50 percent off coupon and those can generally be found or they reset now and then. I've used the 90 percent off ones when I can and I share them with a buddy of mine too. If they appear to work for other than me, I share them here (although most of the good ones come from here so that would be redundant). Sure, sometimes I can get books cheaper on Amazon and I do. But I buy all my Baen books and a lot of indie books from Kobo (I'd buy more of them from Kobo if more indies were on there!)

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by sekhemty

...Do they send the promotional codes directly to one's email?

Yes.

Originally Posted by sekhemty

...Do you need to have bought a certain number of books from them? Do you need to be in a particular country?

I have no idea on both points. It may be that such coupons are illegal in some countries.

{EDIT: the Bear and the Cat played (typed) together}

[ferrywoman]

Originally Posted by sekhemty

I have subscribed to email updates and usually receive their offers, but I have never received the discount codes (which I find more useful since I could use them with the books that I actually want to buy); but maybe they just don't do this everywhere: I live in Italy, and like I said, I've never seen a discount code...

Could be, but you should still receive a Kobo anniversary coupon, if nothing else than because they should be for all.

I maintain two accounts with emails that go to the same inbox. The main one is for my Asia location and is actually the one that receives the odd (read: good) codes once in a blue moon. The other for my U.S. address—which is legit, mind—receives the anniversary and birthday codes, and is never missed.

[library addict]

I buy most of my books from Kobo. I've gotten the odd 20% we miss you coupon, but never the 90%.

I also maintain a Kobo account for my mother, but her email never gets any coupons.

I've had some issues with books (formatting) or coupon codes not working, but they've always been resolved. Sure it sometimes takes more than one contact, but not always.

I do miss the contests, but it was a good run while it lasted.

[bgalbrecht]

My biggest complaints about Kobo are that the time for them to respond to a price match request can be anywhere from a day to over a week, which is Kobo's fault, and that a lot of indies seem to be Amazon only, some publishers, like RosettaBooks and Saga Press (a Simon & Schuster imprint I think) don't sell all of their books at Kobo, and a lot of publishers inexplicably only put their books on sale at Amazon, or Amazon and B&N. I really appreciated the Open Road sales with a huge number of free or 99 cent ebooks at Amazon, but there's no way I'm going to price match them at Kobo if I have to spend hundreds of dollars. I don't know if it's just a pain for the publishers to put their ebooks on sale at Kobo, or if they're just lazy and go for the big retailer.

[Loosheesh]

I've given up on Kobo for the most part.

Sometime last year I got a 90% coupon that didn't work. I went the whole nine yards with CS, and I was finally told to buy the book I wanted (costing $30+) and they would give store credit for the 90% off. I ignored them and they eventually closed the case. Would you believe they sent me the very same 90% coupon a couple of months later?!!

Now this May they send me another defective 90% coupon. I sent an email, requesting they stop sending me coupons that don't work. They replied with instructions for unsubscribing from their emails

Well, I took their advice and unsubscribed!

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

My biggest complaints about Kobo are that the time for them to respond to a price match request can be anywhere from a day to over a week, which is Kobo's fault, and that a lot of indies seem to be Amazon only, some publishers, like RosettaBooks and Saga Press (a Simon & Schuster imprint I think) don't sell all of their books at Kobo, and a lot of publishers inexplicably only put their books on sale at Amazon, or Amazon and B&N. I really appreciated the Open Road sales with a huge number of free or 99 cent ebooks at Amazon, but there's no way I'm going to price match them at Kobo if I have to spend hundreds of dollars. I don't know if it's just a pain for the publishers to put their ebooks on sale at Kobo, or if they're just lazy and go for the big retailer.

It is quite time consuming to put a book on sale (at any vendor) and for a publisher or even an indie with multiple books, it's astonishing how much time it takes. It's not "enter the price and go." There's all kinds of exchange rate things to do and each retailer has their own way of doing sales with a set of rules for each sale. It can pay to wait until Kobo is sponsoring a sale (meaning, they will do some advertising for it). Amazon also allows ads and so a sale is likely coordinated with particular ad budgets. Since Amazon sells the most a lot of publishers seem to spend their time and ad dollars on Amazon without bothering to match prices or do the same sale at other retailers.

It's not that we don't want to do sales, but it can be a bit overwhelming to keep track of it all and to follow the various rules to be included in a particular sale. And that doesn't even account for glitches in software (you enter all the data and for some reason, the price doesn't change until a day late--and so all your ads are wrong or the advertisers see the price is wrong and refuse to run the ad or return your money because it isn't their fault.) Believe me, it's a hairy road!!!

[sk2003]

Hey there ebook addicts! If there are any Canadians in the thread, I have a Kobo Store promo code to share with you.

I was in Chapters yesterday and a Kobo rep gave it to me. I don't buy eBooks, I only check them out of the library using OverDrive/Adobe Digital Editions or buy them in print.

Here's the deal:

"Get $10 off your first eBook. Visit kobo.com/ereadnow to redeem your exclusive offer. This offer is ONLY valid at the above link, until July 31, 2017. Indigo customers can redeem for 1 eBook at $10 CAD off using promo code. Promo code is only eligible for use on eBook priced at $10.01 or more, excluding tax. Promo code is not eligible on pre-order eBooks or eBooks under $10 CAD. Only eligible for new customers."

Yeesh, Kobo. Here's the code:

Spoiler:

KSG0469H

[ATDrake]

For the 150th Canada Day on July 1st only, Kobo Canada is offering a selection of major publisher and small press titles by local authors for just $1.50 each, with a mix of fiction and non-fiction titles, including science from Jay Ingram, timeslip historicals by popular author Susanna Kearsley, Canadian history by Peter C. Newman, historical drama by Sally Christie, YA horror and science fiction by Kevin Sands & Erin Bow, the obligatory set of books on hockey, and more.

Linkage to the lot (3 pages worth): Today Only: Celebrate Canada Day with these titles at $1.50

[Amaryllis]

Although the email that I received the code in said the code was good only until June 5th, I tried it today on a whim, and it still worked. May be Canada only.
40% CN2FLG

[Hemmi]

I actually received a working 90% off code last week. Didn't work on the account they sent it to but did on another account.

In the past, I've found if you wait until after a code they've sent you "expires" then you can sometimes use it.

[RickyB]

DSCVR90BK worked in Australia, 8 July. 90% off, thanks

[Norsher]

GRT50BOOKS worked in Ireland 9th July. Thanks.