Ordering reader from Kobo Store

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Well on e of the benefits of the Wiki is that anyone can edit them So as long as someone is prepared to start the jon rolling, then others can join in the fun.

If you're prepared to start I'm willing to help out. We would probably need some guideance from the MR Wiki Sysop DaleDe https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/UseraleDe as to how he'd like to see things done.

I've never edited a wiki before. But I'm willing to give it a try. Maybe we can get DaleDe to do up a blank wiki setup as he wants it and we can try to keep the formatting.

[larand]

This is a very interesting thread.

For my part, I attempted to order a Kobo Glo refurb from the Kobo site today, and after three attempts where my credit card provider approved the sale but Kobo said it failed authorization, I gave up and ordered a refurb Kindle Paperwhite.

I figure I can convert my epubs with Calibre, and at least Amazon has decent customer service. I've had Kindles before, so I'm familiar with them.

It's a shame--I have a Kobo Mini that I really like, and I prefer epubs for archiving, but this is why Amazon owns the e-book market in the USA. At least they'll take my money.

[PeterT]

You should also have tried Chapters, one time owner of Kobo. Many people outside of Canada seem to have had great service from them.

[larand]

Originally Posted by PeterT

You should also have tried Chapters, one time owner of Kobo. Many people outside of Canada seem to have had great service from them.

I've seen reports that they don't handle returns well from US customers. Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't, but I'm not eager to do an international purchase through a third party if there's any chance of trouble down the road. Maybe I'm just tired of swimming against the tide.

[matanic]

I ordered an H2O on 12/8 from Kobo. There was only the option for free shipping and I started to worry that it wouldn't arrive before we were to go out of town. So I sent an email to help@kobobooks.com. I hadn't received a response by the next day so I first posted to their KoboHelp Twitter account, then I tried calling. The call wasn't helpful at all, and it ended with the guy telling me it "should" arrive in time. However, I got a tweet shortly after that and we sent several DM's back and forth. After I had given them all the info they needed, I didn't hear from them again that day, but by the next morning I had a response to the help@kobobooks email telling me my order had shipped and providing me with a tracking number. I received it on 12/11 and it's great!

I would definitely recommend trying the Twitter account if you need help. In fact, once we get back after Christmas I'm going to see if I can get help for the Glo that just quit working for no reason (the impetus for ordering the H2O). I still haven't gotten a response from sending a help message through Kobo's website about that, and I sent that two days before I ordered the H2O.

[tomh]

I had continuing problems with Kobo declining my credit card. Tried different browsers on Mac and PC computers, but no help. Tried a different credit card, but no better.

My Kobo account has been dormant for a long time (because they keep declining my card), so I wondered if the account registration had expired. I set up a new account and my credit card was accepted without fuss. An Aura H2o is on its way.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tomh

I had continuing problems with Kobo declining my credit card. Tried different browsers on Mac and PC computers, but no help. Tried a different credit card, but no better.

My Kobo account has been dormant for a long time (because they keep declining my card), so I wondered if the account registration had expired. I set up a new account and my credit card was accepted without fuss. An Aura H2o is on its way.

Did you do the location hopping that's possible on the Kobo website? If your location in the system, doesn't match where you live, it's possible to be declined. It's very easy to forget that you've changed your location.

[tomh]

If you mean under the payment menu, I compared my original account and new account and they had the same default information: country = United States, State = Alabama. The state would not match my web location. Yet the new account worked for credit card acceptance.

In addition to trying different computers, different browsers and different credit cards, I tried clearing the web cache on one computer and that had no effect on them declining the credit card. Can't think of anything else to try at my end.

[icallaci]

Originally Posted by tomh

I had continuing problems with Kobo declining my credit card. Tried different browsers on Mac and PC computers, but no help. Tried a different credit card, but no better.

My Kobo account has been dormant for a long time (because they keep declining my card), so I wondered if the account registration had expired. I set up a new account and my credit card was accepted without fuss. An Aura H2o is on its way.

I, too, had repeated problems with Kobo declining my credit card. I also tried different browsers with no luck. After that, I started ordering from Chapters and have had zero problems. Next time I might try setting up a new account with Kobo since it worked for you. Thanks.

[crochetgeek2010]

I admit I am a techie book worm who hate kindles. I have the last 3 kobo's. I ordered my Aura last year through Kobo directly ,HD (accidentally, thinking it was the Aura but loved it so kept it) through local Indie book store and lastly I ordered the H2O through Chapters. If you have a local Indie book store support them first they get profit you get new toy with no pain. Other wise I will never purchase an ereader through Kobo directly again. Chapters was wonderful for here in the US. Ordered the 1st had it the 9th and that was with them running late by 2 days shipping.
My most recent encounter with kobo support finding a bad pixel on my H2O support admitted they had horrible shipping regarding time and such. Good luck enjoy your new ereader

[tomh]

My Aura H2O arrived six days after placing the order. Two emails confirming the purchase were sent on the day the order was placed but the promised email on shipping information was not sent. The package was delivered by FedEx and a signature was required.

This puts Kobo in a bad light because they set expectations for receiving a shipping email and then never followed through. Fortunately, someone was home to sign and receive the delivery, otherwise there would have been an additional annoyance.

OTOH, the FedEx delivery occurred in mid morning, which suggests Kobo requested priority handling. My other FedEx deliveries all come in mid-afternoon, after priority deliveries are done.

[irishmac473]

Until 2 months ago I lived in an Amazon world. I thought the only decent ereaders came from them and was happy in my little closed world. Then I started reading the GoodEReader blog. Kobo ereaders looked like a must have to me. I'm good with Calibre so I didn't worry about switching ecosystems. On the 22nd of December I placed an order through Kobo for the Aura. They pre-auth. the charge from my account and sent me an email saying the received my order. On the 23rd I saw the order wasn't showing up in my account and emailed them. On the 24th they told me that they were having trouble with some orders not going through and that I should place the order again from a different computer. I waited and made sure that the pre-auth. dropped off(it did.) I got some extra money for christmas and decided I would use the extra money to get the H2O instead. On the 29th I ordered the H2O from Kobo. Order went through and this time it was an actual charge not a pre-auth. I emailed them on the 31st and asked for a tracking number. On the 2nd of Jan. I still had not received a response about my tracking number so I called them. They told me my order was still processing. I've been spoiled by Amazon I guess but I thought that 5 days(4days if you subtract the holiday) was plenty of time for them to have shipped the device since the promptly took my $179. I told them to cancel my order. The lady put me on hold and then told me that my order would be at my house on Wed the 7th and that by the end of the day she would email me a tracking number. On the 5th I had still not received a tracking number so I called again. They told me that the order was still processing and had not shipped. I told them that they have had my money for 8 days now and now they can cancel my order. I was really tempted at this point to just go to best buy and get the Voyage. Then I found out about Chapters. On the 6th I ordered an H2O from chapters. Got an email on the 7th saying it had been shipped. I emailed them for a tracking number. 4 hours later they sent me one. It says my unit will be here tomorrow the 9th. Wish I would have known about them earlier. Plus, with shipping my total at chapters came to $196 but when this was converted to US$ it was actually only $167, $12 cheaper than Kobo. By the way, I live in Nebraska.


Kobo doesn't make sense to me. They are a large company that is trying to be competitive. They make some excellent ereaders from what I can tell. How is there customer service this bad? It shouldn't be this hard to purchase one of their devices.

[murg]

Originally Posted by irishmac473

Kobo doesn't make sense to me. They are a large company that is trying to be competitive. They make some excellent ereaders from what I can tell. How is there customer service this bad? It shouldn't be this hard to purchase one of their devices.

Yeah. Welcome to Kobo!

[khalleron]

Sigh. Yes, indeed.

I love my H2O, I'm glad I bought it, but my hassles with Kobo CS made me extremely leery. And that was just over their ebook store.

That's why I bought from Chapters, even though if something goes wrong with it, I'll still have to deal with Kobo CS (keeps fingers crossed) because Chapters will only accept returns in their B&M stores.

[irishmac473]

I'm with you. Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong. Figure if it does I'll be reading on my iPad for at least a month.