Amazon faces class-action lawsuit over eBook pricing

[JSWolf]

So from what's been posted, prices were supposed to come down and that £3.99 eBook should be priced at £3.32.

[JSWolf]

So don't buy your eBooks from Amazon or Kobo until you check out eBooks.com (UK store) to see if it's being sold at the VAT exclusive price. However if you do buy from Kobo, you can price match eBook.com.

[DiapDealer]

Or, you know... maybe just keep buying books for the price you were already comfortable paying. *shrug*

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Or, you know... maybe just keep buying books for the price you were already comfortable paying. *shrug*

Just because we pay the price asked doesn't mean we were comfortable paying it.

[DiapDealer]

Ahhhh... right. I forgot. Some people are forced at gunpoint to purchase their ebooks for more money than they wanted to pay for them.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So don't buy your eBooks from Amazon or Kobo until you check out eBooks.com (UK store) to see if it's being sold at the VAT exclusive price. However if you do buy from Kobo, you can price match eBook.com.

Thanks. Will do

[paulsalter]

I will continue buying mine from Amazon/Kobo

For me some prices have gone down, for others prices have stayed the same, not noticed any go up yet

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

I will continue buying mine from Amazon/Kobo

For me some prices have gone down, for others prices have stayed the same, not noticed any go up yet

If prices haven't gone down, they have gone up.

[DiapDealer]

And here we go.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

I will continue buying mine from Amazon/Kobo

For me some prices have gone down, for others prices have stayed the same, not noticed any go up yet

I've seen two reports of price increases since the cut. It's hard to know. I'm unaware of any kind of historical price tracker, though I presume the data is collected.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So don't buy your eBooks from Amazon or Kobo until you check out eBooks.com (UK store) to see if it's being sold at the VAT exclusive price. However if you do buy from Kobo, you can price match eBook.com.

How are ebook.com cheaper if the pre-retail price is set by the publisher? Ebook.com would have to make less of a cut than amazon to compete, and amazon are reputed to sell as cheap as possible.

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I've seen two reports of price increases since the cut. It's hard to know. I'm unaware of any kind of historical price tracker, though I presume the data is collected.

Can you remember what they where or what the new price is?

The only reason i am interested is to see what the price ends with

My unscientific way of seeing what effect this has on a price, is to see what pence are paid
Eg, Books that are £x.99, £2.99, £9.99 look like the price hasnt changed
Books that are £0.79, £x.32 or other odd looking numbers have had the discount

Very rough guide and i am sure there will be examples where this isnt the case

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

How are ebook.com cheaper if the pre-retail price is set by the publisher? Ebook.com would have to make less of a cut than amazon to compete, and amazon are reputed to sell as cheap as possible.

Amazon was never overall as cheap as possible. Back before the agency price collusion, I bought many eBooks not from Amazon that were cheaper.

As for eBooks.com, maybe they were able to make proper deals with some of the publishers because in my example, the £3.32 price is the VAT exclusive price unlike Amazon where the £3.99 price is the same as the VAT inclusive price.

[Pajamaman]

I did a quick price check on ebook.com vs amazon.co.uk.

5 books:
3 the same,
one 20% cheaper on ebook.com,
one 50% cheaper on ebook.com.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Ahhhh... right. I forgot. Some people are forced at gunpoint to purchase their ebooks for more money than they wanted to pay for them.

There was a post here somewhere saying "if a book is too expensive, just buy a different book." I can't find that post, so I'm quoting this one...it's sort of related.

Books are often not fungible. Sure, if you just feel like trying some new mystery or new sci fi, you can shop by nothing more than the price tag in the genre section.

But more often, people "need" a PARTICULAR book. If I'm assigned a book at school or work, I can't say "it was too expensive, I'll read something else." Or you REALLY want to finish the cliff hanger in the last book of the series!

I get it's not GUNPOINT, but it is various forms of legitimate pressure that may make you shell out more than you really think it's worth. If you feel the price is unjustly high (even allowing for free market capitalism), it's perfectly legitimate to push for better prices in ways other than merely not buying.