US resident should buy Kobo ereader where

[lumpynose]

If they have Walmart in Canada I would go that route so that he can check it out before he walks out of the store or return it if he finds something wrong with it. Mine has the brighter light stripe along the right edge but I never turn up the brightness enough to see it, but then it also has funky buttons that sort of crunch instead of clean clicks. If I'd bought it from Walmart instead of Kobo I'd have taken it back.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by lumpynose

If they have Walmart in Canada I would go that route so that he can check it out before he walks out of the store or return it if he finds something wrong with it. Mine has the brighter light stripe along the right edge but I never turn up the brightness enough to see it, but then it also has funky buttons that sort of crunch instead of clean clicks. If I'd bought it from Walmart instead of Kobo I'd have taken it back.

Why would anyone buy a Kobo from Walmart in Canada unless they had a great sale? Not for their day to day pricing since they have the same prices as elsewhere on the Clara HD and Aura H2O edition 2 and they are out of stock at the B&M stores more often than not. No Formas available.

Chapters/Indigo/whatever other names they use for their B&M stores actually try to have stock on Kobo's ereaders and their staff are moderately knowledgeable. There's also BestBuy but, for the most part, the staff there couldn't tell an eInk screen from a OLED without a cheat sheet. Perhaps a touch unfair but last time I was in a Best Buy, one of their staff was informing a potential customer than the Aura H2O would not work outdoors due to the screen reflections and a weak backlight, it needed a continuous WiFi connection since all content is stored in the "cloud" and the battery life was poor so an iPad Mini or a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" would be a better choice (especially, the Samsung since you could get it for free with a 2 year cellphone contract).

[Kindleing]

Originally Posted by rcentros

If you don't like Walmart you might want to look at TripleNet Pricing. I don't know anything about them (except that they sell Kobos on the Walmart site) but you can also go directly to their website and order a Kobo. Supposedly you get 1-2 day shipping and (currently) the Kobo Forma is priced at $270. When I put one in their cart and checked for shipping price it came back as free, without tax.

https://www.triplenetpricing.com/Kobo-Forma

Oddly enough you can get a Kobo Forma on Amazon. $269.99 with Prime free shipping; "Sold by TRIPLENET PRICING INC and Fulfilled by Amazon".

Wally

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Kindleing

Oddly enough you can get a Kobo Forma on Amazon. $269.99 with Prime free shipping; "Sold by TRIPLENET PRICING INC and Fulfilled by Amazon".

Is this something new (selling Kobos on Amazon)? And it looks like Triplenet Pricing could be one of the biggest Kobo dealers in the U.S.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Is this something new (selling Kobos on Amazon)? And it looks like Triplenet Pricing could be one of the biggest Kobo dealers in the U.S.

I bought a Kobo Glo HD on Amazon in April of 2016 for $128. It was sold by TECH&TOYS, now going by the name of TRENDY-TECH. It was fulfilled by Amazon as well.

[Kaysclie]

I recently bought my Kobo Forma through Amazon using Triplenet Pricing also and being a prime member I received it in 2 days. I am very happy with it!
Price was $269 but I partially paid using gift cards that I had received through turning in a couple of Kindles which made it a bit less painful.

[petercreasey]

Did you get a cover on Amazon also? If so, which one and do you like it?

[Kaysclie]

Sorry, I don't know how to do a link here, but yes I did get a cover from Amazon and I like it very much. It is the MOSISO PU Leather Case Compatible with 2018 Kobo Forma 8 Inch E-Reader, Slim Protective Smart Folio Shell Cover with Magnetic Closure and Stand Function, Brown. Pretty cheap, but it is also pretty good!!

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

Sorry, I don't know how to do a link here, but yes I did get a cover from Amazon and I like it very much. It is the MOSISO PU Leather Case Compatible with 2018 Kobo Forma 8 Inch E-Reader, Slim Protective Smart Folio Shell Cover with Magnetic Closure and Stand Function, Brown. Pretty cheap, but it is also pretty good!!

https://www.amazon.com/MOSISO-Compat.../dp/B07LGWT9ZT

(All you have to do is copy the URL and paste in that in your post.)

Does look like a nice cover — looks a lot like the one on my Tolino Epos.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

In consideration of service, warranty, etc., what is the wisest (store or online) place for a US resident to buy a new Kobo ereader, perhaps especially the Forma?

Thanks.

Walmart.com. They are Kobo's offical US partner.

I ordered mine on a Wednesday and it arrived at my door on Thursday, using their free shipping option. If the device was defective, I could have returned it to a local store.

I'm not a Walmart fan, but you asked for the wisest place to buy a Kobo in the US. Walmart is it. And I'd buy directly from Walmart rather than a third party like TripleNet. I'm guessing a purchase from TripleNet could not just be returned to the store.

Here's a link to the Clara and one to the Forma.

[petercreasey]

Z, what cover did you get at the Walmart site?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

Z, what cover did you get at the Walmart site?

I didn't get the cover from Walmart. I picked this one up at Amazon. It's a perfectly fine case. I would have gotten the Fintie, but I didn't like the styles that are still available.

[petercreasey]

Z, oh, I thought you were talking about a Forma. Thanks anyway.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

Z, oh, I thought you were talking about a Forma. Thanks anyway.

The advice to buy a Kobo directly from Walmart still stands, regardless of which model you are looking for. That's the 'official' way to buy a Kobo in the US and is the easiest for returns.

[petercreasey]

Thanks to everyone for the good info!