Aura One unavailable until "early 2017"...

[Geenween]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I'm not sure I ever saw a sale on the H2O. The chatter I saw about that particular model on FB was very positive. I saw lots of REQUESTS for "sale" or discounts. I vaguely recall they might have one, but memory isn't coming up with any details at the moment.

The most discount I ever saw on a H2O in Italy is a 10 euros discount, and even then it was one electronics retailer, never in one of the affiliated bookstores. At most they have had discounts on the covers if you bought a device. I always took it as a sign they sell them steadily enough that they don't need to attract a lot of customers, after all, mostly they are intended for a niche audience and there isn't that much competition in the field.

Even the Glo HD was rarely on sale, until it went out of production and to sell the last units they included the cover in the price of the device.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Geenween

The most discount I ever saw on a H2O in Italy is a 10 euros discount, and even then it was one electronics retailer, never in one of the affiliated bookstores. At most they have had discounts on the covers if you bought a device. I always took it as a sign they sell them steadily enough that they don't need to attract a lot of customers, after all, mostly they are intended for a niche audience and there isn't that much competition in the field.

Even the Glo HD was rarely on sale, until it went out of production and to sell the last units they included the cover in the price of the device.

That is pretty much what I see as well. I think there *may* have been an H2O bundled with a cover at one point. The kobo thread on mobileread had a coupon that worked on some units (only the older ones at the time). They also rarely, rarely do giveaways of the readers. I've tried to get my blog qualified to do an e-reader giveaway and they just don't seem interested in doing them. In all the time I've been working with them I have seen them do ONE giveaway on a blog (I think 4 blogs participated in getting the word out and "registering" for the giveaway) and it was this year. I think the H2O was on back order in the early days of selling it too, but that was a while ago so I might not be remembering the correct unit.

Most of their focus/promos are on selling books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Katie1

Funny it seems available All Over the World.... http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...a+one&_sacat=0

Here's a better link that just shows the device and not all the other stuff.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...&_sacat=171485

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Braid

But, it seems unlikely to me. The KA1 is their flagship reader. Obviously it was released to coincide with Christmas. I simply cannot see how it would take months to manufacture some more Sleepcovers. What seems more likely to me is that Kobo have decided to stop selling the units because of the high proportion of refunds they are receiving.

The H20 was a limited edition. They didn't think it would sell so much. That, I understand. The Aura One was launched after a big research with customers. So, Kobo knew what people wanted. I just can't believe they were not expecting great sales.

So, maybe the Aura One has more problems than expected and they are fixing them. Or, the guys just didn't order/make enough to meet the demand. First case scenario : I'm happy I didn't buy one yet. First and second case scenario : someone should get fired...

[robko]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

The H20 was a limited edition. They didn't think it would sell so much. That, I understand. The Aura One was launched after a big research with customers. So, Kobo knew what people wanted. I just can't believe they were not expecting great sales.

So, maybe the Aura One has more problems than expected and they are fixing them. Or, the guys just didn't order/make enough to meet the demand. First case scenario : I'm happy I didn't buy one yet. First and second case scenario : someone should get fired...

Actually it was the Aura HD that was originally supposed to be limited a limited edition reader that was a runaway success. The H2O was a planned mainstream addition to their lineup. The Aura One was launched after reader research, but I think they viewed it as more of a premium niche reader aimed at hardcore readers and my impression is that it had a wider audience than that.

[feebsjee]

It seems strange that this device would not be sold through the christmas period.

I have found a place that has some in stock but now I have worries that in early 2017 they will release a model with fixes to issues people have been reporting so I am hesitant in buying.

[cerem0ny]

Originally Posted by feebsjee

It seems strange that this device would not be sold through the christmas period.

I have found a place that has some in stock but now I have worries that in early 2017 they will release a model with fixes to issues people have been reporting so I am hesitant in buying.

I wonder how well a new batch would sale RIGHT NOW before christmas vs. the initial release...

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

The H20 was a limited edition. They didn't think it would sell so much. That, I understand. The Aura One was launched after a big research with customers. So, Kobo knew what people wanted. I just can't believe they were not expecting great sales.

So, maybe the Aura One has more problems than expected and they are fixing them. Or, the guys just didn't order/make enough to meet the demand. First case scenario : I'm happy I didn't buy one yet. First and second case scenario : someone should get fired...

No, the Aura HD was the limited edition device. For the Aura ONE, while they did the research, but the product was still a premium product. I think they expected it to sell well, but I think it was much better than expected. So, I do think it has sold out because they didn't plan well enough. But, I am wondering if they are taking advantage of this to fix some of the hardware problems.

[MGlitch]

You can also thank the folks that demanded numerous exchanges trying to get a 'perfect' device. Yes there were some legitimate display issues, but there were also folks who went looking for issues. Each exchange cuts into the number of devices Kobo has to sell. Even if the returned device is totally fine it still needs to be tested for resellability, and that's presuming Kobo would just wipe any registration of the device from their records and resell it which seems doubtful.

[Desdinova]

Yeah, I'm reasonably confident they're not going to pull a Pebble...

From my email from pebble

What you need to know

Pebble is no longer promoting, manufacturing, or selling any devices.
Pebble devices will continue to work as normal. No immediate changes to the Pebble user experience will happen at this time.
Pebble functionality or service quality may be reduced in the future.
Kickstarter backers will get refunds for any unfulfilled rewards by March 2017.
One-to-one Pebble support is no longer available.
Warranty support is no longer available for Pebble watches.
All unfulfilled pebble.com orders will be canceled and—if payment was taken—refunded.
Returns of pebble.com orders successfully completed before December 7, 2016 will be processed and refunded by our Support Team.
Pebble watches purchased at retail may be returned or exchanged based on the retailer’s return policy.
Pebblers can still find replacement charging cables and other compatible accessories (bands, skins, etc.) from Amazon.com and third-party vendors like GadgetWraps and Clockwork Synergy.
Developers have an exciting opportunity to reach and delight over 50 million users and counting.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every Pebbler for supporting us over the years. Our community is vibrant. Our community is passionate. You are what made Pebble special and worth fighting for, every second of every day. We will always remember the love you showed Pebble, through thick and thin.

Glad I didn't buy my wife a new Pebble for Xmas. Pulling warranty support would have left me VERY unhappy!

[peterkobovox]

I ordered through ebay and got mine delivered to Indonesia in less than a week, in perfect condition

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by Desdinova

Yeah, I'm reasonably confident they're not going to pull a Pebble...

I'm not sure what Pebble being purchased by Fitbit has got to do with Kobo. The nearest analogy might be B&N buying Kobo and abandoning all of Kobo's ereaders.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by davidfor

No, the Aura HD was the limited edition device. For the Aura ONE, while they did the research, but the product was still a premium product. I think they expected it to sell well, but I think it was much better than expected. So, I do think it has sold out because they didn't plan well enough. But, I am wondering if they are taking advantage of this to fix some of the hardware problems.

Yes, you're right. It was the HD. Which I bought, before my H20.

I'm waiting for the next batch anyway.

[Desdinova]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

I'm not sure what Pebble being purchased by Fitbit has got to do with Kobo. The nearest analogy might be B&N buying Kobo and abandoning all of Kobo's ereaders.

I was thinking more "pull the aura one and pretend it didn't exist " ;-)

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by Desdinova

I was thinking more "pull the aura one and pretend it didn't exist " ;-)

Oh I see - well considering their massive (for Kobo) marketing campaign for the KA1, and the fact that it got reviewed by the mainstream tech press and not just the ereader niche guys, trying a Jedi mind trick is IMHO not an option :-)