How to get around corporate greed at Amazon? - Page 3

JSWolf · 10-03-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm curious about how Amazon can be considered to be a monopoly. There are dozens of sources of DRM-free Mobipocket books, all of which the Kindle will read.

For eBooks that have DRM, Amazon is the only source for most people. No other eink reader (that I know of) is limited to just one shop for DRMed content. And we are not talking about liberating DRM and then converting if need be.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-03-2009, 09:56 AM

Don't forget, Jon, there are still non-dedicated devices that can read content from almost every e-book source (except Amazon... and if you have an iPhone, you can read from other sources and get the Kindle app). For people in this country and outside, anyone can buy e-books from multiple sources. Amazon is by no means a monopoly, as I can attest by the dozen e-books I've bought this year, none of which came from Amazon.

Amazon knows they can't beat others on price. That's why they push the Kindle advantage of getting the book this instant... that's why you're paying a premium price. But if you're not in that much of a hurry, you'll find out that there are other sources for many of those books, and you are free to buy from them instead. So if price is more important than instant gratification, by all means, look elsewhere.

Amazon is but one retailer, and when they are in direct competition with other retailers, it is the consumer that has control. Vote with your wallets. If Amazon doesn't sell an e-book the way you like it, then by all means, don't buy it. And you might want to leave a post about it, too, so Amazon will find out why you didn't buy, and take that into account when they explore future sales models.

Or... just don't buy. Yes, the industry is going through growing pains (pretty amazing for an industry for a product that's been around for 20 years, huh?). But it will settle down, and then you can buy e-books for much better prices. And in the meantime, maybe this would be a good time to check out material by indie authors... maybe you'll discover the next Steinbeck.

daffy4u · 10-03-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Amazon knows they can't beat others on price.

Seems to me that just recently, other ebook retailers have begun to lower their prices because Amazon was beating them (and in some cases still it).

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-03-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Seems to me that just recently, other ebook retailers have begun to lower their prices because Amazon was beating them (and in some cases still it).

Sorry, I didn't mean everybody... a lot of e-book retailers have ridiculously-inflated prices, and Amazon is forcing them to come down to compete. But as e-books gain in popularity, other retailers, selling e-books for $5 or less, will force general prices even lower, and Amazon will probably maintain their immediate access system as a reason to keep their prices higher.

Gwen Morse · 10-07-2010, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Sorry, I didn't mean everybody... a lot of e-book retailers have ridiculously-inflated prices, and Amazon is forcing them to come down to compete. But as e-books gain in popularity, other retailers, selling e-books for $5 or less, will force general prices even lower, and Amazon will probably maintain their immediate access system as a reason to keep their prices higher.

Within the US, other e-book retailers will only be able to sell books that inexpensively if they're not published by one of the big publishing houses.

Penguin presumably owns the rights to The Grapes of Wrath (or at least that 'edition').

It's kind of sad that they're inflating ebook prices on classics that haven't slipped into the public domain (yet). Penguin "used to" be known as the source of public domain pbooks. Most other publishers wouldn't bother with books that anyone could publish. In their own way, while still trying to make a profit, they were doing a public service -- keeping what would otherwise be neglected works circulating.

Josieb1 · 10-07-2010, 05:58 AM

Quote:

While I don't condone pirating as a means for getting works for free, I have been known to pickup an ebook when there wasn't one commercially available but only if I had a paper version. For example I used to have the "Lord of the Rings" books and darknet ebooks, but once they were available digitally I removed the darknet copies. Now I have the single hardback, paperback copies, and legitimate ebook copies.

I am in that situation, and really don't know what to do. To me it seems we may have a bigger problem than expensive ebooks.

Most of the books I want are old books, The Dragonlance books are an example, not one of the original books (and I have nearly 60 of them) are available in ebook format, I think its because the paper backs are cheap and because Amazon prices ebooks less that paper books even a new ebook would be priced low so publishers do not think it is worth their while releasing them.

Luckily I read fan fiction (which is free) on my Kindle so I am not reliant on buying ebooks, as for me there is just not enough books I want available right now.

Tuba · 10-07-2010, 06:11 AM

Amazon is not a charity. It is a 'for profit' corporation and it is required to be greedy. They answer to their shareholders while trying to serve their customers. Not vice-versa.

Giving you a discount is taking money away from their shareholders.

patrickt · 10-07-2010, 08:57 AM

Someone using an Apple logo as an avatar on an Amazon site is complaining about corporate greed. Irony?

el_brio · 10-07-2010, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Someone using an Apple logo as an avatar on an Amazon site is complaining about corporate greed. Irony?

You beat me to it. I read through all the comments and was excited that I was going to get to make this point. Heh. One post too slow I guess.

DiapDealer · 10-07-2010, 09:10 AM

It would only be corporate greed if they were somehow forcing you to buy it. We all have to make personal financial decisions on consumer wants/needs. The way you "get around the greed" is to buy it if you feel it's worth it... don't buy it if you think it's overpriced.

Jacina · 10-07-2010, 09:13 AM

Lets see, penguin "recommends" selling them at 16$

Thats usually a 100% markup, meaning they sell the books to amazon for 8$

That suddenly leaves amazon a VERY slim margin of ~2$ with which they need to pay for the bandwidth, administration etc.

Normally in sales you need around 30-40% margins to remain healthy... amazon isn't being "greedy" by any measure. (They do have the advantage of mass sellings to offset the administration/bandwidth costs but still this book has "only" a 20% margin and that is close to being at the non-profit edge.

abookreader · 10-07-2010, 09:17 AM

Wow - a 2009 thread!

The 2009 pre-Agency price of $9.99 when Amazon was in control was unconscionable in the OP's opinion. I wonder how Jeremy feels now that his beloved Apple Corp shoe-horned in Agency Pricing and Penguin was allowed to wrestle the price decision out of Amazon's hand and has set it at $12.99 fixed, end of story? Hey look at that, buyer's today get to pay 30% more!

How to get around corporate greed? Don't buy the book if you feel it is unfairly priced.

I'm not sure but way back in the days that Amazon set the price, didn't they have this on sale once for around $4?

xnowimcoolx · 10-07-2010, 01:04 PM

For some titles I'd agree, but Grapes of Wrath is worth $9.99, no matter what format.

If you don't feel that it is, don't buy it.

desertgrandma · 10-07-2010, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyZ

If I can't find it for less at a local shop, I'm tempted to just buy the one for $10.40 online, and make them pay for the physical book as well as free shipping, just to make it more expensive for them. I bet they have a way of tracking when a Kindle customer buys a print book.

Maybe used on ebay or something?

How do you guys handle this?

You really think they care?

How would I handle it?

Easy......I'd go to my online library, download a Mobipiocket version (yes it is available) and use kindlefix to read it.

desertgrandma · 10-07-2010, 07:33 PM

@JeremyZ.......

If in 2009 you hated the $9.99 price, you'll liable to freak out at the current one.....

http://www.amazon.com/The-Grapes-of-...6494280&sr=1-1

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Government Greed a short story by Caroline Gerardo	john25	ePub Books	1	06-23-2010 04:22 PM
Something which might draw in more students & Corporate for Large Format	brecklundin	News	0	08-06-2009 08:52 PM
NAEB Corporate Status	penty	Bookeen	56	02-12-2008 01:39 PM
Nooked's corporate RSS feed directory	Alexander Turcic	Lounge	0	02-26-2005 04:08 AM

10-03-2009, 09:56 AM	#32
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Don't forget, Jon, there are still non-dedicated devices that can read content from almost every e-book source (except Amazon... and if you have an iPhone, you can read from other sources and get the Kindle app). For people in this country and outside, anyone can buy e-books from multiple sources. Amazon is by no means a monopoly, as I can attest by the dozen e-books I've bought this year, none of which came from Amazon. Amazon knows they can't beat others on price. That's why they push the Kindle advantage of getting the book this instant... that's why you're paying a premium price. But if you're not in that much of a hurry, you'll find out that there are other sources for many of those books, and you are free to buy from them instead. So if price is more important than instant gratification, by all means, look elsewhere. Amazon is but one retailer, and when they are in direct competition with other retailers, it is the consumer that has control. Vote with your wallets. If Amazon doesn't sell an e-book the way you like it, then by all means, don't buy it. And you might want to leave a post about it, too, so Amazon will find out why you didn't buy, and take that into account when they explore future sales models. Or... just don't buy. Yes, the industry is going through growing pains (pretty amazing for an industry for a product that's been around for 20 years, huh?). But it will settle down, and then you can buy e-books for much better prices. And in the meantime, maybe this would be a good time to check out material by indie authors... maybe you'll discover the next Steinbeck.

10-07-2010, 06:11 AM	#37
Tuba Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 592 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle DX Graphite	Amazon is not a charity. It is a 'for profit' corporation and it is required to be greedy. They answer to their shareholders while trying to serve their customers. Not vice-versa. Giving you a discount is taking money away from their shareholders.

10-07-2010, 08:57 AM	#38
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Someone using an Apple logo as an avatar on an Amazon site is complaining about corporate greed. Irony?

10-07-2010, 09:10 AM	#40
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,526 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It would only be corporate greed if they were somehow forcing you to buy it. We all have to make personal financial decisions on consumer wants/needs. The way you "get around the greed" is to buy it if you feel it's worth it... don't buy it if you think it's overpriced.

10-07-2010, 09:13 AM	#41
Jacina Member Posts: 20 Karma: 32 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle	Lets see, penguin "recommends" selling them at 16$ Thats usually a 100% markup, meaning they sell the books to amazon for 8$ That suddenly leaves amazon a VERY slim margin of ~2$ with which they need to pay for the bandwidth, administration etc. Normally in sales you need around 30-40% margins to remain healthy... amazon isn't being "greedy" by any measure. (They do have the advantage of mass sellings to offset the administration/bandwidth costs but still this book has "only" a 20% margin and that is close to being at the non-profit edge.

10-07-2010, 09:17 AM	#42
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	Wow - a 2009 thread! The 2009 pre-Agency price of $9.99 when Amazon was in control was unconscionable in the OP's opinion. I wonder how Jeremy feels now that his beloved Apple Corp shoe-horned in Agency Pricing and Penguin was allowed to wrestle the price decision out of Amazon's hand and has set it at $12.99 fixed, end of story? Hey look at that, buyer's today get to pay 30% more! How to get around corporate greed? Don't buy the book if you feel it is unfairly priced. I'm not sure but way back in the days that Amazon set the price, didn't they have this on sale once for around $4?

10-07-2010, 01:04 PM	#43
xnowimcoolx Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 3100 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle 2	For some titles I'd agree, but Grapes of Wrath is worth $9.99, no matter what format. If you don't feel that it is, don't buy it.

10-07-2010, 07:33 PM	#45
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	@JeremyZ....... If in 2009 you hated the $9.99 price, you'll liable to freak out at the current one..... http://www.amazon.com/The-Grapes-of-...6494280&sr=1-1

Advert

Advert