Australia/NZ Borders, A&R and Whitcoulls go bust

[caleb72]

Just as long as publishers can still be "protected" I guess.

Regards
Caleb

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Just as long as publishers can still be "protected" I guess.

Regards
Caleb

Pretty much

This is precisely want Gerry Harvey and his ilk want. Protectionism and associated high prices while they continue to rip the Australian consumer off.

[SameOldStory]

In a strict legal since I can understand what they have to do under the law to protect both creditors and investors. But such treatment of customers gives me little hope that you guys in AU can have much hope of those companies returning to full business. I certainly would never shop there again.

I work for a Fortune 500 company and I see such disregard for the customers wants and needs all too often. Service and satisfaction are totally subservient to an overly simplistic accountants idea of the perfectly run company. But success depends not only on the bottom line but also on the perception of your integrity.

[MojoMobile]

Originally Posted by djorkboy

Do any Australians buy ebooks from Australian retailers? Myself and everyone I know buy their ebooks from offshore (mostly Amazon and Kobobooks), I had never even considered buying ebooks locally.

yes. cause I have a Sony and Borders and A&R are the only site(s) I am aware of for Sonys.

[forcheville]

As far as paper books are concerned a bricks and mortar bookshop is worth supporting if its staff are friendly and helpful and their collection is good, or if it is merely the sort of place where you find books you didn't know you wanted until you saw them, ie a shop with a good back-catalogue.

Few Australian retail bookshops make the cut, although the best on both counts is Glebebooks in Sydney. I have no sympathy for the big chains, but plenty for small booksellers and good used book shops.

For general paper-book buying I go to the excellent and cheap online store known as The Book Depository, which kills Amazon on price and delivery speed.

[viviena]

Originally Posted by MojoMobile

yes. cause I have a Sony and Borders and A&R are the only site(s) I am aware of for Sonys.

You do know you can buy from any store that sells EPUBs? The Sony Reader 350 is my main reader, but I actually buy mostly from KoboBooks, for example, no conversion needed.

Despite all the bad feelings now being aired about Borders' business practices, I'm still fervently hoping my local branch remains open. For me, it's always had a good range and reasonably helpful staff, good lighting and wide-open spaces--I'm not fond of stereotypically musty and dim-lit bookstores. The local A&R has a small range of mostly bestsellers as well as remainders---I always felt like I was in the bargain basement of unwanted books there--and the local Dymocks feels cramped and similarly flooded with remainders.

Also, for those Aussies looking for the cheapest prices on pbooks, try http://booko.com.au/ . Book Depository UK usually, though not always, wins on price and range, like forchehville says.

[jehane]

Originally Posted by MojoMobile

yes. cause I have a Sony and Borders and A&R are the only site(s) I am aware of for Sonys.

MM, Sonys will read any ADE DRM epub, and any non-DRM epub, plus other formats like pdf, txt, rtf. So you can buy from any shop that sells these, allowing for geographical restrictions. The ones you should be careful of are B&N and Apple iBooks, which use different DRM schemes and Amazon which uses a different format altogether. Personally I like Kobo. Some publishers (Baen is popular for SF/F) sell direct. If you give us an idea of what sort of books you like, we can recommend you some sites.

[jehane]

Originally Posted by viviena

Also, for those Aussies looking for the cheapest prices on pbooks, try http://booko.com.au/ . Book Depository UK usually, though not always, wins on price and range, like forchehville says.

I wrote to the guy that does booko to ask him about ebooks, and he managed to get the information from Borders/A&R, but last I heard he was waiting to hear back from Kobo.

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by iandix

going into administration does not mean they are closing down. (it still might) what will more than likely happen is they will close some stores and break up the company and sell it off. So we may still have book stores and who knows we might still have the ebook business going, just with new owners. Kobo is still going and still growing.

In Australia administrators are usually appointed by the banks who have lent money to the business. You are right that it might not mean that the stores will all close BUT no prizes for guessing who gets any money when assets are sold or outlets taken over by others. Only employees have any priority (along with the lenders), but as too often happens those poor sods are lucky to get any back pay and superannuation or other entitlements. If you are owed money then you are an unsecured creditor and would probably have little hope of getting any money back. (Hint-a lottery ticket may have better odds.) A working life in the insolvency business did make me very cynical - and oddly I saw very few well-run and well managed businesses go under. If I did it was usually because of some totally unexpected factor like a natural disaster or a fire.

[WendyH]

Originally Posted by viviena

You do know you can buy from any store that sells EPUBs? The Sony Reader 350 is my main reader, but I actually buy mostly from KoboBooks, for example, no conversion needed.

I also buy my ebooks from Kobo. I have never bought them from Borders or A&R. The only problem is that the Commonwealth Bank charges an international currency conversion fee of $1 per book! You have to buy each book individually and so instead of there being one fee for a few books there is one for each. That is a lot to add to the cost of every book, I don't know how they justify it.

[viviena]

Originally Posted by WendyH

The only problem is that the Commonwealth Bank charges an international currency conversion fee of $1 per book!

My credit card company charges a couple of cents per transaction from KoboBooks, and they've called me twice out of concern of fraud after I went crazy with KoboBooks' coupons.

WendyH, a tip I picked up from fellow MR members is to buy a gift card from KoboBooks---I went with $50 value, for example---gift it to yourself, and you'll have store credit to draw on which shouldn't touch your CC, and which should avoid racking up the smaller charges on your statement.

Of course, with what's happened recently concerning Borders Australia and their refusal to honour gift cards properly*, I'm not sure I should be recommending this route as a matter of course...

[WendyH]

Yes, it's a huge amount to charge isn't it? I am going to go and see the bank about it as I think it is terrible.
It's a good idea buying a gift card, I had thought of doing it but hadn't gotten around to it yet. I think Kobo is pretty safe.

Borders isn't actually refusing to honour gift cards, they are just requiring you to spend an equal amount. You still get the full value of the card.

[Polyglot27]

Originally Posted by forcheville

As far as paper books are concerned a bricks and mortar bookshop is worth supporting if its staff are friendly and helpful and their collection is good, or if it is merely the sort of place where you find books you didn't know you wanted until you saw them, ie a shop with a good back-catalogue.

Few Australian retail bookshops make the cut, although the best on both counts is Glebebooks in Sydney. I have no sympathy for the big chains, but plenty for small booksellers and good used book shops.

I quite agree with you about Gleebooks in Glebe Point Road, Sydney. Abbey Book Shop in the city is good for foreign language books too. These are the brick and mortar bookshops that we should definitely support. Though I no longer live in Sydney, I wish them a long and happy continuation of what they have been doing.

[jehane]

Originally Posted by WendyH

The only problem is that the Commonwealth Bank charges an international currency conversion fee of $1 per book!

Hi Wendy

Have you considered changing to another credit card, one that doesn't charge foreign currency fees? I have the earth card (westpac), which doesn't charge foreign currency fees.

Earth card link

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by jehane

Hi Wendy

Have you considered changing to another credit card, one that doesn't charge foreign currency fees? I have the earth card (westpac), which doesn't charge foreign currency fees.

Earth card link

My Westpac debit Mastercard charges for foreign currency transactions, so your news on the earthcard is most interesting.