Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[Billingsgate]

Sad to confirm that the code I just received in the contest (and some other non-contest codes shared recently) does not work in the Hong Kong store. Frankly, I don't understand the reasoning behind restricting codes to the US, UK and Canada. Is it merely to piss off legitimate overseas customers? Same with Amazon's stupid $2 Whispernet surcharge on all e-books purchased outside their core territories, the reason I've never purchased a Kindle device or book.

I've noticed that on some epub books I'm interested in, Google Play Books are less expensive than Kobo, so it's time to migrate to a new store.

If anyone can use a 25% code:

2KBHZ7

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

What a bummer. I think Kobo is doing a terrific job at pushing us away.

Good job, Kobo, good job.

Agreed whole-heartedly!

[Kim W]

I'm not sure if I should bother to post this, but here is a 25% coupon if someone wants it.
28WTA8

[BearMountainBooks]

Well, please keep posting codes if you get them! I do have a couple of books that qualify for codes and will be keeping my fingers crossed that I get a high code!

I don't know why the coupons aren't good in other countries/stores. Their contests for free readers are the same way. There is probably a logical or legal reason for it since they have slowly been changing the way the codes work--even though the legal statement is the same.

[Tarana]

Here's my codes so far. Both are 30%. I don't need to get anything this month.
2MTQ64
2N25PV

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

I just tested these in the India store and none of them work unfortunately Geralt.

I hope the other 35% off work.

Spoiler:

Comeback1sq42
Comeback3cl86
Comeback5cr87
thanks8_6cl87

[Kiya]

Originally Posted by Billingsgate

Sad to confirm that the code I just received in the contest (and some other non-contest codes shared recently) does not work in the Hong Kong store. Frankly, I don't understand the reasoning behind restricting codes to the US, UK and Canada. Is it merely to piss off legitimate overseas customers? Same with Amazon's stupid $2 Whispernet surcharge on all e-books purchased outside their core territories, the reason I've never purchased a Kindle device or book.

I've noticed that on some epub books I'm interested in, Google Play Books are less expensive than Kobo, so it's time to migrate to a new store.

I agree. Nothing stops you buying book faster then when the price magically morphs from 4.99 to 6.99.

I will need to check Google Play Books, but with my luck they will tell me they are not allow to sell books to me.

[Geralt]

1stkobo, works in Japanese store, 1000 yen off! That's around 10$.



Gonna get myself a book Change your country to Japan and try it out. If that doesn't work you might need Hola for Chrome/Firefox.

[Geralt]

I see that there's no Japan in acc. settings at kobobooks.com
I guess you have to go through http://rakuten.kobobooks.com/ and for that you definitely need some sort of VPN.

[pdurrant]

I won't be adding posted competition codes to the front page for this competition, since they are once again single use only.

I'm not sure I can face fifty registrations (on the last day) to try to get a 75% off code. We'll see.

[wallflower75]

*sigh* I guess I'll just have to wait for a big-time multi-use code that works anywhere to come along before I have another major spending spree. I suppose my PayPal balance will thank me someday...

I'm hoping to get lucky and get one good code. There's a code-eligible book I want to get, but so far, 20% is the best I've had. Still, it's only day two! Maybe I'll get lucky.

[anavin]

Originally Posted by Geralt

I see that there's no Japan in acc. settings at kobobooks.com
I guess you have to go through http://rakuten.kobobooks.com/ and for that you definitely need some sort of VPN.

I've done it one year ago and here's my personal experience:

If you register your account on kobobooks.com outside Japan and use Japanese VPN to access it, you will automatically be redirect to rakuten.kobobooks.com, and you can purchase Japanese-only book with Japanese-only coupon.

But, if you really make a purchase, your account will be locked to Japanese region, without VPN. This was actually OK for me at first: I've always want to buy Japanese books anyway. Until I found I couldn't access my payment information anymore; I received a server error page on it. It seems that Kobo didn't prepare to make any non-raktuen account accessing Japanese Kobo site.

(Actually, that Kobo account still worked mostly. I just didn't want to keep my credit card information on a website that would throw me a server-error on the page they kept my credit card numbers on!)

The only solution I've found is registering another Rakuten account, asking Kobo to transfer all my books to it, then disabling my Kobo account. That new account works on Kobo flawlessly.

[JoHunt]

The plus part of Kobo's devaluing contest codes is that I find I "need" to buy fewer books than when the codes meant something

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by anavin

I've done it one year ago and here's my personal experience:

If you register your account on kobobooks.com outside Japan and use Japanese VPN to access it, you will automatically be redirect to rakuten.kobobooks.com, and you can purchase Japanese-only book with Japanese-only coupon.

But, if you really make a purchase, your account will be locked to Japanese region, without VPN. This was actually OK for me at first: I've always want to buy Japanese books anyway. Until I found I couldn't access my payment information anymore; I received a server error page on it. It seems that Kobo didn't prepare to make any non-raktuen account accessing Japanese Kobo site.

(Actually, that Kobo account still worked mostly. I just didn't want to keep my credit card information on a website that would throw me a server-error on the page they kept my credit card numbers on!)

The only solution I've found is registering another Rakuten account, asking Kobo to transfer all my books to it, then disabling my Kobo account. That new account works on Kobo flawlessly.

I purchased The Godwhale by T.J. Bass which was 920円, which is clearly not Japanese using 1stkobo.
On rakuten.kobobooks.com (Jap. site) I log in with my japanese rakuten ID.
On kobobooks.com I log in with my kobo account ID and I use India store.

To switch between these two, all I needed was Hola in my chrome, and to be logged out of one, when I'm trying to log into other.

My account is not locked anywhere. Maybe because I use 2 separate IDs (Rakuten and Kobo) to log in 2 separate sites.

Japanese coupons can be used elsewhere too, so I think you are wrong on that. (Comeback3cl86 is a japanese coupon and it works in India as well for example)

[wallflower75]

I just tried the 1stkobo code in India, and it wouldn't work.