"A Thousand Splendid Suns" Connect vs Amazon

KlondikeGeoff · 06-26-2007, 05:35 PM

The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini is a wonderful book which read on the Reader.

Just got the Sony email for this week's new books, and his latest, A Thousand Splendid Suns is offered at $20.76. Just checked amazon, and they sell the hard cover version for $14.27.

Great bargain, Sony, thanks a lot.

JSWolf · 06-26-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KlondikeGeoff

The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini is a wonderful book which read on the Reader.

Just got the Sony email for this week's new books, and his latest, A Thousand Splendid Suns is offered at $20.76. Just checked amazon, and they sell the hard cover version for $14.27.

Great bargain, Sony, thanks a lot.

The thing to do is email Sony and tell them of this and see what they have to say.

KlondikeGeoff · 06-26-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The thing to do is email Sony and tell them of this and see what they have to say.

I went to the site and to "contact" and got a huge list of products. Down at the bottom was the Reader, but no email, no live chat, just a phone number. I dialed that, and got a message that it was not a working number. Hmmm.

You got an email address for them? I'll be glad to send them a message.

JSWolf · 06-26-2007, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KlondikeGeoff

I went to the site and to "contact" and got a huge list of products. Down at the bottom was the Reader, but no email, no live chat, just a phone number. I dialed that, and got a message that it was not a working number. Hmmm.

You got an email address for them? I'll be glad to send them a message.

Here is the link to send Customer Support a message...

http://ebooks.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/e...nduser/ask.php

Andanzas · 06-27-2007, 02:20 AM

Sony probably thinks we are saving a lot of money on classics, so we must be rich by now...

KlondikeGeoff · 06-27-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here is the link to send Customer Support a message...

http://ebooks.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/e...nduser/ask.php

Thanks! I've bookmarked it for the future, and sent them polite suggestion that they might want to take a look at their pricing.

I'm expecting a huge reduction in prices by tomorrow.

KlondikeGeoff · 06-27-2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KlondikeGeoff

Thanks! I've bookmarked it for the future, and sent them polite suggestion that they might want to take a look at their pricing.

Just for your amusement, following is the response just got from Sony:

"Hello,
Thank you for contacting Sony Connect! We sincerely appreciate all the time and effort that you have taken to explore our CONNECT eBook service and to share your opinions with us. It is very important that we receive this feedback from our users so that we may better serve all our customers. If you would like to send us more information so we can look into the issue you are experiencing we will review and follow up.
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,
Padraic
Customer Service
Sony Connect"

This is what we used to call a "bedbug letter." Anybody remember this?

Years ago a businessman took the 20th Century Limited to Chicago and was distressed to find bedbugs in the bunk. He wrote a letter chastising the railroad for this in such a high class train.

He got a letter immdiaately from the president of the NY Central RR, apoligizing profusely and assuring him that all efforts would be taken immediately to correct this deporable situation.

The only trouble was that the secretary forgot to take off the little note attached, which read, "Send this guy the bedbug letter."

monkeywrench · 01-08-2008, 06:47 PM

Ha! funny story Geoff

I will tell you that many of us here at mobile read have had great luck (or it was a great coincidence) getting the prices of books lowered by sending in the same type of feedback that you have. On two occasions that I remember I received the same "bedbug" letter and then went back to Connect the following day and the price had been 'corrected.'

I hope the same holds true with your request.

Kingston · 01-08-2008, 07:38 PM

Wow! That book costs $18.16 in the Sony Connect store.

It can be had for $9.99 on the Kindle.

One of the first Kindle books I bought was 'Age of Turbulence' by Alan Greenspan, also $9.99.

The Sony price is a whopping $24.50.

Do Sony Reader users try to find the gas station with the highest prices?

Just kidding guys.

JSWolf · 01-08-2008, 11:57 PM

Actually, I'd go to BooksOnBoard, purchase the MS Reader edition for $9.99, remove the DRM, convert to LRF and read and enjoy my DRM free version.

Alexander Turcic · 01-09-2008, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingston

Do Sony Reader users try to find the gas station with the highest prices?

Yeah, rub it in baby!

/me is hiding in a corner with his Reader...

HarryT · 01-10-2008, 02:44 AM

Sony don't set the prices - the publisher does. Don't blame Sony.

dhbailey · 01-10-2008, 03:49 AM

I would add to HarryT's remarks that it is quite possible that Amazon, with its much larger clout in the paper-book world as well as its entry into the ebook marketplace, was able to negotiate better prices with the publisher of those books than Sony, which currently only has clout in the ebook marketplace, could negotiate.

Publishers don't have any more loyalty to their customers than other corporations do, and will allow deeper discounts to some retailers than others, based solely on sales volume. And Amazon does a bigger business than Sony does, when it comes to book publishers. Even while certain segments of the population don't have access to those lower prices the publishers give certain retailers.

So don't blame Sony (entirely). On the other hand, they could attract a larger market share for the Reader as well as for it's ebook sales if it would adopt Amazon's pricing scheme and take some losses on sales of ebooks in order to gain larger market share for their hardware and eventually have more clout with publishers.

I'm hoping that the new partnership of Borders and Sony will produce just that sort of economic clout so that Sony will be able to negotiate better discounts for ebooks.

Ervserver · 01-10-2008, 10:34 AM

I'm hoping the Kindle format will one day will work on a Sony, somehow

astra · 01-10-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervserver

I'm hoping the Kindle format will one day will work on a Sony, somehow

Hope is the last thing to die

06-26-2007, 05:35 PM	#1
KlondikeGeoff Wombat Aficionado Posts: 481 Karma: 733 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arizona Device: Fire, Kindle1, Sony PRS-500 Reader, Rocket 1100 eBook	"A Thousand Splendid Suns" Connect vs Amazon The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini is a wonderful book which read on the Reader. Just got the Sony email for this week's new books, and his latest, A Thousand Splendid Suns is offered at $20.76. Just checked amazon, and they sell the hard cover version for $14.27. Great bargain, Sony, thanks a lot.

06-27-2007, 02:20 AM	#5
Andanzas Out of print Posts: 484 Karma: 1549538 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Sony PRS-500 (recycled), Pocketbook Inkpad X Pro	Sony probably thinks we are saving a lot of money on classics, so we must be rich by now... Last edited by Andanzas; 06-27-2007 at 04:59 PM.

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01-08-2008, 06:47 PM	#8
monkeywrench Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 42 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Antonio, TX Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Kindle Keyboard	Ha! funny story Geoff I will tell you that many of us here at mobile read have had great luck (or it was a great coincidence) getting the prices of books lowered by sending in the same type of feedback that you have. On two occasions that I remember I received the same "bedbug" letter and then went back to Connect the following day and the price had been 'corrected.' I hope the same holds true with your request.

01-08-2008, 07:38 PM	#9
Kingston Addict Posts: 238 Karma: 834 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: SW Tennessee Device: Kindle, Iliad v2 & v1,Gen 3 from NAEB, Sony PRS-505, Jetbook	Wow! That book costs $18.16 in the Sony Connect store. It can be had for $9.99 on the Kindle. One of the first Kindle books I bought was 'Age of Turbulence' by Alan Greenspan, also $9.99. The Sony price is a whopping $24.50. Do Sony Reader users try to find the gas station with the highest prices? Just kidding guys.

01-08-2008, 11:57 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Actually, I'd go to BooksOnBoard, purchase the MS Reader edition for $9.99, remove the DRM, convert to LRF and read and enjoy my DRM free version.

01-10-2008, 02:44 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Sony don't set the prices - the publisher does. Don't blame Sony.

01-10-2008, 03:49 AM	#13
dhbailey Guru Posts: 604 Karma: 733 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: HP iPAQ211 / PRS 500, 700 and 505	I would add to HarryT's remarks that it is quite possible that Amazon, with its much larger clout in the paper-book world as well as its entry into the ebook marketplace, was able to negotiate better prices with the publisher of those books than Sony, which currently only has clout in the ebook marketplace, could negotiate. Publishers don't have any more loyalty to their customers than other corporations do, and will allow deeper discounts to some retailers than others, based solely on sales volume. And Amazon does a bigger business than Sony does, when it comes to book publishers. Even while certain segments of the population don't have access to those lower prices the publishers give certain retailers. So don't blame Sony (entirely). On the other hand, they could attract a larger market share for the Reader as well as for it's ebook sales if it would adopt Amazon's pricing scheme and take some losses on sales of ebooks in order to gain larger market share for their hardware and eventually have more clout with publishers. I'm hoping that the new partnership of Borders and Sony will produce just that sort of economic clout so that Sony will be able to negotiate better discounts for ebooks.

01-10-2008, 10:34 AM	#14
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	I'm hoping the Kindle format will one day will work on a Sony, somehow