Amazon Book Updates Question

[emalvick]

I was cleaning up my Amazon Collection in Calibre when I noticed that one of my books had been edited and upgraded.

Am I supposed to be able to upgrade the book without re-purchasing it? Amazon's little note for the book suggested people should upgrade, but when i just tried to re-download it from my archive, I ended up with the same version as I already had.

I thought I had seen discussions about this here before, but I couldn't find anything (probably using wrong search terms).

Thanks for any suggestions.

-Erik

[JMikeD]

Originally Posted by emalvick

I was cleaning up my Amazon Collection in Calibre when I noticed that one of my books had been edited and upgraded.

Am I supposed to be able to upgrade the book without re-purchasing it? Amazon's little note for the book suggested people should upgrade, but when i just tried to re-download it from my archive, I ended up with the same version as I already had.

I thought I had seen discussions about this here before, but I couldn't find anything (probably using wrong search terms).

Thanks for any suggestions.

-Erik

Yep. That's what happens. As far as I know, you're stuck with the original copy unless A) Amazon sends you an email with instructions on how to upgrade (it's never happened to me), or B) You call Kindle Customer Service and get them to delete the old version, refund your money, and then you buy the new one (I've had to do this three or four times).

Where did "Amazon's little note" show up?

I consider this a major failing on Amazon's part.

[Snakey]

From what I've read on this forum about book updates, sometimes they will inform you by email and then you just re-download it. Sometimes they won't inform you. And then sometimes they will release the fixed version as a new edition that you have to repurchase. I've never dealt with one of these personally but I know someone who has, they got an email and just re-downloaded it.

[runtmms]

I am actually in the process of several emails to customer service about this very issue. I can't get a straight answer. Maybe they'll get to something consistent if enough people complain.

I'm curious about "Amazon't little note" as well.

A customer service email I just received claimed that they remove books with errors in them from the site until corrected - which I've never seen. One of my biggest complaints is they keep selling editions they know have errors in them. Why should the publishers bother to have a real person proof read anything?

-M

[emalvick]

Basically, they had a note at the bottom of their product description (i.e. where they sometimes show the Editorial Reviews) right before the customer reviews...

The specific title was at this link.

I had purchased the Version 2.0, and they now show Version 3.0. In this case, I don't think I will be too concerned since it was only $0.99.

I do recall what has been posted in response in other messages, too, but I could remember or find where I had seen the info before. Perhaps I'll contact customer service about this just to add to the complaint list. I'd hate to not be able to get an update on a title that is more important to me.

Thanks for all the responses here.

-Erik

[JMikeD]

Originally Posted by emalvick

The specific title was at this link.

That's a note by the author/publisher, and not from Amazon. I don't think they know how Amazon handles that sort of thing. When you buy a book, a copy goes into your archives and is never replaced automatically. The author or publisher can upload all the revisions they want, and it will not effect the copy your have in your archives.

[DMSmillie]

The problem with updated versions of a book, from Amazon's perspective, is that a customer's annotations and bookmarks are linked to the specific copy of the ebook that they obtained when they first bought it. If the customer deletes the book from their Kindle, then subsequently re-downloads it from their archive, Amazon's view is that the customer will expect their annotations and bookmarks to be retained (since that is what Amazon says will happen). If Amazon simply deleted the original version of the book, and replaced it with the new version, all of the customer's annotations and bookmarks would be lost, and I imagine Amazon would be snowed under with complaints from customers.

This is an issue that Amazon are aware of, and have said they're working on (i.e. how to enable annotations and bookmarks to carry forward from one version of a book to another). For now, however, the only way to obtain an updated version of a book you've previously purchased, is to contact Amazon Kindle customer service and request to have the new version replace the old version. Last I heard, Amazon sends you an email explaining that you'll lose any annotations and bookmarks on that book if they replace it, and asking you to reply to the email to indicate that you understand and agree to this, after which they remove the book from your archive so you can re-download it and get the updated version.

[emalvick]

Originally Posted by JMikeD

That's a note by the author/publisher, and not from Amazon. I don't think they know how Amazon handles that sort of thing. When you buy a book, a copy goes into your archives and is never replaced automatically. The author or publisher can upload all the revisions they want, and it will not effect the copy your have in your archives.

Well, I knew Amazon didn't do that automatically, thus the question in my first post (i.e. is there a way to download a new version, not automatic, that I didn't know of besides the one you and others have pointed out via customer service).

I didn't really think about the fact that the publisher may have provided the upgrade, or that note anyway, as I'll admit that my first instinct is to look at the store and not the manufacturer when it comes to such a note.

Thanks for your help on that.

[emalvick]

Originally Posted by DMSmillie

The problem with updated versions of a book, from Amazon's perspective, is that a customer's annotations and bookmarks are linked to the specific copy of the ebook that they obtained when they first bought it. If the customer deletes the book from their Kindle, then subsequently re-downloads it from their archive, Amazon's view is that the customer will expect their annotations and bookmarks to be retained (since that is what Amazon says will happen). If Amazon simply deleted the original version of the book, and replaced it with the new version, all of the customer's annotations and bookmarks would be lost, and I imagine Amazon would be snowed under with complaints from customers.

This is an issue that Amazon are aware of, and have said they're working on (i.e. how to enable annotations and bookmarks to carry forward from one version of a book to another). For now, however, the only way to obtain an updated version of a book you've previously purchased, is to contact Amazon Kindle customer service and request to have the new version replace the old version. Last I heard, Amazon sends you an email explaining that you'll lose any annotations and bookmarks on that book if they replace it, and asking you to reply to the email to indicate that you understand and agree to this, after which they remove the book from your archive so you can re-download it and get the updated version.

I can see the importance of that aspect, although it may very well be as simple as pointing out the potential loss and asking for a user to acknowledge that potential loss before making the upgrade musch like an EULA when one installs software. It would seem to be more convenient for Amazon than having to deal with a customer inquiry, exchange, and repurchase for every upgrade needed.

I am sure there is no surefire way to make an upgrade and guarantee no loss in bookmarks, etc as editing could very well change locations and text enough that Amazon couldn't rely on a search function or location number to transfer items amongst versions. But, I suspect that a large portion of people either don't use the highlights, annotations, and bookmark functions or might not mind losing them for an upgrade. It's not that those things aren't important, but give people the choice (much like it sounds like they do in their less than ideal system now) that may not require Amazon to deal with upgrades on a case by case basis.

[runtmms]

I just can't believe how many emails it takes to get a correction - and how many times I have to re-enter order data.

How about on the manage my kindle page a button next to the title that says "corrected version available" anytime there is a corrected version available? When you click it you get the warning about losing notes, and have an option to proceed. If I could see corrected versions were available and switch to them myself then I wouldn't keep bothering customer service with the same problem.

-M

[ProfCrash]

I have received emails from Amazon telling me that I book that I purchased had been updated. They offer to let you take the updated version, losing any notes that you might have, or keep the version you currently have.

[wvcherrybomb]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I have received emails from Amazon telling me that I book that I purchased had been updated. They offer to let you take the updated version, losing any notes that you might have, or keep the version you currently have.

Me too. I got one today and have always gotten them in the past.

I would suggest people check their spam folders. Since the email goes out to so many people, it may be mistaken for spam by your email server.

[mdovell]

That's pretty good news because there's a few books I have that apparently have a few upgrades. I can't justify paying the price AGAIN, just to get an extra chapter or two.