Charged Three Times for Book

[TechniSol]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

Update

I should also note that after having me spell my name out and looking through my account, the rep dubbed me "Norm". That's not my name, not a variant of my name and in fact shares only one letter with my name. I can only assume that in the rep's culture, "Norm" is a sign of deep respect and honour.

Bwaa, Ha, ha... Well, you've finally found out what Cliffie Claven is doing these days, uh, Norm. NORM!

[bartveld]

I've noticed that threads tend to wander off-topic around here. This here seems to have turned into a customer care rant so I'll wander along:

I put a simple question to the helpdesk and got a copy/paste answer which didn't address the question. I explained that my question should be more carefully read, rephrased it and again got a copy/paste answer, which seemed more to the point but still wasn't directed at what I was talking about. So I rephrased again, like explaining it to a 6-year old and now I wonder what the answer will be.

So far, VERY unimpressed with Kobo support.

[murg]

Originally Posted by bartveld

I've noticed that threads tend to wander off-topic around here. This here seems to have turned into a customer care rant so I'll wander along:

I put a simple question to the helpdesk and got a copy/paste answer which didn't address the question. I explained that my question should be more carefully read, rephrased it and again got a copy/paste answer, which seemed more to the point but still wasn't directed at what I was talking about. So I rephrased again, like explaining it to a 6-year old and now I wonder what the answer will be.

So far, VERY unimpressed with Kobo support.

Apparently, Kobo support is useless until you get put through to Kobo Executive Care.

[ottdmk]

I disagree. I've dealt with them a few times now, and I've never been put through to Kobo Executive Care. In each case the matter was resolved to my satisfaction.

[xendula]

Could the quality of Kobo support maybe differ from country to country?

[mutant_matt]

Surely the emails they encourage you to send, all go to the Canadian main support centre? (or center ).

My experience was similar. Email support about a firmware bug due to hang when sideloading a book. Respose, which book? Answer, any dodgy/corrupt file will do (as per the original report). Response, what's your Kobo account?

Me, give up.

[nogle]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

I disagree. I've dealt with them a few times now, and I've never been put through to Kobo Executive Care. In each case the matter was resolved to my satisfaction.

I think the big difference is between emailing customer service and phoning customer service. We can argue if there should be a difference, but the reality is that on the phone, you can have a meaningful question and answer, whereas in email, the CSR must come up with several contingencies.

Also, email responses may be filtered through an auto response as a first line as a means to attempt to reduce operating costs (which in turn impact eBook prices).

[ottdmk]

I've done work in troubleshooting for over a decade. Your comment "any dodgy/corrupt file will do" would drive me insane. You need concrete examples to troubleshoot software. Without it, you can't be sure if you're solving the actual issue or a new issue.

What you've described sounds like an honest attempt to determine what the problem actually is.

Look at it this way: your problem is that the reader will hang if reading a corrupt file. Without concrete examples, it becomes more of a general problem then a specific one. And in my experience specific problems will always get more attention then general.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by xendula

I will never understand why Amazon does not sell ebooks in Canada. They have a US store and a French store, so what the heck? They would put Kobo out of business if they only tried - best customer service ever. 7 day return period on ebooks. I am not even Canadian and find it aggravating that they are dragging their feet like this!

I've had a Kindle since January and have bought all my books from their Canadian content store. The address is .com, but the books are all published here with Canadian pricing. Not sure why you think they don't sell them here.

I buy books from both Kobo and Amazon.

[robko]

I'd just like to point out that while my general experience with Kobo front line customer service is negative (so I'm not trying to defend it), this is an almost exactly one year old thread that has been resurrected Xendula for no apparent reason other than to bash Kobo. I don't have a problem with those who are adding their recent issues to the thread, but there is no reason to bring up issues from a year ago that have been at least partially fixed (the bout of people getting multiple charges for the same books).

[xendula]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I've had a Kindle since January and have bought all my books from their Canadian content store. The address is .com, but the books are all published here with Canadian pricing. Not sure why you think they don't sell them here.

Because the are no kindle ebooks on amazon.ca. Isn't that the Canadian Amazon store? I can't even find a link to kindle books on amazon.ca.

I check it periodically in the hopes that they will start adding ebooks, since they'd have French books as well - likely most French titles published in France as ebooks. Right now, the amazon.com foreign selection is not only impossible to navigate - it is also quite limited.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by robko

I'd just like to point out that while my general experience with Kobo front line customer service is negative (so I'm not trying to defend it), this is an almost exactly one year old thread that has been resurrected Xendula for no apparent reason other than to bash Kobo. I don't have a problem with those who are adding their recent issues to the thread, but there is no reason to bring up issues from a year ago that have been at least partially fixed (the bout of people getting multiple charges for the same books).

My bet, this thread appeared below one I was posting in and I did not realize it was so old, actually. Does it matter? If you imply I had any ulterior motives, I didn't.

[mutant_matt]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

I've done work in troubleshooting for over a decade. Your comment "any dodgy/corrupt file will do" would drive me insane. You need concrete examples to troubleshoot software. Without it, you can't be sure if you're solving the actual issue or a new issue. Look at it this way: your problem is that the reader will hang if reading a corrupt file. Without concrete examples, it becomes more of a general problem then a specific one. And in my experience specific problems will always get more attention then general.

That's a fair point, and I hadn't thought about it that way. I too have been on the support end of a software house for many years, and in that kind of a support role, I personally, am looking to reproduce the problem. If it's as easy as "any old file" to do so, then that makes the problem widerspread, probably, rather than, "this one guy has this one file that causes a problem", so I would expect it to be taken more seriously, because it seems to be a general problem. Of course, I'm coming at this from a POV where I would accept the problem, then try to reproduce it myself before passing it on to Dev, and perhaps that is an unreasonable expectation of Kobo support, and they want something they can pass on, without having to do any investigation work?

What you've described sounds like an honest attempt to determine what the problem actually is.

I respectfully disagree I thought it reeked of "send us all your log files (and lots of other irrelevant data that will take you a long time to collect)", a common support technique designed to either make the customer go away for a good while, or to make them give up. I might even be guilty of that practise myself, I hope not, but I might be! (and if so, shame on me! )

I should of course, answer their question, and see what happens, rather than be the cynic that I am, and give up in the expection that am on a hiding to nothing!

I would have a bash at providing an example "any old file", to prove it's a problem that could affect any dodgy file put on the device (which to my mind makes it a more important bug, not a less important one). However, I don't want to sacrifice my Kobo to do so (I am using it way too much to want to have to restore everything, that would get in the way of using it ).

Matt

[robko]

Originally Posted by xendula

My bet, this thread appeared below one I was posting in and I did not realize it was so old, actually. Does it matter? If you imply I had any ulterior motives, I didn't.

My apologies then for implying you had ulterior motives . I guess I just get suspicious when a year old post is resurrected with no apparent reason other than a bash. I should have at least checked out your other posts and realized you weren't trolling here .

[xendula]

No problem, robko. I kind of hate that related threads show at the bottom of the screen, no matter how old they are. If they are even related, and not random picks.