Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[paola]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

It is an individual's choice as to whether they use or don't use any code posted in this thread.

which is precisely what slex did according to his/her own account here, stating:

Originally Posted by slex

It doesn't work for me here in Bulgaria. I had to change to India to make it work.

I bought one book but I feel kind of guilty. It's clearly a technical bug so I wonder if I should exploit it.

So, if there is a moral issue that bothers you here, slex, you should perhaps also tell Kobo that you've violated their terms and conditions which you yourself (which you were efficient enough to remind eveybody of), and ask Kobo to deal with this infringement as well.

As for the rest of us, you have made your position abundantly clear, and for people who come to this thread to find coupon codes going OT this way is a hindrance (including my own message, which I've had refrained from posting for a while for this reason), which you may expand to discuss the legitimacy of other coupon codes, a topic which you seem to enjoy.

So I suggest that if you really wish to continue this discussion you open a dedicated thread elsewhere in the general discussion forum and continue over there, and leave this thread go back on topic (as I see has already been suggested to you in the past, e.g. here).

[ChandaK562]

Bug or possibly the most devious bit of marketing ever? Personally, I think the code was someone's extremely devious bit of marketing. I was able to try at least four or five authors I had never tried before thanks to the code, plus I got four or five more authors that I had been using the library for keeping up to date on their books. At least one of the new authors is now on my must buy list and several of the library authors are heading for buy instead of borrow. I look at Kobo now for books as my first stop, and talk them up to people I see with ereaders all the time. Even if they didn't plan it, the magic codes are probably the greatest marketing trick possible.

[slex]

@ paola

So, I used the coupon once, felt guilty for doing so, stopped using it and wrote about it. It is there for everyone to see. If that is supposed to be a "got you", I fail to see how it works. As for Kobo, I wrote to them as Slex, I forwarded the discussion where I also write as Slex. It shouldn't be difficult to conclude it's the same person.

As for the personal choice - yes, it is a personal choice. But IMO when people make a choice, they should be as fully informed as possible. For some, knowing that a code is a technical bug, wouldn't be a problem. For others - it would. And they should know about it. It is from this point of view that I consider it relevant to discuss what was Kobo's intended use for it.

As for the discussion, it involves more than one person. A lot of people had no problem joining it and in any case no one voiced their concern that it was offtopic - not until I posted about the response I got from Kobo.

If the moderators feel that the more philosophical posts are offtopic, let them delete these. But I think that the people who come to this thread should know whether the coupons in use are a marketing strategy, an expression of generosity or a technical error.

[issybird]

The use of the present tense in the Kobo communication, i.e., "this promotion is an illegitimate offer" makes it impossible to know whether anything is meant other than it cannot be used now. And we knew that. Given the quality of Kobo customer communications with its boilerplate responses that don't really address a situation, I wouldn't read anything else into it myself. I think that's the likeliest meaning.

[Lady Stardust]

Originally Posted by slex

The general premise of this thread is irrelevant - we are talking about a specific code here.

Actually, specific code you are so interested in and pondering about was offered to me for my US account. The code was offered in one of many emails I get from Kobo, so if that code is illegitimate then I would guess all promotion email messages I get from Kobo are illegitimate too. Why not ask them?
And no, you didn't have to travel to India to use it, you could have used it bang in Kobo US or any other store.
FYI, email from Kobo about the specific code didn't state it's single use, it just said it will be available for short period of time and it advised me to Hurry...which I did

[slex]

@ Lady Stardust

I don't think that the use of the code for your account is in question.

We are discussing whether it was Kobo's intention to be in general use multiple times.

[Dr. Drib]

Moderator Notice

Any further philosophical discussion or disagreement of such issues about whether one should or should not use a code that was or was not intended for use from or not from Kobo, whether by mistake or not by mistake will not be allowed in this thread.

Further comments will be deleted from this thread if your post wanders into those points in the paragraph above.

Create a new thread in the General Discussion forum, if one has a desire to grumble or not to grumble, to be grouchy or not to be grouchy - keeping in mind our Posting Guidelines at all times.

Remember: Posts reliant upon philosophical finger-pointing will be deleted from this thread.

[paola]

a puny 35% for those suffering from withdrawal symptoms (I presume single use but I do not know)

halfdiscount35

[doubleshuffle]

It's all Plato's fault.

[Geralt]

paola, that is not a new code, it's written on the first page for a while now.
can all of you please limit your posts to posting coupons only, there is so much bloody spam and meaningless debate in this thread.

Currently operating codes, for G0AT to update the first page:

50%off
［yournext404］
［yournext738］
［fbr50］

35%off
［halfdiscount35］
［thank5_132］
［Comeback1cr46］
［Comeback2_17］

20%off
［welcome20］
［anniversary20］
［save20bday］
［birthdaykobo］

[corroonb]

The MARCHOFFER code only applies to selected books, it will not work on other books sadly.

[Dr. Drib]

All of the codes that I have thus far tried don't seem to work on "Capricornia," by the great Australian writer Xavier Herbert.

Same thing for the wonderful historical novelist, Kenneth Roberts, the author of "Arundel," "Oliver Wiswell" [not yet available as an ebook], and "The Lively Lady."

The Roberts books are extremely expensive, if purchased from Kobo. At Amazon, they're more reasonably priced.

[paola]

Originally Posted by Geralt

paola, that is not a new code, it's written on the first page for a while now.
can all of you please limit your posts to posting coupons only, there is so much bloody spam and meaningless debate in this thread.

Currently operating codes, for G0AT to update the first page:

50%off
［yournext404］
［yournext738］
［fbr50］

35%off
［halfdiscount35］
［thank5_132］
［Comeback1cr46］
［Comeback2_17］

20%off
［welcome20］
［anniversary20］
［save20bday］
［birthdaykobo］

oops, sorry got the wrong one, it is 30% with kobo2014 (tested as working in the UK)

[Geralt]

Dr.Drib
I tried my home store - the Japanese store (http://rakuten.kobobooks.com/) and yournext404 worked with Capricornia, Arundel and The Lively Lady.
With 50% off coupon they all come up around 8$. You have 3 50% coupons, if you can log in the japanese store, you can get all three books.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Dr.Drib
I tried my home store - the Japanese store (http://rakuten.kobobooks.com/) and yournext404 worked with Capricornia, Arundel and The Lively Lady.
With 50% off coupon they all come up around 8$. You have 3 50% coupons, if you can log in the japanese store, you can get all three books.

Thanks, Geralt.

I'll give that one a try.


ADDED: Unfortunately, the code doesn't work for my Kobo account, which is UK based.