Prices suddenly missing

[Timboli]

I regularly check the prices of about 47 Kindle ebooks every day, at least once, but sometimes twice and sometimes more than 47. Those 47 are my favorites, but I have a lot more on my wishlist, that I like to varying degrees.

Anyway, yesterday when I checked, around 12 of the 47 were no longer showing a price. Similar to what you see when an ebook is not available in your country. I was logged in of course as always. Same thing happened tonight.

That doesn't seem normal to me, and I wonder if anyone else has noticed this?

Sure I have seen that happen to the odd ebook now and then, but never so many at the same time ... usually just one ebook only.

Here are some of the ones that lost their price. I've checked some in a Private window and still no price. Also checked with a friend from another country, but haven't yet gone the VPN or proxy route to pretend I am American.

https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Comman...=Piers+Anthony

https://www.amazon.com/Destinys-Conf...ds=Janny+Wurts

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMK1NBQ...I2VNGVOY9ZGJAH

https://www.amazon.com/Trick-Dark-Va...s=Val+McDermid

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W4AE8XY/...I33YMV1E6JNZT2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H4XB1U...I1VP3EAZUDFGSR

In some cases, I have other ebooks on my wishlist by those same authors, and they still show a price when checked. And that last one for instance, is also part of a trilogy, and the other two ebooks still show a price. So that makes me think something has occurred that might be a mistake at Amazon.

I'd report the issue, but I've been down a similar path a few times before, and honestly just not worth the effort, unless you can speak to someone higher up the chain.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Timboli

https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Comman...=Piers+Anthony

https://www.amazon.com/Destinys-Conf...ds=Janny+Wurts

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W4AE8XY/...I33YMV1E6JNZT2

These three show a price for me, viewing from the UK.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMK1NBQ...I2VNGVOY9ZGJAH

https://www.amazon.com/Trick-Dark-Va...s=Val+McDermid

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H4XB1U...I1VP3EAZUDFGSR

These show not available for purchase.

[Timboli]

@murraypaul - Thanks for that.

I've just now had an American friend report $6.99 for the first link. Last price I got two days ago was $6.37.

So I guess the loss of price is not across the board and is due to something that has changed ... at least for me, and no doubt other Aussies.

I strongly suspect it is an Amazon stuff up somewhere, and not publisher related.

[Timboli]

I just checked a couple of them on the Aussie Amazon store, and they exist there with prices.

I've refused to change default stores, when the Aussie store later became available to me. Originally because I could only get some ebooks at the U.S. Amazon store, but later because only they have the Family share option, and my wife reads some of the ebooks I get.

Recently, I have discovered it seems, that I could maybe have an account at each, though it would require limiting devices to each, and the PC app only being associated with one account.

So maybe it is time for me to upgrade Kindle again ... though I was thinking of going Kobo or something else next time around.

[rcentros]

In the U.S. I get the same result as murraypaul got from the U.K.

[stumped]

There are free ervices which do those amazon price checks for you and email you when triggers you set are met
I don't know for sure if they work for Kindle books like they do for physical goods though. I think you can even specify a country.
And there used to be a specific one that did books and only books. Sorry I don't have the name of that to hand and it may not still be operational, but I used to use it to tell me of any price drops for specific authors..
Hopefully someone with a better memory than mine will name drop... Or Google will know...

Update
Kindle price drop tracker
https://uk.ereaderiq.com/track/drops/
Thanks google

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by stumped

There are free ervices which do those amazon price checks for you and email you when triggers you set are met
I don't know for sure if they work for Kindle books like they do for physical goods though. I think you can even specify a country.
And there used to be a specific one that did books and only books. Sorry I don't have the name of that to hand and it may not still be operational, but I used to use it to tell me of any price drops for specific authors..
Hopefully someone with a better memory than mine will name drop... Or Google will know...

Update
Kindle price drop tracker
https://uk.ereaderiq.com/track/drops/
Thanks google

Also

https://luzme.com/

Amazon, Kobo and Apple

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by stumped

There are free services which do those amazon price checks for you and email you when triggers you set are met ...

Thanks, but I already have my own program for that, and that is not the issue.

12 existing ebook prices (price on each ebook web page) disappeared suddenly. My program reported that and so I went and investigated and it is true.

At this point, the disappearing price issue only seems to be for some ebooks when using the U.S. Amazon store as an Aussie ... which is what I have always done, especially as the Aussie Amazon store wasn't in existence when I got my first Kindle. When it did become available, I was given the option of swapping my account to it, but as I have already said, I have good reasons to not do so.

[Timboli]

@rcentros - Thanks!

[DiB12]

This has happened to me too. The books are available in Amazon Au but now not in the international store. If I want to buy them I have to change my store. I didn't want to change my store as I am in NZ

[HarryT]

I'd suggest contacting Kindle support about this issue.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd suggest contacting Kindle support about this issue.

Unfortunately, I've had prior dealings with them and know exactly what they are like. They somehow fail to comprehend what you are telling them until you spend an age doing so, then when they finally get it, they offer commiserations and say they can't do anything, but will pass it on to some body or team, who are the only ones who can do anything, but who are usually busy and so can't promise anything. So guess what happens? Nothing.

EDIT - Don't get me wrong, they always fix some things ... basic things like an ebook not working or something purchase related ... stuff they have to fix. All too often they aren't easy to fix either, and occasionally they will be a numbskull and think it okay to wipe your whole Kindle, just to fix one ebook issue. Never let them, they always have other options available to them, but seem to want the quick easy solution for themselves instead, even though they are at fault, due to some bug or incorrect entry on their side.

Amazon are like so many big companies, that get too big, they play the odds game and fix bugger all. If you are lucky enough to get onto someone higher up the chain, you might get lucky.

---------------------------------

Anyway, yesterday it jumped from 12 to 13 ebooks that had lost their price. However, I have just checked today, and prices for all but 4 of the ebooks, have magically appeared again. So perhaps someone with some clout has reported the issue.

P.S. I'd almost finished setting up a dual boot system too, so that I could use another account, but with the Aussie Amazon store instead, to get around this tomfoolery. I think I will still go ahead with it though, as there may be other benefits (i.e Aussie ebooks not available to Americans .... as if).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Timboli

Unfortunately, I've had prior dealings with them and know exactly what they are like. They somehow fail to comprehend what you are telling them until you spend an age doing so, then when they finally get it, they offer commiserations and say they can't do anything, but will pass it on to some body or team, who are the only ones who can do anything, but who are usually busy and so can't promise anything. So guess what happens? Nothing.

I can only say that my experience has been completely different to yours. I've spoken to Kindle support innumerable times. If they can't fix a problem themselves, they pass it on to the technical team who do indeed generally fix it pretty promptly.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can only say that my experience has been completely different to yours. I've spoken to Kindle support innumerable times. If they can't fix a problem themselves, they pass it on to the technical team who do indeed generally fix it pretty promptly.

Ha ha, you were too quick for me.

I edited my previous message to reflect an element of what you just wrote.

Further to that, some issues are dealt with well enough in my experience, but all too often something small becomes a big process to get fixed ... that has happened to me more often. It is especially irritating when the operator is not savvy enough to detect your skill level is much higher than theirs, and that they should take your word for it, that you have already followed through with the listed Help suggestions, and not make you repeat them all over again. Then they find they can't help, so pass it on to a superior, who in their stupidity make you go through it all again, only to finally try something you've been telling them they need to do ... which works ... jeez.

[Timboli]

Seems something has indeed been fixed, because 4 ebooks I was notified about by BookBub yesterday, did not have a price, so I could not get them. Did not have that issue with today's offerings from BookBub, and when I re-checked yesterdays, the four had prices. Alas, two of them were no longer freebies, so I only got the other two .... damn Amazon.

P.S. I also discovered another one from Sunday, that now has a price, that I grabbed.