Help us find Sony store prices that are out of whack - Page 4

Michele · 10-29-2006, 11:19 AM

I highly recommend that you email Customer Service and inform them when they are charging hardback prices for books that are out in paperback. They will fix it within 24-48 hours.

I don't understand why people are posting their findings here instead of emailing Connect directly. They do respond.

NatCh · 10-29-2006, 01:02 PM

Prowly 'cause we've got a thread for it, Michele.

I'm beginning to wonder if they don't have a two server type of set up. I mean one "source server" from which a "production server" is updated on a scheduled basis. That might explain the re-changing prices -- if they only corrected the prices on the server that we see & buy from, and not the source server, then the changes would get wiped out as soon as it refreshed.

If that is the case, then perhaps SonyStyle needs to train their SysAdmins a bit better.

lordvetinari2 · 10-29-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michele

I don't understand why people are posting their findings here instead of emailing Connect directly.

Because complaining here and making them change the prices is way cooler than complaining directly at them.

Morbius · 10-30-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michele

I don't understand why people are posting their findings here instead of emailing Connect directly. They do respond.

Well, in my experience this is simply not true...within the first two days of my Reader purchase, I emailed customer service twice about multiple book prices that were obviously way too high. Each time, the reponse I got from them was that they don't set the prices, the publishers do.

When I would then quiz them as to why the publisher would "force" Sony to sell a book at almost twice the price that the "publisher" would allow Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or some other site to sell it at, they had no answer.

So when I started relaying those experiences here, the thread hit a nerve with others, and the idea for this ongoing list was put into place, in hopes that enough folks with enough different titles showing this issue would (when Bob forwarded it to someone at Sony) prompt them to take another look at their whole pricing scheme, as something is clearly wrong.

Now, if you actually have some contact at Sony yourself whom you think actually DOES go change prices as soon as you point them out, then perhaps you can go back through all posts in this thread and send the list of titles folks have mentioned to your contact. If they can actually change the prices for you, that would be great! But it certainly didn't work when I tried contacting them...

jasonbrent · 10-31-2006, 10:44 PM

10/31/06 - Once again, I do not purchase Anansi Boys from connect as it is still $15.96 and nearly twice that of the closest competitors and paperback vendors.

Sigh; I'm soon going to finish my current ebook and be ready to purchase my next and well, Sony isn't going to get my money at the current rate. Further, they are going to force me to speak bad things about a good device due to lack of content at prices that match their competitors.

Support doesn't work.. perhaps moaning here will work again... doubt it.

-jbl

BuddyBoy · 11-01-2006, 01:38 PM

Sony changed the prices for a number of Lisa Scottoline novels back when I first mentioned it, and now they've all returned to the $15.96 mark.

Not only are these titles long in paperback, but ebooks.com and fictionwise.com sell the electronic versions for about $7.99.

When I was talking to their support about an old edition of a book which they were selling at hardcover prices, they sent me this bit of canned text:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sony Connect Support

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Sony Connect!

Unfortunately we when we recieve the rights to sell the books on our site. The price is usually set at what we are allowed to sell those books at that price specifically. If the information I have provided does not completely answer your question, please update this incident so I may be of further assistance to you.

igorsk · 11-01-2006, 02:08 PM

The English looks a bit iffy to be a template response...

TadW · 11-01-2006, 02:12 PM

BuddyBoy, you sure you e-mailed the right folks? Seems like Sony outsourced their Connect store personell, which is weird considering that the Reader and the e-books are only offered to US customers.

NatCh · 11-01-2006, 02:17 PM

The Connect Store is run by a different Division, SonyStyle, I think. The more I think about it, the more I think that da_jane is most likely correct that their book distribution rights might not be worldwide.

yvanleterrible · 11-01-2006, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

The Connect Store is run by a different Division, SonyStyle, I think. The more I think about it, the more I think that da_jane is most likely correct that their book distribution rights might not be worldwide.

They cannot be worldwide before they study and adhere to every code of law, in concordance with copyright. Laws differ in every country. That takes a lot of time.

BuddyBoy · 11-02-2006, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TadW

BuddyBoy, you sure you e-mailed the right folks? Seems like Sony outsourced their Connect store personell, which is weird considering that the Reader and the e-books are only offered to US customers.

Oh yes, they were the right folks. They ended up giving me a credit on my account when I said I was going over their head to "head office."

airlik · 11-02-2006, 03:00 PM

The store just needs work...

I saw "Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson... it listed on the Neal Stephenson page at $15.96. I clicked the title to get details... and it said it was $5.59. I added it to my cart, and it went back up to $15.96. I checked Amazon, and you can get the paperback for $10.85.

It's bad enough their prices are just not great, but when the price of an item varies that much depending on where you look at it... they really need to get it together or I'll just stop looking.

Peregrine · 11-02-2006, 05:12 PM

I checked out the three books of the Briar King trilogy by Gregory Keyes, it shows how strange the pricing is. The first book, the Briar King, is $3.99 on Connect, which is obviously fine, even cheaper than the alternatives. The second book, The Charnel Prince, is $14.36 which is way too expensive, Mobipocket has it for $6.99, it's $7.99 for Amazon paperback. The third book the Blood Knight is $14.36 but it just came out a few months ago, and is again a little cheaper than the competition. But that second book is definitely out of whack.

melchioe · 11-16-2006, 10:34 AM

1 Fatal Flaw
2 Lashner, William
3 $15.96(Sony)
4 $6.75(Palm)
5 Paperback = Yes

1 Past due
2 Lashner, William
3 $15.96(Sony)
4 $7.19(Palm)
5 Paperback = Yes

1 Falls the Shadow
2 Lashner, William
3 $15.96(Sony)
4 $7.19(Palm)
5 Paperback = Yes

I emailed customer service about these titles last week (Thursday, Nov. 9), so I thought I'd take a crack at posting them here.

odklizec · 11-16-2006, 10:59 AM

1. Thud!
2. Terry Pratchett
3. Connect $15.96
4. Amazon $7.99
5. Mass Market Paperback

10-29-2006, 01:02 PM	#47
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Prowly 'cause we've got a thread for it, Michele. I'm beginning to wonder if they don't have a two server type of set up. I mean one "source server" from which a "production server" is updated on a scheduled basis. That might explain the re-changing prices -- if they only corrected the prices on the server that we see & buy from, and not the source server, then the changes would get wiped out as soon as it refreshed. If that is the case, then perhaps SonyStyle needs to train their SysAdmins a bit better. Last edited by NatCh; 10-30-2006 at 11:41 AM. Reason: typo

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10-29-2006, 11:19 AM	#46
Michele Addict Posts: 209 Karma: 999496 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: California Device: Kindle 3	I highly recommend that you email Customer Service and inform them when they are charging hardback prices for books that are out in paperback. They will fix it within 24-48 hours. I don't understand why people are posting their findings here instead of emailing Connect directly. They do respond.

10-31-2006, 10:44 PM	#50
jasonbrent Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2006	10/31/06 - Once again, I do not purchase Anansi Boys from connect as it is still $15.96 and nearly twice that of the closest competitors and paperback vendors. Sigh; I'm soon going to finish my current ebook and be ready to purchase my next and well, Sony isn't going to get my money at the current rate. Further, they are going to force me to speak bad things about a good device due to lack of content at prices that match their competitors. Support doesn't work.. perhaps moaning here will work again... doubt it. -jbl

11-01-2006, 02:08 PM	#52
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	The English looks a bit iffy to be a template response...

11-01-2006, 02:12 PM	#53
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	BuddyBoy, you sure you e-mailed the right folks? Seems like Sony outsourced their Connect store personell, which is weird considering that the Reader and the e-books are only offered to US customers.

11-01-2006, 02:17 PM	#54
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	The Connect Store is run by a different Division, SonyStyle, I think. The more I think about it, the more I think that da_jane is most likely correct that their book distribution rights might not be worldwide.

11-02-2006, 03:00 PM	#57
airlik Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 15 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony Reader	The store just needs work... I saw "Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson... it listed on the Neal Stephenson page at $15.96. I clicked the title to get details... and it said it was $5.59. I added it to my cart, and it went back up to $15.96. I checked Amazon, and you can get the paperback for $10.85. It's bad enough their prices are just not great, but when the price of an item varies that much depending on where you look at it... they really need to get it together or I'll just stop looking.

11-02-2006, 05:12 PM	#58
Peregrine Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cary, NC Device: iPad	I checked out the three books of the Briar King trilogy by Gregory Keyes, it shows how strange the pricing is. The first book, the Briar King, is $3.99 on Connect, which is obviously fine, even cheaper than the alternatives. The second book, The Charnel Prince, is $14.36 which is way too expensive, Mobipocket has it for $6.99, it's $7.99 for Amazon paperback. The third book the Blood Knight is $14.36 but it just came out a few months ago, and is again a little cheaper than the competition. But that second book is definitely out of whack.

11-16-2006, 10:34 AM	#59
melchioe Addicted Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Wisconsin Device: iPad, Nooks, PRS-505, Kindles, lots of old ones	1 Fatal Flaw 2 Lashner, William 3 $15.96(Sony) 4 $6.75(Palm) 5 Paperback = Yes 1 Past due 2 Lashner, William 3 $15.96(Sony) 4 $7.19(Palm) 5 Paperback = Yes 1 Falls the Shadow 2 Lashner, William 3 $15.96(Sony) 4 $7.19(Palm) 5 Paperback = Yes I emailed customer service about these titles last week (Thursday, Nov. 9), so I thought I'd take a crack at posting them here.

11-16-2006, 10:59 AM	#60
odklizec Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2006	1. Thud! 2. Terry Pratchett 3. Connect $15.96 4. Amazon $7.99 5. Mass Market Paperback

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