Kobo.com

Orn8one · 08-23-2013, 06:46 PM

What has happened to the website? Possibly many of you don't use it as you can do so many clever things with your readers.
The Kobo site had become quite good. Purchases arrived on my devices. Using 'Search' worked well enough. I generally found what I wanted. It wasn't an 'Amazon' but it did the job. Now it's a disaster.
I wanted to buy books for my holiday on Monday. I had a list, shopping should have been easy. It was a horrid 3 hours.
Choosing 'English' on the language menu didn't work. I had to battle through all sorts of different tongues.
The Author search brought up all sorts of books completely unrelated to my search criteria.
Now we have pretty pictures and very little else.
The previous list view with published date etc was far more useful.
Seeing a short synopsis, made browsing easy.
Tonight I have managed to buy three books, not the result I wanted.
For those like me who use their Kobo for reading and quick easy purchases the new website is a disaster.
Over the last year I have bought e-readers for two of my children. They had not experienced e-readers and weren't really interested. They read on their iPhones and i worried about their eyes. They now both love e-reading but I chose Kindle for them both knowing Amazon was familiar and easy for them and the Kobo website could be fiddly.
I have about 100 books in my Kobo Library but if their website isn't sorted out fairly fast I think I shall finally give up on my investment in Kobo and move on. Kobo alway try to run before they can walk and I think I am finally losing patience.
Ok someone please tell me I was just having a bad dream....

ShellShock · 08-24-2013, 01:00 PM

When I tried it a few weeks ago the Buy button (in details view) did not work. I wonder how much this revamp is costing Kobo in lost sales and lost goodwill?

Orn8one · 08-24-2013, 03:40 PM

Depressing isn't it? Battling with a rubbish website is the last thing you want to when you are very busy and tired.
Why 'fix' something that isn't broken....again Kobo.

winwintoo · 08-24-2013, 08:11 PM

I'm glad it's not just me. I gave my son a Kobo and he said it was hard to find free books. What? Then I tried and cannot find any modern books that are free. Very disappointing.

Kobo's search function was always pretty lame, now with changes to their site, unless the book you want is on the front page, or get about browsing to find something.

I recommend checking for free books on amazon and the slide over to kobo and search for the title. Often if a book is free at amazon, it will be free at kobo as well.

JD Gumby · 08-24-2013, 09:35 PM

More than ever, I think, Kobo users should be considering checking out their local library's ebook collection instead of buying from Kobo, whenever possible.

GeoffR · 08-24-2013, 10:30 PM

I don't know how long it will last, but some countries still get the old Kobo website with the free book filter. I don't know if it is worth the effort (I probably wouldn't bother, because I don't use any retailer's website to "discover" books, only to buy them), but you could create a new Kobo account with the address of a country that still gets the old site (e.g. New Zealand), and use that to browse the free books.

PurpleStar · 08-24-2013, 11:22 PM

Unless I know exactly what book I want to buy, I don't go onto the Kobo store anymore. The new design of the store is incredibly annoying and it makes it hard to just browse for decently priced books. The library is definitely a good idea. Heck, I've also bought more books from Amazon lately. Kindle daily deals and free books are easy to find there.

selina4books · 08-25-2013, 03:01 AM

I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot with the site redesign. It's awful, the search barely works, and finding free books is next to impossible. I've had searches miss books when I had the exact title. I hate it and I wish they'd put it back the way it was. On the other hand, I suppose it saves me money. What I can't find I can't buy!

Witty Username · 08-25-2013, 04:08 AM

I clicked for a preview for one book. I got the title page and ToC, so pretty much useless as a 'preview'.
Like so many others, I went to amazon where the entire first chapter was available via the 'look inside' feature.

Orn8one · 08-25-2013, 05:00 AM

Thanks everyone for sympathy and ideas. I was searching with title and/or author and got everything but! I always do my searching/browsing elsewhere and then go to Kobo to purchase. On the occasions I browsed Kobo the tap for quick synopsis was useful.
The site must have been designed by people who play music and computer games, they clearly do not understand people who read!
The latest software release for my KT has made it sluggish too. I don't have time to mess about, reading is my choice for 'my time' not messing about on a computer! Kobo have finally done my head in! It's a shame.

paola · 08-25-2013, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winwintoo

I'm glad it's not just me. I gave my son a Kobo and he said it was hard to find free books. What? Then I tried and cannot find any modern books that are free. Very disappointing.

Kobo's search function was always pretty lame, now with changes to their site, unless the book you want is on the front page, or get about browsing to find something.

I recommend checking for free books on amazon and the slide over to kobo and search for the title. Often if a book is free at amazon, it will be free at kobo as well.

Although they don't work, the Kobo webpage with instructions to get free books, has a link for recent free books, which works at least for the UK, together with a sorting by categories. I would have a look.

Otherwise you have to rely on the tedious method of searching for books and sorting by prices, but there you can get the old with the new...

bookaho!ic · 08-25-2013, 06:31 AM

i may be in the minority but i did not have many problems buying a book from the new site, its not my favourite design however i really do like the inclusion of a show books eliglble for promo code button

paola · 08-25-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookaho!ic

i really do like the inclusion of a show books eliglble for promo code button

me too! Though I wish they had kept the format info :-(

MacEachaidh · 08-27-2013, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selina4books

I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot with the site redesign. It's awful, the search barely works, and finding free books is next to impossible. I've had searches miss books when I had the exact title. I hate it and I wish they'd put it back the way it was. On the other hand, I suppose it saves me money. What I can't find I can't buy!

Thanks for posting this, selina! I'm glad it's not just me. I was beginning to think perhaps it was just me being inept.

winwintoo · 08-27-2013, 09:32 AM

They seem to have fixed the site a bit. I just checked and found enough free mystery books to keep me happy for a while.

It's not perfect, but better than it was.

08-23-2013, 06:46 PM	#1
Orn8one Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 8362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northamptonshire UK Device: Kobo Touch, Sony 650 and Cool-er	Kobo.com What has happened to the website? Possibly many of you don't use it as you can do so many clever things with your readers. The Kobo site had become quite good. Purchases arrived on my devices. Using 'Search' worked well enough. I generally found what I wanted. It wasn't an 'Amazon' but it did the job. Now it's a disaster. I wanted to buy books for my holiday on Monday. I had a list, shopping should have been easy. It was a horrid 3 hours. Choosing 'English' on the language menu didn't work. I had to battle through all sorts of different tongues. The Author search brought up all sorts of books completely unrelated to my search criteria. Now we have pretty pictures and very little else. The previous list view with published date etc was far more useful. Seeing a short synopsis, made browsing easy. Tonight I have managed to buy three books, not the result I wanted. For those like me who use their Kobo for reading and quick easy purchases the new website is a disaster. Over the last year I have bought e-readers for two of my children. They had not experienced e-readers and weren't really interested. They read on their iPhones and i worried about their eyes. They now both love e-reading but I chose Kindle for them both knowing Amazon was familiar and easy for them and the Kobo website could be fiddly. I have about 100 books in my Kobo Library but if their website isn't sorted out fairly fast I think I shall finally give up on my investment in Kobo and move on. Kobo alway try to run before they can walk and I think I am finally losing patience. Ok someone please tell me I was just having a bad dream....

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08-24-2013, 01:00 PM	#2
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,178 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	When I tried it a few weeks ago the Buy button (in details view) did not work. I wonder how much this revamp is costing Kobo in lost sales and lost goodwill?

08-24-2013, 03:40 PM	#3
Orn8one Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 8362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northamptonshire UK Device: Kobo Touch, Sony 650 and Cool-er	Depressing isn't it? Battling with a rubbish website is the last thing you want to when you are very busy and tired. Why 'fix' something that isn't broken....again Kobo.

08-24-2013, 08:11 PM	#4
winwintoo Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Western Canada Device: none	I'm glad it's not just me. I gave my son a Kobo and he said it was hard to find free books. What? Then I tried and cannot find any modern books that are free. Very disappointing. Kobo's search function was always pretty lame, now with changes to their site, unless the book you want is on the front page, or get about browsing to find something. I recommend checking for free books on amazon and the slide over to kobo and search for the title. Often if a book is free at amazon, it will be free at kobo as well.

08-24-2013, 09:35 PM	#5
JD Gumby Cynical Old Curmudgeon Posts: 1,085 Karma: 8495696 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Halifax, Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Kobo Arc, HTC Desire C	More than ever, I think, Kobo users should be considering checking out their local library's ebook collection instead of buying from Kobo, whenever possible.

08-24-2013, 10:30 PM	#6
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	I don't know how long it will last, but some countries still get the old Kobo website with the free book filter. I don't know if it is worth the effort (I probably wouldn't bother, because I don't use any retailer's website to "discover" books, only to buy them), but you could create a new Kobo account with the address of a country that still gets the old site (e.g. New Zealand), and use that to browse the free books.

08-24-2013, 11:22 PM	#7
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,625 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Clara BW, Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen)	Unless I know exactly what book I want to buy, I don't go onto the Kobo store anymore. The new design of the store is incredibly annoying and it makes it hard to just browse for decently priced books. The library is definitely a good idea. Heck, I've also bought more books from Amazon lately. Kindle daily deals and free books are easy to find there.

08-25-2013, 03:01 AM	#8
selina4books Addict Posts: 205 Karma: 459093 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kobo Aura, Mini, Glo, & Aura HD, KPW, Nook Glow, Nook HD	I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot with the site redesign. It's awful, the search barely works, and finding free books is next to impossible. I've had searches miss books when I had the exact title. I hate it and I wish they'd put it back the way it was. On the other hand, I suppose it saves me money. What I can't find I can't buy!

08-25-2013, 04:08 AM	#9
Witty Username Addict Posts: 334 Karma: 4702571 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Somerset, England Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Touch, Kobo Libra H2O	I clicked for a preview for one book. I got the title page and ToC, so pretty much useless as a 'preview'. Like so many others, I went to amazon where the entire first chapter was available via the 'look inside' feature.

08-25-2013, 05:00 AM	#10
Orn8one Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 8362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northamptonshire UK Device: Kobo Touch, Sony 650 and Cool-er	Thanks everyone for sympathy and ideas. I was searching with title and/or author and got everything but! I always do my searching/browsing elsewhere and then go to Kobo to purchase. On the occasions I browsed Kobo the tap for quick synopsis was useful. The site must have been designed by people who play music and computer games, they clearly do not understand people who read! The latest software release for my KT has made it sluggish too. I don't have time to mess about, reading is my choice for 'my time' not messing about on a computer! Kobo have finally done my head in! It's a shame.

08-25-2013, 06:31 AM	#12
bookaho!ic Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 5575734 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: UK Device: kobo Aura H20 2nd Ed	i may be in the minority but i did not have many problems buying a book from the new site, its not my favourite design however i really do like the inclusion of a show books eliglble for promo code button

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08-27-2013, 09:32 AM	#15
winwintoo Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Western Canada Device: none	They seem to have fixed the site a bit. I just checked and found enough free mystery books to keep me happy for a while. It's not perfect, but better than it was.