Upgrade My Foot
23 June 2008 in Books, Buisness, Customer Service, Popular Culture, QuestionsI ordered a book from Amazon yesterday and when I completed my order I was offered the opportunity to “upgrade” my purchase to allow for online reading of the book. This would allow me to begin reading the book immediately and allowed for searching inside the entire book and even allowed me to print. The cost: an extra 5 bucks. No big deal right? Well, hang on.
Why is there a fee involved? I ordered the book from Amazon. Couldn’t they just allow me free online access to the book I just bought. Why add the 5 bucks? Wouldn’t it make more sense to give away the digital copy than to charge extra for something I’m getting in a few days anyway. There’s not publishing costs, no shipping costs, zero overhead. It just doesn’t make sense.
It turns out that I have previously purchased 6 books that are available for online access. The prices range from $1.49 to $7.20. There is no set price for upgrading either. What’s that about?
Crossway Publishers gives away the digital copy of books you purchase through them. Like Amazon they are completely searchable. You can print and copy just like Amazon. Crossway books are available for immediate download once you purchase the physical copy.
So if a small publishing group can give away the digital copy why can’t mighty Amazon? I’m just asking.
2 Comments to Upgrade My Foot
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I think the fees have to do with the failure of their “digital book.”
Honestly, I believe the fees are due to your ability to make copies and spread the book around. My assumption is they charge the fee to cover some nominal fee they have to pay publishers for offering their book digitally.
Most people might be duped for this little ruse. High-five for not falling victim to their wily ways!
I would assume the difference between the two is related to the word “publishers.” Crossway probably owns the rights to the books it sells, Amazon is just a distributor. Amazon probably has to pay the publisher a set amount for every digital copy it releases, hence the extra charge.