Comments on: iBook buyers beware – no refund or exchange even if your book has been updated!

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:01:09 +0000

Looks like things have ended at least somewhat satisfactorily:

http://thesplinteredmind.blogspot.com/2010/08/ibooks-story-comes-to-end.html

By: Al

Al — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:59:56 +0000

It looks like Apple’s warranty is about as good as the paper it wasn’t written on. For the record, I use a MacBook and a Kindle.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:52:46 +0000

Great comments, everyone. Thanks for your feedback. I know some of you think this is a silly issue, but I really do expect better customer service from Apple and have, in fact, received better customer service from them countless times before.

I have replied to Patrick’s comments on my own blog here (http://thesplinteredmind.blogspot.com/2010/08/close-but-no-cigar-i-get-reply-from-tor.html) and welcome your feedback.

At this point, I am being told to “just bear with” them as they work things out with Apple. However, I have little faith in Apple regarding this issue at this point and will probably press on until I get more concrete info. If this problem happens once, it can happen again, and I have to decide based on Apple’s response whether I reward iBooks with my faith in the form of further purchases or not. As others pointed out here, and as this site points out over and over again, there are other bookstores available on the iPad.

Cheers!

By: Mike Orange

Mike Orange — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:04:26 +0000

There is that, though LaTeX is mostly plain text that is easy enough to strip out… yeah, I know, just an example.

But I guess it costs even LESS to OCR a hardcopy and then NOT proofread the results. So winner for them for using that method!

By: DensityDuck

DensityDuck — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:44:10 +0000

There’s also the issue of formats. It probably costs less to OCR a hardcopy and proofread the result than it does to train someone how to use LaTeX so you can open your 24-year-old computer file…

By: Tony Rabig

Tony Rabig — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:45:33 +0000

I may have heard wrong, but it’s my understanding is that the computer files were used to create a copy that went to the printer. After they’d finished printing, the publishers didn’t always keep the computer files that might have been used for ebook creation. Until very recently, the ebook just wasn’t a big factor in their thinking.

If that isn’t the reason, I’m sure there’s somebody reading this who can give a more up-to-date answer.

Bests to all,

–tr

By: Mike Orange

Mike Orange — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:19:16 +0000

Why are publishers using OCR to create ebooks of relatively recent titles? Surely Ender’s Game (1985) was produced using a computer, right? Or am I missing something?

By: Christian K

Christian K — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:18:48 +0000

Apple not listening to customer complaints? Apple having a punitive return policy for digital goods?

Quite frankly I am shocked… SHOCKED I SAY!!!

By: Chris Meadows

Chris Meadows — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:59:49 +0000

Apple’s low-level employees doing something nonsensical that the higher-ups disagree with and scramble to put right? Wow, that’s never happened before.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:57:57 +0000

Sadly, I’m not surprised by Apple’s lack of response to this matter. Their customer service in other areas, such as the recent problems with the iTunes upgrade causing iPods to crash, is just as bad. They did eventually fix the problems for most people, but their lack of acknowledgement that there even was a problem is aggravating. Its the same here. I note that the publisher (via Mr. Hayden), is acknowledging the problem, but the silence from Apple is deafening.

OTOH, I have never had a problem with Amazon that wasn’t immediately acknowledged and fixed. That’s why Amazon gets a lot of business from me.

By: TheRobin

TheRobin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:51:17 +0000

Thanks Patrick! This is such a simple thing for Apple to fix (but a very big deal for effected customers).

By: Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Patrick Nielsen Hayden — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:14:17 +0000

Hi, I’m a senior editor at Tor, Orson Scott Card’s publisher. I’m not Scott’s editor, but I do manage the science-fiction department.

Our digital-publishing people are in touch with Apple about this issue. I’ve been told that Apple agrees with us — this shouldn’t have happened. And I understand that Apple people are scrambling to set it right. Bear with us; this industry is being put together at a breakneck pace, so everybody’s bound to trip up a few times.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:06:34 +0000

Well. Card’s post on his website is actually true. Apple does have instructions on what to do. Apple instructs its customers to pay for the book again.

Amazon, OTOH, I’ve gotten at least half a dozen emails from Amazon telling me there is a replacement bug fix for an ebook bought from them, and they have the replacement for me for free.

Customer Service … perhaps these aren’t words that Apple is familiar with? How about Common Sense?

By: Sherri

Sherri — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:22:29 +0000

The fixation on Amazon’s 1984 gaffe in the world at large tends to obscure the fact that Amazon generally has spectacular customer service. There was a thread a couple of days ago about what ebook retailers could do to win loyalty; Amazon has already won loyalty with their customer service.

By: Frode Aleksandersen

Frode Aleksandersen — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:56:04 +0000

Just mentioning this for info – in some countries (like Norway) this would be illegal. The product they delivered is “faulty” by definition which entitles you to either a “fixed” product or, if they can’t provide a fixed product, a refund.

People affected by this should probably file a complaint with the BBB at the very least, in addition to taking appropriate measures such as disputing the CC charge.