It’s been an interesting day so far for ebook devices. Barnes & Noble started it by pulling a fast one this morning, at least on Amazon, when it announced a new Wi-Fi-only version of the Nook for only $149. B&N also dropped the price on the 3G/Wi-Fi model to $199, making it $50 less than the Kindle.
At least, that was the case for a few hours.
Now Amazon has fired back, by dropping the price of the Kindle 2 to $189
If you’re planning on mostly reading public domain ebooks or books from your existing digital library, the Wi-Fi-only Nook is still the way to go. However, Amazon continues to have an edge on the ebookstore front–at least against Apple, although I’m guessing Barnes & Noble is still playing catch up as well–and Consumer Reports gave the Kindle a thumbs up over the Nook when comparing usability.
Remember, however, that rumors surfaced last month that Amazon will release an updated Kindle later this summer, possibly one that’s thinner and has Wi-Fi, so this might also be a sign that the company is clearing out inventory in anticipation of a product refresh.
By George June 21, 2010 - 9:47 PM
I just bought a Kindle last week for $269. Any chance Amazon will pay me the difference between what I paid for and the new price now, especially since it’s an Amazon product?
By Chris Walters June 21, 2010 - 10:32 PM
@George: Try calling Amazon customer service and asking. Several customers on the Amazon forum discussions are saying that if you bought within the past 30 days, Amazon is providing a credit.
If for some reason they don’t, you can always consider returning the unit for a refund, then buying it again at the lower price, I guess. But I’d call Amazon Customer Service first and see what transpires. Good luck!
By George June 26, 2010 - 12:59 PM
Used the feature where you put in your number and customer service calls you. Had just entered my number when my phone rang. The service rep was quite friendly. When I explained the situation and asked for a refund, she put me on hold and came back shortly and said I would be credited with the $70 difference.
I promptly got an e-mail from her stating that the refund should show up in a couple of business days. The e-mail also had links to rate the service and leave comments.
The comment I gave is that it would be better business practice to automatically refund the difference if a purchase was made within 30 days. This would lead to customers feeling good about making a purchase knowing that no matter what, they have paid the best price. No more gotchas.