@wraith808:[/b] I am sorry if you didn't like my comment - I wasn't sure you would. And I do apologise if you feel offended in any way. It was meant in good faith and intended to help. I really dislike seeing people being made a victim of and always want to help, but when they seem to invite victimisation I find it terribly frustrating.
What struck me as odd was the apparent act of complaining about risks that eventuated - "There is something seriously wrong with this" - without articulating things more clearly. It seemed that you were demonstrating the behaviour of an external locus of control, whereas the unpleasant outcome (which you described at some length) apparently arose from your own (i.e., internal) buying decision(s). Whether wittingly, you had already effectively accepted the potential risks by the act of purchase, and established a legally binding contract with the suppliers - for both the hardware and the media to be loaded into it.
-IainB
What this arises from is my prior buy-in to the ecology, and to make clear my problems with the buy-in at this point, i.e. there are definite advantages- but from a customer service side let me show the problems that I encountered, so that my recommendations are leavened with experience, as such things might be. Of course you're putting some measure of control in the hands of the supplier. You do that no matter what sort of transaction you enter into, where your statement caveat emptor came from. This has been a problem from the beginning of time with any sort of transaction entered into- the inherent problems between two sides that have competing interests.
The part I take exception to is blaming the buyer for hidden limitations of the purchaser, i.e. that the card that is used to unlock the book must be authorized whenever the book is downloaded. eReader on Fictionwise used a similar unlocking mechanism, but the card was used to hash the book, so that the book could (and still can for the books in my collection) only be opened if you know the card number. It doesn't communicate home and has no internet ties, so even though that card is long gone, since I have the card number, I can still utilize those books. *That* I have no problem with- it's like a password.
And as far as not articulating, that, I believe, is incorrect also:
In the end, there was no way until it was under the limit that either of us could download any book... even if a) we used a gift card to pay, b) we were gifted a book, c) we were getting a free book, or d) we were downloading a book we already owned.
-wraith808
I even bolded it for emphasis. Your ability to read the book is based on their system and their whim, even if you already own it. Re-emphasized later.
Because if I buy something and I can't access it because of your BS limitations when I want to access it, even though your service is still going- that's the deal breaker for me.
-wraith808
I'm not complaining to say to them to fix it. I'm working through the problems and informing others. I didn't ask a question- I stated an issue. I think you think that I expect you to sympathise or help or say 'there, there'. This was an informative post for others that follow the road.
And I'm not changing hardware, as I again state:
Other than buying books for her, that might be my last Barnes and Noble purchase.
-wraith808
I'm using my iPad, which I originally purchased to mitigate any possible issues of either terms of use (this situation) or availability of content (some authors have historically not been available on both platforms- this has since been changed).
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