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back to article What price justice? 73 CENTS in book price-gouging case

Amazon has begun offering customers store credit on behalf of publishers who recently settled a price-fixing case. The credit is being distributed to customers as part of a refund program under the terms of a US settlement agreed to by five major e-books publishers. Amazon noted that it was not part of the suit, but was merely …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    *There is, as always, a better way.

    As amazon offer a 7 day no quibble refund on ebooks for their kindle, go buy an ebook, then, use off the shelf free DRM removal software and then return the ebook. Convert to epub or your chosen format using calibre or similar.

    Refund given, no questions asked.

    *Apparently...

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    1. JDX Gold badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

      If you* want to be a dirty little thief, why bother going to that trouble when you could just find a ripped copy online?

      *the hypothetical you, obviously.

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      1. Sir Runcible Spoon
        Reply Icon

        Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

        and if you specify download to computer rather than kindle, you don't need to remove any drm either, you just have the book.

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        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

          Sadly, not true. The PC kindle reader still imposes DRM on the download.

          The book is as protected on the PC as it is on a Kindle.

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

        Im genuinely glad this is all hypothetical.

        Hypothetically, I could sue you for slander..

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      3. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

        It's not about being a dirty little thief, it's about sticking it to Amazon.

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      4. Gannettt
        Reply Icon

        Re: *There is, as always, a better way.

        I got a ripped copy from the second-hand shop - not the bargain it turned out to be

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  2. Tromos

    If and when Apple are finally forced to settle, I do hope there is a punitive multiplier placed on the 73 cents for dragging things out and also interest to compensate for the delay. Even Apple might sit up and take notice if this were applied at pay-day lender rates.

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    1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      My understanding of the case is that Apple didn't set the selling price. They just said "Whatever you sell at, we'll take a X% cut" Which is why I don't understand why Apple are being fined.

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      1. DavCrav
        Reply Icon

        "My understanding of the case is that Apple didn't set the selling price. They just said "Whatever you sell at, we'll take a X% cut" Which is why I don't understand why Apple are being fined."

        My understanding was it included the phrase: "and whatever price you sell via us, you are not allowed to sell it *at retail* through anyone else at a lower price". In other words, because a book is sold at $10 through Apple store, it cannot be sold by Amazon for less than that, even though the amount the publishers get in both cases would be the same. It is literally price fixing.

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        1. lurker
          Reply Icon

          Ironically, until very recently Amazon had the exact same policy with their 'price parity' rule on all products sold through the Amazon Merchant system - you could not list a product cheaper elsewhere (e.g. on your own store) if you were listing it on Amazon. But they were told (quite correctly) to stop that, in the EU at least.

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        2. David Kelly 2
          Reply Icon

          So what is wrong with a "most favored nation" clause? Retailers do it all the time with "lowest price guarantee, we'll beat any advertised price". US Government often does the same on purchase contracts demanding refunds if the price drops. So this is a matter of "do what we say, not what we do."

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          1. dogged
            Reply Icon

            > So what is wrong with a "most favored nation" clause?

            Everything, where it implies price fixing and effectively stealing from your customers.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "customers impacted by the settlement "

    I think "customers affected by the settlement " would have been better. Since 1) 73c is a piddling amount of money 2) it sounds like a village fell on them....

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    'Used - Very Good' hardcover books, delivered, are typically *cheaper* than ebooks

    And sometimes they're even signed by the author at no extra charge.

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    1. Intractable Potsherd
      Reply Icon

      Re: 'Used - Very Good' hardcover books, delivered, are typically *cheaper* than ebooks

      True, but I can't carry three or four real books with me wherever I go, especially when flying. The anxiety of being caught without reading material has reduced dramatically since I got an e-reader and a phone that can store tens of books. I haven't had to resort to reading a sauce-bottle label or shitty newspaper since I got my Note, and my life is better for it.

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