So they finally have a public announcement.
Oh, I see. Forcing people to use Booksurge rather than Lightning Source is all for the benefit of the customer:
"If the POD printing machines reside inside our own fulfillment centers, we can more quickly ship the POD book to customers."
This from the company that sent me my camera and camera bag in separate enormous boxes. (That, by the way, is the last of my money they will be seeing for a while).
Do you remember the same line from July 12, 2006 when they removed the buy links from all non-Mobiformal ebooks. Allow me to remind you: "...Microsoft and Adobe format e-books are no longer available on Amazon.com. As part of our commitment to provide the best customer experience possible, we are now supporting the Mobipocket format."
I call bollocks. Expecting us to believe that customer convenience is the primary, let alone only, reason for forcing people to use their own printing service is beyond disingenuous, it is insulting.
What is convenient to the customer is having access to the full range of books on the market, in the full range of formats. The customer can then look at the delivery times and click the 'ship separately' button if they want to.
Just how stupid does Amazon think their customers are with the stealth roll out followed by this pre-Gen-X excuse once the story excaped their control?
3 comments:
Wouldn't all the uploading fees, storage fees, printing fees, receiving fees, inventory fees, etc. they'll end up charging POD publishers make up for the $ they think they are going to save in shipping and fuel?
I'm waiting to see unfair prices listed for self-pubbed authors to sell through them. If so, I boycott. But if not, I'm still sticking with Lulu, even if I add Amazon as another venue.
Given their behavior in the past, and the enormous boxes sent to Em, I'm not expecting good news.
So, is amazon going to require that all other books be printed at their facilities, too? If not, then this is clearly a case of them using their financial might to squeeze out competition, and should be addressed in court with anti-trust laws.
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