Music and software isn't returnable unless there's a download problem so why do the few e-book distributors out there offer e-books as being returnable for other reasons beyond that? The return policy for print books was put in place originally by Simon & Shuester during the depression to keep small bookstores of the day (now your large bookstores) from going under. All of the other publishers joined in so they wouldn't lose sells but nothing changed after the depression as it's hard to take something back once given.
Offering e-books as returnable for up to 7-days after purchase is ridiculous. Especially when you consider how little an e-book costs to begin with. Unless of course the e-book is provided by a larger publishing house who is still trying to operate under the mentality that folks will pay the same amount for an e-book as a print book even though it costs FAAAAAARRRR less to produce it. *I would like to laugh at this mentality but fears readers will let large publishers get away with this.*
Furthermore, why do authors not question this? It isn't like you have to put up with it. If a site doesn't let YOU the publisher decide whether you want to make the book returnable than something is very wrong. Why not just sell the e-book yourself? I actually know the reason for that. It seems there's no way for an individual to encrypt their e-books so they can't be stolen by law-abiding citizens who seem to not be able to obey the law.
So I guess we're at their mercy until an encrypting program comes along that an individual publisher can afford and utilize. Anybody know of one?
Offering e-books as returnable for up to 7-days after purchase is ridiculous. Especially when you consider how little an e-book costs to begin with. Unless of course the e-book is provided by a larger publishing house who is still trying to operate under the mentality that folks will pay the same amount for an e-book as a print book even though it costs FAAAAAARRRR less to produce it. *I would like to laugh at this mentality but fears readers will let large publishers get away with this.*
Furthermore, why do authors not question this? It isn't like you have to put up with it. If a site doesn't let YOU the publisher decide whether you want to make the book returnable than something is very wrong. Why not just sell the e-book yourself? I actually know the reason for that. It seems there's no way for an individual to encrypt their e-books so they can't be stolen by law-abiding citizens who seem to not be able to obey the law.
So I guess we're at their mercy until an encrypting program comes along that an individual publisher can afford and utilize. Anybody know of one?
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