Flash! Make a simple mistake, B&N keeps your NOOK

Flash! Make a simple mistake, B&N keeps your NOOK

I think the NOOK (sic) is a good device.  I have a very techie coworker who is happy with a NOOK, and I’m sure many people are.  I like the idea of the  LendMe feature, although I don’t think I would use it much (multiple device licenses cover my needs pretty well).

I think B&N has been doing some good things with the device.

However, when I see people asking which one to get, I do cite the superior (in my opinion) Kindle Customer Service.

I’ve gotten great response from KCS, generally.  I’ve only had to deal with B&N CS a few times…and it hasn’t been satisfactory, honestly.

That’s just one person’s experience, though…I prefer looking at something less subjective.

One way you can do that is with the companies’ respective published policies.

For example, there is the ability to “return” an e-book.  Sometimes, you get a book that is poorly formatted, and you want your money back.

Amazon allows returns of Kindle store books within seven days of purchase for a refund:

“Any content you purchase for Kindle from the Amazon Kindle store is eligible for return and refund if we receive your request within 7 days of the date of purchase.”

—Amazon Help page

You can actually even do that if you just don’t like the book.  If you abused the return privilege, that could be a problem, but if you do it every once in a while, that’s fine.

Barnes & Noble says:

“We are unable to accept returns for eBooks, magazines, downloadable PDFs for SparkNotes and Quamut products, gift cards, and shrink-wrapped items that have been opened. Please note: Once purchased, eBooks cannot be refunded.”

—Barnes & Noble Help page

That makes a difference to me, and I’ve known about that one for a while (and written about it previously).

I was confirming that…things change.  When I was, I saw this one, which really shocks me.  I’m a former retailer, and this just seems bizarre.

At the top of the Returning Items Bought from Barnes & Noble.com section, there is an address.  Many people are just going to see that address, and send a NOOK back to it.  You get 14 days to try a NOOK…you get thirty for a Kindle.

Here’s the strange part, though:

“Please note: if you do not call for a return authorization number and send the nook to the wrong return center, no refund will be provided and your nook will not be returned to you.”

That’s right.  If you happen to return the NOOK to the wrong address (an easy mistake to make, in my opinion) at Barnes & Noble, they just keep it. 

How hard would it be for them to let the other return center know?  Okay, maybe they charge you five bucks to send it over there.  Nope.  They just keep your  $199 (or $149 for wi-fi only) device, and don’t credit you anything for it.

That seems crazy to me.  I mean, if you accidentally returned your NOOK to a Home Depot, I figure they would call you and let you know you sent it to the wrong place. 

Remember, on the Barnes & Noble thing, it’s the same company.  It’s just a different address.  Not only does it seem like common courtesy, it seems like good business sense.  Why say, “Finders keepers, ha ha!” to somebody you presumably want to buy things from you in the future?

I’m trying to come up with some rational reason for this…different parts of the company managing different resources?  Robots handling the returns? I don’t know, I just can’t see where it’s a wise customer service policy.

So, I do think there is a Customer Service difference between the two companies, and you can decide how much that matters to you in choosing which device to buy.

Oh, and I do think it’s worth noting that there are those rumors of a B&N sale (of the whole company).  The NOOK part of the business is likely to continue and to be supported…even if it gets spun-off or separated from the brick and mortar stores somehow.

The NOOK does play chess, though!  🙂

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.