Barnes and Noble Nook

[NM_Shooter]

Just spent two hours cleaning and especially nasty virus off of a computer... the sdra64.exe virus.  What a pain.  Anyway, as I am finishing up, I get a late night email from Barnes and Noble telling me that the Nook that I ordered for my daughter for Christmas is further delayed. 

I ordered this thing back in mid November when they promised me a Dec 11 ship date.  That got pushed to Dec 18, then Dec 22, and now they are telling me that it will ship on Dec 23 to arrive Dec 24th.  And get this... the email that comes out is sent late at night, after customer service is closed, and it informs me that I have to go to their website, logon to my account, find my order, and click a confirmation link that I still want the nook! 

Then after I confirm that I want the nook, the customer service page refreshes and updates.... my new ship date is shown to be January 18.   Grrrrrrrr......

Anyway, I start googling around to see what others might have to say, and I find lots and lots of negative reviews on the early firmware for the nook, and even more negative reviews on the lack of customer service.   The device won't download, turn pages, and pages of downloaded books just disappear.  Some folks have attempted to return their nooks to B&N, and B&N has the gall to insist on a restocking fee.

I'm mad and disappointed.  I now need to figure out a new Christmas present in a hurry. 

[OkieJohn2]

I find it ironic that google ads chose to put an ad for Barnes and Noble on a page with a complaint about Barnes and Noble.

[IronRanger]

Is the Nook superior to the Kindle?

Amazon has free two-day shipping for their Kindle.

The link to the "latest generation" Kindle is below.  They're offering the first generation at the same price, so be aware of that.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=amb_link_86168111_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G1T2AJR8FEPATGNZPWR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=501071431&pf_rd_i=133141011

[NM_Shooter]

The hype was that this was supposed to be the "Kindle done right". 

I am torn.  If the thing can't be here by Christmas, I may cancel and wait for the firmware fixes to all be in place first to see if they can resolve this. 

I am mostly disappointed in the customer service level of B&N.  They have not been communicating the problems well to their customers, and this latest late night email was pretty crappy. 

You know who has great customer service?  Land's End.  I hope they prosper!

[rick91351]

Frank:

Was in B&N in Boise yesterday they had some in store.  Do you have a B&N close by?  I could buy one and second or third day it to you.

rlr

[NM_Shooter]

Thanks Rick, that is exceptionally nice of you, but I'll decline.  We're going to play it by ear and let fate decide    If it is not here by Christmas I am going to let my daughter decide if she wants to wait or if she wants a different present. 

I'm surprised they had some in the store!  Very odd.   There are a lot of us with pre-orders waiting in line.

BTW, I called their customer service yesterday and politely but firmly griped at first level support and then management for not providing us with decent data as to why the device is delayed.  They kept saying that "demand is overwhelming" and I told them that there is a bigger problem. 

I tried to explain that if my delivery is slipping, that it is not a demand problem, it is a production problem, and I would like to know the nature of the problem... planning? materials? quality? labor?  they didn't understand, or would not divulge.

I was a bit spooked by the firmware issues that I had heard, so I called tech support and waited on hold for 40 minutes.  I spoke to a very nice tech support person who brought my confidence level back up to where it needs to be.  Sounds like the next firmaware fix will cover all the "known" stuff. 
-f-

P.S>  Rick, I am still really impressed by your generous offer of kindness.  I am going to do at least two nice things for complete strangers today.

[glenn kangiser]

Delayed Nook e-readers mean gift certificates
Barnes & Noble tries to take sting out of post-holiday delivery of devices

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34512526/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

Get your $100 off Frank?

It caught my attention when I saw the headline about a   Nook e-reader    and wondered what it was.....  I will have to start saying it slower....

[NM_Shooter]

Thanks...

That $100 gift cert will help, but I'd prefer to have it under the tree.  At least they are making an effort.  I am still a little bugged that they are blaming the late deliveries on  "greater than expected demand".  I went and looked at one at B&N today, and they look pretty cool. 

[NM_Shooter]

B&N sent me a tracking number... here's hoping!

[IronRanger]

Nice, NM_Shooter!

I didn't know about the Nook(e)- head nod to Glenn- 

I'm hardly technologically ignorant, but I put the e-readers outta my head...$250's too much for me, but I DO want one. 

Maybe some day...many, many .PDFs to read and I'm too cheap to print them.

[glenn kangiser]

I read them on my on my laptop... well not my literal lap top... I mean my Laptop computer.  I don't have enough money for the Nook e
reader ...

[NM_Shooter]

I read them on my on my laptop... well not my literal lap top... I mean my Laptop computer.  I don't have enough money for the Nook e
reader ...

Amen!  I had to sell an Atlas bench lathe and an old motorcycle for Christmas funds this year.  At least i am replacing them with smaller, lighter things!