Special Offers - good, bad, or the devil?

[The Hooded Claw]

Of course, anyone who has read IT! Has to consider the McDonald's mascot creepy....

[EydieG]

Personally I love them. I just recently found out that I could add them to my Kindle and jumped on it.  I don't really look at them that closely, but after a year of looking at the "dead authors" anything new is a great change!

[zeppo]

Actually, I got a Black Friday deal on a Kindle Keyboard with 3g without Special Offers for $85.  But if I could turn on the Special Offers, I would certainly do it if I knew I could turn them back off again.    If they couldn't be turned off then I probably wouldn't do it.  That is, unless Amazon wants to give me $40 for turning them on, then I'm all for turning them on.  That would be a $45 Kindle.  I'd take it.

Hmmm.  You got me thinking.  I wonder if they would credit my Amazon account in return for being able to feed me ads.

[DreamWeaver]

Actually, I got a Black Friday deal on a Kindle Keyboard with 3g without Special Offers for $85.  But if I could turn on the Special Offers, I would certainly do it if I knew I could turn them back off again.

With the Kindle Keyboard without Special Offers, you can request special offers from your Amazon account online. Go to Your Account, then select "Manage Your Kindle." Next, go to "Manage Your Devices" and just choose to subscribe there. And you can unsubscribe/resubscribe at any time.

I don't mind the ads, and I've taken advantage of several offers since subscribing about a month ago.

[jonathanmoeller]

Personally I love them. I just recently found out that I could add them to my Kindle and jumped on it.  I don't really look at them that closely, but after a year of looking at the "dead authors" anything new is a great change!

Everyone knocks the poor dead authors! 

[zeppo]

you can unsubscribe/resubscribe at any time.

I don't mind the ads, and I've taken advantage of several offers since subscribing about a month ago.

Thanks for the info.  I still like the idea of them giving me the difference in Amazon credit to agree to permanently get the ads. 
Wish there was a way!  I see it is actually a $50 difference for the Keyboard 3G with or without ads.  I'd take the ads in a heartbeat for $50.  I'll be getting a cover anyway to keep myself from dropping and breaking it, which is bound to happen if I don't.

[Ann in Arlington]

But the ads are memorable and stick in your mind.  So when you're out and about and hungry, maybe Burger King pops to mind even without any conscious thought of the ads.

And if it does I go look for a Wendy's or McDonald's.

Seriously. . . .I find the ads bothersome enough that I actively avoid the place.  I feel the same way about Quiznos based on some really weird ads a few years ago.

[Ann in Arlington]

Thanks for the info.  I still like the idea of them giving me the difference in Amazon credit to agree to permanently get the ads. 
Wish there was a way!  I see it is actually a $50 difference for the Keyboard 3G with or without ads.  I'd take the ads in a heartbeat for $50.  I'll be getting a cover anyway to keep myself from dropping and breaking it, which is bound to happen if I don't.

Yeah. . .not going to happen.  You have to 'buy out' of them if you purchased an SO kindle in the first place.  The buy out is $30 for the basic Kindle and $40 for the Touch.  I don't think you can buy out with the Keyboard. (They're not even selling, any more, the SO Keyboard Kindle, WiFi Only.)

OTOH, if you want to 'opt in', that's available on the Basic, Touch, or Keyboard. . .but there's no Amazon credit for doing so.  And why would there be?  If they gave a credit then you'd have to pay to opt back out. . .that's a ton of extra accounting that doesn't make sense.  And they might end up having to refund money because people don't understand what they're doing.  Better that there's two prices, and you can 'buy out' once and then after that just turn it off and on as you wish.

[QuantumIguana]

And if it does I go look for a Wendy's or McDonald's.

Seriously. . . .I find the ads bothersome enough that I actively avoid the place.  I feel the same way about Quiznos based on some really weird ads a few years ago.

Sure, for some, the commercials will make them less likely to go to Burger King, but a lot of other people are going to be more likely to go. If on the whole, the ad campaign increases sales, they will continue it. People are a lot more influenced by TV commercials than they tend to think. I ditched cable and I'm not sorry to see the commercials go.

[Ann in Arlington]

Sure, for some, the commercials will make them less likely to go to Burger King, but a lot of other people are going to be more likely to go. If on the whole, the ad campaign increases sales, they will continue it. People are a lot more influenced by TV commercials than they tend to think. I ditched cable and I'm not sorry to see the commercials go.

Obviously that's what they think or they wouldn't use 'em. . . I'm only speaking for myself. I do understand they have recently retired "the King".

As to ads on the Kindle. . .which is really the topic of this thread. . . .as I said, the fact of them being on the device doesn't bother me.  I've not been offended or anything by any of them -- they're generally quite tasteful.  I do notice when a new one pops up.  And then I wake it from sleep and read.  And that's the last I think of the ads until I put it back to sleep.  If it's something I decided to take advantage of, I evaluate it when the email comes.

[Betsy the Quilter]

The screensavers have always been something that gets in the way on my way to read...an extra step I have to take to get to my book.  So I don't much care whether they're "dead authors" or pictures or special offers. But that's me.

Betsy

[jonathanmoeller]

But the ads are memorable and stick in your mind.  So when you're out and about and hungry, maybe Burger King pops to mind even without any conscious thought of the ads.

I love Burger King.

Love it, love it, love it.

Maybe...even a little too much:




sorry, no self promotion outside the book Bazaar -- that includes links to personal blogs or books.

[DreamWeaver]

I do understand they have recently retired "the King".

Well, that's good news! The King gave me the willies, and he definitely didn't entice me to dine at Burger King.

I didn't think I would want a Kindle with special offers, but when the opportunity came to opt-in I decided to try it on my K3 Kindle Keyboard. I find most of the screensaver ads to be more interesting than the dead author pictures. I don't pay much attention to the screensaver, though. The offers themselves have been underwhelming for the most part, but I'll probably keep special offers on the device.

[LaraAmber]

Well, that's good news! The King gave me the willies, and he definitely didn't entice me to dine at Burger King.

The King made me think of sexual predators, not food.