Amazon's eBook Return Policy ~ My Thoughts

I recently found out about Amazon's Kindle book return policy, which in my mind is ridiculous.  It gives you seven days from the purchase date to return a book.  So in that time a reader has the opportunity to read the full book and then return it.  This, in my opinion, is very damaging to the Indie author community.  People need to be accountable for their actions, yes, but at the same point Amazon's policy at times allows unscrupulous readers to do that.

Here is Amazon's policy taken straight from their website:

Kindle Return Policies

Returning Kindle Books

Books you purchase from the Kindle Store are eligible for return and refund if we receive your request within seven days of the date of purchase. Once a refund is issued, you'll no longer have access to the book.

 

I can't be the only person that thinks it's simply horrible for someone to buy a book, read it and return it.  I understand it can happen just as easily in the brick and mortar stores as it does online, but that is not a justification for either.  You are talking about an author's sweat, blood, and tears.  An author's work is their baby--they worked so hard to provide us with a great story, the reader should at least honor it by purchasing it and not returning it. 

 

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a regular visitor to my local library.  But those books have been paid for and the library has been allowed to have them for the specific function of allowing people to read and return books.  I would never go to a Barnes and Noble to buy a books, read it and return it, nor would I do the same thing on Amazon.  Granted, I do like to put books in my wish list and wait for them to go on sale--but who doesn't like a sale?  And I am still more than happy to pay for a book.  Especially since most of my Indie author's books are less than $4.

 

When an author is first starting out and seeing people buy their books, read them and then return them, it understandable can be discouraging.  But they have stories that yearn to be told, just because they haven't made the Times Bestseller List doesn't mean they should get any less respect.

 

I think the solution to this problem would be a much shorter time allotted to the return of a Kindle book.  If you accidentally bought a book that you didn't mean to, an hour should be more than enough time to figure that out and return it.  An unscrupulous reader wouldn't be able to finish a book in an hour (hopefully).  This may deter some people from reading the books, but if they were going to read them and return them anyways, do you really want those readers reading your book anyways?

 

Well that's enough of my tangent for the night!  Hopefully Amazon will eventually look at this rule and work towards curbing unscrupulous readers and help the Indie author!