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Amazon Kindle and Customer Service

When eReaders first came out, I was skeptical. When eReaders started to become popular, I was still skeptical. What was this little device that was trying to take over my lovely paperbacks? I didn’t want one. But with CLP gaining speed and more and more review requests coming in, I knew I would have to take the plunge. More authors are publishing eBooks, and some are publishing eBooks only. I knew I couldn’t continue to be stuck at my computer reading off the screen, or wasting trees by printing out the book. So I caved.
Well, technically, my mom caved. She is the one who bought me my Amazon Kindle for Christmas. When I first got this lightweight little…thing…in the mail, I’ll admit- I wasn’t sold yet. Turning it on, letting it power up, having to read the directions and log on to Amazon to create my account…these aren’t things you have to do with reading a book. You just open it. So far, I wasn’t getting along with my Kindle.
But then, things changed. After the initial set-up process, I understood why people are raving for these eReaders. Fast downloads, easy to read print, I can read my Kindle anywhere, I can stick it in my purse when I go to work. I was falling in love! Do I want my Kindle to replace my paperbacks completely? Never. There’s something about a great book with a beautiful cover to hold in your hands that is just not replaceable. But I now am a fan of my Kindle, and urge other readers (especially book bloggers) to own one.
Another reason I am so impressed with my Kindle is because of Amazon in general. I started using Amazon a few years ago, buying and selling on the popular website, then became an affiliate when I started CLP. When it was time for me to buy an eReader, the Kindle is what stood out to me. I had no troubles until about seven months into owning it. One night, it just wouldn’t work. The screen was frozen, none of the buttons would work, trying to reset it wasn’t working, zilch. I remember panicking, because I had eBooks on there that needed to be read and reviewed for deadlines. I called Amazon, and a helpful woman walked me through the steps of resetting it, tried to have me charge it fully then reset it, and when all of the above failed, told me she would send me a new Kindle ASAP. No charge, no fees, nothing. Two days later, my brand new Kindle arrived. I deposited my broken one into the box and shipped it off- again with no charge. My new Kindle works beautiful, all my files transferred over without a problem, and I am one happy Amazon eReading customer.

My Thoughts on eReaders

I wasn’t sure how I felt about e-readers when they were first introduced and more and more books were being published for them. I have loved getting paperback and hardcovers, and being able to show off my fantastic titles on my bookshelf. But because of my blog and the high volume of books I review, not getting an e-reader didn’t seem to be an option. So for Christmas, my mom purchased me an Amazon Kindle (thanks Mom!) and I set out to see if I would like this new way of reading.
After messing around a bit at first, not being able to figure out how to turn the volume off or how to charge it and generally hating all things technological, I finally settled down and was able to begin downloading books onto it. And once I got past all the beginner stuff, like setting up my password and Wi-Fi connection and charging it overnight, I’m happy to say I love it! It’s so light and easy to carry in my purse. With the Kindle, I don’t have to worry about bending the cover of the book when I throw it in my bag. Reading on it is a breeze, and I enjoy that it tells me the percentage complete while reading. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a clue if I was getting towards the end of a book, so that percentage meter is a great tool. The battery doesn’t die down easily either. After I read three books back to back on my Kindle, I finally remembered that I would need to charge it as some point, and the battery wasn’t even halfway through yet! And eBooks are a lot cheaper, I have even been able to download some for free on Amazon! I haven’t run into troubles as of yet, and I would definitely recommend an e-reader to someone who does a lot of reading. It’s very simple to use and quite handy. Of course, I don’t think an e-reader will ever take place of a traditional paperback (at least, I hope not!) but I am thoroughly enjoying my new Kindle.