Great service for audio book lovers!
Written: Dec 24 '05 (Updated Dec 24 '05)
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****Why I signed up for Audible****
I LOVE BOOKS. Unfortunately, my lifestyle makes it extremely difficult to actually sit down and read printed books. I have to spend a lot of time in my car commuting to work, or just trying to get somewhere in So. California's 15 MPH rush hour traffic. When I get home, I have a dog who wants to be walked. After the dog is walked, I have to fix dinner.
With Audible audio books, I am able to "read" during all of the foregoing activities! Time spent in traffic that used to feel like a total waste is now spent listening to books. Whereas I used to silently curse my dog to hurry up and do his business, I now walk the dog until he is ready to drop from exhaustion.
****Why Audible is Different from Ordinary Audio Books****
Prior to Audible, I never could get into audio books, even though I enjoyed them. I had to deal with multiple tapes or CDs that were difficult to transport and annoying to deal with. With CDs, I would often lose my place.
With Audible, you can download the books directly to your iPod (or a number of other devices). When out on a walk, put on the headphones. When in the car, use the stereo adapter. When at home, listen directly through the computer. All the while, your bookmarks are preserved, so you'll always resume listening to where you left off last.
While it is possible to download books and burn them to CDs, I would not recommend this. The whole beauty of the Audible experience is not having to deal with piles of CDs, losing your place in the book, etc.
****Selection****
Audible has a huge selection of books available. I never have trouble finding the books I want to listen to. I should note that I typically don't go for the latest "hot" Oprah-approved books, so I can't say if those are available or not. If you're into those kind of books, I would suggest browsing their library before signing up.
****Customer Service****
This is a weak point. While I've never really had a problem, I've had some questions every now and then. It usually takes them days to respond, and the responses are usually not very helpful. I've also noticed that it usually takes a period of days for book reviews to be approved and published by Audible's customer service. Therefore, I can understand the frustration some of my fellow reviewers experienced when they needed an issue addressed quickly.
I should note that customer service problems are more the norm than the exception with ALL new and growing businesses that are constantly offering free iPods and the like. They're swamped!
****Deals/Specials/Discounts****
Audible is constantly offering new deals and specials. Right now, they're offering a free iPod Shuffle if you agree to six months of service at $22.95 per month, which includes two books per month. If you do the math, you'll see that comes out to $137.70, while the iPod Shuffle retails for $99. This is a good deal, even if you already have a portable audio device, since you can sell the free Shuffle on eBay.
Just be sure that you want the service for six months. There are some angry reviews here from people who agreed to commit to six months or a year of service, but then tried to back out on their commitment. They respond by lashing out here and complain that they're being charged. Of course they are! A business that gives away $99 iPod Shuffles, but does not require you to live up to your end of the bargain, won't be in business for very much longer!
****Complaints from other Epinion Reviewers****
I have seen several complaints of poor audio quality. It is true that the audio quality of *some* books IS poor. However, for every book available, there is an audio sample. You get to hear how it will sound BEFORE you buy. So how can people complain, and act as if they were duped into buying something with bad audio quality, when they should have known this BEFORE they made the purchase?
Some people have also complained of losing book credits. First off, Audible made it clear that you had to use your credits by the end of the month, or they'd be lost. Second, there was a "My Next Listen" feature that would auto-purchase books at the end of the month so the credits wouldn't be lost. Third, Audible has just instituted a program to allow you to rollover unused credits to the following month.
Finally, when reading complaints here, check the review date. Many of the problems mentioned in past reviews have been addressed by Audible. This is a growing business with growing pains, and they're constantly updating their website and deals.
****Conclusion****
I have really enjoyed using Audible for the past year, and recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys listening to books.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Audible.com
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Epinions.com ID:
maikur
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Reviews written: 3
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