Author Topic: kindle edition now counts as paper edition (Read 2343 times) Tweet

Ann in Arlington · « **on:** August 11, 2020, 10:10:31 am »

So .... was that sufficiently clickbaity.

Here's the thing: I've had the kindle edition of the Washington Post from July 2009 when I got my first Kindle. At that time, the on line WaPo had no paywall. So if I read an article and wanted to see the pictures that went with it (kindle edition includes only a limited number and only in b&w) I could go on line and do so. I had to 'register' but there was no cost to do so.

Sometime around 5 years or so, give or take, the on line content began to require a paid subscription. You could pay just for on line, or it was included if you subscribed for home delivery of the paper edition. But a kindle subscription didn't count.

Grumble grumble.

I complained -- in a very nice way, of course -- to both Amazon and WaPo and the responses were less than encouraging. Perfectly polite and full of commiseration but Amazon couldn't really do anything and WaPo basically said it wasn't the current policy. Mostly it was annoying because if someone linked to a WaPo article on social media, I could follow the link, but couldn't read more than the first paragraph or so without paying. Which I wasn't going to do.

But YESTERDAY I got an email from Amazon that said:

Quote

Thank you for subscribing to the Kindle Edition of The Washington Post. We are happy to announce a new reading benefit at no additional cost, called Digital Access. With Digital Access, you can read everything The Washington Post offers on its website and mobile apps by simply logging in with your existing Amazon user name and password.

Offer details
Your subscription to The Washington Post Kindle Edition now includes unlimited access to washingtonpost.com and The Washington Post apps. You also will continue to receive daily Kindle issues of The Washington Post that can be read with the free Kindle mobile app, on any Kindle E-reader, or on any Fire tablet.

So, YAY! I can now access all the WaPo content by virtue of subscribing to the publication in a Kindle edition.

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Elk · « **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2020, 03:47:45 pm »

Very nice.

barryem · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2020, 04:01:13 pm »

I also read the Washington Post but I signed up with an offer that was $1 for 6 months. When it expired I couldn't afford the regular price and I called and told them that and they gave me another 6 months for a dollar. That was a few years ago and it's never expired. I've never been billed. I just paid that dollar and I get it ever day in my mailbox and I can go to their website with my browser whenever I like.

Barry

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2020, 05:52:32 am »

So, just to follow up.

I did need to download new versions/updates of the phone app for the click through thing to work, but all is good now. Funnily enough, my Kindle edition now reads "Digital Acces" vs "for Kindle" as it used to. O.k. by me ...

mlewis78 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2020, 11:57:42 pm »

I have been subscribing to the Washington Post for about 3 years online. It has also been available through the app on my phone and my kindle fire. I started the subscription after clicking through from facebook posts to the paper online many times.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2020, 10:33:47 am »

So ... updating this as it turns out there's been a HUGE problem. When I posted on the 13th I thought all was good but: NOT!

Firstly: the WaPo kindle edition I've been paying for has run $11.99 per month. Which is fine. It's now called "Digital Access" and is only $5.99 per month. I wouldn't complain, except that my subscription renewed on the 21st of August at the $11.99 rate. I COULD HAVE cancelled it and bought a new subscription for $6 less!

Secondly: it's not working. I can NOT actually access any content, either on their website or via the app, using my Amazon credentials. Extensive chat and email contact with Amazon yields the conclusion that there is a 'glitch' which they are working on. Additional communication with the Washington Post and after lots of back and forth and proving of subscriptions, they tell me the kindle edition is NOT actually eligible for access to the web content. So I'm paying more and getting less. FWIW, I think they have old information -- someone hasn't gotten a memo. $:-\$

Anyway, I have now escalated the whole thing to a higher level at Amazon customer service (including copying the correspondence to [email protected]) and am hopeful for some positive result.

I am rolling my eyes at the irony that Bezos owns both Amazon and the Washington Post, but the one doesn't seem to know what the other is doing.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #6 on:** August 31, 2020, 07:12:35 pm »

A final update:

The tech support folks at the Zon were working really hard to figure out WHY it wasn't working the way it was supposed to. Multiple chat and email communications, all very professional and courteous.

The customer service folks at WaPo were pretty clueless ... to be fair, I think the disconnect, in retrospect, was at Amazon. Something to do, I suspect, with how long I'd had a kindle subscription. They never really could figure out why it didn't just switch over -- it SHOULD have worked. But because it didn't, WaPo had no subscription info for me.

Anyway, the upshot was that they cancelled my existing subscription, will refund the $11.99 I paid August 21 for the most recent renewal -- which was after the changeover was to have happened, and I re-subscribed to the new Digital Access version for $5.99. So more for less money; always a positive thing.

I have access via apps on both my phone and tablet, access to the website overall, and the kindle version arrived as usual this morning to my device. I'm awaiting the refund to hit my CC and then I can close the book on the whole thing.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 31, 2020, 10:39:01 pm »

I got an email today from Amazon that this week's issue of The New Yorker is delayed on my kindles because they haven't been able to get in touch with The New Yorker. I renewed directly with the New Yorker in the spring. This shouldn't happen. My very expensive subscription gives me the print magazine, on-line access and the kindle edition.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2020, 03:18:47 am »

Quote from: mlewis78 on August 31, 2020, 10:39:01 pm

I got an email today from Amazon that this week's issue of The New Yorker is delayed on my kindles because they haven't been able to get in touch with The New Yorker. I renewed directly with the New Yorker in the spring. This shouldn't happen. My very expensive subscription gives me the print magazine, on-line access and the kindle edition.

Over the years I've had several times the WaPo kindle edition was delayed .... usually a technical glitch and it showed up within an hour or two. One time I got such a notice but, in fact, the thing was already] on my kindle.

I wouldn't worry about it unless it doesn't fix itself pretty quickly.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2020, 06:22:50 am »

Quote from: Ann in Arlington on August 31, 2020, 07:12:35 pm

A final update:

Anyway, the upshot was that they cancelled my existing subscription, will refund the $11.99 I paid August 21 for the most recent renewal -- which was after the changeover was to have happened, and I re-subscribed to the new Digital Access version for $5.99. So more for less money; always a positive thing.

Really final update:

The refund to my CC was only $8.41. So I contacted them again. It had inadvertently been processed as a prorated amount. $:-\$ Which is what I figured when I saw it ... but not what I was promised. Turns out they couldn't refund the additional $3.48 because all their systems showed the refund had been processed and they couldn't do it again. BUT they applied a $3.48 promotional credit to my account so that'll get used first next time I buy something.

gdae23 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2020, 01:41:20 pm »

Looks like there are also changes with The NY Times subscription, and not for the better. I've always been able to access the online paper and app with my Kindle subscription, but I received this email from Amazon today:

Quote

We hope you�re enjoying your Kindle subscription to The New York Times. As part of your Kindle subscription, you have been able to log into NYTimes.com and the NYT apps with your Amazon credentials. We are writing to inform you that on October 09, 2020 your Kindle subscription of The New York Times will only apply to your Kindle apps and devices, so you will no longer be able to use your Kindle subscriptions to access content on Nytimes.com and the NYT app. You will continue to receive new daily editions of The New York Times to your Kindle library, available on eligible Kindle apps and devices.

Although this says the changes have already gone into effect as of 10-9-20, I've still got access right now. I don't know what will happen if I get logged out, which sometimes happens when I clear cookies. I really like to do my main NYT reading on the Kindle, and then supplement this with the additional online content, which I look at daily. If access stops, I'll probably look for the cheapest digital subscription that will provide continued access to both. But I'll be really annoyed!

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2020, 06:03:58 pm »

Quote from: gdae23 on October 12, 2020, 01:41:20 pm

Looks like there are also changes with The NY Times subscription, and not for the better. I've always been able to access the online paper and app with my Kindle subscription, but I received this email from Amazon today:

Although this says the changes have already gone into effect as of 10-9-20, I've still got access right now. I don't know what will happen if I get logged out, which sometimes happens when I clear cookies. I really like to do my main NYT reading on the Kindle, and then supplement this with the additional online content, which I look at daily. If access stops, I'll probably look for the cheapest digital subscription that will provide continued access to both. But I'll be really annoyed!

Weird. That's just the opposite of what WaPo did .... which I still think is probably connected to Bezos owning both.

Hope they forget to actually switch you, like they did me. O'Course my solution was to cancel the existing subscription and re-subscribe. In your case, if they forget to (or can't) switch you, you'll win!

gdae23 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2020, 07:03:19 pm »

Quote from: Ann in Arlington on October 12, 2020, 06:03:58 pm

Weird. That's just the opposite of what WaPo did .... which I still think is probably connected to Bezos owning both.

Hope they forget to actually switch you, like they did me. O'Course my solution was to cancel the existing subscription and re-subscribe. In your case, if they forget to (or can't) switch you, you'll win!

Yes, that was my reaction - just the opposite of WaPo. I'm thinking I may have access for the rest of this month's subscription period, and then it will change, but who knows. I subscribe separately to the crossword, and do one of the subscription variety puzzles using the NYT app, so I'm also wondering how that will be affected. Of course, since I plan to (reluctantly) subscribe separately if it comes to that, I guess I�ll retain access. But of course I'm hoping your comment is correct and nothing actually changes!

I'm trying to decide if the NYT is desperate for more subscription revenue (in which case I'd be a bit more sympathetic) or just greedy to get as much as possible out of subscribers. (Not sympathetic to that!) This summer, the NYT informed me I had been subscribed to their cooking app for a free trial. They didn�t give me the option of a free trial, they just went ahead and signed me up without asking. I immediately requested they stop the subscription early, since I was afraid of being charged when the free trial ran out. I received an email saying they were ending the subscription, but they never actually ended it. (I got a few more emails about it reminding me to use it.) It does seem to have finally ended now, and I haven't been charged for anything, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. (Not good for a cooking subscription!)

mlewis78 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 16, 2020, 03:37:35 am »

gdae23, I got the same email from Amazon about my New Yorker subscription. It looks to me as if they are saying I'll still get it on my kindle, but then why did they send this?

I cannot get my new Atlantic and Vanity Fair subscriptions on my kindle or kindle fire. I tried. I can access it online and will some day get the first Atlantic in print. I got a few issues of Vanity Fair in the mail.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #14 on:** October 16, 2020, 05:24:29 am »

Quote from: mlewis78 on October 16, 2020, 03:37:35 am

gdae23, I got the same email from Amazon about my New Yorker subscription. It looks to me as if they are saying I'll still get it on my kindle, but then why did they send this?

I cannot get my new Atlantic and Vanity Fair subscriptions on my kindle or kindle fire. I tried. I can access it online and will some day get the first Atlantic in print. I got a few issues of Vanity Fair in the mail.

I gather, in the case of the NYT at least, that the kindle subscription used to include access to NYT on line which for the rest of us is behind a paywall. But from gdae's post, they're discontinuing that. Have you been able to access the New Yorker on line without a separate subscription up to now? Maybe that's about to change.

It sounds like they're doing a major overhaul of how magazines work for Kindle. Possibly the publications are changing how things work. It's weird. When I got the notice about WaPo I thought, "Finally!" Because it made sense to me: you can access WaPo with a print subscription, or via a digital subscription, so why NOT a kindle subscription? AND, in my case, I'm now only paying $6 a month vs $12. So clearly a win for me.

I guess we'll just have to see how this plays out going forward.

gdae23 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 16, 2020, 04:43:33 pm »

Quote from: mlewis78 on October 16, 2020, 03:37:35 am

gdae23, I got the same email from Amazon about my New Yorker subscription. It looks to me as if they are saying I'll still get it on my kindle, but then why did they send this?

I cannot get my new Atlantic and Vanity Fair subscriptions on my kindle or kindle fire. I tried. I can access it online and will some day get the first Atlantic in print. I got a few issues of Vanity Fair in the mail.

mlewis78: Thanks for the heads up about your subscriptions. The only periodical I�ve subscribed to is The NY Times, so it's possible this is a general change for multiple periodicals. I have the same question for you as Ann - did you subscribe to the New Yorker via a Kindle subscription, and did that also give you online access to the contents on the New Yorker site?

Quote from: Ann in Arlington on October 16, 2020, 05:24:29 am

I gather, in the case of the NYT at least, that the kindle subscription used to include access to NYT on line which for the rest of us is behind a paywall.

Yes, that's exactly how it's worked.

Quote from: Ann in Arlington on October 16, 2020, 05:24:29 am

It sounds like they're doing a major overhaul of how magazines work for Kindle. Possibly the publications are changing how things work. It's weird. When I got the notice about WaPo I thought, "Finally!" Because it made sense to me: you can access WaPo with a print subscription, or via a digital subscription, so why NOT a kindle subscription? AND, in my case, I'm now only paying $6 a month vs $12. So clearly a win for me.

I guess we'll just have to see how this plays out going forward.

Maybe publications owned by Jeff Bezos are exempt?

The NYT Kindle subscription has been the same price for a long time. Perhaps they could have increased it a bit if they needed more revenue, but kept full access. For now, I still have access, with no idea how much longer that will last. If I need to subscribe separately to the NYT, the first year is being offered at a discount, but then the price doubles in the second year. At that point, I�d probably give up the separate Kindle subscription and just read everything online. Not my preference, but it would be more than I'm comfortable spending to keep up both subscriptions at full price.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 16, 2020, 11:27:49 pm »

I buy my New Yorker subscription directly from the New Yorker. I used to get it included with my membership at WNYC Radio, but I stopped giving to them a couple of years ago, so I buy the New Yorker from the magazine. I've been getting it in print, online access (by logging in) and it downloads to my Oasis (it also came on my ipad, but I haven't used it in a long time -- it's the ipad 2).

I have to take a look at my Oasis to see if I can still download it.

Okay, I just downloaded the October 19th issue of The New Yorker to my Oasis. I looked for the email from Amazon but cannot find it (searched Amazon and New Yorker). Thought I'd saved it so that if I noticed in the future that I couldn't access the New Yorker, I could check the email.

Considering how much the New Yorker costs, about $150 a year, I should get it every way that is possible. They did give me a gift subscription for a friend that I gave.

Ann in Arlington · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2020, 04:26:18 am »

Huh. That's interesting that you could get it on an eInk kindle without purchasing from Amazon. But does it go through Amazon, somehow? Like library books. I mean: if you look in content and devices, do you see your magazine issues there as books purchased? Or maybe they show as documents sent? I wonder if it's some how using the send to kindle/email to kindle function.

gdae23 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2020, 09:53:08 pm »

Quote from: mlewis78 on October 16, 2020, 11:27:49 pm

Considering how much the New Yorker costs, about $150 a year, I should get it every way that is possible.

I feel this way about The NY Times, which is even more expensive, but unfortunately they don't seem to agree!

mlewis78 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 18, 2020, 02:55:18 am »

I feel as if the Times is not as expensive as New Yorker, since we get it every day. I still get the Times on the phone app but haven't looked on it there for a while. Usually read it online (on browser). Maybe also since I have read it since I moved here in '73. Used to buy print at the newsstands every day. This evening I saw the Sunday Times at a newsstand and it was so small. I think it is about $7 on Sunday.

gdae23 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 18, 2020, 11:28:45 am »

Quote from: mlewis78 on October 18, 2020, 02:55:18 am

I feel as if the Times is not as expensive as New Yorker, since we get it every day. I still get the Times on the phone app but haven't looked on it there for a while. Usually read it online (on browser). Maybe also since I have read it since I moved here in '73. Used to buy print at the newsstands every day. This evening I saw the Sunday Times at a newsstand and it was so small. I think it is about $7 on Sunday.

That's a very good point that I hadn't thought of. Comparing the prices that way, the price per issue of the Times is certainly less than the price per issue of the New Yorker. I also used to buy the Times on the newsstand every day and I was happy that the Kindle subscription was quite a bit less than it was costing me to do that. And less recycling too. In recent years, the only times I've bought a print copy of the NYT was when they have the special Puzzlemania section, which is only available with the print edition. It's a special puzzle and games section in the Sunday edition in mid December, and they did an extra one in the spring because of the pandemic. I had to look to see what it cost because it had been so long since I had bought the paper. I don�t remember the price now but $7 sounds about right. I'm guessing the paper is smaller because of the loss of advertising support to print media in favor of online media.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 19, 2020, 03:34:42 am »

I had forgotten about Puzzlemania in the Times. It's been a few years since I have seen it. One year while I was at a friend's on Christmas (or Thanksgiving?) they had it and worked on the crossword as a group. I think I bought that paper too. I didn't know they had one in the spring this year. I subscribe to the puzzles online and do them on my laptop, not every day, mostly early in the week for the easier ones.

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