choices, choices, choices

pwalker8 · 08-12-2019, 09:52 AM

I just got an offer to upgrade from my current plan (inactive basic, $10 a year, no credits, but 30% discount) to yearly gold (normally $150 a year with 12 credits and 30% discount) for $120 the first year. $150 for 12 credits comes out to $12.50 per book.

On one hand, I usually by the ebook first, which means I get a lot of books for the whisper link price (usually well under $12.50).

On the other hand, I do have some series by some favored authors that I would like to fill.

Lord knows that I generally buy a lot more than 12 audiobooks a year.

pwalker8 · 08-12-2019, 05:56 PM

Well, they made that choice pretty easy. I clicked on the link in the email and I got the $150 price. When I sent an email to audible customer service, they said that the offer expired on July 31st, even though I got the email today. I sent them a copy of the email which said that the offer expires on Sept. 30th 2019 and they said that I have to send email from the email address linked to the account. I guess they don't actually want me to upgrade.

Hum, looking back on the last 3 years, I haven't bought 12 books in a specific year that cost more than $12.50. The vast majority of the time, I buy the audiobook at the same time I buy the ebook, which means it's usually in the $8 or less range. I'm sure they want me to upgrade so they get that $150 a year rather than $10 a year, but they aren't acting like it. Of course, I buy between 30 and 40 audio books a year. I doubt that will change any, but I would have likely spent those credits on books I normally wouldn't have purchased and still bought the books that I currently buy. Oh well.

pwalker8 · 08-12-2019, 09:07 PM

I got a bit curious, so I went back and looked at my orders since 2015. Since 2015, I've purchased some 228 audiobooks and the average cost has been $10.58. Looking at the trend lines, my purchases have dropped each year going from 64 in 2015 down to 35 last year, though since I'm already at 33 books this year, I suspect I will end up somewhere between 40 and 50 this year. However, the average cost has been fairly steady each year ranging from $9.90 to $11.87.

Interesting. Why is it trailing off? Most likely because I've caught up on most of the backlist authors and now I'm just buying new books coming out, along with some authors that I've just found and the occasional back list book coming out. For example, David Gemmel's Dreynai series was released over the space of a several months last year and I've bought those. There are a few Gemmel books that aren't out yet. Same with Tamora Pierce, most are out with just a few missing. Same with Mercedes Lackey. Just a handful that I don't have yet.

I have noticed that a few early adaptors have re-released their audiobooks with new readers, Mercedes Lackey's Arrows series is an example. The first book was released years ago, now the trilogy has been released with a new reader.

In addition, a number of my favorite authors finished off series last year and haven't really started anything new so the new books have trailed off a bit as well.

But from that stand point, it's really a bit of a wash going with the yearly subscription with credits. I wouldn't lose money since I have at least 12 books that are $12.50, but I really wouldn't save much money either since I only have a handful of books noticeably over $12.50. Fry's Sherlock Holmes was the most expensive book that I bought last year.

08-12-2019, 09:52 AM	#1
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	choices, choices, choices I just got an offer to upgrade from my current plan (inactive basic, $10 a year, no credits, but 30% discount) to yearly gold (normally $150 a year with 12 credits and 30% discount) for $120 the first year. $150 for 12 credits comes out to $12.50 per book. On one hand, I usually by the ebook first, which means I get a lot of books for the whisper link price (usually well under $12.50). On the other hand, I do have some series by some favored authors that I would like to fill. Lord knows that I generally buy a lot more than 12 audiobooks a year.

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08-12-2019, 05:56 PM	#2
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Well, they made that choice pretty easy. I clicked on the link in the email and I got the $150 price. When I sent an email to audible customer service, they said that the offer expired on July 31st, even though I got the email today. I sent them a copy of the email which said that the offer expires on Sept. 30th 2019 and they said that I have to send email from the email address linked to the account. I guess they don't actually want me to upgrade. Hum, looking back on the last 3 years, I haven't bought 12 books in a specific year that cost more than $12.50. The vast majority of the time, I buy the audiobook at the same time I buy the ebook, which means it's usually in the $8 or less range. I'm sure they want me to upgrade so they get that $150 a year rather than $10 a year, but they aren't acting like it. Of course, I buy between 30 and 40 audio books a year. I doubt that will change any, but I would have likely spent those credits on books I normally wouldn't have purchased and still bought the books that I currently buy. Oh well.

08-12-2019, 09:07 PM	#3
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	I got a bit curious, so I went back and looked at my orders since 2015. Since 2015, I've purchased some 228 audiobooks and the average cost has been $10.58. Looking at the trend lines, my purchases have dropped each year going from 64 in 2015 down to 35 last year, though since I'm already at 33 books this year, I suspect I will end up somewhere between 40 and 50 this year. However, the average cost has been fairly steady each year ranging from $9.90 to $11.87. Interesting. Why is it trailing off? Most likely because I've caught up on most of the backlist authors and now I'm just buying new books coming out, along with some authors that I've just found and the occasional back list book coming out. For example, David Gemmel's Dreynai series was released over the space of a several months last year and I've bought those. There are a few Gemmel books that aren't out yet. Same with Tamora Pierce, most are out with just a few missing. Same with Mercedes Lackey. Just a handful that I don't have yet. I have noticed that a few early adaptors have re-released their audiobooks with new readers, Mercedes Lackey's Arrows series is an example. The first book was released years ago, now the trilogy has been released with a new reader. In addition, a number of my favorite authors finished off series last year and haven't really started anything new so the new books have trailed off a bit as well. But from that stand point, it's really a bit of a wash going with the yearly subscription with credits. I wouldn't lose money since I have at least 12 books that are $12.50, but I really wouldn't save much money either since I only have a handful of books noticeably over $12.50. Fry's Sherlock Holmes was the most expensive book that I bought last year.