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Topic: Anybody know anything about ebooknovel.com?

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Subject: Anybody know anything about ebooknovel.com?
Date Posted: 1/11/2011 8:47 AM ET
Member Since: 10/30/2006
Posts: 8,426
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Last Edited on: 4/1/11 3:56 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
NellieBly avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2011 11:17 AM ET
Member Since: 11/24/2005
Posts: 5,638
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I haven't heard of this one and I keep getting broken links -- could be the weather here, been having computer trouble. 

There was one similar to this awhile back I heard about, different name though, that once you'd paid your fee, directed you to Feedbooks. I can't get the site to let me do my usual test to see if something is a scam, which is to see if they have Harry Potter or To Kill a Mockingbird. Again, my computer is iffy at best when there's this much ice and wind. 

ryenke avatar
M.E. (ryenke) -
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Date Posted: 1/11/2011 1:22 PM ET
Member Since: 1/6/2009
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Very little I can find out about this company on the web. 

On the site, there is very little information - everypage seems to be the same - pay to join without any details.  On the 'forum' everything is 'private' and even when I signed up for a forum name I still can't see anything pertinent on the forum.

There is no contact information beyond a web form and e-mail address. 

The whois domain information is private - but SEEMS to indicate a lot of activity on the domain name, that doesn't look good to me.  When I clicked the page to pay it takes me to a paypal page for "Starbreeze Media Inc." and the information I can find on that company is pretty scant.  It might be a german company, but it is hard to tell. 

All in all, there is so little info to be found, the web site is not forthcoming with details - (pay now, find out what you are paying for later?) and is not forthcoming (if not down right obfuscating) about company information.  I'd steer clear of it.  I may be wrong, but I'd much rather be safe than sorry.

NeedyBookLover avatar
Date Posted: 1/11/2011 1:24 PM ET
Member Since: 10/25/2009
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Well, I took a look at the link and it looks really good.  Almost too good to be true.  You have to subscribe before you can search for titles . . . but they do say they support most ereaders (Kindle, Nook, etc) so I will assume that they haven't broken any laws in providing this service.  However, I wonder if they aren't a lending group.  Because I am a serious reader and I know many people who would take advantage of the 129.99 lifetime membership.  My wish list alone in ebook format would run me several thousands of dollars.  My question would be how are they making any money?  Oh, wait, there are credits involved so I bet they limit to so many requests per month.  So, if they limit me to 6 requests a month at 10 dollars per book it would take me 2.5 months to "earn back" my lifetime membership.  And if I go with a shorter membership and I let it lapse, I lose my ebooks?  Mmm, don't think so.

They do claim to have 11,000 titles available and you can request others but no guarantee of it being available.  Also, the other thing that strikes me as odd, is there is not "verified" by Paypal or other group.  Think I will steer clear of this for now.

DuskyRose avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2011 2:49 PM ET
Member Since: 8/18/2005
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You have to subscribe before you can search for titles . . . but they do say they support most ereaders (Kindle, Nook, etc) so I will assume that they haven't broken any laws in providing this service.

They don't have to be legal to have books in the right format for side loading onto eReaders. They just have to be in the right format.

Looks from the Whois information that they're located in New Zealand. And they say that all postal mail will be rejected. Which could mean that it's not a legit address. I've found a site based on the phone number provided in which someone points out this about the phone number provided...

 

I would not deal with them at all. If you notice all mailings get rejected. The website is new (2 months old).

I then did a google search on the phone # of +45.36946676 and found this on fraudwatchers.org

 

Quote:
The address PO Box 83-000, Johnsonville, Wellington, NZ is fake, and the phone number +45.36946676 is in Demark, NOT New Zealand.
 
So I'd stay well away from them for now. Too many places will take a fee to connect you to places where books and other products are pirated. You don't want to be downloading those. This may be one of them, even if they provide any service at all.