Saving $25 doesn’t seem like much of a deal to me, but the special-offers idea might appeal to some people who love a bargain. I see, for instance, that you could be eligible for 50 percent off an Amazon gift card, or you could snap up six Audible books for $6 instead of the regular $68. To make sure you don’t miss any of these wonderful bargains, “a full list of active offers will be available from the menu of the Kindle With Special Offers at any time.” Joy.
It doesn’t matter that most of these offers are available elsewhere, the attraction for bargain addicts will be the titillation of finding a cheap bath mat every time they open up the latest blockbuster. But that’ll teach ‘em because Amazon never, ever forget. They are past masters at squeezing the pips out of every marketing opportunity following the slightest spark of interest in a product. Look up the price of a rocking horse on Amazon and you are then doomed to a slow drip of special offers on wooden animals, saddlery, jodphurs, horsehair sofas and medicinal rocking horse manure.
On balance, I’d pay an extra $125 to be spared all that. This reminds me: Must charge up my Kindle Without Special Offers edition.