Audible offer and UK listeners

[Vanamonde]

Has anbody in the UK been able to take advantage of the Audible trial?

When I try, after taking my credit card details, I get transferred to the audible UK site which doesn't run the free trial.

Yeah you can get a free book, but you have to stump up the money first (you get an extra credit with the first payment).

[eytanz]

The Audible offer is US-only. I do think Steve should point this out in his outros, but - based on other podcasts that made similar offers - he may not be aware of that.

[Rain]

I have used the offer from another podcast where i had no problems, seems odd that the escape pod thing would be US only, or perhaps audible changed the offer since i tried it

[Russell Nash]

I used the EP offer from here in Germany, but that was before the link went straight to the sff section.

[eytanz]

Well, I don't know anything for a fact, as I already am a customer of Audible in the US so I didn't try to use the offer. But I know of several people who had trouble with this, and several other podcasts that started saying "US only" on their audible offers recently (like all the TWiT podcasts).

[Praxis]

And they no longer let you cancel your account via email, so if you are outside the US you have to phone their non-free number plus international call rates.

This isn't the same as 'free' and I'd like Steve to make this clear in one of the plugs for the audible site and books, ta.

[Russell Nash]

And they no longer let you cancel your account via email, so if you are outside the US you have to phone their non-free number plus international call rates.

This isn't the same as 'free' and I'd like Steve to make this clear in one of the plugs for the audible site and books, ta.

I canceled right on the Audible site.  I didn't need to use email at all.

Also if you use one of the international cheap call numbers, calling the states from Europe is about €.03/min.  It doesn't exactly break the bank.

[Praxis]

I canceled right on the Audible site.  I didn't need to use email at all.

Also if you use one of the international cheap call numbers, calling the states from Europe is about €.03/min.  It doesn't exactly break the bank.

Ahhh, good that you can use the website.  (I wouldn't subscribe to a service through the internet which wouldn't let you cancel, similarly, through the 'net.)
And if I don't have a credit card, I can't take up a free offer?  I have plastic but not a form that the site likes (though it works worldwide - Maestro).

A free offer is great, don't get me wrong, but if you can't take it up, or if it isn't actually free......

[Russell Nash]

I canceled right on the Audible site.  I didn't need to use email at all.

Also if you use one of the international cheap call numbers, calling the states from Europe is about €.03/min.  It doesn't exactly break the bank.

Ahhh, good that you can use the website.  (I wouldn't subscribe to a service through the internet which wouldn't let you cancel, similarly, through the 'net.)
And if I don't have a credit card, I can't take up a free offer?  I have plastic but not a form that the site likes (though it works worldwide - Maestro).

A free offer is great, don't get me wrong, but if you can't take it up, or if it isn't actually free......

Isn't Maestro the international name for Mastercard??  If the number on the front begins with 5, then it is.

[Praxis]

Isn't Maestro the international name for Mastercard??

Nope it used to be Switch and then was standardised to the Maestro system that you can use all over the place, but it takes payment directly from an account, rather than being a credit card.

I realise I might be sounding critical and I don't mean to be, about Audible itself, since I think it is a great site.  But offers that either are free but not quite actually free, or require financial details up-front, or both, make me wary.

GoooooooooAudible!!!
*does pom-pom rountine*

[eytanz]

Maestro, using American terminology, is the debit card counterpart of Mastercard.

You should *never* use a debit card to sign up for internet services - unlike credit cards, there is no protection in case of fraud, and no legal obligation on the banks to allow you to dispute the charge. With a credit card, if a service doesn't allow you to quit, you have recourse and will probably be refunded any money you pay for a service you don't use. No such luck with a debit card.