Where are the ebook gifting options?

by on Nov.16, 2011, under Observations

I was really hoping that this year we’d have really good options for ebook gifts.

I don’t want to receive physical books. I want to receive ebooks. But I simply can’t find any way to put ebooks on my wishlist and allow people to give them to me.

  • Apple allows you to purchase an iTunes Book for someone, but they receive it instantly. That’s not useful for christmas giving.
  • Amazon allows you to purchase an ebook for someone, but they receive it instantly. That’s not useful for christmas giving.
  • Barnes & Noble fails entirely by not allowing you to purchase an eBook for someone else — only gift cards. Barf.

As a matter of fact, the only large online retailer which seems to have any reasonable gift giving choices is Books a Million. You can download the eBook from their site and put it on a CD as a physical gift if you want, or e-mail it if you prefer an electronic delivery.

I believe that the ebook retailers are handicapping themselves. This is a great opportunity they shouldn’t be passing up for Christmas business.

Have you found any better ways to give eBooks as gifts?


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