Amazon’s Colorsoft Launch Has Left Some Customers Without a Kindle at All

Customers who decided to take advantage of the program sent in their older Kindles under the assumption that the Colorsoft would replace their current e-reader. The unexpected display issues meant this didn’t go according to plan. They’ve taken their complaints to Reddit and reviews on the Colorsoft product page on Amazon, which has a 2.5/5 star rating.

It’s worth noting that not everyone has run into the display issue—I didn’t notice it in my Colorsoft review unit—but if you do, you should reach out to Amazon’s customer service team for a refund or replacement. But this is where things get sticky. If you choose a refund and had used the discount, you’ll only get back the exact amount that you paid. Since the 20 percent off coupon is no longer valid, you’ll now have to pay full price for the Colorsoft, whenever Amazon starts shipping it again. If you choose to wait for a replacement, you’ll have to wait an estimated three to five weeks to receive the replacement model.

Waiting until mid-December might be fine for some, but those who traded in their previous e-readers are left without devices. Even if customers decide to use the refund to buy a new Paperwhite or basic Kindle, they can’t take advantage of the trade-in promotions because they no longer have devices to send in. Instead, they’ll have to pay full price. According to multiple reviews on the Colorsoft product page on Amazon, customer service representatives have told customers the original discount cannot be transferred to another Kindle. (It doesn’t help that Amazon’s new lineup of e-readers are more expensive than their predecessors.)

Some customers have had better luck. Depending on the trade-in, Amazon will sometimes deposit the gift card to your account instantly as long as you send the device in within 30 days. Some held on to their original Kindles until they received the new one, while one customer managed to secure an extension on their return. The instant payments seem to only apply in the US—on multiple Reddit threads, folks in the UK say Amazon needs to appraise their devices before receiving trade-in credit.

I didn’t experience the yellow bar or the discoloration on my review unit, but I did have a few other reservations about the Colorsoft. The color screen is impressive, but the constant refreshing to render colors and load times is a little jarring (this is a problem on most color e-readers). It’s also just too expensive, costing $80 more than the Paperwhite Signature, which has many of the same features except for the color screen. The Colorsoft doesn’t have page-turn buttons or stylus support, which also makes it feel not a good value.

We’ve reached out to Amazon about these complaints but the company had not commented by press time.