I signed this petition because I do not believe in charging authors or deducting from author royalties for audiobook (or other format) returns. Currently apparently Audible allows returns up to a year even after listening to the entire book. Authors generally do not get much in the way of royalties as it is. It is my opinion that returning a book after listening to or reading the whole thing is theft. It is different if borrowing, but there is a definite borrowing process already in place, thus they are different. There is also the fact that in the case of downloaded audiobooks there is NO physical product to return, it was all delivered digitally in the first place.
In the case of returns I do not deduct from the royalties that I sent out to authors (which only go out once enough has accrued to send the transactions). These are transactions that I would be eating the damage from on titles released through my company.
I realize that there are reasons a person may want to return a book or audiobook and get a refund. Accidental purchase, such as by a child I could see. A refund after reading or listening to simply because they didn't like it though does not seem a valid reason to me. I am including the link below for any that might also feel moved to sign.
What are your views on audiobook returns as an audiobook consumer, as an author, as an audiobook performer, a publisher, or even a distributor? Do your thoughts vary on them based on your position in the industry? Do your thoughts on returns and charging the authors differ between book formats, such as print, ebook, or digital?
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