There are a lot of frequently-asked questions on this page. Use the links below to find the answer to yours!
Questions about ebooks, and how to download and use them
What exactly are ebooks, anyway?
What’s the difference between ‘easy reader’ and ‘parallel text’ ebooks?
How long does it take to send my ebook?
Where’s my ebook download link?
Why won’t my ebook download link work?
Why doesn’t my download link work? (Apple/iPhone/iPad version)
How do I open ebooks sent in a zipped/compressed folder?
How do I add my .EPUB (Kindle-compatible) ebook to my Kindle?
How should I use your easy readers?
Easy readers: how do I listen to the audio WITHOUT creating a Soundcloud.com account?
Easy readers: how do I listen to the audio while reading the .pdf?
Help! I can’t figure out how to play your audio recordings multiple times
‘Parallel text’ ebooks: how can I view the chapters side-by-side?
How can I view ‘parallel text’ ebooks on a iPad?
Questions about promotions, coupons, payments, taxes, refunds, and replacing lost ebooks
When’s the next sale?
Why didn’t the coupon code work?
Is it safe to input my credit/debit card details on your site?
How can I get help with my order/payment?
What are the payment options?
Why did my credit/debit card payment fail?
Why must I open a Paypal account?
Can I use home-banking to send the payment?
Do you charge VAT/sales tax?
My computer died and I’ve lost all my ebooks. Can you replace them?
This isn’t what I wanted. Can I get a refund?
Gosh! Why are you so rude?
And if you have a question that’s not yet answered here? Email us: info@easyreaders.org
Questions about ebooks, and how to download and use them
What exactly are ebooks, anyway?
We don’t sell actual, physical books, the sort that are made from dead trees. All of our ‘easy readers’ and ‘parallel texts’ for foreign language learners are .PDF format ebooks, some of which also have the option to receive .EPUB (for Kindle and other ebook readers) and .MOBI formats, at no extra charge. Basically, ebooks are computer files, rather than heavy lumps of cellulose stained with toxic inks. That’s actually much more convenient, as your ebook can be delivered to you anywhere in the world in seconds, with no postage charges! And you can still print it yourself, if you prefer to study the old-fashioned way. If you don’t have a printer at home, take the file to a copy shop – they’ll be happy to do it for you. .PDF e-books are readable on just about any computer, tablet, smartphone or ebook reader. However, it’s always a good idea to download the free sample chapter for any ebook that interests you. That way you can verify that the format is compatible with the device you want to use it on BEFORE you purchase the full version. .EPUB format ebooks can be read on a Kindle and other ebook readers, and may also be viewable with common browsers (you might need an add-on for your usual browser). For technical reasons, we don’t offer free sample chapters for .EPUB but the content should be the same as in the .PDF format. You can see whether .EPUB (for Kindle and other ebook readers) and/or .MOBI versions (the old Kindle-compatible format, before Kindle supported .MOBI) are available for the title or titles you want to buy by checking the format information, which you’ll see right under the cover image, in our online shop. Or click on the cover image to visit the product page. Or email and ask. If you’d also like to receive the .EPUB (for Kindle and other ebook readers) and/or .MOBI version(s), at no extra charge, then let us know by adding a note to your order form, or emailing us.
What’s the difference between ‘easy reader’ and ‘parallel text’ ebooks?
Our ‘easy reader’ ebooks have a text in the language you’re learning, plus activities, and importantly, online audio. They’re designed to be read and listened to, so as to help you build your reading/listening comprehension skills. In contrast ‘parallel text’ ebooks have a text in the language you’re learning and a translation in English. The lines are numbered to make it easy to compare the versions. This format is not intended for improving your reading/listening skills, so there’s no online audio or exercises. ‘Parallel text’ ebooks are for students who like to analyse the language they’re learning and understand how it is or isn’t equivalent in English.
How long does it take to send my ebook?
Our .pdf ebooks are delivered via a download link, which is sent automatically by our shop software as soon as your payment has cleared. However, the download link, for security reasons, will only get you the default .pdf format ebook. If you’ve also asked for one of the other formats (these are only sent to people who ask for them) these will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you forgot to ask for the .epub format at the time of your order, email us now and we’ll send it to you manually – it’s not a problem.
Where’s my ebook download link?
Your download link was sent automatically, to the email address you gave in your order form, immediately after your payment. Please check your email account, including the spam and junk folders. Be aware that if you are checking your spam/junk folders using an iPhone or iPad, it’s possible that they will seem empty (the device’s operating system may choose to save data by not ‘synching’ junk emails it thinks you won’t want to see.) To be SURE the ebook or download link isn’t in your spam, check your email on a computer. Many email apps will allow you to search for a word or phrase, so try typing the name of the ebook you purchased or downloaded for free into your email app. That should turn up the email with the download link or attachment. However, if you have received NOTHING from us, no order confirmation, no receipt, it could be that you mistyped your email in the order form (it happens surprisingly often…) And/or people sometimes have different (old) email addresses associated with their preferred payment systems (i.e. Paypal), in which case the download link might have gone there. In either case, just write to us and we’ll check the email address associated with your order.
Why won’t my ebook download link work?
As mentioned above, our ebooks are delivered via a download link which is sent automatically by our shop software as soon as your payment has cleared, usually immediately. The download link is set to expire after 7 days (we really want you to read your ebook, not just buy it…) so please use the download link when you receive it. You get 3 download attempts, which should be more than enough. However, perhaps you’ve never done this before, and clicked more than three times without understanding where the downloaded ebook has gone? Or maybe you were on holiday, so put off doing the download until you got home, by which point the link had expired? You will then see an error message, something unhelpful about a system error, which it wasn’t. DON’T WORRY! We can fix this. Just write to us and we can either renew the download link for a further period, add more download attempts, or – if all else fails – email the ebook or ebooks to you manually, as attachments. That always works!
Why doesn’t my download link work? (Apple/iPhone/iPad version)
People using iPhones and iPads often have problems with download links. With this in mind, why not just click the download link once and see what happens? Then, having clicked once, if it’s not obvious what you should do to view/save your ebook, you’ll still have two further attempts, so you can figure out what you’re doing wrong. The usual issue is that on an iPhone or iPad you need to specify which app should download and open which type of file. Our ebooks are .pdf files. Apple’s iBooks app will open them just fine, but you need to specify that BEFORE you click the download link. If you can’t manage the download on your iPad or iPhone, email us for help. We’ll send the file manually, attached to an email. Not only will that mean there’s no limit to the number of times you can download it, but also it’s likely that clicking on an attachment to an email will present no problems, even on an Apple device.
How do I open ebooks sent in a zipped/compressed folder?
Most of our ebooks come as a single .pdf file. To open it, just download it and click on it. Your device’s .pdf reader should do the rest. But some of our older ebooks are packaged together with .mp3 audio files, so we’ll send you a zipped/compressed folder containing multiple files. We also zip/compress ‘bundles’ of .pdf ebooks, for your and our convenience. If we send you a zipped/compressed folder containing your ebook, you’ll need to download the attachment as normal but then ‘unzip’ it, which is just like opening a bag to get at what’s inside. This SHOULD be easy, but like most things that are easy only if you know how, it can trip you up. There’s no need to buy any extra software to do this. If you’re using a Windows PC here’s what Microsoft advises:
Locate the zipped folder that you want to unzip (extract) files or folders from.
Do one of the following:
To unzip a single file or folder, open the zipped folder, then drag the file or folder from the zipped folder to a new location.
To unzip all the contents of the zipped folder, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Extract All, and then follow the instructions.
For Mac users, the Lifewire site explains that…
Unzipping a file or folder couldn’t be easier. Double-click the zip file and the file or folder will be decompressed into the same folder the compressed file is in.
And if you’re using a smartphone or tablet? Then honestly, we have no idea. There are many different devices and millions of apps for people to use on them. However, whatever the device you’re using, if you encounter any difficulties, just email us and we can send you the files individually rather than in a zipped/compressed folder. They always work that way.
How do I add my .EPUB (Kindle-compatible) ebook to my Kindle?
Save the .EPUB ebook that we sent you to a location on your computer where you’ll easily be able to find it i.e. on the desktop, or in the ‘downloads’ folder. Switch on your Kindle and connect it to a computer’s USB port using the cable that came with the Kindle when you bought it. It will appear as an external storage drive on the computer’s desktop (in Windows, navigate to ‘My computer’). Click on the Kindle icon on your computer to find a folder named “documents.” Now drag or copy/paste the .MOBI ebook from the location you previously saved it on your computer to the “documents” folder on your Kindle. When it has finished copying, unplug your Kindle. Your ebook will then be readable on your Kindle. You can also add .EPUB files to your Kindle by emailing them to your special ‘Kindle’ email. Locate your Kindle’s “Send-to-Kindle email address” by switching on your Kindle, selecting “Settings” from the home screen menu, then choosing “Device Options” followed by “Personalise Your Kindle”. There’s a note of your “Send-to-Kindle E-mail” under that heading.
How should I use your easy readers?
There are many ways, but here’s an approach which works for most people. First read/listen at the same time. Don’t worry about stuff you don’t understand, don’t stop to look things up. Try to finish the book, or at least the chapter, at the speed of the audio. You should get a sense of achievement just by ‘finishing’ the audio + text, even if your understanding is very limited. Next (maybe another day) read again at your own pace. Best to guess the difficult words from context, if you can. Use a dictionary only if you really must, as that will make the whole thing more arduous and reduce the benefit you’ll get from actually reading. Then, optionally, repeat stage 1, so read and listen together. The third stage is to listen to the audio again, but this time without the text. This phase helps you focus on listening comprehension. You should by now have a reasonable idea of what’s going on, so the challenge is to see how much you can pick out when just hearing it. You can repeat this as often as you want. It’ll be hard at first, but will get easier with practice. And come back to it again in the future! As with a song, the more times you hear it, the more you might get out of it, until it becomes boring of course. And that’s it. Get another book and repeat the process. Stay at approximately the same level of difficulty until you can do the steps above with confidence. Then move up to something harder, knowing though that you’ll feel less confident at first. Gradually push up through the levels until you feel confident moving on to authentic materials like novels and films.
Easy readers: how do I listen to the audio WITHOUT creating a Soundcloud.com account?
Click the online audio link, which you’ll find at the top of each chapter in the full versions of our ‘easy reader’ ebooks, and at the top of Chapter 1 in the free sample chapter downloads. Your device’s web browser will open the page at Soundcloud.com which hosts the audio for that particular ebook. WE PAY SOUNDCLOUD TO HOST OUR AUDIO FOR YOU, SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT – YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LISTEN EASILY, AND AT NO CHARGE. However, Soundcloud.com would obviously prefer that you open an account, so they display a popup notice which blocks the functioning of the page unless you log in – with your Facebook account, by creating an account with your email and password, there are many ways but there’s no “I just want to listen, leave me alone!” option, which is very frustrating. However, however, look away from the distracting box displaying the message “Sign in or create an account”, look over to your right, up a little, and there it is, just where Soundcloud.com trusts you won’t see it: a black circle containing a white X. Click the X and the irritating, frustrating box begging you to create an account disappears, leaving you free to listen to the audio as we intend. Soundcloud.com – if you’re reading this, know that we are displeased with you. We pay you an annual fee to host our audio, and think it’s unreasonable of you to try to trick our customers like this!
Easy readers: how do I listen to the audio while reading the .pdf?
It’s not hard but you will need to juggle between two different apps on your device, a web browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.) and a .pdf reader. First, download your .pdf ebook. Save it someplace safe, where you’ll know to find it again. Click on the saved file. Your device’s usual .pdf reader will open it. Easy readers typically have an audio link at the top of Chapter 1. N.b. The audio files for the entire story, not just Chapter 1, are available to listen to, absolutely free of charge, at Soundcloud.com, so you can try this with the free sample chapters. Click the audio link at the top of chapter one of your purchased ‘easy reader’ ebook or downloaded free sample chapter. A new browser window will open, in the usual way, showing the Soundcloud.com interface. Here’s an example: https://soundcloud.com/onlineitalianclub/sets/la-vita-e-bella. If you’re reading these words, then you’re clearly NOT looking at that new browser window showing the Soundcloud.com page with our audio example. Go find it now… Got it? !! RECENTLY SOUNDCLOUD HAVE STARTED BEGGING PEOPLE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT, BUT THAT’S NOT NECESSARY TO LISTEN TO OUR AUDIO. PLEASE READ THE FAQ ANSWER ABOVE “Easy readers: how do I listen to the audio WITHOUT creating a Soundcloud.com account?” TO LEARN HOW TO AVOID DOING SO. Got rid of the irritating pop-up that was stopping you from proceeding without logging in? Good. Now press the play button (white triangle in an orange circle). The audio will begin. Make sure you have the audio on your device turned on, and up enough so you can hear it. You can see from the Soundcloud.com page whether the track is playing or not. If you still don’t hear anything, the problem is at your end (on your tablet, smart phone or computer.) Verify that by visiting another site with audio and seeing if THAT works. If not, you’ll need to figure out how to play audio on your device, or change the device. Audio playing OK? Now MINIMISE the internet browser showing the audio player (leaving it playing.) Go back to your .pdf viewer and view the ebook as you did before, when you found and clicked the audio link. To listen and read at the same time, all you have to do is juggle the two windows (leaving both applications on and working.) Switch to the browser to pause, stop, rewind, and so on. And back to the .pdf viewer to follow along with the text.
Help! I can’t figure out how to play your audio recordings multiple times.
Many (not all) of the audio tracks to our ebooks are hosted on Soundcloud.com so as not to overload our server. When you click on the ‘Listen online’ link (test this in the free sample chapter!), a browser window will open showing the page at Soundcloud.com for this particular audio book. You’ll see ‘Play’ and ‘Pause’ buttons. So far, so good, right? The problem comes when your track finishes. Where the ‘play’ and ‘pause’ controls were, you see a message ‘Explore more tracks like this on Soundcloud.com…’, when what you really want to see is the ‘Play’ command, so you can hear the track again. Look for the little X in the right-hand corner of the Soundcloud ad. Click on that, and the grey part will disappear. You’ll then be back where you were before and will see the ‘Play’ command you need to hear the track again as many times as you wish.
‘Parallel text’ ebooks: how can I view the chapters side-by-side?
Viewing the chapters of your parallel text ebook side by side (so as to compare the different languages) is not hard, but probably won’t happen automatically. There are a few simple, free things you’ll need to do first. The file is a .pdf so will open with whatever the default .pdf reader on your device is. These can vary and will probably NOT show the chapters side-by-side, as intended. For this reason, we recommend the free Adobe Reader, which is installed on many computers in any case. If you don’t have it, download it here (though I’d suggest un-checking the ‘Optional Offers’…) Once you have Adobe Reader installed, this is what you do: 1.) Locate the .pdf file for your purchased ebook, or download a free sample chapter if you just want to try this out. Don’t just click on it or it will open in a browser, which probably works differently. Instead, locate the ‘parallel text’ .pdf file in your device’s downloads file or the place where you saved it. To open it with Adobe Reader, right click on the .pdf file, choose ‘Open with’, and select Adobe Reader. You should now see the contents of your ‘parallel text’ ebook or free sample chapter, but the pages likely won’t be displaying side-by-side. So, in Adobe Reader look in the menu (at the top) for ‘View’, then choose ‘Page display’. Choose ‘two page view’ (for the parallel text) or ‘single page view’ for normal documents. Use ‘View’ / ‘Read mode’ to make the text larger or smaller so that it fits your screen. Use the ‘zoom’ and ‘page up/down’ buttons to navigate through the book. N.b. ‘Parallel text’ ebooks can be printed, which makes displaying the pages side by side (maybe on a table…) so much easier!
How can I view ‘parallel text’ ebooks on a iPad?
iPad users report that the Adobe Reader mobile app for iOS doesn’t have a two-page view option. However, iPad users can apparently read the parallel readers in 2 page view using the SideBooks app, which is a free download.
Questions about promotions, coupons, payments, taxes, refunds, and replacing lost ebooks
When’s the next sale?
Email info@easyreaders.org and we’ll let you know. And/or get on our mailing list (there’s a 33% coupon code for those who do.)
Why didn’t the coupon code work?
If it’s a one-use-per-person code, for example the 33% discount code we offer those who choose to join our mailing list, then it will be refused if you’ve used it previously, even on an order that’s ‘pending’, for instance if you changed your mind and reordered, or if the payment failed. In which case, please email us the details at info@easyreaders.org. We’ll cancel your ‘pending’ order and the coupon should work again. In other cases, for instance if we’re running a promotion using a coupon code with no use limit, the likely reason is that you typed or copied the coupon code inaccurately. Try again!
Is it safe to input my credit/debit card details on your site?
Well actually, you’ll be providing your credit card number, expiry date, CVC and so on directly to the payment processor you selected (Stripe, Paypal – two world-leading companies). While that may appear to happen on our website, we never see this sensitive information. So yes, it’s safe.
How can I get help with my order/payment?
Email info@easyreaders.org. We respond to emails 365 days a year during the hours of daylight (Central European Time). If you’re in a different time zone, please be patient!
What are the payment options?
Once you get to the Checkout page, select Card, Paypal or Bank Transfer by clicking on the DARK BLUE DOT next to the payment method you prefer.
Why did my credit/debit card payment fail?
Our card processor works just fine most of the time, but if you are not currently in the country where your card was issued (for example if you’re travelling, or studying abroad), your payment will fail. We know this is frustrating, and we’re very sorry, but it’s a necessary anti-fraud measure. Criminals try to ‘test’ stolen credit card details by making small purchases on our site. But there’s a simple solution to failed payments. Simply reorder using the Paypal option instead of Card (you don’t need to open an account). They’ll process your payment for us, and use different anti-fraud protections which don’t flunk you for being on holiday abroad.
Why must I open a Paypal account?
No reason, actually. If you don’t have a Paypal account and don’t want to open one, you can still use this payment option in the event of problems with our primary credit/debit card processor. You don’t have to open an account! Having selected the Paypal option at the payment stage, look out for Paypal’s “Pay with a credit or debit card” button, which tends to be less visible than their ‘Create an account/Login” banners but does allow you to pay us without creating an account with them.
Can I use home-banking to send the payment?
Certainly, and we’ll save the processing fee! Assuming you have a UK bank account and don’t mind typing in account numbers and so on, choose the Direct Bank Transfer option. Having completed your order details, you’ll be redirected to a page with our bank information. You then log into your home banking in the usual way and send the payment. Please use your Order ID as the payment reference. Direct Bank Transfer payments should only be in GBP, and are not advised for customers who do not have a British bank account or equivalent.
Do you charge VAT/sales tax?
Ebooks are ‘zero-rated’ in the UK where we are based, so no VAT is charged.
My computer died and I’ve lost all my ebooks. Can you replace them?
We’re sorry but usually not. We’ve been selling ebooks for more than a decade and have had thousands of customers from countries around the world. But we’re not Amazon: we’re just a micro business, run by one person, part-time. For that reason it wouldn’t be practical, cost-effective or honest to offer you a guarantee that we’ll be able to replace your ebook files if you mislay them at any point in the future. We hope you understand. Once you receive your download link, please download and save your purchases carefully, in a place where you’ll easily be able to find them when you want to use them to improve your foreign language skills. Click on the saved files to make sure they open. Scroll through them, all the way to the end to check that the file is working as it should. Click on the audio link to make sure the audio plays. Problems? We’ll be happy to make sure you’re able to download and open your ebooks and will offer help to the point at which you’ve successfully done that. But from then on the ebook files are your responsibility, just as other electronic documents or photos in your device or devices are. Please make backups – on a different device – before something bad happens, as one day it might.
This isn’t what I wanted. Can I get a refund?
If you haven’t downloaded the ebook or ebooks you purchased (our system records clicks on the download link you received) then yes, but only within the fourteen days that British law allows you to cancel an online contract. The legal details are pasted below, and are also sent to you in the small print in the footer of the email containing the download link. But if you’ve already clicked the download link? Then sorry, we can’t be sure that your refund request is reasonable (ebooks can’t be ‘undownloaded’) so no refund will be issued. This is a standard condition with downloadable products such as music, games, and ebooks and we’re permitted by the law to refuse refund requests in this circumstance (see the text below.) However, we offer free sample chapters for all of our ebooks, and they’re linked to from our Catalog page and from the individual product pages, so easy to find. Please download and carefully examine the free samples for the materials that interest you before deciding to purchase the full versions. That way, there’ll be no misunderstandings.
“The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 allows you the right to withdraw from a contract made through our website within 14 days from the date that the contract is finalized, without incurring any penalty or having to give a reason, if you are not satisfied with the purchase you have made. With particular reference to the supply of digital content (ebooks) via download link or emailed attachment, by clicking the download link or asking specifically for an ebook version to be sent to you by email you expressly consent to us providing the digital content within the 14 day cancellation period and acknowledge that you lose your right to cancel the contract as a consequence. To withdraw from this contract in accordance with the terms of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, please e-mail us: info@easyreaders.org EASY READERS LLP will repay the whole amount you paid within 14 days of the date we receive your notification to withdraw, normally using the same means of payment that you initially used.”
Gosh! Why are you so rude?
Technology can be frustrating, often deliberately so. And many companies use ‘no reply’ email addresses in their marketing, so were you to write to them for help, your explanations and pleas would just bounce back to your inbox. As a customer, I really really hate that, and so as a business-owner I never use ‘no reply’ email addresses. Our contact emails are published on each and every page of each and every website we run. Emails sent to them will be read, usually by me, and if appropriate, responded to. I also respond to replies people send to automated emails – promotional bulk mailings, automated emails sent by our shop software, and so on. It’s fair to say, I think, that my efforts to understand and respond to requests for help or advice are unusual in the modern world, generous even, perhaps foolishly so. What’s more, I answer emails three hundred and sixty-five days a year, even on Sundays, even on Christmas day. If I can help, I’ll try to. If I can’t, I’ll try to explain why. So, all that said, it can be absolutely MADDENING when, having responded to emails from all the world’s time zones while eating my breakfast on a Sunday morning, my responses are not read, or are only partially read, or are entirely unappreciated. It’s not unsual that people are ungrateful, despite receiving a personal reply, instead of something crafted by a bot or AI. Some are even threatening: “Does your manager know how you treat your firm’s customers?” One thing that doing customer service has taught me: you’ll get a much better response to your help request if you’re NICE. And if you provide details. And if you PAY ATTENTION to emailed replies. Another thing I’ve learnt is why the owners of other companies would rather get a bot or AI to deal with their customers, or refuse to publish email addresses entirely. Gosh, why am I so rude, lady? Because I’m human, trying my best, and you’re not giving credit where credit’s due. Now leave me in peace.