Instaread: Learn Something New Ratings and Reviews

Tech Support?

Most Recent Update: 24 Jan 2018

*******************************************

There are a lot of opportunities to acquire summaries of fiction and non-fiction audiobooks and I’ve tried a good many of the vendors.

They are (IMHO) generally fairly similar, varying only: in their library - in this case better than most; in the utility of the software - easy to use; and in their concerns of the user base - unsurpassed.

The old saw “You get what you pay for” is in this instance an undervaluation... here I’ve gotten more than I expected. I’ve changed my evaluation to 5 stars.

*******************************************

UPDATED REVIEW

*****************************************************************

I initially posted a one star review because I got stuck in a loop and couldn’t access my account. The owner reached out to me and we figured out where the problem(s) started. As is the case with the majority of single engine aircraft accidents, pilot error is the first place to look.

I suggested to them to make a couple of changes on their WEBsite to prevent a similar situation.

Having used just one item from their catalog - successfully - I will change my review to three (3) stars. I will update the review at the end of my trial. Stay tuned. 😊

*****************************************************************

FIRST REVIEW

They have none. Uninstalled. Bye-bye, we gone. Signed: a VERY satisfied long-time Blinkist subscriber.

Developer Response ,

Hi, Sorry to hear about your poor experience. Please email rahul@instaread.co with your concerns. He is the founder and he would be happy to chat with you.

Disappointment

******** UPDATED REVIEW *********

Instaread Tech Support reached out to me and fortunately fixed my issue with the app freezing up.

Based upon their timely response, I am changing my review to 5 stars. This app is great for catching up with the books I have been interested in without having to commit to buying and reading. (I think of it like the “Cliff Notes” version.) If I really like the book, I am able to purchase it and read the entire thing knowing that I won’t be wasting my time and/or $$$. I recommend this app for anyone with limited time and a desire to stay “current” with their reading.

*************************************

I used to love this app. I’ve had this app for a long time (I purchased a “lifetime” subscription). However, I’ve noticed, over time, the quality of this app was deteriorating to the point of rarely working. It was my go to app when traveling because it allowed me to catch up on new reads. It’s disappointing to see a once great app become useless! I was also shocked to find, when deciding to write a review, that this app automatically defaults to a 5-star glowing review that is pre-written for you. Really?? Shame on you, Instaread!!

Developer Response ,

Hi, Thanks for updating your review! However, the rating is still showing up as 1-star. Can you please update to 5-star as the review suggests?

Amazing app with some suggestions

Great app here and have some suggestions for you guys, first off when I download something I would like an option for the audio to download offline as well. Also when I am listening to something the media drawer on the bottom is useless because I would wanna press it and go back to the page of the audio. Last but not least on my iPad I would prefer to see what I'm reading full screen not the square border that doesn't take up the full screen. Other than those little things amazing app.

Love it!

This app is very much worth the cost. I have learned so much from the book summaries, as well as the general life success tips shared. You will not be disappointed with this service. You’ll never have the time to read all the books you want to read. This app allows you to capture the key take-always from all of the best sellers and classics.

Watch out before signing up for a trial

BE AWARE

Im a college student who likes to read. I saw Instaread and wanted to give a try so I signed for a trial. I was always planning that if I liked it i would go for the monthly subscription which is around $9. Well, it turns out that it charged me $90 dollars for a year round subscription that I didn’t sign for, and plus that, they don’t even have a customer service where I can try to fix this problem. I cancelled the subscription and it didn’t refund the money. It said: your subscription will still valid for 1 year. I haven’t see any similar online scams recently. They don’t refund, they don’t even switch from yearly to monthly. Once you paid, the money is gone. I needed that money for a college textbook.

So BE AWARE

Developer Response ,

Hi, Which email did you use for customer service? We are very prompt when you send email to hello@instaread.co. Please check your spam folder. If you emailed hello@instaread.co you should definitely have an email response from us. If you have not emailed hello@instaread please do so and we will take care of you. Apologize for the poor experience.

Poor writing

I have a mild dyslexia, so reading books is literally painful, but hungry to read, I thought I'd give this a try. I loved the idea of cards, and having a paragraph or two surrounded by ample empty space was helpful for not losing my place. But the white text on different colors was hard on my eyes and I had to pause several times.

But what has prompted me to delete the app is it's just plain bad writing. Disjointed and uncomfortable turns of phrase made sense-making difficult. There were even incomplete sentences. It felt like it was written by a teenager. When the second book was just as bad, I decided to try a different app.

Sending emails to vote republican

What the heck. I got an email today about how Democrats are hurting politics and the upcoming election. They also advertised a book saying that. I have no idea why this company is saying anything about politics. I got this app to quickly get through books not to have political agenda thrown at me. This is the first email I got from them on a book so please don’t say it was just for promoting the book.

I really like this app and I already paid upfront for a year subscription. I was so disappointed by getting this email. I have been talking to people about his great this app is. Stop pushing your political views on people!

Developer Response ,

Hello! Thank you for your feedback. We do both democrat & republican titles. We don't have any agenda. We are simply a utility that gives key insights from books in an objective manner.

Too long

I really enjoy the summaries but it seems like they should be a little shorter. 12-15 mins is about my attention span, but that’s just me. Also, why is the actual books cover art not being used? Having different covers makes it had to scan for a book and I don’t associate the knowledge to the actual authors’s visual interpretation of what the cover should look like, but it’s not a huge deal so I wouldn’t count a star off for that. Otherwise I really enjoy listening:)

Oh and being able to speed up the readers pace is really handy!

Developer Response ,

Thanks for your kind words. We will consider making the summaries shorter but cannot guarantee that it will be implemented.

Removing Account

Good day ma’am or sir. I would like for you to remove my account from your app. I didn’t know there was a fee and due to my financial status I am unable . No I do not want to talk to anyone I just want my account removed , I have already unsubscribed from the newsletter and now I just want my account remove. See the funny thing is I cannot remove it myself so that’s why I am writing this review. You seem like you have a really nice app very informative and interesting. I just want my account removed. Please remove it. Best Regards.

Developer Response ,

Hello, please email hello@instaread.co with the email you registered with and we will be happy to delete your account.

Well worth it - Saves me time and money.

I have this habit of buying books I don’t read. Mostly that’s because I fall in love with the idea of a book, and I don’t want to forget to read it. As you can imagine that get’s expensive and time consuming.

Instaread helps me “vet” out books I think I might like without actually buying them.

Developer Response ,

Hi, That's great to hear! Thanks for the feedback.

Best,

Team Instaread