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$100 Certificate for Late Nook e-Readers!

Where oh where are Barnes and Noble e-book readers, the nook? The company had already said that they were doing their best to make good with their commitments to those who pre-ordered the device online for the holidays.

However, it looks like they will not be able to fulfill those commitments a hundred percent. Barnes and Noble has informed its customers that they will be compensating those who will not receive their orders in time for Christmas, a rather solid indication that while they may be able to deliver some of the orders, they will not be able to fulfill them all.

nook Barnes & Noble, Inc. informed its customers via e-mail that should they fail to receive the electronic devices that they ordered by the committed date – December 24 – they will be receiving an online bribe gift certificate worth $100 “to use as you wish” at Barnes&Noble.com.

It also included an offer from the company that since some of the orders were meant to be Christmas presents, a “special nook Holiday Certificate” will be sent to the shipping addressees indicated in the order to ensure that if the real deal does not come in time, the recipient will at least know that he or she has not been forgotten. The certificate reads: “Someone special is giving you the most desired gift of the holiday season. nook, the world’s most advanced e-book reader, will be in your hands early in the New Year.”

Barnes & Noble had already hinted at the start of the holidays that it was having a bit of difficulty keeping up with the demand for the device. Amazon was in the same boat last year, running out of the Kindle in November 2008 and unable to provide through the holiday season. This year, however, they made sure that they were the one with the e-reader in stock, and have been enjoying unprecedented sales.