Good Riddance to Everand
A few months ago, I was recommended this application called Everand, which is part of Scribd.
What makes Everand appealing is its provision of thousands of books in digitised form, audiobooks and other Scribd materials in exchange for basic membership plans. I opted for the $10 a month plan which, to be exact, was $9.99. This allowed me to access many titles that were not only unavailable in Pakistan but also quite expensive to purchase otherwise.
While I did feel a bit guilty about reading these books at such a low cost, my thirst for knowledge and curiosity sometimes had no other means of fulfillment except through such platforms. Hence, I considered this $9.99 plus the bundle of taxes as a worthwhile investment. I devoured many books that interested me, especially those related to sociology, national security studies, memoirs and biographies.
Despite Everand’s impressive offerings in terms of titles and access to certain monthly magazines, I personally found the disadvantages outweighing the benefits. The first issue I faced was that the books I added to my collection would randomly disappear.
For instance, I started three books in my first month – a biography, a world history book and one on sociology. I was reading each book at my own pace and taking notes. However, a week before the next payment cycle, one or two of these titles vanished. When I tried to contact customer care, I received no response. Surprisingly, once the automatic payment was processed, the missing titles reappeared at the exact progress point where I left them. This led me to suspect intentional gatekeeping by Everand.
As if that wasn’t enough, I discovered there was a certain limit to the number of titles I could read at a given time. Books that were previously available in Pakistan began to show up as 'not currently available in your region’. Confirming my suspicions, titles would randomly disappear if I exceeded five books in my reading list, with Everand deciding which ones remained.
Another major inconvenience I encountered was the lack of proper page numbering in the digitised books. While the app allows you to adjust the font size and style, it does not provide any references to page numbers in their physical form. This makes it difficult to quote excerpts or cite sources accurately, which is crucial for literature reviews.
Frustrated by these issues, I finally decided that Everand was not for me. Despite the potential benefits, the app’s aggressive gatekeeping and lack of clear terms and conditions were too problematic. Even customer service was unhelpful; promises of free months for referrals never materialised and their responses were curt and unhelpful.
Ultimately, I reverted to reading books in print. I can (once again) enjoy them at my own pace, without the fear of them disappearing randomly. Physical books also allow me to accurately cite references, which is important for my work. While digital platforms like Everand have their place, my experience with it was far too disappointing. It felt like the app was designed to constantly lure users into the next payment cycle through deceptive practices.
Basically, I consider Everand a type of 'leech’, draining both my money and attention while adding unnecessary anxiety to my reading experience. I don’t regret the books I managed to read but the constant disruptions and the sense of being manipulated were too much. For me, reverting to physical books is a more reliable and fulfilling option.
