Faulty Colorsofts have left some Kindle owners without an e-reader

The launch of the first-ever color Kindle isn’t going so great. Amazon’s Colorsoftbegan shipping on October 30, but shipments were paused after some customers complained about a yellow bar at the bottom of the screen and discoloration around the edges. Amazon is working on a fix and is offering a replacement or refund.

That’s where another problem comes in. Leading up to the launch, Amazon ran a promotion advertising that its customers could trade in their old Kindle for a 20 percent discount on the Colorsoft. And some of those customers are now returning their new Colorsoft due to the yellow bar defect—leaving them without an e-reader altogether. Amazon has yet to provide any concrete information on when the fix will be ready for the Colorsoft and when it will resume shipping. It’s a mess.

It started with an advertisement for a limited-time discount on the Colorsoft via Amazon’s trade-in program. If the device was eligible, you had to answer a few questions about its condition and then ship it off. Once Amazon appraises it, the trade-in value appears in the form of an Amazon gift card. Amazon also offered an additional 20 percent off the Colorsoft along with the trade-in credit.

Customers who decided to take advantage of the program sent in their older Kindles under the assumption that the Colorsoft would replace their current e-reader. The unexpected display issues meant this didn’t go according to plan. They’ve taken their complaints to Reddit and reviews on the Colorsoft product page on Amazon, which has a 2.5/5 star rating.

It’s worth noting that not everyone has run into the display issue—I didn’t notice it in my Colorsoft review unit—but if you do, you should reach out to Amazon’s customer service team for a refund or replacement. But this is where things get sticky. If you choose a refund and had used the discount, you’ll only get back the exact amount that you paid. Since the 20 percent off coupon is no longer valid, you’ll now have to pay full price for the Colorsoft, whenever Amazon starts shipping it again. If you choose to wait for a replacement, you’ll have to wait an estimated three to five weeks to receive the replacement model.