There are web pages on almost every subject imaginable from the structure of DNA to how to make a teddy bear. Enter your search on Google or other search engine and you will usually get millions  of hits. You can then freely access most of these sites so why would anyone pay for an ebook containing the same information?

Ebooks come in three categories - free, low cost and what I'm going to call premium (ebooks costing more than a few dollars or pounds)

Free ebook are widely used to encourage mailing lists subscriptions. These fee samples are sometimes extracts from larger works and are given away as part of a longer term selling process. On other sites they are just random ebook titles given away to encourage sign up. Often, but not always, they  have previously been sold commanding high prices but now are widely available having been on sale for months or sometimes years.

Low cost ebooks - those now selling for between $0.01 and $4.99 have often been for sale previously at much higher prices. Most sold well at a higher price but as they have become available from more sources the price has dropped. A few failed to sell at a higher price, often because they were marketed poorly. Most have excellent content and they do however, sell well at a lower price

Premium priced ebooks tend to fall into one of two groups. They are either new to the market and as such command a higher price, or the publisher has retained all publication rights and they cannot be sold by anyone other than the publisher and his affiliates. Whilst these publications may be newer they often do not have newer content and can be simply a re-hash of other ebooks.

Are all Subjects Covered?

It would be wrong to say that all topics have been fully explored and detailed in ebooks however it is likely that many if not almost all areas of interest are covered by ebooks to some extent. There can be few subjects where ebooks have not ventured to some degree.

Are they value for money?

Cost and value are often in conflict. With ebooks, as with most things, the availability and quality of the product determine the price.

Free ebooks should in theory offer the best deal and for the most part they do. They are not normally however, totally free. In most cases you will be required to provide your email address and agree to receive a newsletter or similar communication before link to the ebooks is provided.   Depending upon the offer you will receive just one ebook on one occasion however you can get multiple ebooks each month from some sites.

Are they worth it? If the ebook is of poor quality or it's a subject that doesn't interest you, you have the power to delete it and you have lost nothing. You can also, if you wish, remove your details from any subscription list by clicking on the required unsubscribe link in any newsletter or email.

Low cost ebooks have often been on sale previously at a much higher price. They can be compared to the discount or remainder books available from low cost outlets throughout the country. The information they contain is generally good and up-to-date and the low price is well worth paying. They also come with a money back guarantee of anything from 7 to 30 days.

The more expensive ebooks (from $5.00 upwards) pose a more difficult question. They normally come with a 60 to 90 day money back guarantee which, as far as I'm aware is honored by all publishers. You therefore are not risking your money and you can get your money back if you require to.

I believe many buyers fail to claim their money back even if they are not happy with the purchase.  This may be because of fear or embarrassment, forgetfulness or simply indecision. I am certain the vast majority of publishers are happy to refund but I'm equally convinced that some of the more unscrupulous publishers rely on the reluctance of customers to request a refund.

I have bought many expensive ebooks and, for the most part, I have been perfectly happy with the purchases. I have been disappointed on a small number of occasions but I have always claimed and received a full refund. I have yet to find a publisher who queries my decision or is reluctant to refund although a small number have asked the reason after the refund has been agreed. If this helps them to improve their product then and I am delighted to be of assistance.

Should you buy ebooks?

If you accept the premise that most of the information you will ever need is available now on the Internet then there must be another reason to buy. The main reason  for me is one of convenience. It's one thing to know the information is out there somewhere its a much tougher thing to find it.

So is it worth buying ebooks? For me paying a few pounds or dollars to save hours or even days sifting through web pages to find the accurate sources of the information I need is usually worth it.