10-24-2010, 03:03 AM | #1 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Switzerland
Device: Kindle 3
|
Huge price difference US vs. Europe
Hi
I just received my Kindel last week, after my Sony got unfortunately bricked. Living in Switzerland I had to order it from US what worked very well and was incredible fast. Now first time shopping I was first surprised about all the books lacking in the European shop. BUT the prices ?? Amazon must be fu***** kidding! I wanted to buy the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (German newspaper) European store: 27.99 $ American store: 14.99 $ They must be nuts, double price for Europeans for a European newspaper ? I just started to wonder now, is this usual principal for all books and so whatever ? Last edited by ebioman; 10-24-2010 at 03:07 AM. |
10-24-2010, 03:42 AM | #2 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Switzerland
Device: Kindle 3
|
Hmm becomes even better - no games available at all.
|
Advert | |
|
10-24-2010, 04:41 AM | #3 | |
Zealot
Posts: 137
Karma: 61
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gijón, Spain
Device: Kindle 3G+WiFi & Galaxy Note
|
Quote:
Books, when available, are usually around $2.50 higher in Europe. That's supposed to cover the European VAT and the roaming. Yes, even with WiFi, USB download or download from Kindle apps rather than Kindle devices. |
|
10-24-2010, 04:55 AM | #4 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Switzerland
Device: Kindle 3
|
Yeah as you just mentioned it is complete nonsense if you got an Wifi-only model like me.
But beyond the slightly higher book prices I wonder how the justify a doubled price like for this Newspaper.... |
10-24-2010, 06:14 AM | #5 |
Guru
Posts: 973
Karma: 2458402
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: St. Louis
Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+
|
While I understand you are irked, at the same time, does it really make sense to buy an American e-reader from an American website if you want to read a German newspaper in Switzerland?
I mean, sure, thanks to the internet it's easy to think there are no more borders. But in reality, there are, both legal, cultural, and lingual. |
Advert | |
|
10-24-2010, 07:22 AM | #6 |
Information Acquirer
Posts: 436
Karma: 4265156
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Latvia, Rigas Rajons
Device: Kindle 3 International, Pocketbook Color
|
It seems to go both ways though.
Here on the forum, there is a huge debate and annoyance about the Ken Follett book "Fall of Giants", which cost $19.99 for the US consumers, whereas I bought it (legally, off Amazon.com) and had it delivered to my (Norwegian account) Kindle for $10.78. |
10-24-2010, 09:32 AM | #7 | |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Switzerland
Device: Kindle 3
|
Quote:
I read most books actually in English since I am in the French speaking part of Switzerland and get only very few German books. So importing the Kindle made indeed some sense. Please dont forget that Amazon is as well advertising the Kindle in Europe. So, wouldnt you expect a fair system then. I just wonder why they sabotage themselves that way. It is always the same, companys like to advertise their products with a big tamtam and finally when you look on your local market you just receive bits of the promis. BTW same story with XBlive but that defintely doesnt belong here |
|
10-24-2010, 10:16 AM | #8 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 47
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chandigarh, India
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi
|
The situation is the same here in India too. At the end, all eBooks from the Amazon Kindle costs more than paperbooks. But strangely, the same problem is there with the Indian eBook readers and eBooks too like the Wink and Infibeam Pi.
|
10-24-2010, 10:24 AM | #9 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,025
Karma: 11196738
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Piper College
Device: Samsung A21
|
interesting, can you download it from a US estore?
|
10-24-2010, 10:41 AM | #10 |
I'm Super Kindle-icious
Posts: 6,734
Karma: 2434103
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia
Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis
|
If you haven't tried yet you may want to look at the German newspaper recipe subscriptions built into Calibre (there are 28). If the particular paper you're interested in is not available, someone can help you build your own recipe for that paper (if they provide RSS feeds which is the foundation of the subscription). You'll get images as well and the subscriptions are mostly free.
|
10-24-2010, 12:30 PM | #11 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 47
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chandigarh, India
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi
|
Yes I can
Yes I can buy from the US E-store but everything is about $2-2.5 more expensive. I have got a few eBooks after changing to a US address but after just the first eBook download I got a notice from Amazon about being in the wrong Country.
|
10-24-2010, 02:58 PM | #12 |
Zealot
Posts: 122
Karma: 160
Join Date: Mar 2008
Device: Sony PRS 505
|
I echo DAFFY4U suggestion. Create your own recipe in Calbre. Yes it stinks that there is such a difference in content prices, but going the Recipe route is easy and free.
|
10-24-2010, 03:36 PM | #13 |
Kindlephilia
Posts: 2,017
Karma: 1139255
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Snowpacolypse 2010
Device: Too many to count
|
FAZ net is already available in Calibre if you're interested. Plus, you can set it up to automatically sent via wifi to your Kindle. It's free to send via wif here in the US and you should double check to sure it's free for your location.
|
10-24-2010, 04:42 PM | #14 |
Sceptic
Posts: 573
Karma: 73436
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: The Lake
Device: rooted Nooks, retired. JetBook Lite, Kindle 3, 4, Kobo Nia, Libra H2O.
|
Might have something to do with laws that allow the publisher to block price discounting to protect small book sellers. I think France still does that, possibly it is true elsewhere in the EU?
|
10-25-2010, 02:28 AM | #15 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Switzerland
Device: Kindle 3
|
Thanks a lot Calibre really got already a good feed-reader for the FAZ.
I completely forgot Calibre with the Kindle3 so far, after using it constantly with the old Sony.completely I nevertheless tried as well quickly whether wrong address works as well to compare some book prices. Suprisingly then I got immediately a new update for the device (rebooting and installing it automatically) which did not seem to be present yet for the European market. Afterwards I was finally even able to download the few free games (I like the Word-game a lot ) which were not present in my market before. Since I like Ken Follet and was curious about the previous post, Bikeridr claiming that he got in Norway the "Fall of giants" for 11$, I wanted to compare this one as well. Transforming the account again in a Swiss one, I was able as well to get it for 11$. Strange world of publishing and national interests |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Alex finally in Europe, but... what a price! | Geppetto | Spring Design Alex | 3 | 08-10-2010 09:08 AM |
Another big price difference between UK and US | tech_au | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 1 | 07-24-2009 05:47 PM |
Big ebook price difference between UK and US | tech_au | News | 8 | 04-13-2009 07:40 PM |
HUGE price difference between USD and Euro | snooman | Bookeen | 32 | 08-30-2008 02:47 PM |
Gen3 price in Europe | flowolf | Bookeen | 34 | 09-01-2007 04:47 AM |