I'd be interested to know whether anyone in the UK has received a reader yet. Have you come up against any problems with it, using the $50 voucher or anything else related to not being in the US?
Where do you intend to get your ebooks from as we can't use the connect bookstore?

I'd be interested to know whether anyone in the UK has received a reader yet. Have you come up against any problems with it, using the $50 voucher or anything else related to not being in the US?
Where do you intend to get your ebooks from as we can't use the connect bookstore?

Mine is in customs into the UK. Ultim8Fury should be the first one in the uk to get his as his has just left customs IIRC

Power supply just needs a new figure eight connector as far as I can tell, so no probs there. Other US posters have said that there is no need to enter a US credit card to use the conenct store, so you can probably use the $50 free credit, after that you should be able to buy gift certificates from US guys and apply them to your account.

I'm sure other pay sites will begn supporting the reader once its popularity grows. In the meantime, I`ll make do with free books and my limited paid for library of PDFs.

Mine has arrived at my delivery depot. However, since there is a customs charge to pay I predict the driver will only drop a card through the door on monday allowing me to pick it up from the local PO on tuesday.

Most annoying thing is you can't pay the customs charge until you've got the card because it has a VAT number on it. So tuesday is the earliest I'll see mine.

Into Foreign Customs, October 06, 2006, 8:12 pm, GREAT BRITAIN
Arrived Abroad, October 06, 2006, 7:59 pm, GREAT BRITAIN
International Dispatch, October 05, 2006, 4:43 am, SAN FRANCISCO AMC
Enroute, October 05, 2006, 4:42 am, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128
Enroute, October 04, 2006, 4:59 pm, SEATTLE, WA 98158
Enroute, October 04, 2006, 1:26 pm, REDMOND, WA 98052
Acceptance, October 04, 2006, 1:20 pm, REDMOND, WA 98052

I'm *very* excited :-)

I hope yours doesn't sit in customs for 3 days like mine did.

Three work days??? Eeek. I need mine before Thursday.

(Note, when I say "need", I mean I'm going away on Friday morning, and had relied on having it for my weekend away.)

07-10-2006 05:07 Oxford Depot Arrived at delivery depot
07-10-2006 02:08 National Hub Sorted in hub
06-10-2006 22:28 International Hub En route to delivery depot
06-10-2006 21:37 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
04-10-2006 21:37 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
04-10-2006 21:37 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
04-10-2006 21:17 International Hub Arrived in destination country
04-10-2006 21:14 International Hub Arrived at Hub
03-10-2006 09:38 Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO Left origin country
02-10-2006 10:53 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

As you can see it sat in customs Wed, Thur and Friday before it moved.

PS. If you want up to the minute tracking now that it's in the UK you can track it using the link on the parcelforce.com website. It saves waiting around for USPS to update their info which only happens once a day.

I assume I'll have the same problem. The annoying thing is that when your parcel arrives in this country, Parcel Force collect it. but then you have to wait for them to send you a letter to pay the customs charge, pay it, then wait until they decide to deliver. Past expereience with them has had me waiting a week from the release of my parcel from customs to delivery!! Who can wait a week for their Sony Reader, I can't!
Please post when you receive yours, i'd like to keep this thread going as I'm sure we'll come up against some issues and hopefully we'll be able to help each other out.
@ultim8fury i believe we have obtained ours using the same method, ie: via an enterprising forum member.
I'm new to ebooks so if anyone could recommend some good sites to download compatable ebooks from I'd be grateful :happy2:

I may see about picking it up. It'll be quicker in the long run.

Out of Foreign Customs, October 08, 2006, 5:59 pm
Into Foreign Customs, October 06, 2006, 8:12 pm, GREAT BRITAIN
Arrived Abroad, October 06, 2006, 7:59 pm, GREAT BRITAIN
International Dispatch, October 05, 2006, 4:43 am, SAN FRANCISCO AMC
Enroute, October 05, 2006, 4:42 am, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128
Enroute, October 04, 2006, 4:59 pm, SEATTLE, WA 98158
Enroute, October 04, 2006, 1:26 pm, REDMOND, WA 98052
Acceptance, October 04, 2006, 1:20 pm, REDMOND, WA 98052

Does "Out of Foreign Customs" mean what I think it means? Does this mean I could recieve my reader *today*???

unlikely. Check the parcelforce.com website and then phone parcelforce. Select option 5 and wait for an operator. Using the UK tracking number you get out of the website you can then either arrange collection and payment or have them drop it at a local PO where you can pay.

They will not deliver the item until you pay the customs charge. Having literally just hung up the phone from them the charge is £63 which by my calculation is the full 17.5% + the extortionate charge parcelforce apply for the privilege of having shown it customs in the first place.

I'll be off to pick mine up in a couple of hours. I should be back and playing with the reader before midday. Hurrah.

09-10-2006 02:52 London Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
08-10-2006 18:53 National Hub Sorted in hub
08-10-2006 17:59 International Hub En route to delivery depot
08-10-2006 17:26 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
06-10-2006 20:12 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
06-10-2006 20:12 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
06-10-2006 19:59 International Hub Arrived in destination country
06-10-2006 19:50 International Hub Arrived at Hub
05-10-2006 04:43 Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO Left origin country
04-10-2006 13:20 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

Ah ha. Same as me. Do I call my depot directly?

I did. I think calling the central number will bump you out to the local depot anyway.

Are you tracking your package via www.usps.com ??

thx

Argggh. They want to know my 15-digit code... which I don't have yet :-(

That's why you need to speak to an operator. They can tie your tracking number up to your parcel and then give you the code.

Argggh. They want to know my 15-digit code... which I don't have yet :-(

If you put your USPS number into the parcelforce website, then click on the link, you get your UK tracking code don`t you?

I`m annoyed, as my parcel enetered customs a full 8 minutes before yours, but still hasn`t come out :( :D

Ah, but I need a 15 or 17 digit code. Not the one on the USPS site. Bad luck re customs. It will leave... eventually...

Just picked up my Sony Reader from Parcel Force duty was £59. If you print the tracking details you don't need to wait for PF to get in touch with you.

I just picked up mine and got back. 70 mile round trip to my "local" depot.

Quick question, what method did you use to buy the readers? did you use prepayed cards and a forwarding shipping agent or did you buy off a forumite?

Quick question, what method did you use to buy the readers? did you use prepayed cards and a forwarding shipping agent or did you buy off a forumite?

From a forumite called geekraver.

geekraver sold me mine

I hope i'm not going to annoy anyone by posting this, but it seems i've been more fortunate than some of you. My reader was shipped by our friendly forum member late on Friday evening UK time and I wasn't expecting to see it until next week. The postman arrived a couple of hours ago and to my surprise he had in his hands my Sony Reader!! Two days between dispatch and delivery, and no problem with customs. I'm thrilled.
I'm going to play now, but i'll post again later.
To the others who have collected theirs today, have fun! :happy2:

I'm feeling unloved. My local depot has mine, but they're not answering the phone!

Grrrr..

Just picked up my Sony Reader from Parcel Force duty was £59. If you print the tracking details you don't need to wait for PF to get in touch with you.

Stuart, tell me: did you just go down to the ParcelForce centre (in Camden?) with printed out details from the web (simply the tracking number?), and proof of ID, and they gave it to you?

Finally en route to delivery hub - with charges.

Might get it tomorrow with luck.

RCS1000> Yep I printed out the tracking details from ParcelForce.com using the EB number Geekraver provided. Took proof off address, and collected device. £59 pounds charge (gits)

Closet Tube is Mornington Crescent.

I guess I'll be at Mornington Crescent this evening! (Fortunately, only a 15 minute cycle from home)

Here the multimap link in case you know the way :)

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&search_result=&db=pc&lang=&keepicon=true&pc=NW10QA&advanced=&client=public&addr2=&quicksearch=NW1%200QA&addr3=&addr1=

Well, if I didn't know the way before, I do now :-)

£59! The device is only worth 189 quid, what did they charge for (apart from their Christmas party)?

Mine should be here tomorrow, Customs have a slapped a charge on mine too according to the Tracking site.

I hope i'm not going to annoy anyone by posting this, but it seems i've been more fortunate than some of you. My reader was shipped by our friendly forum member late on Friday evening UK time and I wasn't expecting to see it until next week. The postman arrived a couple of hours ago and to my surprise he had in his hands my Sony Reader!! Two days between dispatch and delivery, and no problem with customs. I'm thrilled.
I'm going to play now, but i'll post again later.
To the others who have collected theirs today, have fun! :happy2:

Sarah, do you remember, did I gift wrap yours? If so, that might be why you escaped the import duties.

Got mine!

Thank you geekraver, you are truly a gent.

Now: does anyone have any idea how I can purchase myself gift cards for this thing?

Bah, feels like I`m the only guy in the UK without one now. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. :D

Got mine, £63 customs charge! Ho hum, at least I have my clutches on one now. Very nice device! Screen is rather 'weird' to look at after being used to LCDs and it looks stunning in sunlight.

Forgot Parcelforce were such a pain, they send out a letter to say they have the parcel, guess they don't trust the delivery man with cash anymore! Luckily Parcelforce are around the corner from where I work, otherwise I have an 80 mile round trip (that's my local depot) to pick it up from home!

Thanks to geekraver for the device! :D

@geekraver. No, you didn't gift wrap it, I have no idea why I got lucky!!
On my tracking info the package was only in customs for 6 minutes!!