geographic restrictions at Fictionwise

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Mnementh

@ everybody experiencing the credit card verification problem.

Something has just occured to me after receiving my email receipt about my last purchase from FW. Are you email addresses country specific i.e .co.uk, .co.nz etc?

I specifically used one of my .com addresses just in case they ever did start checking this, might be worth checking and changing your address if this is the case.

No, mine is a .com address.

[Tulkas]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

eeek!

Good job I have them all downloaded already.

But perhaps I'll have to look for another store after all :-(

But this might be a blessing in disguise - I do have a two year's supply or more all ready to read...

lol I've got 100s to read too, although it's books in series which will hack me off if I can't complete.

I've also downloaded but what if you have to replace your reader ~ new PID number... even more important that we've got a tool to strip DRM!

[Tulkas]

Originally Posted by Mnementh

As much as I hate to say it WHSmiths appears to be increasing their ebook selection rapidly. It's a bit of a mishmash of formats at the moment, their older books are mostly in WMA audiobook or MSLIT format but their new additions seem to be mostly in epub and mobi so might be worth taking another look.

Thanks, just did... it'll be cheaper to buy paperbacks

[geertm]

The remark about changing the e-mail address made me think about something else. What if they just check your ip-address to determine your country?

I have checked this by using www.hidemyass.com (found after a quick google search). And indeed, using this site to open the Fictionwise website the verification links on my bookshelf are gone, and I can download all my books again. So it seems the new bookshelf verification is linked to your ip-address.

As I do not know how safe this site (www.hidemyass.com) is, I have changed my Fictionwise password. But is seems the workaround for the new verification is using a service like this, or a proxyserver, so that Fictionwise detects a USA ip-address.

Can anyone recommend a service of proxyserver to use for this purpose?

[Alfy]

Dear Madam, Sir,

I have noted that since recently, some of the books in my bookshelf are now "geographically restricted". I have read enough on the issue to know this is due to the publisher's demands and not Fictionwise's own policy. However, I would like to point out that some of the books that are now restricted were bought some time ago. For example, I purchased "America's Game" in December 2008, at a time where no warning concerning geographical restrictions were ever issued on your website.

While I know Fictionwise makes no promise to keep books downloadable "for ever", I find it somewhat dishonest that books that were purchased in good faith are suddenly unavailable for download without prior warning. Your website tells me my membership expires soon: I have no intention of renewing it. In addition, I am now cancelling my pre-order of "Transition" by Iain Banks, as I have no certainty I will be able to download the book.

Sincerely yours.

[jedi2602]

Originally Posted by geertm

The remark about changing the e-mail address made me think about something else. What if they just check your ip-address to determine your country?

I have checked this by using www.hidemyass.com (found after a quick google search). And indeed, using this site to open the Fictionwise website the verification links on my bookshelf are gone, and I can download all my books again. So it seems the new bookshelf verification is linked to your ip-address.

As I do not know how safe this site (www.hidemyass.com) is, I have changed my Fictionwise password. But is seems the workaround for the new verification is using a service like this, or a proxyserver, so that Fictionwise detects a USA ip-address.

Can anyone recommend a service of proxyserver to use for this purpose?

Thanks, this is awesome, I went to download Dan Brown's new book, the Lost Symbol, that I'd pre-ordered using the old "use micropay dollars with a US address" trick, and found that they wanted a credit card! I have now downloaded the book and will read it happily, as it is not even offered as an ebook in Australia (that I've been able to find anyway!).

this forum rocks!

S

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by geertm

The new creditcard verification is part of the bookshelf. Check you bookshelf for books where the downloadlink is replaced by a creditcard verification link.
This verification appears do to a real country check, and without verification you cannot download the book.

Originally Posted by Alfy

Dear Madam, Sir,

I have noted that since recently, some of the books in my bookshelf are now "geographically restricted". I have read enough on the issue to know this is due to the publisher's demands and not Fictionwise's own policy. However, I would like to point out that some of the books that are now restricted were bought some time ago. For example, I purchased "America's Game" in December 2008, at a time where no warning concerning geographical restrictions were ever issued on your website.

While I know Fictionwise makes no promise to keep books downloadable "for ever", I find it somewhat dishonest that books that were purchased in good faith are suddenly unavailable for download without prior warning. Your website tells me my membership expires soon: I have no intention of renewing it. In addition, I am now cancelling my pre-order of "Transition" by Iain Banks, as I have no certainty I will be able to download the book.

Sincerely yours.

Some of the books I bought in 2004 I can't download anymore... I think I'll cancel my subscription and completely do away with Fictionwise if they treat their old customers this way.

[FixB]

I just bought a book yesterday with my french credit card. I didn't even downloaded yet... And now, I can't ! So, my credit card is good enough to buy, but not to read.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Alfy

While I know Fictionwise makes no promise to keep books downloadable "for ever", I find it somewhat dishonest that books that were purchased in good faith are suddenly unavailable for download without prior warning.

I find it very sharp practise at the least. While I realize that the restrictions are mandated by the publisher, to remove access to books already purchased, validly, before the restrictions went into force is wrong.

It is very nearly as bad as Amazon's recent fiasco, except in these cases the ebook is on the FW servers, not a personal device.

My bookshelf has lost access to about 8% of my purchases, worth at current prices very nearly $300.

Even if I were re-imbursed, it would almost certainly be in micropay, and of what use would this be if a large percentage of what I wish to read is restricted?

Some publishers would appear to not only have engaged their foot-gun, but have also found a foot-blunderbuss and possibly even a foot-machine-gun. Or should that be a foot-hatchet(te)? In virtually all cases, the restricted book is not available *anywhere* else worldwide.

Darknet is looking more welcome by the minute...

Snowman

[ChristopherTD]

Like Snowman and others, I am prevented from downloading books that I bought before the geographical restrictions were imposed. It is wildly inconsistent, and I do have most of them safe on my computer. However, half a dozen exist only on the iPhone and I am not sure if they can be extracted from there?

Either way, it is a spectacularly dumb move to further alienate honest paying customers.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I find it very sharp practise at the least. While I realize that the restrictions are mandated by the publisher, to remove access to books already purchased, validly, before the restrictions went into force is wrong.

It is very nearly as bad as Amazon's recent fiasco, except in these cases the ebook is on the FW servers, not a personal device.

My bookshelf has lost access to about 8% of my purchases, worth at current prices very nearly $300.

If you buy a DRM:ed book you have no guarantees that you can re-download it to a new reader at a later time point. So the problem is really people supporting DRM by buting DRM:ed books. Hopefully these ind of event when people lose access to old book will make them stop buying them.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by zerospinboson

See this:

Nothing like putting geographic restrictions on free books.

[ficbot]

Your bookshelf looks really interesting! How was the Chaucer?

I have I think two books that are now restricted but were not when I bought them. So far, they look fine. Fwiw I am in Canada.

[Matt Horne]

I got the Validation entry for the Dan Brown book. but I entered my usual UK CC Card (with the country as US) and it worked fine and I downloaded it.. Thats was last night so not sure if its all changed again now ?

Luckily all my books are stored on my local network... I guess a replacement for Fictionwise may be needed in the future.. (or else I will be stuck with Waterstones and DRM'ed Epub's)

Also why is the Dan Brown book having a geographic restriction.. its on sale worldwide.. and I could have bought it for £4.99 on Amazon UK!

Cheers

Matt

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by tompe

If you buy a DRM:ed book you have no guarantees that you can re-download it to a new reader at a later time point.

I haven't actually lost access I never purchase ebook unless I know I can retain access for the rest of my reading life.

However, looking at this from the mobipocket.com site:

11. How many times can I download my purchased eBooks ?
You can download them as many times as you want, your purchased eBooks stay in your account for life.

and this from fw:

If I buy a new device, can I change my Secure Mobipocket Personal ID so prior eBook purchases can be read on it?

Yes. You can change your Secure Mobipocket Personal ID once every six months. Click here to change your Personal ID (you may need to login first).

shows that the faq and help sections of both sites need to be upgraded to read something like:

We reserve the right to remove access to your ebooks at any time, for any reason, on behalf of any publisher, or other supplier, no matter when or how you purchased it. Our history shows that we can and will and have done this before.

Or better yet, the warning should be in large, not necessarily friendly, letters in the center of the login page

snowman

(ps The previous fiasco with Overdrive set my personal annoyance level to 'miffed'. I have now raised this to 'peeved')