Buying e-books outside US with VPN no longer possible?

geertm · 12-23-2010, 02:12 PM

I have been buying e-books from B&N using my Dutch credit card, Borderlinx US address and alwaysVPN for more than a year.

Yesterday I bought a gift card. That order was cancelled because gift cards could only be sold to US/Canada. Today I tried to buy some books, those orders were also cancelled.
It looks like B&N detects that I am buying from outside the US.
I have checked the VPN. My geo-location is still the US.
What extra check has B&N added:
- Are they not allowing some specific VPN providers like alwaysVPN?
- Are the checking the country of my credit card?
- Are they not allowing my Borderlinx US address?

I would like to know which extra check B&N has added to their system. So I would like to hear from other people if they are still able to buy e-books from B&N from outside the US using a non-US credit card and a VPN.

iandix · 12-23-2010, 03:48 PM

I purchased a book via alwaysVPN 2 days ago, without any problem. When I get home tonight I will give it a go and report back

Care · 12-23-2010, 11:02 PM

I could download 2 out of 6 books. I thought it was my credit card, but it's not. I never used to use a vpn, but I did just to see if I could download the books and it still didn't work...

iandix · 12-24-2010, 12:21 AM

Well I just tried it using AlwayVPN and I purchased a book without any problems... I then downloaded, again without any problems

Care · 12-24-2010, 09:07 AM

3 of the books I couldn't download last night downloaded this morning. I still have one that won't work though. So far 5/6 downloaded. Maybe there is some kind glitch?

Care · 12-24-2010, 09:41 AM

I just got an email saying the last one could be downloaded. I guess there must have been something weird going on.

I would try again with yours. I had to put in another credit card (I used a throw away one and it was almost empty, but my books were free), so maybe you should check the balance on yours. It took over 24 hrs though for all of them to actually become available though.

geertm · 12-24-2010, 11:58 AM

I have done some more testing.
I can download books that are in my library.
I can buy and download free books (and see a $1.09 amount from the B&N check on my online credit card statement).
I have not reached my credit card limit.
So it seems that my credit card is working fine.
But I am still not able to buy a book I have to pay for. When I try that the order gets cancelled immediately.
I have the feeling that when I buy a book I have to pay for they are verifying the billing address with the credit card company.
Perhaps ony with Visa at the moment?
I hope some more people from outside the US will reply, so that I can trace the problem.

iandix · 12-24-2010, 01:52 PM

well ..I have tested it ..and it works for me. I'm using an Australian Visa card.

Why not test that your alwaysVPN account is working. turn it on and try this site http://whatismyipaddress.com/ ..

geertm · 12-24-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iandix

well ..I have tested it ..and it works for me. I'm using an Australian Visa card.

Why not test that your alwaysVPN account is working. turn it on and try this site http://whatismyipaddress.com/ ..

I have already done that. My geo-location using alwaysVPN is Texas, US.

geertm · 12-31-2010, 02:22 PM

This story has a happy ending.

According to my credit card company my credit card was okay.
The only thing I could think of was that for some reason B&N was verifying the billing address of my credit card.
As a workaround this week I have bought an USunlocked card. This is a virtual US Discover debit card, registered to an US billing address.
Today the card was loaded, so I replaced the Visa credit card in my B&N account with the new USunlocked card. Unfortunately the same problem.
I could download e-books. I could buy and download free e-books. But as soon as I try to pay for a book, the order is cancelled immediately.

Is my account somehow flagged as international? Or is something wrong with my account? I could only thing of one more solution.
I created another e-mail address, unregistered my Nook and Nook Color, changed the e-mail address to the new one, and registered my Nook Color again.
I then tried again to buy books. Now everything works. No problem paying.
I do not know what solved the problem. The unregistering/registering or the change of e-mail address, but at least everything is all right now.

SCION · 12-31-2010, 02:51 PM

Glad everything finally worked out!

Thanks for updating us.

12-23-2010, 02:12 PM	#1
geertm Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Aura One	Buying e-books outside US with VPN no longer possible? I have been buying e-books from B&N using my Dutch credit card, Borderlinx US address and alwaysVPN for more than a year. Yesterday I bought a gift card. That order was cancelled because gift cards could only be sold to US/Canada. Today I tried to buy some books, those orders were also cancelled. It looks like B&N detects that I am buying from outside the US. I have checked the VPN. My geo-location is still the US. What extra check has B&N added: - Are they not allowing some specific VPN providers like alwaysVPN? - Are the checking the country of my credit card? - Are they not allowing my Borderlinx US address? I would like to know which extra check B&N has added to their system. So I would like to hear from other people if they are still able to buy e-books from B&N from outside the US using a non-US credit card and a VPN.

12-31-2010, 02:22 PM	#10
geertm Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Aura One	This story has a happy ending. According to my credit card company my credit card was okay. The only thing I could think of was that for some reason B&N was verifying the billing address of my credit card. As a workaround this week I have bought an USunlocked card. This is a virtual US Discover debit card, registered to an US billing address. Today the card was loaded, so I replaced the Visa credit card in my B&N account with the new USunlocked card. Unfortunately the same problem. I could download e-books. I could buy and download free e-books. But as soon as I try to pay for a book, the order is cancelled immediately. Is my account somehow flagged as international? Or is something wrong with my account? I could only thing of one more solution. I created another e-mail address, unregistered my Nook and Nook Color, changed the e-mail address to the new one, and registered my Nook Color again. I then tried again to buy books. Now everything works. No problem paying. I do not know what solved the problem. The unregistering/registering or the change of e-mail address, but at least everything is all right now. Last edited by geertm; 12-31-2010 at 02:29 PM.

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12-23-2010, 03:48 PM	#2
iandix Addict Posts: 295 Karma: 109308 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NSW Australia Device: nook touch a Nook 3g (rooted) and a nookcolor (rooted)	I purchased a book via alwaysVPN 2 days ago, without any problem. When I get home tonight I will give it a go and report back

12-23-2010, 11:02 PM	#3
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	I could download 2 out of 6 books. I thought it was my credit card, but it's not. I never used to use a vpn, but I did just to see if I could download the books and it still didn't work...

12-24-2010, 12:21 AM	#4
iandix Addict Posts: 295 Karma: 109308 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NSW Australia Device: nook touch a Nook 3g (rooted) and a nookcolor (rooted)	Well I just tried it using AlwayVPN and I purchased a book without any problems... I then downloaded, again without any problems

12-24-2010, 09:07 AM	#5
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	3 of the books I couldn't download last night downloaded this morning. I still have one that won't work though. So far 5/6 downloaded. Maybe there is some kind glitch?

12-24-2010, 09:41 AM	#6
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	I just got an email saying the last one could be downloaded. I guess there must have been something weird going on. I would try again with yours. I had to put in another credit card (I used a throw away one and it was almost empty, but my books were free), so maybe you should check the balance on yours. It took over 24 hrs though for all of them to actually become available though.

12-24-2010, 11:58 AM	#7
geertm Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Aura One	I have done some more testing. I can download books that are in my library. I can buy and download free books (and see a $1.09 amount from the B&N check on my online credit card statement). I have not reached my credit card limit. So it seems that my credit card is working fine. But I am still not able to buy a book I have to pay for. When I try that the order gets cancelled immediately. I have the feeling that when I buy a book I have to pay for they are verifying the billing address with the credit card company. Perhaps ony with Visa at the moment? I hope some more people from outside the US will reply, so that I can trace the problem.

12-24-2010, 01:52 PM	#8
iandix Addict Posts: 295 Karma: 109308 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NSW Australia Device: nook touch a Nook 3g (rooted) and a nookcolor (rooted)	well ..I have tested it ..and it works for me. I'm using an Australian Visa card. Why not test that your alwaysVPN account is working. turn it on and try this site http://whatismyipaddress.com/ ..

12-31-2010, 02:51 PM	#11
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Glad everything finally worked out! Thanks for updating us.

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