Buying ebooks with a foreign credit card. - Page 2

Mel_Putra · 07-01-2010, 12:11 AM

Hi pda_junkie,

I've PM you regarding a VPN service provider...

Scott Nielsen · 07-01-2010, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pda_junkie

I'm in Singapore & also struggling with geo restrictions. Do you mind sending me a PM to let me know which VPN service you are using? I've tried some of the free ones with no luck & leery of shelling out money for a VPN service with no guarantees that it will work. TIA!

I use Anonymizer's privacy services (and have done long before I had the need to by-pass Amazon's geo-restrictions). They are expensive but very good. Also an entirely legitimate business so responding in open forum rather than through PM.

pietvo · 07-01-2010, 09:30 AM

Are these Sony gift cards branded with a country? In other words, can you not use gift cards that you buy yourself?

pda_junkie · 07-01-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

I use Anonymizer's privacy services (and have done long before I had the need to by-pass Amazon's geo-restrictions). They are expensive but very good. Also an entirely legitimate business so responding in open forum rather than through PM.

Thank you. Mel_Putra also sent me the name of another service so I'll be looking at both of them.

dickon25 · 07-01-2010, 01:07 PM

Are these Sony gift cards branded with a country? In other words, can you not use gift cards that you buy yourself? t

I've never actually seen the card itself - I only get sent the number. They are for sale in many stores in the US. You can also buy them online at the Sony store but they won't accept my UK credit card. I may be able to buy a card in a UK Sony shop, but to enter it on my account would involve a currency conversion.....even if the account accepted it. Complex eh??

Fbone · 07-01-2010, 03:00 PM

There is a separate online gift card for ebooks from The Reader Store. Here is the link:
http://ebookstore.sony.com/gift-center/

geertm · 07-01-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pda_junkie

I'm in Singapore & also struggling with geo restrictions. Do you mind sending me a PM to let me know which VPN service you are using? I've tried some of the free ones with no luck & leery of shelling out money for a VPN service with no guarantees that it will work. TIA!

Here in the Netherlands I am using alwaysvpn (www.alwaysvpn.com) to shop at B&N. Cheapest option is only $8.50.

pda_junkie · 07-03-2010, 04:14 AM

Thanks geertm!

morana69 · 07-03-2010, 12:22 PM

I wonder if any publishers or authors actually thinks that the current situation of geo-restrictions makes any sense.

This thread proves that there are many people lining up to pay hard earned money for their products and yet they are unwilling to sell to them. In 2010, why are publishers/authors not contracting for worldwide non-exclusive ebook distribution rights?

Living in the UK, I am always amazed that a publisher, who appears to have rights to sell the paper version of a book here, doesn't apparently have the ability/desire to sell the ebook version here.

There are so many occasions when I want to buy an ebook but can find literally no-one willing to sell it to me: US stores are geo-restricted and UK stores don't list it, yet it is widely available for purchase as paper book in those very same UK online stores.

I could maybe understand geo-restrictions stopping US stores selling to UK buyers, if there were UK stores selling the product, but it just doesn't seem to be the case.

Anyway, rant over, though I would love to hear an author's or publisher's view on why they don't want my money.

~John

pietvo · 07-03-2010, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geertm

Here in the Netherlands I am using alwaysvpn (www.alwaysvpn.com) to shop at B&N. Cheapest option is only $8.50.

But the site still says: `Billing address must be in the United States.'

SameOldStory · 07-03-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morana69

I wonder if any publishers or authors actually thinks that the current situation of geo-restrictions makes any sense.

~John

This is only a WAG (Wild A$$ed Guess) but it must have started sometime in the Middle Ages. Books were large, heavy things to ship. A printer in one area might buy the exclusive right to publish and sell a book in his area. The first publisher made money from selling the book in his area AND selling the right to print it in an area that was not economical to service.

Today there is little need to this, but the publishers probably still make extra money by selling the publishing rights to others. This could also account for the higher price in some areas as the "New" publisher must make back the cost of buying the right to publish the book.

abookreader · 07-03-2010, 02:54 PM

I was able to buy a geo restricted book at whsmith using my son's student travel address in London, the free uk proxy server at http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/ and my US credit card.

sunnysmiles · 07-03-2010, 04:55 PM

I was able to buy books today using a UK debit card through Amazon USA and downloaded it straight to my reader without a problem . I remember just trying to get books through Sony was a major headache and I never succeeded .

asjogren · 07-03-2010, 04:57 PM

Geographic is a poor choice by the Industry. Today, the only logical market partition for eBooks is LANGUAGE.

When will the industry figure out that the barriers they construct are detrimental to their future?

geertm · 07-03-2010, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pietvo

But the site still says: `Billing address must be in the United States.'

You can register any valid USA address as shipping and billing address for your account (the address is not verified at your credit card company so you can use an USA address as the billing address of your non-USA credit card).
This usually works for other e-book stores too (like Fictionwise and Kobobooks).

07-01-2010, 03:00 PM	#21
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	There is a separate online gift card for ebooks from The Reader Store. Here is the link: http://ebookstore.sony.com/gift-center/ Last edited by Fbone; 07-01-2010 at 03:11 PM.

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07-01-2010, 12:11 AM	#16
Mel_Putra Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 53 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Device: PRS-300	Hi pda_junkie, I've PM you regarding a VPN service provider...

07-01-2010, 09:30 AM	#18
pietvo Reader Posts: 519 Karma: 24612 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Utrecht, NL Device: Kobo Aura 2, iPhone, iPad	Are these Sony gift cards branded with a country? In other words, can you not use gift cards that you buy yourself?

07-01-2010, 01:07 PM	#20
dickon25 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 818 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: UK Device: Sony PRS-505. Pocketbook Inkpad 840	Are these Sony gift cards branded with a country? In other words, can you not use gift cards that you buy yourself? t I've never actually seen the card itself - I only get sent the number. They are for sale in many stores in the US. You can also buy them online at the Sony store but they won't accept my UK credit card. I may be able to buy a card in a UK Sony shop, but to enter it on my account would involve a currency conversion.....even if the account accepted it. Complex eh??

07-03-2010, 04:14 AM	#23
pda_junkie Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 10922 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Pocketbook 360, Kobo Glo	Thanks geertm!

07-03-2010, 12:22 PM	#24
morana69 Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Cybook Opus, Cybook Gen 3 (broken)	I wonder if any publishers or authors actually thinks that the current situation of geo-restrictions makes any sense. This thread proves that there are many people lining up to pay hard earned money for their products and yet they are unwilling to sell to them. In 2010, why are publishers/authors not contracting for worldwide non-exclusive ebook distribution rights? Living in the UK, I am always amazed that a publisher, who appears to have rights to sell the paper version of a book here, doesn't apparently have the ability/desire to sell the ebook version here. There are so many occasions when I want to buy an ebook but can find literally no-one willing to sell it to me: US stores are geo-restricted and UK stores don't list it, yet it is widely available for purchase as paper book in those very same UK online stores. I could maybe understand geo-restrictions stopping US stores selling to UK buyers, if there were UK stores selling the product, but it just doesn't seem to be the case. Anyway, rant over, though I would love to hear an author's or publisher's view on why they don't want my money. ~John

07-03-2010, 02:54 PM	#27
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	I was able to buy a geo restricted book at whsmith using my son's student travel address in London, the free uk proxy server at http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/ and my US credit card.

07-03-2010, 04:55 PM	#28
sunnysmiles Addict Posts: 279 Karma: 1188010 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: I pad air, kindle pw2 and kindle touch , kindle had fire Nook pad nook	I was able to buy books today using a UK debit card through Amazon USA and downloaded it straight to my reader without a problem . I remember just trying to get books through Sony was a major headache and I never succeeded .

07-03-2010, 04:57 PM	#29
asjogren Addict Posts: 266 Karma: 1378 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Seattle / San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico Device: Kindle & WiFi Nook & PocketBook IQ	Geographic is a poor choice by the Industry. Today, the only logical market partition for eBooks is LANGUAGE. When will the industry figure out that the barriers they construct are detrimental to their future?

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