E-Reader that will work in Canada? - Page 2

ProfCrash · 04-08-2011, 08:09 AM

You need a US address.

The problem is that e-books re treated differently then DTB. For some silly reason it is legal for Amazon US to sell and DTB to anyone in the world but they cannot do this for ebooks. Harry explained it once and I went "That makes no sense" and promptly forgot his very excellent explanation.

Many e-books are georestricted, not sold to people outside of specific countries. Every country has had a problem with this. There are books that Americans cannot buy from Amazon.UK. Most of the complaints about book availability come from countries without an Amazon specific e-book store, so every place but the UK and the US.

It is very frustrating for folks. The work around is to use a US address (not something silly like the White House or Amazon headquarters), gift cards (no way to check the credit card billing location), and some folks use a site to mask their ISP addresses although there are folks who have had success without this bit.

This is going to be the case for anyone who wants to buy a book outside of the US or UK regardless of the type of device. Geo restrictions effect all retailers. It is not the fault of the retailed it has to do with different publisher holding the rights in different countries and legal agreements.

bZkindle · 04-08-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

You need a US address.

The problem is that e-books re treated differently then DTB. For some silly reason it is legal for Amazon US to sell and DTB to anyone in the world but they cannot do this for ebooks. Harry explained it once and I went "That makes no sense" and promptly forgot his very excellent explanation.

Many e-books are georestricted, not sold to people outside of specific countries. Every country has had a problem with this. There are books that Americans cannot buy from Amazon.UK. Most of the complaints about book availability come from countries without an Amazon specific e-book store, so every place but the UK and the US.

It is very frustrating for folks. The work around is to use a US address (not something silly like the White House or Amazon headquarters), gift cards (no way to check the credit card billing location), and some folks use a site to mask their ISP addresses although there are folks who have had success without this bit.

This is going to be the case for anyone who wants to buy a book outside of the US or UK regardless of the type of device. Geo restrictions effect all retailers. It is not the fault of the retailed it has to do with different publisher holding the rights in different countries and legal agreements.

I'm only speaking for myself, but I have never had the need to set up a US address.
I've never come across one single ebook I've wanted that I couldn't buy.

ProfCrash · 04-08-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bZkindle

I'm only speaking for myself, but I have never had the need to set up a US address.
I've never come across one single ebook I've wanted that I couldn't buy.

Cool.

Others have not had the same good fortune.

TownGirl · 04-18-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

And this is when I wish older threads would go away.

Amazon does sell Kindles in Canada, as several folks have pointed out, and they do sell books to Canadians. There are some geographic restrictions but those are easily overcome. Use a US address and gift cards and you are good to go.

Yes, sorry for bring up the old thread. They certainly do sell in Canada but limited to purchase only on amazon.com & not .CA which is not so good for us Canucks, eh

ProfCrash · 04-18-2011, 08:23 PM

Yup. But there are ways around the geographic restrictions. Starting an account with a US address and using gift certificates as your credit cards seems to work just fine as long as you don't go on a buying binge. Some folks recommend using an ISP blocker so that there is no way for Amazon to read your IP address.

CRussel · 04-19-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGirl

Yes, sorry for bring up the old thread. They certainly do sell in Canada but limited to purchase only on amazon.com & not .CA which is not so good for us Canucks, eh

Why? They ship just fine to Canada, and you don't need to do anything special. In fact, the Kindle is right on the front page of amazon.ca. Yes, it physically ships from the US. But you can buy it with an Amazon.ca account, on a Canadian CC, shipped to a Canadian address. End of story. Old thread that should please die.

TownGirl · 04-19-2011, 03:03 PM

It's on display on amazon.ca but when you click on it, it goes to .com. You can SHIP to Canada, now & it works here, now. But it's still not on .ca

I was actually referring to the books. You can't get books, yet, on amazon.ca

How do I know this? Because when I emailed amazon 1 week & a half ago, to ask about their ebooks on .ca, they told me that the .ca does not currently offer ebooks to the kindle.

So, old thread but still relevant to a degree. Sorry if bring this thread back up, upset you

CRussel · 04-19-2011, 03:20 PM

True, you have to go to amazon.com to buy ebooks. So? Did it prevent you in any way from buying the books? Is it relevant what domain the site is on? No, it is not relevant.
Your amazon.ca credentials work on amazon.com. Your Amazon.ca shipping address and Amazon.ca credit card information also work on amazon.com. Just about the only thing that does NOT carry over is your buying/browsing history.

ProfCrash · 04-19-2011, 03:24 PM

Actually, there are geographic restrtictions in place that may prevent Canadians from buying specific books. This is not new information, it has been posted on in a multitude of threags.

So if you use a Canadian address and a Canadian Credit Card you will find that there are some books you cannot buy.

ebusinesstutor · 04-19-2011, 03:28 PM

I use an iPhone and an Android Tablet for reading. I have the Kindle App on both and order ebooks all the time from Amazon.com with no US address needed.

So another possibility is to go with a tablet reader instead of a dedicated Kindle device.

ProfCrash · 04-20-2011, 08:05 AM

And they are going to face the same problem with geographic restrictions that Amazon faces. if an ebook cannot be sold in Canada by Amazon for legal reasons it cannot be sold by any EPub bookstore for legal reasons.

CRussel · 04-20-2011, 09:58 AM

Correct, there are some books that will be available to Canadians that aren't available to US residents, and some that are available to US residents and not to Canadians. It all depends on how well thought out the original contract between author and publisher was wrt electronic rights. In most cases, these electronic rights were treated as a completely separate issue in the contract, and ownership of those rights is can be different than physical copy rights.

TownGirl · 04-22-2011, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

Did it prevent you in any way from buying the books? Is it relevant what domain the site is on? No, it is not relevant..

Totally relevant. I never purchased off .com. First time I bought off Amazon was when the .ca started selling more items.

It relevant because on one, I purchase paying in U.S. dollars on the other, I just purchase & free shipping to my address if I purchase over $35 or $40 dollars worth of stuff. Easy to do, with books

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

So another possibility is to go with a tablet reader instead of a dedicated Kindle device.

Yes, I would LOVE a Blackberry Playbook! Can't afford it. Maybe some day when they come down to a more sane price level. Consumers shouldn't support the price being charged for these devices but that's another topic altogether lol

One reason I was thinking of the Kobo, the price is less than $150. Not sure I love the complains on the button used for turning pages, though

Yar-Pocketbooker.. thank you for the link!

northernguy · 12-08-2012, 02:05 AM

There are two separate issues in this discussion.

The first one is can you buy kindles from amazon.ca? Evidently you can. But can you buy all models that are available from the U.S. site?

The second issue is can you buy all Amazon digital material in Canada just as easily as if from an American address?

There are some posters saying that there is no problem based on their experience.

The problem is what is their experience. Have they tried buying the digital edition of a U.S. newspaper? A U.S. magazine?

How about technical ebooks? You know, the kind that go for 60 or 80 dollars in the digital format because they have such limited distribution. Did the publishers of that kind of material go to the trouble of dealing with Canada's so called consumer friendly copyright laws?

Is Amazon's cloud storage of purchased ebooks available to Canadians? Their Prime option?

If you haven't considered these kind of issues then you haven't a clue whether there are limitations imposed on Canadian subscribers to Amazon services.

Of course the best sellers are available in Canada. But some readers interests go much further than that.

I am aware of methods that I can use to get a Kindle shipped to me through an American address. But I don't know how to arrange for an American billing address on my credit card.

Gift cards sound good but don't you need a credit card to open an account with Amazon?

Is hiding your I.P. address necessary if Amazon has an American shipping and billing address for you?

Currently I use Google Play to download ebooks on to my tablet because I just can't figure out how to get Amazon to display ebooks only. Since Google Play has ebooks only I don't have to spend time looking at books only to find out there is no digital edition.

12-08-2012, 02:05 AM	#29
northernguy Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: none	separate issues There are two separate issues in this discussion. The first one is can you buy kindles from amazon.ca? Evidently you can. But can you buy all models that are available from the U.S. site? The second issue is can you buy all Amazon digital material in Canada just as easily as if from an American address? There are some posters saying that there is no problem based on their experience. The problem is what is their experience. Have they tried buying the digital edition of a U.S. newspaper? A U.S. magazine? How about technical ebooks? You know, the kind that go for 60 or 80 dollars in the digital format because they have such limited distribution. Did the publishers of that kind of material go to the trouble of dealing with Canada's so called consumer friendly copyright laws? Is Amazon's cloud storage of purchased ebooks available to Canadians? Their Prime option? If you haven't considered these kind of issues then you haven't a clue whether there are limitations imposed on Canadian subscribers to Amazon services. Of course the best sellers are available in Canada. But some readers interests go much further than that. I am aware of methods that I can use to get a Kindle shipped to me through an American address. But I don't know how to arrange for an American billing address on my credit card. Gift cards sound good but don't you need a credit card to open an account with Amazon? Is hiding your I.P. address necessary if Amazon has an American shipping and billing address for you? Currently I use Google Play to download ebooks on to my tablet because I just can't figure out how to get Amazon to display ebooks only. Since Google Play has ebooks only I don't have to spend time looking at books only to find out there is no digital edition.

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04-08-2011, 08:09 AM	#16
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	You need a US address. The problem is that e-books re treated differently then DTB. For some silly reason it is legal for Amazon US to sell and DTB to anyone in the world but they cannot do this for ebooks. Harry explained it once and I went "That makes no sense" and promptly forgot his very excellent explanation. Many e-books are georestricted, not sold to people outside of specific countries. Every country has had a problem with this. There are books that Americans cannot buy from Amazon.UK. Most of the complaints about book availability come from countries without an Amazon specific e-book store, so every place but the UK and the US. It is very frustrating for folks. The work around is to use a US address (not something silly like the White House or Amazon headquarters), gift cards (no way to check the credit card billing location), and some folks use a site to mask their ISP addresses although there are folks who have had success without this bit. This is going to be the case for anyone who wants to buy a book outside of the US or UK regardless of the type of device. Geo restrictions effect all retailers. It is not the fault of the retailed it has to do with different publisher holding the rights in different countries and legal agreements.

04-18-2011, 08:23 PM	#20
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Yup. But there are ways around the geographic restrictions. Starting an account with a US address and using gift certificates as your credit cards seems to work just fine as long as you don't go on a buying binge. Some folks recommend using an ISP blocker so that there is no way for Amazon to read your IP address.

04-19-2011, 03:03 PM	#22
TownGirl Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 158 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ontario Device: None	It's on display on amazon.ca but when you click on it, it goes to .com. You can SHIP to Canada, now & it works here, now. But it's still not on .ca I was actually referring to the books. You can't get books, yet, on amazon.ca How do I know this? Because when I emailed amazon 1 week & a half ago, to ask about their ebooks on .ca, they told me that the .ca does not currently offer ebooks to the kindle. So, old thread but still relevant to a degree. Sorry if bring this thread back up, upset you

04-19-2011, 03:20 PM	#23
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,157 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	True, you have to go to amazon.com to buy ebooks. So? Did it prevent you in any way from buying the books? Is it relevant what domain the site is on? No, it is not relevant. Your amazon.ca credentials work on amazon.com. Your Amazon.ca shipping address and Amazon.ca credit card information also work on amazon.com. Just about the only thing that does NOT carry over is your buying/browsing history.

04-19-2011, 03:24 PM	#24
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Actually, there are geographic restrtictions in place that may prevent Canadians from buying specific books. This is not new information, it has been posted on in a multitude of threags. So if you use a Canadian address and a Canadian Credit Card you will find that there are some books you cannot buy.

04-19-2011, 03:28 PM	#25
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I use an iPhone and an Android Tablet for reading. I have the Kindle App on both and order ebooks all the time from Amazon.com with no US address needed. So another possibility is to go with a tablet reader instead of a dedicated Kindle device.

04-20-2011, 08:05 AM	#26
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	And they are going to face the same problem with geographic restrictions that Amazon faces. if an ebook cannot be sold in Canada by Amazon for legal reasons it cannot be sold by any EPub bookstore for legal reasons.

04-20-2011, 09:58 AM	#27
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,157 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Correct, there are some books that will be available to Canadians that aren't available to US residents, and some that are available to US residents and not to Canadians. It all depends on how well thought out the original contract between author and publisher was wrt electronic rights. In most cases, these electronic rights were treated as a completely separate issue in the contract, and ownership of those rights is can be different than physical copy rights.