Why can I no longer buy books from the UK?

[ChristopherTD]

The authors I have contacted have been sympathetic, but often they don't have any control, especially over older titles. Even when they set out to do something it can take a while before things can be resolved. Geographic restrictions on digital goods harms the industry though, because people are attempting to buy (yes, actually pay money) for stuff but are prevented by arbitrary legal barriers.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

The authors I have contacted have been sympathetic, but often they don't have any control, especially over older titles. Even when they set out to do something it can take a while before things can be resolved. Geographic restrictions on digital goods harms the industry though, because people are attempting to buy (yes, actually pay money) for stuff but are prevented by arbitrary legal barriers.

to finish your sentence: and then decide to download it illegally. Which results in a lost sale.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by Flub

The authors I've contacted over issues like this have either been apathetic (The publisher sorts all that out) or hostile against ebooks. This is fairly surprising since I've been contacting sci-fi authors. Only one has been encouraging. He didn't know the details of his ebook versions but he'd bring my problems to the attention of his publisher.

Considering that the end product is often their only source of income you'd have thought the authors would be keen to get themselves involved in how their books are marketted and sold. One sci-fi author (Who shall remain nameless) has been getting very annoyed at people on his blog who ask about ebook versions. It's crazy.

Yeah, lots of them are clueless about this, it seems.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

to finish your sentence: and then decide to download it illegally. Which results in a lost sale.

If you don't buy period, it is just as well a lost sale. If you download illegally they would think you'd never buy anyway, no matter what. They would think you wouldn't want to spend any money.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

Yeah, lots of them are clueless about this, it seems.

Sci-Fi authors clueless about ebooks, now that is a riot!

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by Pardoz

Or on the country where your bank is, depending on who you're buying from).

The restriction is not based on your bank or credit card address. It's based on the country where you're located. It's just that most ebook merchants use your credit card address as a crude way of guessing your country of residence.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Mike L

The restriction is not based on your bank or credit card address. It's based on the country where you're located. It's just that most ebook merchants use your credit card address as a crude way of guessing your country of residence.

It is actually a very good and easy way for them, I wouldn't call it crude. Getting a credit card from a US bank with a US billing address is a real hassle for somebody who is not living in the US and who has no trustworthy friends or relatives there that can receive the bank mail.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Sci-Fi authors clueless about ebooks, now that is a riot!

Well, the best ones aren't.

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by Mike L

The restriction is not based on your bank or credit card address. It's based on the country where you're located. It's just that most ebook merchants use your credit card address as a crude way of guessing your country of residence.

A difference that makes no difference is no difference. If I live in the UK and a UK merchant refuses to sell to me because my credit card is billed to a US address, then whatever the intent, the reality is that it's a restriction based on the billing address of my credit card, not one based on my location.

*shrug* Just one more absurdity brought on by the insistence that the point of sale is somewhere other than the location of the seller.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

to finish your sentence: and then decide to download it illegally. Which results in a lost sale.

Me? I buy it second hand. Which is actually *more* destructive to the author's revenues. And I'm a vindictive sob, no two ways about it - if I have to buy second hand, I'll keep right on doing it with that author for a few years before I even recheck ebook availability. (Of course, I often have their back catalogue by then if I like their works and they're SOL)

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

It is actually a very good and easy way for them, I wouldn't call it crude. Getting a credit card from a US bank with a US billing address is a real hassle for somebody who is not living in the US and who has no trustworthy friends or relatives there that can receive the bank mail.

That's not true. I have such a card, and am not based in the US. I got it because I have a US bank account, which I was able to open simply by walking into a branch of a bank in the US and filling in the usual forms - including a declaration that I am a non-US resident for tax purposes.

Well, to be fair, it was a bit of a hassle, but only slightly more than the usual hassle anyone has in opening any bank account these days.

And I suppose you could argue that the majority of non-US residents would never have the opportunity - or the reason - to open a US bank account. That's fair enough. All I'm saying is that the ownership of a credit card for a particular country is no proof of residence on that country.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Mike L

All I'm saying is that the ownership of a credit card for a particular country is no proof of residence on that country.

And besides, the restrictions in the publisher contracts are not based on the country of residence, but on the country of location at the moment of the purchase. If a bookstore sells an ebook (restricted to the US) to a US resident with a US credit card, while he/she is in any other place of the world, it's breaking the agreement/contract/whatever.

The state of affairs is: "Sorry, I don't do A, because I'm not allowed to do B".
A: Sell to people without a credit card issued in some country.
B: Sell to people located in other countries at the moment of purchase.

If they aren't allowed to do B, that's fair enough, but not doing A doesn't solve it at all (other than avoiding to be sued).

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Mike L

That's not true. I have such a card, and am not based in the US. I got it because I have a US bank account, which I was able to open simply by walking into a branch of a bank in the US and filling in the usual forms - including a declaration that I am a non-US resident for tax purposes.

Well, to be fair, it was a bit of a hassle, but only slightly more than the usual hassle anyone has in opening any bank account these days.

And I suppose you could argue that the majority of non-US residents would never have the opportunity - or the reason - to open a US bank account. That's fair enough. All I'm saying is that the ownership of a credit card for a particular country is no proof of residence on that country.

It definitely is not 100% accurate. But checking the credit card address and issuing bank is an extremely easy way and more accurate than anything I can think off short of actually requesting IDs. Getting the card drawn on a US bank would be easy for me right now without even visiting the US, the real problem is you need the mailing address in the US. And a mail service seems risky.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

If you don't buy period, it is just as well a lost sale. If you download illegally they would think you'd never buy anyway, no matter what. They would think you wouldn't want to spend any money.

That's the result yes. But I really wonder how many people were "forced' to look elsewhere because they couldn't buy the book they wanted...

I can only talk for myself. And I have downloaded books that weren't available to me officially. I have also replaced those books when they did come available.

[Mike L]

Look, all I'm saying is that the geographic restrictions are not based on citizenship, are not based on where your bank is located, are not based on anything to do with credit cards. And as Jellby points out, they are not based on your country of residence. They are based entirely on where you happen to be at the time of the purchase.

I accept that, in practice, ebook merchants might use your credit card address rather than your physical location to try to determine if you are eligible to buy a particular title. That's entirely up to themselves. I'm neither defending nor criticising. I'm merely pointing out the basis for the geographical restrictions imposed by many publishers.