More Aussie advice, please
Big thanks to Pingu for starting this thread, which has already answered some of my questions; and thanks to Kimble, Jcas and Solicitous for helpful information. I thought I'd tag on here instead of starting a new thread, as my questions have a similar theme (and the answers might help Pingu, too!).
I'm in Australia; I read a lot, but try to avoid buying books because they're so expensive here compared to my former home in the UK. I use the excellent local library system, and only buy books when I can't get them through the library. I usually buy via The Book Depository, as their free postage works out cheaper than Amazon. I don't work any more, so most of the time I'm reading at home. My main use for an e-reader would be holidays, so I don't have to carry a bagload of books to keep me going through a four-week trip; it would also be useful in doctors' waiting-rooms etc. I'd only want the reader for reading books, and I don't have any e-books to transfer.
I've been looking mainly at the Kindle, because it gets good reviews and the current strength of the Aussie dollar makes it a good buy. (Side note: why would people pay more to buy it on eBay??) Yesterday I was able to check out the Kobo and the Sony 650. Didn't like the Kobo on a quick inspection: it seemed very plasticky and very slow. Loved the Sony, but at $299 it's a lot more than a Kindle would be.
So to my questions, with apologies that I seem to be writing a novel.
1. If I buy a Kindle from Amazon, does the 30-day return guarantee apply in Australia? and does that start from the despatch date or the date I register the device?
2. I'm trying to get a handle on just how restrictive the geographical restrictions on book availability are. I already have an Amazon account, but I can't figure out a way to check whether e-books are available in Australia without clicking on one-click purchasing, which might mean I buy the book without wanting to! Is it possible to check without buying?
3. Can I buy e-books from Amazon UK rather than US, if I'd rather have a UK edition? (I noticed that the US site was advising me that UK customers can buy from the UK site; I assume I never got round to changing my country when I moved here from the UK, so maybe I still count as UK-based even though my address is in Oz.)
4. If the Kindle needs repair/battery replacement, I believe it has to be sent back to the US. Does anyone know whether Amazon or the customer pays the postage?
5. Any views on reliability? - I dread going off on holiday armed just with an e-reader, then it goes wrong and I'm left with only cereal packets to read!
6. At a much more trivial level, does it make sense to buy a cover? I'm thinking it would protect the device in my handbag, as well as making it feel more like a book when reading.
I'd be really grateful for any comments and information, please. I think my current position is that if I buy an e-reader it's going to be a Kindle; what I'm dithering over is whether I'll make enough use of it to justify the purchase, or will it just be another electronic toy.
Kind regards
Alison
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