Yes. So buy a Kobo and no Open HW reader needed
Amazon is only slightly trickier.
Kobo does get your IP even if you never buy books and fake email. Though it's only a rough guide as to where you might live.
It's not unreasonable that they should know someone in Birmingham (Alabama) or London (Canada) or Dublin (Ireland) bought a Kobo. Or New Delhi.
My ISP has changed something, so the last few weeks geolocation via IP shows me in the wrong Irish city. One ISP in Ireland was giving people UK IPs for ages. People were able to use BBC geolocked streaming and news web site, but OTH couldn't access some Irish services.
Geolocation to deliver services is more evil than region locked BD/DVD/Games and DRM. Either don't do it or use account login, which works no matter IP and VPNs.
VPNs are not just people bypassing geolocation. In some countries it's life & death. Also the ONLY sensible way to use any email or logged in service at public WiFi point is VPN, HTTPS doesn't protect against MITM attacks by wifi point operator or supplier of router.