MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - How does it work buying the Kindle as a gift?

ficbot · 12-19-2009, 06:25 PM

My stepdad has been lately very interested in my ebook reader and I am thinking of buying him one as a retirement present. He has arthritis and complains he often finds it hard to hold a book. Also, he plans to spend a few months of the year in Florida so I think having something portable like this that he can read at home and then take with him would be a huge help. The Kindle interests me because of the wireless, if he is renting vacation homes in Florida he may not have access to a computer to load books. He did say he plans to take a laptop with him, but we'll see if that happens. I also like the idea that he could subscribe to a newspaper from home and get it wirelessly delivered to him when he travels.

Stepdad is on board with the idea and is very interested, but is nervous about ordering something from the internet that he can't see and touch first. He says his hands are very sensitive and it would be a must for him to try it first and make sure it is comfortable for him to hold it and to push the buttons. I have a Sony he can try, but there is nowhere to get a retail Kindle!

I am just wondering what would happen if one buys the Kindle as a gift. Let's say I buy it and pay for it and give it to him and he likes it. Can I then transfer the Kindle to an account for him rather than leaving it 'attached' to me (I am assuming it will come attached to me if I buy it)? Or if he tries it and decides he does NOT like it and I decide to either sell the Kindle or keep it for myself (which is a possibility), can I re-assign the Kindle back to myself?

I have just heard stories about how you can buy the Kindle and play around on the website with sample chapters or iphone content etc. and when it arrives, that will already be downloaded into the new Kindle for you by the wireless while it is in transit to you. So if he decides to keep it, I want to be able to assign it over to him. And if he decides not to keep it, I want to be able to re-home it with a minimum of hassle, either to myself or to someone else.

He's a good six months or so away from being ready, and by then there might be other models out. But if it's something he can't look at in a retail store, I would hesitate to buy it unless it's something I might want myself, because if he decides he doesn't like it, I would have to either keep it or sell it myself.

12-19-2009, 06:25 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	How does it work buying the Kindle as a gift? My stepdad has been lately very interested in my ebook reader and I am thinking of buying him one as a retirement present. He has arthritis and complains he often finds it hard to hold a book. Also, he plans to spend a few months of the year in Florida so I think having something portable like this that he can read at home and then take with him would be a huge help. The Kindle interests me because of the wireless, if he is renting vacation homes in Florida he may not have access to a computer to load books. He did say he plans to take a laptop with him, but we'll see if that happens. I also like the idea that he could subscribe to a newspaper from home and get it wirelessly delivered to him when he travels. Stepdad is on board with the idea and is very interested, but is nervous about ordering something from the internet that he can't see and touch first. He says his hands are very sensitive and it would be a must for him to try it first and make sure it is comfortable for him to hold it and to push the buttons. I have a Sony he can try, but there is nowhere to get a retail Kindle! I am just wondering what would happen if one buys the Kindle as a gift. Let's say I buy it and pay for it and give it to him and he likes it. Can I then transfer the Kindle to an account for him rather than leaving it 'attached' to me (I am assuming it will come attached to me if I buy it)? Or if he tries it and decides he does NOT like it and I decide to either sell the Kindle or keep it for myself (which is a possibility), can I re-assign the Kindle back to myself? I have just heard stories about how you can buy the Kindle and play around on the website with sample chapters or iphone content etc. and when it arrives, that will already be downloaded into the new Kindle for you by the wireless while it is in transit to you. So if he decides to keep it, I want to be able to assign it over to him. And if he decides not to keep it, I want to be able to re-home it with a minimum of hassle, either to myself or to someone else. He's a good six months or so away from being ready, and by then there might be other models out. But if it's something he can't look at in a retail store, I would hesitate to buy it unless it's something I might want myself, because if he decides he doesn't like it, I would have to either keep it or sell it myself.