Voyage question (maybe silly!)

Hendrixxxxxxxx · 07-17-2015, 07:51 AM

Hi all,
I live in Hong Kong, and bought a Kindle Voyage from a bookstore here. All was good until I accidentally updated my software last night (to 5.6.2.1), and now, whenever my Voyage goes to sleep, I have to "Swipe to Unlock Kindle", and the screen shows "Find your next favourite book".....so I suspect this is a "special offers" Kindle.....even though I had never seen any special offers under the previous software version. Previously, when I opened the cover, I saw the standard (pencils, typewriter keys etc) screensaver briefly, and then it would go to the page of the book I am reading - no swiping required. Am I correct that this is a special offers Kindle?

Part 2 of my question:
I chatted with Amazon US customer service to try and get "special offers" removed, and they told me, after I gave them the serial number, that this was actually an amazon.co.jp kindle, and I would need to contact them.

After (eventually!!) working my way around the Japanese website, registering, and finding the chat, and asking to have special offers removed (in both cases I said I was happy to pay to get them removed), the customer service person told me that it was not possible to pay to have special offers removed in Japan.

So now I am completely stymied (assuming it is a special offers screen I am seeing and not just part of the new software). Does anyone know of a way to have Japanese special offers (even though everything is in English - this is what is confusing me) removed from a Kindle?

Thanks

Hendrix

patrickt · 07-17-2015, 07:57 AM

Not silly. Between Japan and the U.S. there might be issues of which I'm unaware and you didn't say what country you list as your home country but there were comments saying that the Voyage did not have an option of unsubscribe to Special Offers. I checked and that was correct. Now it does.

If you go to Manage Your Kindle does it give you the option?

Hendrixxxxxxxx · 07-17-2015, 08:30 AM

Hi Patrick
My home country is registered as HK on the Amazon.com (US) web site.

Going to "manage your content and devices", and clicking on the correct kindle, under the "your devices" tab, I can only see options to deregister, edit the name (of the Kindle) and edit the email address. Similarly, under the settings tab, I can see no option mentioning special offers at all.

I sort of have the feeling that Amazon US should be able to do it for me (I'm happy to pay the extra $20 or whatever it is to get ten removed), since my account is with them, and this is where I make all my purchases....the fact it is ultimately a Japanese kindle shouldn't make any difference.

edit: I have never had the option of removing special offers online in the past (with previous devices), probably because my home country isn't the US, but I have always been able to contact Amazon customer service and get them to remove them for me - sometimes even for free.

patrickt · 07-17-2015, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hendrixxxxxxxx

Hi Patrick
My home country is registered as HK on the Amazon.com (US) web site.

Going to "manage your content and devices", and clicking on the correct kindle, under the "your devices" tab, I can only see options to deregister, edit the name (of the Kindle) and edit the email address. Similarly, under the settings tab, I can see no option mentioning special offers at all.

I sort of have the feeling that Amazon US should be able to do it for me (I'm happy to pay the extra $20 or whatever it is to get ten removed), since my account is with them, and this is where I make all my purchases....the fact it is ultimately a Japanese kindle shouldn't make any difference.

edit: I have never had the option of removing special offers online in the past (with previous devices), probably because my home country isn't the US, but I have always been able to contact Amazon customer service and get them to remove them for me - sometimes even for free.

I agree with you and I think if you contact customer service, Kindle, not Amazon, and chat on-line with them they will fix it.

Hendrixxxxxxxx · 07-17-2015, 07:14 PM

Thanks.

Proving once again that it is often less about Amazon's policies, or what they can and can't do, and more about how helpful a customer service rep wants to be, I tried again with amazon.com, and they said "Yes, it needs to be handled by our amazon.co.jp team, but no problem, I can put a request in and it should be done within 24 hours". She then followed up with an email to say she had put the request in, and to connect to Wi-Fi in 24 hours or so to complete the process.

Thanks for your help Patrick.

patrickt · 07-17-2015, 07:31 PM

Hendrixxxxx, my wife used to rage that customer service people were helpful for me and not for her. Of course, her view was that it was because I was a man. Personally, I thought it was because she started at flaming bitch, made sure they understood nothing they did would make her happy, and then asked for help. My system works better.

Hendrixxxxxxxx · 07-17-2015, 08:21 PM

:-)

Well, I tried your system (its also my system)....but I just got an email from amazon.co.jp saying "Unfortunately, we're not able to remove a Special Offers due to our policy. "

Can I get your wife on the case? :-)

Hendrixxxxxxxx · 07-17-2015, 08:29 PM

Anyway, I just changed the title on this thread.

If anyone has any ideas or experience in removing special offers on a Japanese Kindle (or more correctly, a kindle registered to amazon.co.jp) I would love to hear them please.

I just replied back on their "let us try again" survey that it was a ridiculous policy, especially for someone who was willing to pay to have them removed, especially given that it is possible, and easy, to get them removed from the US store (as well as, I believe, the UK and other global stores)....so I'll see what, if anything, I hear back.

patrickt · 07-17-2015, 09:21 PM

My wife's system never worked. I live in Mexico but bank in the U.S., vote in the U.S., pay taxes in the U.S. so I buy my books in the U.S. But, Amazon recently cut a deal to open in Mexico. Part of the deal is they can no longer ship Kindle devices to Mexico. They have to let Amazon.com.mx have that market. I suspect a secondary reason is that it allows the Mexican government to collect the 17% IVA tax. It doesn't benefit me but I don't blame Amazon. I don't even blame Mexico. Sometimes, it sucks.

When I was in the service the U.S. military had to hire a certain number of Japanese nationals for every U.S. serviceman. Friends stationed in Japan said the bases had a mob of Japanese nationals not doing much. Deals get made.

Hang in there.

Snorkledorf · 07-22-2015, 10:03 AM

When I bought my special-offers Voyage here in Japan, I de-registered it and re-registered it to my Amazon account in the US. Later I disabled the special offers as though I'd bought it over there. If you have or could make an Amazon-US account, that might be an option.

07-17-2015, 07:51 AM	#1
Hendrixxxxxxxx Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 136594 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hong Kong Device: Kindle DX, Paperwhite, Paperwhite II, and Voyage	Removing special offers on a Japanese Kindle Hi all, I live in Hong Kong, and bought a Kindle Voyage from a bookstore here. All was good until I accidentally updated my software last night (to 5.6.2.1), and now, whenever my Voyage goes to sleep, I have to "Swipe to Unlock Kindle", and the screen shows "Find your next favourite book".....so I suspect this is a "special offers" Kindle.....even though I had never seen any special offers under the previous software version. Previously, when I opened the cover, I saw the standard (pencils, typewriter keys etc) screensaver briefly, and then it would go to the page of the book I am reading - no swiping required. Am I correct that this is a special offers Kindle? Part 2 of my question: I chatted with Amazon US customer service to try and get "special offers" removed, and they told me, after I gave them the serial number, that this was actually an amazon.co.jp kindle, and I would need to contact them. After (eventually!!) working my way around the Japanese website, registering, and finding the chat, and asking to have special offers removed (in both cases I said I was happy to pay to get them removed), the customer service person told me that it was not possible to pay to have special offers removed in Japan. So now I am completely stymied (assuming it is a special offers screen I am seeing and not just part of the new software). Does anyone know of a way to have Japanese special offers (even though everything is in English - this is what is confusing me) removed from a Kindle? Thanks Hendrix Last edited by Hendrixxxxxxxx; 07-17-2015 at 08:25 PM. Reason: Change title

07-17-2015, 08:30 AM	#3
Hendrixxxxxxxx Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 136594 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hong Kong Device: Kindle DX, Paperwhite, Paperwhite II, and Voyage	Hi Patrick My home country is registered as HK on the Amazon.com (US) web site. Going to "manage your content and devices", and clicking on the correct kindle, under the "your devices" tab, I can only see options to deregister, edit the name (of the Kindle) and edit the email address. Similarly, under the settings tab, I can see no option mentioning special offers at all. I sort of have the feeling that Amazon US should be able to do it for me (I'm happy to pay the extra $20 or whatever it is to get ten removed), since my account is with them, and this is where I make all my purchases....the fact it is ultimately a Japanese kindle shouldn't make any difference. edit: I have never had the option of removing special offers online in the past (with previous devices), probably because my home country isn't the US, but I have always been able to contact Amazon customer service and get them to remove them for me - sometimes even for free. Last edited by Hendrixxxxxxxx; 07-17-2015 at 08:32 AM.

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07-17-2015, 07:57 AM	#2
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Not silly. Between Japan and the U.S. there might be issues of which I'm unaware and you didn't say what country you list as your home country but there were comments saying that the Voyage did not have an option of unsubscribe to Special Offers. I checked and that was correct. Now it does. If you go to Manage Your Kindle does it give you the option?

07-17-2015, 07:14 PM	#5
Hendrixxxxxxxx Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 136594 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hong Kong Device: Kindle DX, Paperwhite, Paperwhite II, and Voyage	Thanks. Proving once again that it is often less about Amazon's policies, or what they can and can't do, and more about how helpful a customer service rep wants to be, I tried again with amazon.com, and they said "Yes, it needs to be handled by our amazon.co.jp team, but no problem, I can put a request in and it should be done within 24 hours". She then followed up with an email to say she had put the request in, and to connect to Wi-Fi in 24 hours or so to complete the process. Thanks for your help Patrick.

07-17-2015, 07:31 PM	#6
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Hendrixxxxx, my wife used to rage that customer service people were helpful for me and not for her. Of course, her view was that it was because I was a man. Personally, I thought it was because she started at flaming bitch, made sure they understood nothing they did would make her happy, and then asked for help. My system works better.

07-17-2015, 08:21 PM	#7
Hendrixxxxxxxx Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 136594 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hong Kong Device: Kindle DX, Paperwhite, Paperwhite II, and Voyage	:-) Well, I tried your system (its also my system)....but I just got an email from amazon.co.jp saying "Unfortunately, we're not able to remove a Special Offers due to our policy. " Can I get your wife on the case? :-)

07-17-2015, 08:29 PM	#8
Hendrixxxxxxxx Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 136594 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hong Kong Device: Kindle DX, Paperwhite, Paperwhite II, and Voyage	Anyway, I just changed the title on this thread. If anyone has any ideas or experience in removing special offers on a Japanese Kindle (or more correctly, a kindle registered to amazon.co.jp) I would love to hear them please. I just replied back on their "let us try again" survey that it was a ridiculous policy, especially for someone who was willing to pay to have them removed, especially given that it is possible, and easy, to get them removed from the US store (as well as, I believe, the UK and other global stores)....so I'll see what, if anything, I hear back.

07-17-2015, 09:21 PM	#9
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	My wife's system never worked. I live in Mexico but bank in the U.S., vote in the U.S., pay taxes in the U.S. so I buy my books in the U.S. But, Amazon recently cut a deal to open in Mexico. Part of the deal is they can no longer ship Kindle devices to Mexico. They have to let Amazon.com.mx have that market. I suspect a secondary reason is that it allows the Mexican government to collect the 17% IVA tax. It doesn't benefit me but I don't blame Amazon. I don't even blame Mexico. Sometimes, it sucks. When I was in the service the U.S. military had to hire a certain number of Japanese nationals for every U.S. serviceman. Friends stationed in Japan said the bases had a mob of Japanese nationals not doing much. Deals get made. Hang in there.

07-22-2015, 10:03 AM	#10
Snorkledorf Blue. Not sad...just blue Posts: 218 Karma: 1267018 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Japan Device: Ridibooks Paper Pro	When I bought my special-offers Voyage here in Japan, I de-registered it and re-registered it to my Amazon account in the US. Later I disabled the special offers as though I'd bought it over there. If you have or could make an Amazon-US account, that might be an option.

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