Hello Fellow Readers

tallpaul8 · 04-20-2009, 07:56 PM

Just got a Kindle 2 only to discover the problems of trying to buy content from Amazon if you live outside the US. The best work-around I've heard is to pop over the border (I'm 15 minutes away) and buy myself a US gift credit card. Use this to register for 1-click payment at Amazon and give a US address for the account. Top up the account periodically with Amazon gift cards and Bob's your uncle. But has anyone actually tried this? Theory's one thing.....

Meanwhile finding all sorts of books I wouldn'thave otherwise bothered to read. Recently spent a month in Dominican Republic and burned through my half-suitcase of books in a week, thus the decision to buy a Kindle and take 1500 e-books with me next time (VERY hard to buy english books in DR).

If all else fails, I could ask my son who lives in NJ to do it all for me but this is obviously a last resort.

FizzyWater · 04-20-2009, 08:01 PM

Welcome to mobileread, tallpaul8!

MickeyC · 04-20-2009, 08:23 PM

Hi tallpaul8 and welcome to MobileRead

Curly · 04-21-2009, 02:06 AM

Hi tallpaul8 and welcome!

Yes, I believe there are folk around here who have had success using the Kindle outside of the US. Check out this thread for some current advice.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43847

Mike L · 04-21-2009, 03:51 AM

Hi TallPaul8,

I've been successfully using the gift card ploy for several weeks now. I don't need to "pop over the border" (which is 3,000 miles away). I have two Amazon logins. I simply email a gift card from one of those to the other (the one I send it to is the one to which the Kindle is registered).

As you've discovered, you do need a US address to enable 1-Click for ebook purchases. There are also several other difficulties in using the Kindle outside the US. You can't directly download free samples (but you can do it to an iPod which is sync'd to your Kindle) and you can't get to the Setting screen.

But apart from those minor hassles, I'm delighted with my Kindle, and I hope you will be with yours. If you have any specific issues with using the K outside the USA, this is the place to ask.

tallpaul8 · 04-21-2009, 05:51 AM

Thanks for the input! Have no trouble getting to the Settings, just dealing with Amazon.

tallpaul8 · 04-21-2009, 06:02 AM

Thanks Curly, I checked your link, it's a good one. There's still some confusion though about the necessity of having a US based credit card, though Amazon seems to accept a Scottish bank debit card according to Mike L.

tallpaul8 · 04-21-2009, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

Hi TallPaul8,

I've been successfully using the gift card ploy for several weeks now. I don't need to "pop over the border" (which is 3,000 miles away). I have two Amazon logins. I simply email a gift card from one of those to the other (the one I send it to is the one to which the Kindle is registered).

As you've discovered, you do need a US address to enable 1-Click for ebook purchases. There are also several other difficulties in using the Kindle outside the US. You can't directly download free samples (but you can do it to an iPod which is sync'd to your Kindle) and you can't get to the Setting screen.

But apart from those minor hassles, I'm delighted with my Kindle, and I hope you will be with yours. If you have any specific issues with using the K outside the USA, this is the place to ask.

Mike, I assume you have a US address as the address of record on the Kindle account? Is the Kindle registered? To that address? Sorry if postings clumsy, still feeling my way. Spent 10 days visiting your lovely city last October and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, BTW.

Mike L · 04-21-2009, 11:43 AM

Tallpaul8,

Delighted to hear you enjoyed your visit here. Where are you located? Canada? Mexico?

To answer your questions:

- As it happens, I do have a US credit card, but it's registered to my Scottish address. But that doesn't matter because I don't use the card to purchase ebooks from the Kindle store - I use gift cards. Don't forget that you can have multiple addresses and multiple payment options registered with Amazon.

- Having said that, you do need a US address to enable 1-Click for ebook purchases. And you can't buy ebooks without enabling 1-Click. But that's OK for me, because my company does have a US address - we do a lot of business in the States. We just don't have a credit card registered to that address.

- As to whether the Kindle is registered to our US address -- I don't remember for sure, but I don't think I specified an address to register the Kindle itself (as opposed to enabling 1-Click). I think it only asked for my name and email address.

tallpaul8 · 04-22-2009, 08:59 AM

Thanks Mike, now I know at least one guy got away with it. We're in Ontario Canada.

04-20-2009, 07:56 PM	#1
tallpaul8 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Hello Fellow Readers Just got a Kindle 2 only to discover the problems of trying to buy content from Amazon if you live outside the US. The best work-around I've heard is to pop over the border (I'm 15 minutes away) and buy myself a US gift credit card. Use this to register for 1-click payment at Amazon and give a US address for the account. Top up the account periodically with Amazon gift cards and Bob's your uncle. But has anyone actually tried this? Theory's one thing..... Meanwhile finding all sorts of books I wouldn'thave otherwise bothered to read. Recently spent a month in Dominican Republic and burned through my half-suitcase of books in a week, thus the decision to buy a Kindle and take 1500 e-books with me next time (VERY hard to buy english books in DR). If all else fails, I could ask my son who lives in NJ to do it all for me but this is obviously a last resort.

04-21-2009, 05:51 AM	#6
tallpaul8 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Thanks! Thanks for the input! Have no trouble getting to the Settings, just dealing with Amazon.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Hello Fellow Readers!	cc6a	Introduce Yourself	9	09-03-2010 09:05 AM
Hello fellow readers	goshin	Introduce Yourself	4	01-04-2010 02:56 PM
Greetings, Fellow Readers	bl0226	Introduce Yourself	11	06-24-2009 03:37 AM
Hello fellow readers	carose4267	Introduce Yourself	1	01-02-2009 09:17 AM
Hello fellow Readers	Robbeli	Introduce Yourself	1	08-24-2007 04:00 AM

04-20-2009, 08:01 PM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Welcome to mobileread, tallpaul8!

04-20-2009, 08:23 PM	#3
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi tallpaul8 and welcome to MobileRead

04-21-2009, 02:06 AM	#4
Curly I need a holiday! Posts: 1,227 Karma: 4622 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Scotland Device: PRS-505, ipod touch	Hi tallpaul8 and welcome! Yes, I believe there are folk around here who have had success using the Kindle outside of the US. Check out this thread for some current advice. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43847

04-21-2009, 03:51 AM	#5
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Hi TallPaul8, I've been successfully using the gift card ploy for several weeks now. I don't need to "pop over the border" (which is 3,000 miles away). I have two Amazon logins. I simply email a gift card from one of those to the other (the one I send it to is the one to which the Kindle is registered). As you've discovered, you do need a US address to enable 1-Click for ebook purchases. There are also several other difficulties in using the Kindle outside the US. You can't directly download free samples (but you can do it to an iPod which is sync'd to your Kindle) and you can't get to the Setting screen. But apart from those minor hassles, I'm delighted with my Kindle, and I hope you will be with yours. If you have any specific issues with using the K outside the USA, this is the place to ask.

04-21-2009, 06:02 AM	#7
tallpaul8 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Thanks Curly, I checked your link, it's a good one. There's still some confusion though about the necessity of having a US based credit card, though Amazon seems to accept a Scottish bank debit card according to Mike L.

04-21-2009, 11:43 AM	#9
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Tallpaul8, Delighted to hear you enjoyed your visit here. Where are you located? Canada? Mexico? To answer your questions: - As it happens, I do have a US credit card, but it's registered to my Scottish address. But that doesn't matter because I don't use the card to purchase ebooks from the Kindle store - I use gift cards. Don't forget that you can have multiple addresses and multiple payment options registered with Amazon. - Having said that, you do need a US address to enable 1-Click for ebook purchases. And you can't buy ebooks without enabling 1-Click. But that's OK for me, because my company does have a US address - we do a lot of business in the States. We just don't have a credit card registered to that address. - As to whether the Kindle is registered to our US address -- I don't remember for sure, but I don't think I specified an address to register the Kindle itself (as opposed to enabling 1-Click). I think it only asked for my name and email address.

04-22-2009, 08:59 AM	#10
tallpaul8 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Thanks Mike, now I know at least one guy got away with it. We're in Ontario Canada.

Advert

Advert