How to buy Kindle Books in Europe-Portugal?

AkumaTakeshi · 06-08-2011, 10:56 AM

Hi, I'm a new Kindle 3 owner, having it for almost a week now and I am absolutely loving it. All that a read so far in this short period was free stuff because I'm saving some money for a cover and other accessories.

But then a sequel of a free book caught my eye and there I went to buy it, no problem as it was only $0.99. All happy I inserted my real Portuguese card, it didn't say nothing at the moment and oddly enough I still received the book.

But then received and email saying there was a problem with my credit card and I remembered that I had to use MBNet (kind of a online/virtual credit card) to order my Kindle, used the same card as it still had some money on it, nothing it gave me error again. Then I thought well maybe I can only use those cards for one transaction only and I made a new one, and there it goes an error again, primarily saying that the problem was the expiring date (it's set for the next month, AFAIK there no way to give it more time) and then after another try just said there was problem with it and nothing more.

Then, as nothing of this worked, I went and thought that maybe I could surpass this buying a Gift Card for myself and buying the book through it, as supposedly it would accept my national card, but nothing. Tried with the real card and the online/virtual one and couldn't buy the Gift Card too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

So then my question is, how the hell can I buy books here in Portugal or Europe in general?

Do I have to go to my bank and give some permission to Amazon to access my account or something similar? If so, do I only have to do this once or each time I want to buy something?

I hope someone from Portugal or living there could answer me, but if you just live somewhere else in Europe (excluding UK) knows hoe to pass through this please help me, I do really want to buy some books.

P.S.: BTW I'm buying from the amazon.com site and the book is available in Europe. So that's not the problem either

DMB · 06-08-2011, 11:02 AM

Are you sure that ebook is available in Portugal, as opposed to paper-based versions? They don't always go together. For English-language ebooks you're probably better off if you buy from the US store with a US address or from the UK store with a UK address. (I do the latter.) There are a lot of threads here about these problems.

AkumaTakeshi · 06-08-2011, 11:25 AM

Yeah but it shouldn't be a problem. The book I'm trying to buy is the one in my signature.

But the even odder part is that the book was instantly directed to my Kindle but received an email and a notice on Kindle right after it stating that there have been a problem with the payment and that I had to correct it in 5 days ( I suppose they will cancel the order and remove the book once that time ends). I can even read the book in that time and be done with it but I really want to pay for it as it's unfair to the author and I want to keep the book.

Even if I had one of those accounts, for example US account with US address (as they same to have broader selection) I would still have the payment problem I'm afraid.

DMB · 06-08-2011, 12:46 PM

What you do is buy amazon gift vouchers and give them to your US account.

AkumaTakeshi · 06-08-2011, 12:49 PM

Please, can someone help me figure out this? I'm not interested in buying region locked eBooks, well at least not for now, unless it really starts to get on my nerves.

But I really want to be able to buy the books I have available to my region. Well I bought Kindle and I don't want to be stuck with the free books only.

AkumaTakeshi · 06-08-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

What you do is buy amazon gift vouchers and give them to your US account.

That not the problem, the problem is that I couldn't even buy a Gift Voucher, I stated that on first post if I'm not wrong.

jyrkka · 06-08-2011, 01:26 PM

I am in Europe and have successfully used my visa credit card (real one, not the virtual) many times to buy books directly from amazon.com.

The only issue I can think of is that book prices are more expensive than for US, but there is no choice anyway (except maybe buying gift cards and messing with proxies, but I'm too lazy for that).

DMB · 06-08-2011, 01:29 PM

Maybe there is a genuine problem with your credit card? Do you have a different card you could try?

Tome Keeper · 06-08-2011, 01:37 PM

There is no Portuguese Amazon site, that technically means that there are no Kindle e-books available for your region. As you are in Europe you are better buying from the UK site rather than the US site.

However, what you are describing sounds like Amazon has blocked your card for some reason, maybe they have concerns over the billing address or something similar. I would suggest calling Amazon CS and discussing it with them.

AkumaTakeshi · 06-08-2011, 02:31 PM

The books are made available per region basis, Portugal is included in the Europe region ofc.

I've seen some books that aren't available to Europe, that ones don't even let me click to buy so it isn't the case.

I'm finding it really odd because I bought my Kindle using a Virtual card created from my real one, but for the books it doesn't let me, and doesn't even let me buy Gift Cards as I previously said.

It isn't there someone from Portugal that could help me? (Well I'll send some PMs to Portuguese people here)

And no, unfortunately I don't have another card to try

AkumaTakeshi · 06-09-2011, 04:52 AM

No one else has some idea of what to do? I would really appreciate some help

DMB · 06-09-2011, 04:01 PM

I can only suggest you call Kindle support. They are usually helpful. And if the first person you speak to can't help, ring again in the hope of getting a different, and hopefully better, one.

AkumaTakeshi · 06-09-2011, 09:56 PM

Well just posting to maybe help someone that may come across this problem.

I followed your advise and contacted Amazon via e-mail, they replied now.

They say that on their part gives an error that my bank doesn't allow the transaction("Issuer does not allow this type of transaction"), may be because it's a digital item and not a physical one, worst is that I can only go to the bank Monday, because this Friday it's a national holiday and even then I'm not sure if I can go.

So I'll give more feedback once I solved this or encountered yet another problem.

Thanks for your help DMB

gASK · 06-10-2011, 05:31 AM

Hi Akuma, seems like a problem with your credit card - the error seems like the card has not enabled internet transactions. I had similard problem with my new card and had to have them turned on. Try contacting the bank (you do not have to go there personally, try calling some hotline, the good banks operate them 24/7 - they'll surely fix it for you or at least give you some advice. Some banks even allow you to set such things through their internet banking if you have one...).

AkumaTakeshi · 06-10-2011, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the information gASK, will see if I can contact them

06-08-2011, 10:56 AM	#1
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	How to buy Kindle Books in Europe-Portugal? Hi, I'm a new Kindle 3 owner, having it for almost a week now and I am absolutely loving it. All that a read so far in this short period was free stuff because I'm saving some money for a cover and other accessories. But then a sequel of a free book caught my eye and there I went to buy it, no problem as it was only $0.99. All happy I inserted my real Portuguese card, it didn't say nothing at the moment and oddly enough I still received the book. But then received and email saying there was a problem with my credit card and I remembered that I had to use MBNet (kind of a online/virtual credit card) to order my Kindle, used the same card as it still had some money on it, nothing it gave me error again. Then I thought well maybe I can only use those cards for one transaction only and I made a new one, and there it goes an error again, primarily saying that the problem was the expiring date (it's set for the next month, AFAIK there no way to give it more time) and then after another try just said there was problem with it and nothing more. Then, as nothing of this worked, I went and thought that maybe I could surpass this buying a Gift Card for myself and buying the book through it, as supposedly it would accept my national card, but nothing. Tried with the real card and the online/virtual one and couldn't buy the Gift Card too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ So then my question is, how the hell can I buy books here in Portugal or Europe in general? Do I have to go to my bank and give some permission to Amazon to access my account or something similar? If so, do I only have to do this once or each time I want to buy something? I hope someone from Portugal or living there could answer me, but if you just live somewhere else in Europe (excluding UK) knows hoe to pass through this please help me, I do really want to buy some books. P.S.: BTW I'm buying from the amazon.com site and the book is available in Europe. So that's not the problem either

06-08-2011, 02:31 PM	#10
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	The books are made available per region basis, Portugal is included in the Europe region ofc. I've seen some books that aren't available to Europe, that ones don't even let me click to buy so it isn't the case. I'm finding it really odd because I bought my Kindle using a Virtual card created from my real one, but for the books it doesn't let me, and doesn't even let me buy Gift Cards as I previously said. It isn't there someone from Portugal that could help me? (Well I'll send some PMs to Portuguese people here) And no, unfortunately I don't have another card to try Last edited by AkumaTakeshi; 06-08-2011 at 02:34 PM.

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06-08-2011, 11:02 AM	#2
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	Are you sure that ebook is available in Portugal, as opposed to paper-based versions? They don't always go together. For English-language ebooks you're probably better off if you buy from the US store with a US address or from the UK store with a UK address. (I do the latter.) There are a lot of threads here about these problems.

06-08-2011, 11:25 AM	#3
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	Yeah but it shouldn't be a problem. The book I'm trying to buy is the one in my signature. But the even odder part is that the book was instantly directed to my Kindle but received an email and a notice on Kindle right after it stating that there have been a problem with the payment and that I had to correct it in 5 days ( I suppose they will cancel the order and remove the book once that time ends). I can even read the book in that time and be done with it but I really want to pay for it as it's unfair to the author and I want to keep the book. Even if I had one of those accounts, for example US account with US address (as they same to have broader selection) I would still have the payment problem I'm afraid.

06-08-2011, 12:46 PM	#4
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	What you do is buy amazon gift vouchers and give them to your US account.

06-08-2011, 12:49 PM	#5
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	Please, can someone help me figure out this? I'm not interested in buying region locked eBooks, well at least not for now, unless it really starts to get on my nerves. But I really want to be able to buy the books I have available to my region. Well I bought Kindle and I don't want to be stuck with the free books only.

06-08-2011, 01:26 PM	#7
jyrkka Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Estonia Device: kindle 3 wifi (KSO)	I am in Europe and have successfully used my visa credit card (real one, not the virtual) many times to buy books directly from amazon.com. The only issue I can think of is that book prices are more expensive than for US, but there is no choice anyway (except maybe buying gift cards and messing with proxies, but I'm too lazy for that).

06-08-2011, 01:29 PM	#8
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	Maybe there is a genuine problem with your credit card? Do you have a different card you could try?

06-08-2011, 01:37 PM	#9
Tome Keeper Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 1001201 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard, Surface Tablet, Android Smartphone, Laptop, Netbook	There is no Portuguese Amazon site, that technically means that there are no Kindle e-books available for your region. As you are in Europe you are better buying from the UK site rather than the US site. However, what you are describing sounds like Amazon has blocked your card for some reason, maybe they have concerns over the billing address or something similar. I would suggest calling Amazon CS and discussing it with them.

06-09-2011, 04:52 AM	#11
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	No one else has some idea of what to do? I would really appreciate some help

06-09-2011, 04:01 PM	#12
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	I can only suggest you call Kindle support. They are usually helpful. And if the first person you speak to can't help, ring again in the hope of getting a different, and hopefully better, one.

06-09-2011, 09:56 PM	#13
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	Well just posting to maybe help someone that may come across this problem. I followed your advise and contacted Amazon via e-mail, they replied now. They say that on their part gives an error that my bank doesn't allow the transaction("Issuer does not allow this type of transaction"), may be because it's a digital item and not a physical one, worst is that I can only go to the bank Monday, because this Friday it's a national holiday and even then I'm not sure if I can go. So I'll give more feedback once I solved this or encountered yet another problem. Thanks for your help DMB

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06-10-2011, 05:31 AM	#14
gASK Member Posts: 10 Karma: 3684 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Prague, ČR Device: Kindle 3	Hi Akuma, seems like a problem with your credit card - the error seems like the card has not enabled internet transactions. I had similard problem with my new card and had to have them turned on. Try contacting the bank (you do not have to go there personally, try calling some hotline, the good banks operate them 24/7 - they'll surely fix it for you or at least give you some advice. Some banks even allow you to set such things through their internet banking if you have one...).

06-10-2011, 02:32 PM	#15
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	Thanks for the information gASK, will see if I can contact them