How a Latin American living in Africa could buy American magazine subscriptions:

central11 · 08-11-2010, 06:59 AM

Dear friends,
How are you? I am planning to buy the new US$ 189.00 Kindle but I have some doubts. My main interest is using the device to read magazines such as The Economist and New Yorker -- both of them not available outside U.S.

I currently live in Mali and my credit card is from Brazil. My plan was to set up an American account using a pre-paid credit card and shipping it to a friend of mine in Canada, who is going soon to Brazil. Then I would use Amazon's gift cards to buy my magazines.

Do you know if I will succeed in my plan? What secure websites do you recommend to buy pre-paid credit cards?

Best,
central11

central11 · 08-11-2010, 07:06 AM

I have just read a blog in which the author says that even if you use an international credit card in your Amazon account but attaches to it a US address, you can easily use Amazon gift cards to make subscriptions. It that true?

abookreader · 08-11-2010, 09:50 AM

you'll probably want to watch out for the magazine delivery fees US residents experience when traveling or living internationally. Unless somebody wants to correct me? I believe that magazines cannot be downloaded to a computer first and there is a $4.99/week charge to download them via Whispernet?

I have a hard time keeping current with this issue because I don't travel internationally often. But unless Amazon has changed their policy that's the way it used to be.

central11 · 08-11-2010, 10:36 AM

Well, but if I download to my computer and than transfer it to my Kindle using the USB craddle I think this fee would not exist. Is that right?

But even if they charge me some dollars the situation is better than not having the option to subscribe the magazine.

loveangel · 08-11-2010, 11:01 AM

you have a good plan however using prepaid card do u think it can work?

suecsi · 08-11-2010, 12:58 PM

If you look at the subscription pages, and look at how you can buy, you can't download them to Kindle4PC or Kindle4Mac, they have to be sent via Whispernet. Which has extra charges outside the US.

901hw · 08-12-2010, 03:52 AM

arent these extra charges only for kindle US customers outside the US? I thought if my amazon account is foreign then one does not have to pay the whispernet charges???

HarryT · 08-12-2010, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 901hw

arent these extra charges only for kindle US customers outside the US? I thought if my amazon account is foreign then one does not have to pay the whispernet charges???

That is true, but since the original poster points out that the magazines he wants are not available outside the US, that's hardly pertinent to the discussion.

central11 · 08-12-2010, 07:39 AM

Harry is right. I should be an American buyer to subscribe the magazines. But the cost of whispernet is much lower than the shipping costs of a normal magazine.

abookreader · 08-13-2010, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Well, but if I download to my computer and than transfer it to my Kindle using the USB craddle I think this fee would not exist. Is that right?

But even if they charge me some dollars the situation is better than not having the option to subscribe the magazine.

yes. That is true for books and I know that their are plenty of people who do it. But as far as I know there is no way to download magazines to a computer and transfer them over. Those have to be sent wirelessly to the Kindle device which will AFAIK incur the fee.

Maybe this will change with the WiFi models?

lordvetinari2 · 08-13-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

Maybe this will change with the WiFi models?

It's not exactly the same case, but I wondered about the price difference in ebooks between the US and the European Kindle store. AFAIK, we pay a premium of about 2.50 USD for the higher European VAT and for the 3G roaming. So, a few days ago I asked Amazon what happens if I buy & download an ebook from them using the WiFi in the Kindle 3, using transfer via USB, or using the Android app. Do I get a discount for not costing them 3G? No luck, I pay the full price.

08-11-2010, 06:59 AM	#1
central11 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: None	How a Latin American living in Africa could buy American magazine subscriptions: Dear friends, How are you? I am planning to buy the new US$ 189.00 Kindle but I have some doubts. My main interest is using the device to read magazines such as The Economist and New Yorker -- both of them not available outside U.S. I currently live in Mali and my credit card is from Brazil. My plan was to set up an American account using a pre-paid credit card and shipping it to a friend of mine in Canada, who is going soon to Brazil. Then I would use Amazon's gift cards to buy my magazines. Do you know if I will succeed in my plan? What secure websites do you recommend to buy pre-paid credit cards? Best, central11

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08-11-2010, 07:06 AM	#2
central11 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: None	I have just read a blog in which the author says that even if you use an international credit card in your Amazon account but attaches to it a US address, you can easily use Amazon gift cards to make subscriptions. It that true?

08-11-2010, 09:50 AM	#3
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	you'll probably want to watch out for the magazine delivery fees US residents experience when traveling or living internationally. Unless somebody wants to correct me? I believe that magazines cannot be downloaded to a computer first and there is a $4.99/week charge to download them via Whispernet? I have a hard time keeping current with this issue because I don't travel internationally often. But unless Amazon has changed their policy that's the way it used to be.

08-11-2010, 10:36 AM	#4
central11 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: None	Well, but if I download to my computer and than transfer it to my Kindle using the USB craddle I think this fee would not exist. Is that right? But even if they charge me some dollars the situation is better than not having the option to subscribe the magazine.

08-11-2010, 11:01 AM	#5
loveangel Banned Posts: 137 Karma: 30 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: kindle	you have a good plan however using prepaid card do u think it can work?

08-11-2010, 12:58 PM	#6
suecsi Rock Chick Posts: 429 Karma: 4965 Join Date: May 2009 Location: near Heathrow Device: Kindle 2i, Kindle DX, Kindle 3G	If you look at the subscription pages, and look at how you can buy, you can't download them to Kindle4PC or Kindle4Mac, they have to be sent via Whispernet. Which has extra charges outside the US.

08-12-2010, 03:52 AM	#7
901hw Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 2178 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: germany Device: Trekstor Pyrus Mini, PB Touch Lux 2, Onxy Boox C67ML (maybe))	arent these extra charges only for kindle US customers outside the US? I thought if my amazon account is foreign then one does not have to pay the whispernet charges???

08-12-2010, 07:39 AM	#9
central11 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: None	Harry is right. I should be an American buyer to subscribe the magazines. But the cost of whispernet is much lower than the shipping costs of a normal magazine.