Buying books from other country - Page 2

Nascarfan1972 · 05-19-2020, 05:07 PM

I have done this in the past using a debit card.
1) Go into the payments section and delete your debit card information.
2) Change to the country you want to buy from - at this point you may have to change your postcode/zip code, I just googled the relevant information and replaced my postcode with the googled one, I did not have to change my address.
3) I can't completely remember on this stage if you have to click save and then input your debit card details and click save again.
4) If the above worked, buy the books you were after from another country.
5) Change everything back when you have finished.

Note: your bank may lock your debit card due to suspect activity on it, it just took a quick call to my bank to explain and the card was unlocked again.

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 12:11 PM

Got it to work. On Kobo, I didn't even change my address. I removed my credit card, left my address as is but changed the country to UK,

By entering no credit card info, at checkout, it offered me PayPal. I bought my first book from Kobo!

Now, I did hit bumps downloading from Kobo. I installed the Windows 10 Kobo app. But couldn't figure out where Kobo downloaded the book. So I had to install Adobe Digital Editions, download the .ascm file from Kobo and import to ADE and then from there to Calibre. But there were no issues removing the DRM.

My issues could easily be resolved if I want to keep buying books from Kobo, I guess.

PeterT · 05-20-2020, 12:27 PM

If you download via the Kobo app you need to use obok (part of the Apprentice Alf collection) to liberate the downloaded content.

stumped · 05-20-2020, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

If you download via the Kobo app you need to use obok (part of the Apprentice Alf collection) to liberate the downloaded content.

That option probably lets you choose kepub from the store, but I think one payment allows you to select either or both formats per book. Epub, kepub

And if you go epub ade route then the calibre extended driver will convert back to kepub as it copies books to kobo.

I prefer to store epub in calibre as my master copy, since that does not tie me to any one make of reader.

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

If you download via the Kobo app you need to use obok (part of the Apprentice Alf collection) to liberate the downloaded content.

Right. I understand that. The question is where on the hard drive is it stored? I know where the B&N app stores things, but couldn't figure where Kobo storage is.

Edit: Found it!

Code:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages\KoboInc.KoboBooks_vk8qsnw174y90\LocalState\DownloadedBooks

DNSB · 05-20-2020, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Right. I understand that. The question is where on the hard drive is it stored? I know where the B&N app stores things, but couldn't figure where Kobo storage is.

Edit: Found it!

Code:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages\KoboInc.KoboBooks_vk8qsnw174y90\LocalState\DownloadedBooks

Weird. My Kobo Desktop app saves kepub books at:

Code:

%localappdata%\Kobo\Kobo Desktop Edition\kepub

Kobo Desktop Edition v4.21.13126

TheSmitty · 05-20-2020, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Got it to work. On Kobo, I didn't even change my address. I removed my credit card, left my address as is but changed the country to UK,

By entering no credit card info, at checkout, it offered me PayPal. I bought my first book from Kobo!.

On kobo website, device or app?

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Weird. My Kobo Desktop app saves kepub books at:

Code:

%localappdata%\Kobo\Kobo Desktop Edition\kepub

Kobo Desktop Edition v4.21.13126

I had to use the Windows 10 Kobo app from the Microsoft store. When I tried installing the downloadable desktop program, it would hang as I was trying to log in. It would show a HATED Captcha things (click on all the squares that contain a crosswalk) and it didn't seem to register my clicks.

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSmitty

On kobo website, device or app?

Bought the book on the Kobo website. I removed my credit card info and changed my country to UK. Now, I left my Texas address as is, including ZIP code. I didn't add any further credit card info.

Switched the store to the UK and bought the book. As I was paying, it gave me the choice of PayPal.

Not sure if it matters or not, but I did this on my work PC that has a built in VPN (the company is global, so you can choose US, Europe, Asia, I forget where else). I switched to Europe. I'm not clear if that had any impact since others that have bought 'overseas books' from Kobo haven't mentioned needing a VPN. I just did it because I could.

I found out you don't really need the Kobo desktop app at all. I was able to download the book from the Kobo website. Well, it downloaded as .ascm that I added to Adobe Digital Editions and the book came from there. Anyway, my overly detailed description makes the process sound more cumbersome than it was.

DNSB · 05-20-2020, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I had to use the Windows 10 Kobo app from the Microsoft store. When I tried installing the downloadable desktop program, it would hang as I was trying to log in. It would show a HATED Captcha things (click on all the squares that contain a crosswalk) and it didn't seem to register my clicks.

I ran into that when I updated the app. I ended up uninstalling and cleaning up the remnants. After the re-install, it let me sign in without the flipping captcha though it then spent a while redownloading the non-archived portion of my Kobo library.

I had it toggle between click on the squares and they registered the click but then nothing happened when I clicked verify and clicking on the square did nothing. The refresh button did nothing as well though the audio managed to hang the app.

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 10:35 PM

Well, I found out Obok doesn't recognize the location used by the Windows 10 app. So I uninstalled it and am attempting to reinstall Kobo desktop. But:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I ran into that when I updated the app. I ended up uninstalling and cleaning up the remnants. After the re-install, it let me sign in without the flipping captcha though it then spent a while redownloading the non-archived portion of my Kobo library.

I had it toggle between click on the squares and they registered the click but then nothing happened when I clicked verify and clicking on the square did nothing. The refresh button did nothing as well though the audio managed to hang the app.

This time around I clicked all the pictures and submit worked. But now the icon is just spinning and spinning and spinning...

I was already able to download the book hours ago from the website, so at this point I'm just messing around. But Kobo desktop seems to have a problem with Windows 10.

ZodWallop · 05-20-2020, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I was already able to download the book hours ago from the website, so at this point I'm just messing around. But Kobo desktop seems to have a problem with Windows 10.

Hey, 37th time's the charm! I managed to get in.

murraypaul · 05-21-2020, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Amazon will start to whine at some point that your IP-address is not the same as the country on your account. Kobo never will. So that counts as fewer hoops in my book.

I've been buying eBooks from Amazon US from the UK for at least a decade, they have never complained about IP addresses.

Sirtel · 05-21-2020, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murraypaul

I've been buying eBooks from Amazon US from the UK for at least a decade, they have never complained about IP addresses.

They probably won't if you've done it a decade or more. But generally they will and have even closed people's accounts for using the wrong country. Unless they've changed their policy recently.

Why they don't whine with some users, but close the account of another is a mystery. Still, it's riskier with Amazon than with Kobo. I haven't heard of Kobo closing someone's account for "living abroad".

murraypaul · 05-21-2020, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

They probably won't if you've done it a decade or more. But generally they will and have even closed people's accounts for using the wrong country. Unless they've changed their policy recently.

Why they don't whine with some users, but close the account of another is a mystery. Still, it's riskier with Amazon than with Kobo. I haven't heard of Kobo closing someone's account for "living abroad".

Shrug. I haven't heard of that with Amazon either, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
Conversely I'm far more confident that Amazon will still be around and selling books in another decade that I am about any other retailer.

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05-19-2020, 05:07 PM	#16
Nascarfan1972 Banned Posts: 95 Karma: 29532 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo Glo/Mini/Aura/Glo HD/Clara/Libra & Forma & Kindle PW	I have done this in the past using a debit card. 1) Go into the payments section and delete your debit card information. 2) Change to the country you want to buy from - at this point you may have to change your postcode/zip code, I just googled the relevant information and replaced my postcode with the googled one, I did not have to change my address. 3) I can't completely remember on this stage if you have to click save and then input your debit card details and click save again. 4) If the above worked, buy the books you were after from another country. 5) Change everything back when you have finished. Note: your bank may lock your debit card due to suspect activity on it, it just took a quick call to my bank to explain and the card was unlocked again.

05-20-2020, 12:11 PM	#17
ZodWallop Gentleman and scholar Posts: 11,479 Karma: 111164374 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Space City, Texas Device: Clara BW; Nook ST w/Glowlight, Paperwhite 3	Got it to work. On Kobo, I didn't even change my address. I removed my credit card, left my address as is but changed the country to UK, By entering no credit card info, at checkout, it offered me PayPal. I bought my first book from Kobo! Now, I did hit bumps downloading from Kobo. I installed the Windows 10 Kobo app. But couldn't figure out where Kobo downloaded the book. So I had to install Adobe Digital Editions, download the .ascm file from Kobo and import to ADE and then from there to Calibre. But there were no issues removing the DRM. My issues could easily be resolved if I want to keep buying books from Kobo, I guess.

05-20-2020, 12:27 PM	#18
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,511 Karma: 78910202 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	If you download via the Kobo app you need to use obok (part of the Apprentice Alf collection) to liberate the downloaded content.