Kindle Canada Store (how to get around it?)

[Bytowner]

Hi folks,

Wonderful website, I've found a lot of interesting information.

I got my Kindle for Christmas, purchased one book and then put it away for a couple months. I picked it up last night to purchase a couple more books and realized that the Amazon store in Canada absolutely blows... like, unbelievably so. Is there any way I can purchase books from the American amazon?

I'm pretty frustrated and having to scour the internets for ebooks sort of takes away the point of having a Kindle in the first place.

Thanks for your help!

[Percyiris]

I'm in Canada, but I have a Amazon.com account (I assume you'll need an American address to create one, maybe not). I go to the Kindle store order the books I want through my computer (I don't have an International DX). A minute later it's on my DX. Never had a problem yet.

[Kindle Addict]

Even though international customers login to Amazon's US store using a user@amazon.com ID, it's true that not all Kindle books, magazine subscriptions, etc. are available internationally, which reduces the availablility of materials to non-US Kindle owners. This is more than likely due to publishing rights, etc.

There was a vanilla mastercard/gift certificate hack floating around, plus there's the usual US Credit Card, US address, and US-based proxy trick - just search for these on Google. The bonus is that you can also avoid the $2 transfer surcharge. You won't be able to transfer the books wirelessly, since the US account won't know about your international Kindle.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by Kindle Addict

You won't be able to transfer the books wirelessly, since the US account won't know about your international Kindle.

Given that all books in the non US site (if they are allowed to be published there) are always $2 more expensive than the same books in the US site, you can still transfer wirelessly for the same price as what you would have paid, had you been able to get them from your home country.

[Kindle Addict]

Originally Posted by Pushka

Given that all books in the non US site (if they are allowed to be published there) are always $2 more expensive than the same books in the US site, you can still transfer wirelessly for the same price as what you would have paid, had you been able to get them from your home country.

That's true, but then you have to register your Kindle to your new 'fake' US account. In doing so, you lose the ability to wirelessly transfer books, newspapers, etc. that you previously purchased under your international ID. You can think of yourself as a US Kindle owner living abroad. Also, you lose the ability to purchase local content (in your case, Canadian books, magazines, newspapers, etc.) - if that's important.

[Bytowner]

Thanks for the responses!
After doing some looking around last night, it seems that the consensus is you just have to create an account using a different country address (any address) and register your kindle on that account too. Some seem to have had no problems using a US credit card, others suggest you buy gift certificates to avoid an e-mail from Amazon. Anyone else had experience?

Methinks it's time the publishing industry got in to the 21st century. Very annoying.

[Kindle Addict]

Thanks for the updated international info...

Originally Posted by Bytowner

Methinks it's time the publishing industry got in to the 21st century. Very annoying.

IMHO, it may not be the publishing industry so much as factors such as: copyright laws, corporate tax and reporting structure, ownership/rights of/to the material, internationalization and localization of the content, local content/patriot laws, obscenity laws, freedom of religious/political expression, etc.

The book industry ‘only’ took several hundred years to reach this point , so it's no wonder that they can't turn on the proverbial eDime. That being said, people and corporations who do not concern themselves with these little annoyances seem poised to crush the old guard, but also risk being placed in the same position as ‘traditional’ publishers after a few successful lawsuits are carried out.

I’m not saying that’s progress, but if you are the copyright holder, you may want your rights upheld to the laws of the country your work is sold in (and even where it isn’t). If you own the rights to a book in a particular country, then you (probably) would not want someone else selling that book and taking away from your bottom line. If you are the local government of a country, you want your laws and rights upheld regardless if the book is sold over the ether of cyberspace.

I hope that didn't come off as a rant!

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by Kindle Addict

That's true, but then you have to register your Kindle to your new 'fake' US account. In doing so, you lose the ability to wirelessly transfer books, newspapers, etc. that you previously purchased under your international ID. You can think of yourself as a US Kindle owner living abroad. Also, you lose the ability to purchase local content (in your case, Canadian books, magazines, newspapers, etc.) - if that's important.

That's fine - I prefer to transfer via USB anyway and not interested in buying papers. Actually, the US address is a real postal one that I will get mail from so I dont consider it fake.

And it is quite easy to change countries if local content is also important to you.

[Kindle Addict]

Originally Posted by Pushka

That's fine - I prefer to transfer via USB anyway and not interested in buying papers. Actually, the US address is a real postal one that I will get mail from so I dont consider it fake.

And it is quite easy to change countries if local content is also important to you.

I used a bad choice of words; many people around the world have US postal boxes, etc. I haven't had the need to change countries, but I'm assuming you are referring to the "Your Country" option under "Manage your Kindle" (it reads "If you're moving, you can change the country associated with your Kindle account.").

Sorry for the questions, but what happens? Can you change this at will and as many times as you want? Do you have to pay with a card registered in the country you have chosen?

There's a lengthy thread that contains some non-US purchasing discussions, but I can't find a thread on changing the country associated with your Kindle.

[Bytowner]

According to the reading I've been doing, you can change your address to one that isn't actually your address. I've seen posts by people that say they just put in a random business address. It has also been suggested that your credit card does not have to be from the same country as the address.

The point of contention seems to be what triggers Amazon finding out that you aren't where you say you are. Some people suggest it's the out of country credit card and recommend buying gift certificates for your American account. Others believe it's the wireless, so as long as you download onto your computer you're okay.

Here's one of the better links I found on it:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...1178#r22541178

Note I still haven't given it a shot, I downloaded a couple classics off of Gutenburg. Do let me know if you try it.

[Percyiris]

OK, here's another summation of how a Canadian customer orders book from Amazon.com without the $2.00 fee. On Amazon.com I have multiple American shipping addresses (all of which I ship to for one reason or another), but the billing address is my Canadian one. As well, I use my everyday credit card to make my purchases via USB to my computer. No phony addresses, no gift cards. I have never ordered a Kindle product through Amazon.ca. All I get on my credit card statement is the price of the book plus whatever the exchange is that day.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by Kindle Addict

Sorry for the questions, but what happens? Can you change this at will and as many times as you want? Do you have to pay with a card registered in the country you have chosen?

I have changed country selection several times, and sometimes it changes on its own. I have used gift certificates, but also have used my non-US credit card, and both are fine. And no email,.....yet!

[Bytowner]

Thanks for the info Percyiris. Here's hoping the Canadian publishing industry get their thumbs out and work this out with Amazon.

[Percyiris]

Bytowner, I just noticed on my Manage my Kindle page, in the country field it says United States. Try that and see if you can get the books you want without the extra fee. Or is it the Canadian availability you're more interested in?

[loveangel]

Originally Posted by Percyiris

I'm in Canada, but I have a Amazon.com account (I assume you'll need an American address to create one, maybe not). I go to the Kindle store order the books I want through my computer (I don't have an International DX). A minute later it's on my DX. Never had a problem yet.

this would be great info for me