Amazon pursuing me for buying US books outside of USA

ChristopherTD · 06-30-2010, 03:56 AM

I bought a couple of Kindle books from the Amazon (US) store and was able to send them to my iPhone (and thence to Calibre). Enthused I bought a couple more, but now Amazon have suspended my account because "I am buying from outside of the USA".

Is this something that HideMyAss VPN based in USA would avoid, or is this my quota for now?

Such nonsense - when you want to give them money...

Terisa de morgan · 06-30-2010, 04:25 AM

I don't understand. I use usually this same thing but... I don't use 3G connections. And I can sure you that it has been more than a couple of books.

thinkpad · 06-30-2010, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

I bought a couple of Kindle books from the Amazon (US) store and was able to send them to my iPhone (and thence to Calibre). Enthused I bought a couple more, but now Amazon have suspended my account because "I am buying from outside of the USA".

Is this something that HideMyAss VPN based in USA would avoid, or is this my quota for now?

How do you buy the books: with gift-card or credit-card? Do you buy them straight from the phone? Just heard of another member with Kindle for Android that got his account red flagged for not being in the U.S. Your phone is certainly more easy to pinpoint location wise.

abookreader · 06-30-2010, 07:33 AM

I saw a post once where a person said that happened and they waited a couple of days before buying again and the account was unlocked without them having to call Amazon.

I don't think they were buying by phone though - over the computer.

Sischa · 06-30-2010, 08:20 AM

I think 1-2% of my amazon shoppings are done with an US adress. If they would lock my account only a few hours cause of that i would invest my 250-370 $ / month at another bookstore, thats for sure

blackcat · 06-30-2010, 08:22 AM

It does sound as though they are reacting a bit OTT to the international buyers imo, surely in this globalised world we live in we should all be able to buy the same things

AnemicOak · 06-30-2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcat

It does sound as though they are reacting a bit OTT to the international buyers imo, surely in this globalised world we live in we should all be able to buy the same things

It'd be nice and for the most part there really weren't geo restrictions until a few years ago when publishers in the UK and elsewhere decided to start really paying attention to ebooks. The stores have little choice though. When geo restrictions really started being enforced a few publishers actually pulled all their books from stores until the stores had put in place methods of controlling where you could buy from.

At this point publishers expect digital rights when buying paper rights and since authors/agents sell them regionally it'll be tough to get rid of restrictions until/unless that changes in some way. One way would be if publishers would all be OK with non-exclusive worldwide rights (like Baen does), but AFAIK that hasn't been tried, or if it has it hasn't flown, with any of the big pubs.

pietvo · 06-30-2010, 04:09 PM

Well, they do sell the same books in paper to the customers that they deny the ebooks? If they have the right to sell a paper book, why not the ebook? Ebooks are less geographic that paper books as the internet is global.

Terisa de morgan · 06-30-2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pietvo

Well, they do sell the same books in paper to the customers that they deny the ebooks? If they have the right to sell a paper book, why not the ebook? Ebooks are less geographic that paper books as the internet is global.

The problem is the law. When they sell a paper book, the rights are defined according to the seller, when they sell an ebook, the rights are defined according to the buyer. It's a nonsense but...

Pushka · 06-30-2010, 06:14 PM

I think perhaps just wait for a few days. Perhaps if you had purchased a kindle there might have been a little more 'flexibility' from Amazon. They have to be at least seen to be doing the right thing by publishers. But the paperback availability versus the ebook availability does my head in too - and also that some books are on the nook for instance, but not the kindle.

arcadata · 07-01-2010, 12:10 AM

@ChristopherTD,

If you have a US credit card/US billing address, you should be able to order from the US Kindle store wherever you are in the world without geographic restriction. I know plenty of people who have brought their Kindles with them while traveling the world and downloaded new books either by wireless (there's an additional fee though) or from the computer.

Pushka · 07-01-2010, 02:11 AM

arcadata, what you say is true, but anyone not living in the US would not generally have a US credit card. Christopher is a UK resident.

pietvo · 07-01-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

The problem is the law. When they sell a paper book, the rights are defined according to the seller, when they sell an ebook, the rights are defined according to the buyer. It's a nonsense but...

Which law would that be?

ChristopherTD · 07-01-2010, 12:09 PM

I am using a US Credit Card and US Address. But I guess they are checking the IP Address of the computer and decide that I am situated outside of the US. I will try again in a few days and see if I am unlocked. They want my Social Security Number or some other proof that I live in the USA!

It would be much simpler if we didn't have to go to so much trouble to buy something - it always seems much easier for the thieves.

blackcat · 07-01-2010, 12:46 PM

Chris - you would think they don't want our money - !

06-30-2010, 03:56 AM	#1
ChristopherTD Addict Posts: 343 Karma: 1010002 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London. UK Device: Marvin Reader on iPad Air (via Calibre)	Amazon pursuing me for buying US books outside of USA I bought a couple of Kindle books from the Amazon (US) store and was able to send them to my iPhone (and thence to Calibre). Enthused I bought a couple more, but now Amazon have suspended my account because "I am buying from outside of the USA". Is this something that HideMyAss VPN based in USA would avoid, or is this my quota for now? Such nonsense - when you want to give them money... Last edited by Dr. Drib; 06-30-2010 at 04:13 PM. Reason: spelling on title

06-30-2010, 08:22 AM	#6
blackcat Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Hampshire, UK Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HD, Ipad 4	It does sound as though they are reacting a bit OTT to the international buyers imo, surely in this globalised world we live in we should all be able to buy the same things Last edited by blackcat; 06-30-2010 at 08:25 AM.

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06-30-2010, 04:25 AM	#2
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,686 Karma: 12595249 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	I don't understand. I use usually this same thing but... I don't use 3G connections. And I can sure you that it has been more than a couple of books.

06-30-2010, 07:33 AM	#4
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	I saw a post once where a person said that happened and they waited a couple of days before buying again and the account was unlocked without them having to call Amazon. I don't think they were buying by phone though - over the computer.

06-30-2010, 08:20 AM	#5
Sischa Evangelist Posts: 428 Karma: 2370 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Device: Nokia 770, Ilead, Cybook G3, Kindle DX, Kindle 2, iPad, Kindle 3, PW	I think 1-2% of my amazon shoppings are done with an US adress. If they would lock my account only a few hours cause of that i would invest my 250-370 $ / month at another bookstore, thats for sure

06-30-2010, 04:09 PM	#8
pietvo Reader Posts: 520 Karma: 24612 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Utrecht, NL Device: Kobo Aura 2, iPhone, iPad	Well, they do sell the same books in paper to the customers that they deny the ebooks? If they have the right to sell a paper book, why not the ebook? Ebooks are less geographic that paper books as the internet is global.

06-30-2010, 06:14 PM	#10
Pushka Wizard Posts: 1,119 Karma: 1019140 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Device: kindle, Ipad, Iphone, Nexus and PPW	I think perhaps just wait for a few days. Perhaps if you had purchased a kindle there might have been a little more 'flexibility' from Amazon. They have to be at least seen to be doing the right thing by publishers. But the paperback availability versus the ebook availability does my head in too - and also that some books are on the nook for instance, but not the kindle.

07-01-2010, 12:10 AM	#11
arcadata Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,230 Karma: 4651787 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPod Touch, Sony PRS-350	@ChristopherTD, If you have a US credit card/US billing address, you should be able to order from the US Kindle store wherever you are in the world without geographic restriction. I know plenty of people who have brought their Kindles with them while traveling the world and downloaded new books either by wireless (there's an additional fee though) or from the computer.

07-01-2010, 02:11 AM	#12
Pushka Wizard Posts: 1,119 Karma: 1019140 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Device: kindle, Ipad, Iphone, Nexus and PPW	arcadata, what you say is true, but anyone not living in the US would not generally have a US credit card. Christopher is a UK resident.

07-01-2010, 12:09 PM	#14
ChristopherTD Addict Posts: 343 Karma: 1010002 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London. UK Device: Marvin Reader on iPad Air (via Calibre)	I am using a US Credit Card and US Address. But I guess they are checking the IP Address of the computer and decide that I am situated outside of the US. I will try again in a few days and see if I am unlocked. They want my Social Security Number or some other proof that I live in the USA! It would be much simpler if we didn't have to go to so much trouble to buy something - it always seems much easier for the thieves.

07-01-2010, 12:46 PM	#15
blackcat Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Hampshire, UK Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HD, Ipad 4	Chris - you would think they don't want our money - !