Outside the US? - Page 3

Ea · 08-01-2010, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

W.H.Smiths is just one example of an ePub bookshop that can be used from anywhere, and which does not impose geographical restrictions.

The last two times I tried buying books from WHSmiths, they wouldn't sell them to me in Denmark because of geographical restrictions. Waterstones on the other hand, would.

GeoffC · 08-01-2010, 04:44 AM

About as logical as ..... !

Ea · 08-01-2010, 04:45 AM

GeoffC · 08-01-2010, 04:48 AM

Of course it isn't as crazy as a UK store refusing the sale of a UK author to a UK purchaser - because of GeoR!

[unless at the time the store was still in a learning phase !]

HarryT · 08-01-2010, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

The last two times I tried buying books from WHSmiths, they wouldn't sell them to me in Denmark because of geographical restrictions. Waterstones on the other hand, would.

Sorry, perhaps I have the two stores mixed up. I was aware that one had restrictions and the other didn't - it may well be Waterstones that doesn't, and W.H.Smiths that does.

Fbone · 08-01-2010, 07:03 AM

WHSmith ebook website is "powered" by Overdrive and may be the cause of geo restrictions.

Waterstones has my fav author available. Foyle's does too. Both $6 - $7 more than Amazon.

GeoffC · 08-01-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fbone

WHSmith ebook website is "powered" by Overdrive and may be the cause of geo restrictions.

Waterstones has my fav author available. Foyle's does too. Both $6 - $7 more than Amazon.

Don't you love competition !

bevdeforges · 08-01-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asjogren

How do you get a US credit card if you live elsewhere?

There are a number of "prepaid" credit cards for sale in many stores in the USA. Can one of these be used?

I suppose it depends on what the vendor considers a "US credit card." The two main options are: (1) a credit card issued in the US, usually by a US bank or (2) a credit card with a US billing address.

Getting a US credit card isn't easy for someone living outside the US, as they link it all in with your US credit record and usually need information about your salary, etc. Only reason I have a US card is that I have kept the card from the days when I did live in the US, just changing the billing address as I moved around. My understanding is that I probably can't get another credit card issued these days.

Not sure if those prepaid cards would work or not for Internet purchases. In theory a European credit card with a US billing address should work - but I haven't tried that.

GeoffC · 08-01-2010, 09:04 AM

Surely the US credit card is only needed to circumvent the drm'ed books with georestriction, there are ample books out there that don't suffer from this if one looks....I use a UK card and UK address no problem ...

Fbone · 08-01-2010, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Don't you love competition !

Makes you wonder why they allow purchase one direction and not both.

Coops · 08-02-2010, 06:38 AM

I'm afraid the whole DRM & geographical restriction nonsense is always going to be something of a pain in the....

I have UK based credit cards, and had my Sony 505 delivered to Thailand - i've found Kobo (e bookstore) to be less restrictive than many.

I now mainly use Amazon and the Kindle store (!), yes - for my Sony.
Install Kindle for PC on your Windows laptop and I can order books, no problem (still the odd one unavailable to Amazon UK users, but such is stupidity). I then use skindle (google it) to enable me to use Calibre to convert for my own use on whatever machine I please. (Note skindle doesn't currently work on a Mac....).

If you do get the Sony, you will want to use Calibre to manage your books anyway- it puts the Sony software to utter shame.

Coops

bevdeforges · 08-02-2010, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Surely the US credit card is only needed to circumvent the drm'ed books with georestriction, there are ample books out there that don't suffer from this if one looks....I use a UK card and UK address no problem ...

It depends on the vendor, but generally the geo-restrictions have little or nothing to do with it. And it doesn't seem to be linked particularly to the DRM either.

I can't buy books at the US Sony store using my US credit card, because I have a foreign billing address. However, if I buy with gift cards, there's no problem.

As someone else has mentioned, Kobo seems pretty unrestricted as far as what card you use and pretty unconcerned about your physical location.

I've got credit cards from the US, UK and France, and I generally use the "local" card for online purchases, just to keep the currencies straight and avoid exchange rate fees. It's only ever been US-based businesses that have refused to accept my US credit card - and that is based on the billing address, not on the origin of the credit card.

blogbook · 08-02-2010, 10:13 AM

I think it's time to clear up some misconceptions: With a Sony device you are not bound to the Sony Store. You can read rtf, txt, pdf and epub without DRM. And you can read pdf and epub which are DRMed using Adobe Digital Editions. Regardless the shop they were bought.

inkmesh.com ist a price comparison sitze for ebooks, and good start. Possible Shops are booksonboard.com or fictionwise.com or diesel-ebooks.com and many many more.

Yes, some of the offered books are regionally restricted. You can try to circumvent it by using gift certificates or US biling adresses (It's to much hassle for me personally).

You can try some of the mentioned European stores, but they have a limited assortment.

I don't know about the Southern half of the globe.

How do you intent to download the books? Do you have UMTS aboard? Or internet cafes? Which region/IP will you show to the shops?

Maybe an online library access will be of interest for you. Some US libraries offer membership to non US citizens. And they don't check for regional restrictions when you are downloading. And you can save money

HarryT · 08-03-2010, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blogbook

I think it's time to clear up some misconceptions: With a Sony device you are not bound to the Sony Store.

I don't think that anyone's said that you are, have they?

lente · 08-03-2010, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The original poster may wish to consider the Kindle rather than the Sony. It has wireless book purchase and delivery available in the majority of countries of the world, and may well be a much easier solution for someone living on a boat.

Yes, I agree. Amazon is more expensive, but they do have more books available in every country.

08-01-2010, 04:44 AM	#32
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	About as logical as ..... !

08-01-2010, 04:45 AM	#33
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S

08-01-2010, 04:48 AM	#34
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Of course it isn't as crazy as a UK store refusing the sale of a UK author to a UK purchaser - because of GeoR! [unless at the time the store was still in a learning phase !]

08-01-2010, 07:03 AM	#36
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,297 Karma: 101697116 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	WHSmith ebook website is "powered" by Overdrive and may be the cause of geo restrictions. Waterstones has my fav author available. Foyle's does too. Both $6 - $7 more than Amazon.

08-01-2010, 09:04 AM	#39
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Surely the US credit card is only needed to circumvent the drm'ed books with georestriction, there are ample books out there that don't suffer from this if one looks....I use a UK card and UK address no problem ...

08-02-2010, 06:38 AM	#41
Coops Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 77756 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis, Sony T3 backup	I'm afraid the whole DRM & geographical restriction nonsense is always going to be something of a pain in the.... I have UK based credit cards, and had my Sony 505 delivered to Thailand - i've found Kobo (e bookstore) to be less restrictive than many. I now mainly use Amazon and the Kindle store (!), yes - for my Sony. Install Kindle for PC on your Windows laptop and I can order books, no problem (still the odd one unavailable to Amazon UK users, but such is stupidity). I then use skindle (google it) to enable me to use Calibre to convert for my own use on whatever machine I please. (Note skindle doesn't currently work on a Mac....). If you do get the Sony, you will want to use Calibre to manage your books anyway- it puts the Sony software to utter shame. Coops

08-02-2010, 10:13 AM	#43
blogbook Groupie Posts: 167 Karma: 948780 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Sony 505, KF HD 8.9"	I think it's time to clear up some misconceptions: With a Sony device you are not bound to the Sony Store. You can read rtf, txt, pdf and epub without DRM. And you can read pdf and epub which are DRMed using Adobe Digital Editions. Regardless the shop they were bought. inkmesh.com ist a price comparison sitze for ebooks, and good start. Possible Shops are booksonboard.com or fictionwise.com or diesel-ebooks.com and many many more. Yes, some of the offered books are regionally restricted. You can try to circumvent it by using gift certificates or US biling adresses (It's to much hassle for me personally). You can try some of the mentioned European stores, but they have a limited assortment. I don't know about the Southern half of the globe. How do you intent to download the books? Do you have UMTS aboard? Or internet cafes? Which region/IP will you show to the shops? Maybe an online library access will be of interest for you. Some US libraries offer membership to non US citizens. And they don't check for regional restrictions when you are downloading. And you can save money

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