Amazon UK Kindle Store, What's the Deal?

Jonimeesermann · 08-09-2010, 12:37 PM

A little background first: I live in a country where Amazon won't sell to me their Kindle nor their Kindle Books (It's Indonesia by the way). But I can get this restriction around, mainly helped by hiding behind Hotspot Shield when buying ebook and use gift certificate that I buy for myself.

Now I've noticed that Amazon has Amazon.co.uk Kindle Store recently launched. Curiously I browsed around Amazon.co.uk and find that most ebook there is cheaper than their US Store counterpart. Like for example, I just bought And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for US$ 6.99 in Amazon.com. And then I found that Amazon.co.uk has the same ebook for US$ 5 or so. It's the same with some bestseller that displayed in their frontpage. Like Millenium Trilogy which is sold at price range US$ 4-5 and The Help (Amazon.com has US$ 12.99 while UK has about US$5). Is it me who too quickly make simple generalization based in this small sample?

I'm trying to build my Agatha Christie ebook library and already bought 3 ebooks (It's from Amazon.com). And I think Amazon.co.uk is more attractive to me now when they have the same ebook with cheaper price. So I try to change and transfer my Amazon and Kindle account to UK address and basically do the same setup with Hotspot Shield and buy myself another gift certificate. But when I hit buy now it was replied with pages that says I was from unconfirmed country and I need to update my country. Does anybody any workaround to this problem?

ATDrake · 08-09-2010, 02:34 PM

Use a UK-based VPN proxy, and create a separate account for the UK purchases.

Well, the latter is actually an optional step, but having a sudden "move" from the US to the UK and a paper trail of previous purchases probably looks suspicious, as I'll bet a lot of formerly US-based people tried that in order to get the 157 free books offered in the Amazon UK store.

Jonimeesermann · 08-09-2010, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Use a UK-based VPN proxy, and create a separate account for the UK purchases.

Any recommendation??

Marioninyc · 08-10-2010, 07:03 PM

I've run into another Amazon UK/Amazon US problem. Two books I wrote and posted on Amazon US are now also on Amazon UK. The reviews don't carry over, but whatever. The problem is that I can't participate in any UK forums or discussions. I get a message that you have to have bought something from Amazon. I actually had an existing Amazon UK account because a few years ago I bought something for my nephew while he was studying in London. I even bought a new gift cert for a UK friend in case it was too long ago to count. So they have these purchases recorded. They even wrote back to my inquiry and told me I could post. But I still get the same error message. This is a problem because it means that while our stuff is being sold, we can't really participate in marketing.

B.K. Wright · 08-17-2010, 06:03 AM

I do not know how to help you purchase from the UK store if there are country limitations, but I can speak to the pricing. If the author has their book in the US Kindle Store, they must either choose to accept the changing conversion rates or specify a specific price in the Great Britain Pound. I think Amazon tries to maintain fairness in pricing when adjusting to the fluctuating monetary rates, but it may not always be easy. Many authors probably choose the former route, and so the monetary conversions fluctuate frequently. Sometimes the UK price may be lower and sometimes higher.

Hope this helps.

[B]BK Wright
[Promotion deleted - moderator]

poohbear_nc · 08-17-2010, 08:48 AM

Books sold by Amazon US are subject to the Big 5 publisher price fixing scheme - which apparently did not cross the ocean to the UK - which allows Amazon UK Kindle books to be sold for less.

HarryT · 08-17-2010, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Books sold by Amazon US are subject to the Big 5 publisher price fixing scheme - which apparently did not cross the ocean to the UK - which allows Amazon UK Kindle books to be sold for less.

That's right - no agency pricing in the UK. My understanding is that such an arrangement would be illegal under UK consumer law.

Crowl · 08-17-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's right - no agency pricing in the UK. My understanding is that such an arrangement would be illegal under UK consumer law.

The stuff with the net book agreement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_Book_Agreement would seem like it would rule out the publishers dictating the selling price of the books they sold to amazon in the uk at least.

08-09-2010, 12:37 PM	#1
Jonimeesermann Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 12 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Nokia e71, Ipod Touch, Sony PRS 300	Amazon UK Kindle Store, What's the Deal? A little background first: I live in a country where Amazon won't sell to me their Kindle nor their Kindle Books (It's Indonesia by the way). But I can get this restriction around, mainly helped by hiding behind Hotspot Shield when buying ebook and use gift certificate that I buy for myself. Now I've noticed that Amazon has Amazon.co.uk Kindle Store recently launched. Curiously I browsed around Amazon.co.uk and find that most ebook there is cheaper than their US Store counterpart. Like for example, I just bought And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for US$ 6.99 in Amazon.com. And then I found that Amazon.co.uk has the same ebook for US$ 5 or so. It's the same with some bestseller that displayed in their frontpage. Like Millenium Trilogy which is sold at price range US$ 4-5 and The Help (Amazon.com has US$ 12.99 while UK has about US$5). Is it me who too quickly make simple generalization based in this small sample? I'm trying to build my Agatha Christie ebook library and already bought 3 ebooks (It's from Amazon.com). And I think Amazon.co.uk is more attractive to me now when they have the same ebook with cheaper price. So I try to change and transfer my Amazon and Kindle account to UK address and basically do the same setup with Hotspot Shield and buy myself another gift certificate. But when I hit buy now it was replied with pages that says I was from unconfirmed country and I need to update my country. Does anybody any workaround to this problem?

08-17-2010, 06:03 AM	#5
B.K. Wright Zealot Posts: 26 Karma: 1010232 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Device: none	Speaking to UK Kindle Prices I do not know how to help you purchase from the UK store if there are country limitations, but I can speak to the pricing. If the author has their book in the US Kindle Store, they must either choose to accept the changing conversion rates or specify a specific price in the Great Britain Pound. I think Amazon tries to maintain fairness in pricing when adjusting to the fluctuating monetary rates, but it may not always be easy. Many authors probably choose the former route, and so the monetary conversions fluctuate frequently. Sometimes the UK price may be lower and sometimes higher. Hope this helps. [B]BK Wright [Promotion deleted - moderator] Last edited by Dr. Drib; 11-15-2014 at 03:23 PM.

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08-09-2010, 02:34 PM	#2
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Use a UK-based VPN proxy, and create a separate account for the UK purchases. Well, the latter is actually an optional step, but having a sudden "move" from the US to the UK and a paper trail of previous purchases probably looks suspicious, as I'll bet a lot of formerly US-based people tried that in order to get the 157 free books offered in the Amazon UK store.

08-10-2010, 07:03 PM	#4
Marioninyc Marion Posts: 62 Karma: 70000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NY NY Device: KindleDX	I've run into another Amazon UK/Amazon US problem. Two books I wrote and posted on Amazon US are now also on Amazon UK. The reviews don't carry over, but whatever. The problem is that I can't participate in any UK forums or discussions. I get a message that you have to have bought something from Amazon. I actually had an existing Amazon UK account because a few years ago I bought something for my nephew while he was studying in London. I even bought a new gift cert for a UK friend in case it was too long ago to count. So they have these purchases recorded. They even wrote back to my inquiry and told me I could post. But I still get the same error message. This is a problem because it means that while our stuff is being sold, we can't really participate in marketing.

08-17-2010, 08:48 AM	#6
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,887 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	Books sold by Amazon US are subject to the Big 5 publisher price fixing scheme - which apparently did not cross the ocean to the UK - which allows Amazon UK Kindle books to be sold for less.

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