Is there a way to cheat Kindle to show ads outside the US?

Mironet · 01-29-2012, 04:33 AM

Hello,
I live in Europe (the Czech Republic) and I own the new Kindle 4 with Special Offers. Every morning, the new offers show up on my display, but each only once. After 2-3 power cycles, they dissappear and a message "Please connect wirelessly to download the latest Special Offers" comes up instead. I'm aware that this happens, because I'm outside the US and no other country is currently supported. However, to my knowledge, the only way Amazon determines where my Kindle is located should be the billing address (not the Wi-Fi IP address). I have tried to change it in the settings on Amazon.com to a real US address. I have also tried the "Change country" option in Manage My Kindle section. So far no luck. Can anyone throw me a bone here? Is there a way to show the offers outside the US?

(FYI, I don't want to jailbreak, I like the changing screens every day, it gives the kindle a sort of "live" element, even though I probably can't use any of the offers because of the country restrictions. Yeah, I know, I'm weird, right?)

Thanks in advance.

CRussel · 01-29-2012, 10:07 AM

It is using your IP address. You could, one supposes, use a VPN solution on your WiFi router to give yourself a US IP address, but it seems like a fair amount of work to get offers you probably can't use.

Mironet · 01-29-2012, 01:52 PM

Indeed it is. Okay, well, I guess that does it. No easy way for me to fix this. Thx anyway.

dbh2ppa · 01-31-2012, 01:16 PM

I'm not so sure about this. My KTouch shows ads, and I'm certainly not in the US. It even shows AmazonLocal ads from miami, which is where I had them deliver it to before being forwarded abroad (and where my billing address is, as well).

Mironet · 01-31-2012, 01:28 PM

How long is it since you've left Miami? It took my device approx. two weeks to notice my location (meaning the ads were showing normally for some time right after the initial registration).

dbh2ppa · 01-31-2012, 10:34 PM

It was preordered, I've had it since November, I never was in Miami, I just had them deliver it there to a freight forwarding service, and they sent it to Costa Rica.

Mironet · 02-01-2012, 01:46 AM

Weird. I also have a report from a guy in a nearby country saying that the same thing you do - that the ads work for him even with the local non-US billing address. But then again, I have many more who have the same problem I have. Aah, screw it. What the hell... Too much trouble over nothing...

luvshihtzu · 02-01-2012, 02:21 AM

I just got the Kindle3 Keyboard with 3G/WiFi and Special Offers this morning here in Tucson. I had the Kindle Touch with Special Offers and loved the ads, but this K3 has ads from Palm Beach,Florida, Oakland California, Boston, etc. Nothing at all from here in Arizona.

InsulinJunkie72 · 02-01-2012, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvshihtzu

has ads from Palm Beach,Florida, Oakland California, Boston, etc. Nothing at all from here in Arizona.

My KT is doing the same thing since it last refreshed Special Offers.

I think AmazonLocal is having a (hopefully) temporary glitch.

01-29-2012, 04:33 AM	#1
Mironet Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	Is there a way to cheat Kindle to show ads outside the US? Hello, I live in Europe (the Czech Republic) and I own the new Kindle 4 with Special Offers. Every morning, the new offers show up on my display, but each only once. After 2-3 power cycles, they dissappear and a message "Please connect wirelessly to download the latest Special Offers" comes up instead. I'm aware that this happens, because I'm outside the US and no other country is currently supported. However, to my knowledge, the only way Amazon determines where my Kindle is located should be the billing address (not the Wi-Fi IP address). I have tried to change it in the settings on Amazon.com to a real US address. I have also tried the "Change country" option in Manage My Kindle section. So far no luck. Can anyone throw me a bone here? Is there a way to show the offers outside the US? (FYI, I don't want to jailbreak, I like the changing screens every day, it gives the kindle a sort of "live" element, even though I probably can't use any of the offers because of the country restrictions. Yeah, I know, I'm weird, right?) Thanks in advance.

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01-29-2012, 10:07 AM	#2
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,160 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	It is using your IP address. You could, one supposes, use a VPN solution on your WiFi router to give yourself a US IP address, but it seems like a fair amount of work to get offers you probably can't use.

01-29-2012, 01:52 PM	#3
Mironet Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	Indeed it is. Okay, well, I guess that does it. No easy way for me to fix this. Thx anyway.

01-31-2012, 01:16 PM	#4
dbh2ppa Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: kindle	I'm not so sure about this. My KTouch shows ads, and I'm certainly not in the US. It even shows AmazonLocal ads from miami, which is where I had them deliver it to before being forwarded abroad (and where my billing address is, as well).

01-31-2012, 01:28 PM	#5
Mironet Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	How long is it since you've left Miami? It took my device approx. two weeks to notice my location (meaning the ads were showing normally for some time right after the initial registration).

01-31-2012, 10:34 PM	#6
dbh2ppa Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: kindle	It was preordered, I've had it since November, I never was in Miami, I just had them deliver it there to a freight forwarding service, and they sent it to Costa Rica.

02-01-2012, 01:46 AM	#7
Mironet Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	Weird. I also have a report from a guy in a nearby country saying that the same thing you do - that the ads work for him even with the local non-US billing address. But then again, I have many more who have the same problem I have. Aah, screw it. What the hell... Too much trouble over nothing...

02-01-2012, 02:21 AM	#8
luvshihtzu Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 39390 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tucson, Arizona Device: Kindle DX Graphite, Sony 950 and iPad	I just got the Kindle3 Keyboard with 3G/WiFi and Special Offers this morning here in Tucson. I had the Kindle Touch with Special Offers and loved the ads, but this K3 has ads from Palm Beach,Florida, Oakland California, Boston, etc. Nothing at all from here in Arizona.

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