Content Accessing Kindle US content from overseas

[international]

Hi all,

So I have done a fair amount of research the last few weeks to decide on my first foray into the ebook market and there is one massive sticking point that is a big problem in the whole process, "Territorial restrictions"

A short summary of the situation is this, Amazon is my preferred provider as they have the largest and most comprehensive list of the type of books I'm interested in. Ebooks are my preferred format because I'm an international citizen and don't want to lug weight.

The issue is most of the titles I want are not available for the region I spend most of my time ("Asia Pacific") and for which I have an active credit card.

The final result is I WILL be obtaining these titles by some means but would prefer to do it in the formats mentioned and by paying legitimately for them. Should this not be possible however I will proceed with other alternatives.

So the question is:

Is there any possible way to purchase a kindle from the US and register it as a US device without a US credit card?

Extra info:
Friends are available who can physically purchase the device and deliver to me.
I am very technical so VPN type solutions are not a problem
I am also aware of Virtual Credit card's

It seems to me obtaining a device is not the difficult part, its the subsequent registering and sales via the Amazon account that get tricky. Does anyone have any experience with setting up an account so its US based and gives full access to US content but with a non US payment method?

Any information or links etc that could point me in the right direction would be appreciated

Thanks and regards

[Pushka]

Your account needs to have a USA address as its primary address. No need for USA credit card, nor VPN.

[international]

Pushka,

I presume you've done that yourself?

So to clarify I would obtain a Kindle either by a friend travelling to US if I want the Special offers version, or via order to home in Australia (paying significantly more but there for xmas if I want it) and then when registering it on my amazon account I need to make sure the primary address is simply a valid US one (should be able to use a friends)

This address is the primary address for the kindle or for the account?

At that point I'll be able to access titles on amazon.com that are only available in the USA yes? Can add them to the cart and pay for them using my Australian CC and billing address?

Cheers

[CRussel]

You need to create an Amazon USA account with a US address. Register the Kindle. Use your Australian CC to buy US Amazon gift cards. The gift card will be used by Kindle for orders.

If you purchase or download via WiFi, you have no issues. If you use 3G, you can get hit for wireless charges for anything ihat isn't a book bought from Amazon. But books are a non-issue regardless of 3g or WiFi.

[JoeD]

Originally Posted by Pushka

Your account needs to have a USA address as its primary address. No need for USA credit card, nor VPN.

Amazon blocked me from buying books from amazon.co.uk whilst I was on holiday in the US because my account and CC was uk but my IP was showing (obviously) as in the US. OP's situation may differ if he uses gift cards though.

Contacted amazon over it and their response was I had to make a .com account to buy books whilst in the US. Daft idea, since any books I buy would have then been tied to the .com account and I'd need to dereg/reg the device back and forth anytime I needed to redownload them and I'm sure they'd eventually get p**** about it once I was back on a UK IP... Suffice to say I passed.

Never did bother to buy the books, got plenty to read now I'm back home

[international]

Originally Posted by CRussel

You need to create an Amazon USA account with a US address. Register the Kindle. Use your Australian CC to buy US Amazon gift cards. The gift card will be used by Kindle for orders.

If you purchase or download via WiFi, you have no issues. If you use 3G, you can get hit for wireless charges for anything ihat isn't a book bought from Amazon. But books are a non-issue regardless of 3g or WiFi.

Thanks for the Reply,

Same question as to Pushka, is this something you've tried and can confirm works?

If you didn't buy the gift cards would it fail?

I'm presuming to set up the US account with US address just requires a valid US address and doesn't need a US Credit Card, and if I read you right I would simply just purchase the gift cards on this account and then use them on the same account? Or I purchase the gift cards on a different account and gift them to the US account?

[truseva]

Originally Posted by international

So to clarify I would obtain a Kindle either by a friend travelling to US if I want the Special offers version, or via order to home in Australia (paying significantly more but there for xmas if I want it) and then when registering it on my amazon account I need to make sure the primary address is simply a valid US one (should be able to use a friends)

This address is the primary address for the kindle or for the account?

At that point I'll be able to access titles on amazon.com that are only available in the USA yes? Can add them to the cart and pay for them using my Australian CC and billing address?

Cheers

I haven't bought gift cards, but I got my Kindle SO someone brought to me from the USA. I then registered to my existing Amazon account an US address as my primary 1-click (even though I've disabled the 1-click option) address.

I pay using my CC issued in Europe and with my European billing address.
Still when I tried to "buy" something from the free section, a game, Amazon.com said I cannot use my European billing address, so I changed it to match my shipping address (I figured as it's a free stuff it doesn't matter). But I've shopped successfully with my European billing address and a US shipping address other items, like books, Kindles and Kindle cover.

So if I understood your question correctly, yes it should work for you, too.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by international

Pushka,

I presume you've done that yourself?

So to clarify I would obtain a Kindle either by a friend travelling to US if I want the Special offers version, or via order to home in Australia (paying significantly more but there for xmas if I want it) and then when registering it on my amazon account I need to make sure the primary address is simply a valid US one (should be able to use a friends)

This address is the primary address for the kindle or for the account?

At that point I'll be able to access titles on amazon.com that are only available in the USA yes? Can add them to the cart and pay for them using my Australian CC and billing address?

Cheers

Yes, otherwise I wouldn't post
Yes to the primary address being a USA one.
Yes to adding to your cart and buying them with an Aussie credit card. Or you can go the gift card route.
You may get an email from amazon asking for your address verification. If you have used your friends then replay stating that you visit there or similar.

[reprep]

I am a citizen in Europe. After getting my kindle, i registered to amazon.com using a US address and a US IP via a VPN service. Note that i only used a VPN service once to overcome amazon's regional warning. After that i added a European credit card and using it since that time. I mostly got the free ones but bought some stuff too. Never got a problem. I also use the free 3g browser occasionally and the only problem i got is that amazon doesn't deliver the blogs, newspapers etc outside USA unless you subscribe to their international 3g service. I don't use them much so no problem for me.