Does the 2nd Account for Accessing Kindle US Store still work?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Does the 2nd Account for Accessing Kindle US Store still work?

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#83880 23-May-2011 09:31

Hi - I know there are threads about this but wanted to check to see if the info was still valid.

I am seriously tempted to buy a Kindle 3 - but I am not interested in being restricted to only buying content licensed to NZ

I've read you can set up a 2nd Amazon account, use a US address - and fund this account from gift vouchers from your primary NZ account.

I haven't checked but I assume this is against Amazon's TOS

How careful do I have to be - make a clean email addy with no connection to my current one? Run a US proxy every time I log onto the kindle book store?

I have a slightly bigger issue in that I am an Amazon affiliate so I really don't want to get locked out of my primary account (which shares an email addy with my affiliate a/c) so I really don't want to lose my affiliate account - that would hurt a lot more than the cost of a few books

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#475096 28-May-2011 12:25

You might want to be careful and use a proxy to access their site if searching. I've heard of instances where the Kindle was locked out for being registered as "US" but being used outside the country for long time. It sure inconvenience some hardcore American travellers, but a phone call should get it unlocked.

Disrespective

1925 posts

Uber Geek

#475174 28-May-2011 16:49

I used a US address and have it as one of my addresses on my kindle but do not use it primarily.

After paying for a couple of books only available through the US store through my US address (fake) I got an email from the kind service people at Kindle inquiring about the legitimacy of my address due to my access being from NZ ip addresses and being registered in the US.

They didn't lock me out or anything like that, but just a kindly reminder that they can see more than I hoped they could and do keep track of purchases that look somewhat suspicious. They wouldn't block you for one or two purchases as kindles certainly do travel, but I think you'd find if you used a US address permanently they'd be on to you pretty quick.

I didn't try with my US proxy as my CC details are for a NZ bank so would still look somewhat suspicious anyway.

So yeah, the point is that you can do it, and many people do, but as Freitasm said, people can get locked out thanks to Amazon's people.

Asrafrate

276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#475640 30-May-2011 07:54

What happened to Disrespective is exactly what happened to me when I got my Kindle.

Not so worried these days; I've now got all the books I need to read for a few years I think! The only downside is that a lot of the technical books I do read aren't readily available outside of the US in Kindle format.

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#475674 30-May-2011 09:38

Thanks guys - in the end I decided to go legit and register my kindle in NZ's region - hoping the publishers catch up with the tech sooner rather than later

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

onetapu

242 posts

Master Geek

#476567 1-Jun-2011 09:31

I have just bought my 3G Kindle (through your link) as a "gift" to myself and planned to try the workaround being discussed. Would it be harder for Amazon to track if I create a gmail account for the US address? Can they still track you as being from NZ when your email address ends with gmail.com rather than xtra.co.nz?

freitasm

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#476569 1-Jun-2011 09:33

It's an IP address thing, not an email address check.

Having said that, you can always access Amazon.com through a VPN service. The Kindle itself will still get your New Zealand IP when connecting via 3G or WiFi (unless you have a router with a built-in VPN client).

onetapu

242 posts

Master Geek

#476570 1-Jun-2011 09:33

Can you please explain what you mean by using a proxy to search the site? What is a proxy, please?

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freitasm

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#476573 1-Jun-2011 09:35

Aproxy service will receive the requests from your PC and redirect it so that it ends up on another point, with another IP address.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=68922

onetapu

242 posts

Master Geek

#476577 1-Jun-2011 09:39

Lissie is being over optimistic that the problem will be solved sooner or later. I have the same issue with Audible.com and audible books and it REALLY annoys me that I can't buy comtemporary fiction hot off the press.

onetapu

242 posts

Master Geek

#478571 7-Jun-2011 15:26

My kindle arrived today (yippee), and yes, the 2nd account for buying books worked for me. Perhaps they just haven't caught up with me yet, but so far so good!

wreck90

780 posts

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#478930 8-Jun-2011 12:52

So, why does amazon restrict book purchases from NZ?

I've just got the kindle , and , I cannot buy some books I want, because it says ...

"This title is not available for customers from your location in:
Asia & Pacific"

One of the reasons I got the kindle is to purchase books not available in NZ, yet they block electronic versions too.

Or, are NZ residents deemed not intelligent enough to read some books?

edit: in this case, I'm trying to buy the kindle childrens dictionary for my son ... the dictionary that comes with the kindle is an adult version .

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#478936 8-Jun-2011 13:00

Its called digital rights management DRM - basically if you buy the paperback from Amazon its deemed to have been sold in the US - but if you buy the ebook its deemed to have been sold in NZ The publishers are protecting their rights by forcing you to buy the (more profitable for them) paper book. Google drm ebooks - its a hugely controversial area.

Its pretty much the same reason why we can't see US TV shoes on hula and other sites - pre-tech publishers (movie makers) fighting for their lives by not adapting to change

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

wreck90

780 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#478947 8-Jun-2011 13:18

lissie: Its called digital rights management DRM - basically if you buy the paperback from Amazon its deemed to have been sold in the US - but if you buy the ebook its deemed to have been sold in NZ The publishers are protecting their rights by forcing you to buy the (more profitable for them) paper book. Google drm ebooks - its a hugely controversial area.

Its pretty much the same reason why we can't see US TV shoes on hula and other sites - pre-tech publishers (movie makers) fighting for their lives by not adapting to change

I understand, thought it would be something like that . . . It really beggars belief that they hadn't learnt lessons from the the movie/music industries.

I've got the cash, I want to give it to the copyright holders, but, I am completely blocked from doing so.

kyhwana2

2566 posts

Uber Geek

#478950 8-Jun-2011 13:30

wreck90: So, why does amazon restrict book purchases from NZ?

I've just got the kindle , and , I cannot buy some books I want, because it says ...

"This title is not available for customers from your location in:
Asia & Pacific"

One of the reasons I got the kindle is to purchase books not available in NZ, yet they block electronic versions too.

Or, are NZ residents deemed not intelligent enough to read some books?

edit: in this case, I'm trying to buy the kindle childrens dictionary for my son ... the dictionary that comes with the kindle is an adult version .

This is because the ebook publishers are mostly the big dead tree book publishers and like the movie/music industry still don't get it. If they won't sell you the ebook, you can should take your money elsewhere (leave it in your pocket, that is) and get it for free from the usual places you can get unDRMed/unRegion locked content.

onetapu

242 posts

Master Geek

#478953 8-Jun-2011 13:45

It is sooooooo frustrating! Are you able to tell me where I can get un-DRMd current, contemporary ebooks from, or is that not allowed on this site? All the free ebooks as far as I can see are not what I am interested in.

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