12-15-2009, 11:44 PM | #1 |
Banned
Posts: 2,094
Karma: 2682
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: N/A
|
An email from Amazon (regional restrictions)
A friend of mine received the following email - the email address it came from is legitimate, the numbers are correct and he verified with Amazon that they did indeed send it:
Dear <name>, I see that you attempted to purchase different books while in a different country than United States listed on your Amazon account. Certain Kindle titles are not available everywhere. We are reaching out to you for information to ensure the best possible service for your account. If you have moved to a different country, you can easily update your country for your Amazon account at www.Amazon.com/manageyourkindle. If this is not the case, and you’re actually residing in United States, please fax us any of the following at 001-206-266-1838 when faxing from outside the US, or 206-266-1838 from within the US: – Passport – Military ID – Permanent Resident Card – Driver’s License – Other state photo identity card Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, Account Specialist Amazon.com We're Building Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company Now, he's an American using Kindle for PC on a laptop. He's in different countries about once a month, though, and he was downloading free ebooks from Amazon (mostly classics), with an eye to deciding if he wanted to get a Kindle. He had a most unpleasant discussion with Amazon support where they made it plain he could either do it "promptly" or they'd close his entire account (and remove his ebook access), which he uses for more than just ebooks - and if he continued to buy outside America they couldn't guarantee they'd not take action in the future. If you're not actually American, made that setting and have ever accessed it from a non-American proxy? Well, don't be surprised if you get one of these emails soon. (Anyone still want to argue that they're only doing the minimum?) My friend's now decided on a PRS-900, incidentally. And two layers of supervisors up, they agreed to let him just de-register the Kindle for PC without consequences to his account. Last edited by DawnFalcon; 12-15-2009 at 11:52 PM. |
12-16-2009, 03:01 AM | #2 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Yes, this is a standard e-mail that Amazon send you if your apparent location is different to your registered location. Lots of them talked about in the Kindle forum. Amazon have to check these things because if, for example, you claim to be in the USA in order to buy a book, but you're not, then Amazon will be in breach of their distribution contract with the publisher if they only have US rights to that book, and could face legal action as a consequence.
Last edited by HarryT; 12-16-2009 at 03:04 AM. |
Advert | |
|
12-16-2009, 07:07 AM | #3 |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 20
Join Date: Dec 2009
Device: none
|
How come it's ok for foreigners to buy paper books from there, but not ebooks?
|
12-16-2009, 07:15 AM | #4 |
Member
Posts: 14
Karma: 442
Join Date: Dec 2009
Device: Sony 700, iRex 1000s
|
@PortaDiFerro
Great question! |
12-16-2009, 07:34 AM | #5 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,434
Karma: 1525776
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: TAS, Australia
Device: Astak Pocket Pro (Black), 2 x Kindle WiFi (Graphite), iPod Touch 4G
|
Don't quote me but I read that it comes down to the country where the sale is deemed to have taken place. If you purchase physical goods, the sale is considered to have taken place in the country of distribution, however the sale of ebooks (mp3s and other digital content) is deemed to originate in the country of origin of the buyer.
|
Advert | |
|
12-16-2009, 07:51 AM | #6 |
The Dank Side of the Moon
Posts: 35,872
Karma: 118716293
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire
|
|
12-16-2009, 07:59 AM | #7 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,454
Karma: 37243
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Europe
Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4
|
These laws need to be changed asap. These kind of situations are getting really stupid.
Sometime soon they'll start sending us ebooks in envelopes by post, just to avoid regional restrictions. And what exactly does amazon need a passport for? This thing is scary... |
12-16-2009, 09:13 AM | #8 |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 20
Join Date: Dec 2009
Device: none
|
Heh, actually that's a great idea! As ridiculous as it sounds, I wouldn't mind if that's what it takes to legally buy those, letter would probably be considerably faster and cheaper than package anyway.
|
12-16-2009, 09:54 AM | #9 |
The Dank Side of the Moon
Posts: 35,872
Karma: 118716293
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire
|
Actually this has been suggested and done in certain manners -- e.g. selling the book on an SD Memory card.
|
12-16-2009, 10:26 AM | #10 | |
Banned
Posts: 2,094
Karma: 2682
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: N/A
|
Quote:
There are ways to handle it, and ways to handle it. This is not the way to retain customers (and the email sig's a slap in the face, too) Last edited by DawnFalcon; 12-16-2009 at 11:00 AM. |
|
12-16-2009, 10:52 AM | #11 | |
"Assume a can opener..."
Posts: 755
Karma: 1942109
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Local Cluster
Device: iLiad v2, DR1000
|
Quote:
Is there a section in the Kindle book EULA that says they have that right, and is that EULA legally enforcable? I understand business interests are hoping to push shrinkwrap licence validity via UCITA, but that law has only been enacted in VA and MD, and EULAs are actually different from those things as well, so what is the legal basis they're using to defend their right to do so? |
|
12-16-2009, 11:24 AM | #12 | |
reader
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
|
Quote:
|
|
12-16-2009, 11:34 AM | #13 |
Member
Posts: 19
Karma: 10
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Device: Kindle
|
I'm curious how it really works, I have a US Kindle 2, US address, US credit card, but my IP is in Switzerland. I have no problem ordering ebooks (downloaded to my computer and transferred via USB to Kindle) and other items (those are shipped to the address in the US).
I haven't had any issues/emails from Amazon (but I hope I'm not jinxing this). |
12-16-2009, 11:41 AM | #14 |
Banned
Posts: 2,094
Karma: 2682
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: N/A
|
Well, as I said he was using Kindle for PC. I'm not sure if that makes a difference to how they monitor and enforce...
|
12-16-2009, 11:55 AM | #15 |
Guru
Posts: 787
Karma: 1575310
Join Date: Jul 2009
Device: Moon+ Pro
|
Good idea-why don't you do that?
Seriously, you need to preach to the politicians, not to the choir. Proof of residency-although a passport is a poor choice of documentation for that, IMO. But I also note that it's only one of several forms of documentation Amazon will accept. (At least that's the way I read the letter: "fax us any of the following" (emphasis added). It's hardly likely that they'd take a person's word for their residence when they're questioning the information they'd already supplied-so asking for documentation makes sense. |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Anyway to bypass regional restrictions? | seagull | General Discussions | 49 | 05-16-2010 09:07 AM |
Anyone else get this email from Amazon about using Calibre? | jswinden | Calibre | 4 | 04-13-2010 09:24 PM |
Fun & Games with Geographical Restrictions at Amazon | poohbear_nc | News | 1 | 11-03-2009 11:50 AM |
Regional restrictions now in the UK | tech_au | News | 166 | 10-26-2009 02:52 PM |
Amazon library- Download restrictions on purchased books? | Rules.r | News | 2 | 06-22-2009 02:56 AM |