Amazon policy

I don't know that you could bypass this blockage with the use of a VPN as many online sites regulate access by mode of payment. You could get a credit card issued from a US bank, but I think the easiest method would be to buy Amazon gift cards issued in US$ to buy from Amazon US. This was the work-around used for iTunes before they opened international portals.

I believe the reason you have seen you access restricted is due to the licensing and publishing royalties of the e-content. The book you want may not be published in Europe or has a different publisher there. I personally remember this being an issue for me in the 1990s when US stopped the importation of foreign records and CDs for local sale.

Hi, @nokomisfl

Oh! it’s quite easy to bypass this blockage. It suffices to have a valid address in US and that’s exactly my case as my brother lives in Chicago. They can’t block you because you’re accessing from outside US. If you’re travelling and decides to buy a book during your vacations using the wi-fi of a hotel in Japan you’ll be blocked. Controlling Credit Cards have same problem, many executives from Big companies with branch offices outside US may live part time abroad and part time in US and have Credit Cards from both countries. My uncle is the typical example as Director of Air France he used to manage the company’s branch offices in different countries but keeping his main address in France, He have credit cards from both countries. Me, I have an apartment in South America and am entitled for residency in that country and I can have bank accounts and Credit Cards in both countries.

What they do is controlling your address with a valid phone number. As the address is my brother’s they will vouch for me in case Amazon makes a control.

I don’t like this solution because this is cheating and I don’t like to cheat.

The book you want may not be published in Europe or has a different publisher there. I personally remember this being an issue for me in the 1990s when US stopped the importation of foreign records and CDs for local sale.

True while I was entitled to buy ebooks I wasn’t able to buy music or video in digital format since I transferred my account to US.
The blockage was not for a specific author, it was for all authors and all tittles. Each author can control where he wants to sell his ebooks using their selling interface. The case I cited on my other post, with Kate Morris was exactly that. While I was allowed to buy her first three books, the latest one was not available in my region. I sent her an email explaining what was happening and she told me that for some reason the interface has blocked Germany and that she made the change to make her books available worldwide.

I agree that a specific author can have different publishers for each region of the world but most sci-fi books I buy are from indies. How many indies do you know that have different publishers?

But the most interesting is yet to come: After spending a few hours at the phone talking to their US support team based on…. South Africa, Philippines, Jamaica but US, I told them that I was going to send this problem to the major newspaper and TV channels in US telling them how Amazon didn’t want foreign people to spend their money in US and doing so help the US economy and create jobs. I did just that. Fox News, WP, NYT, LA Times,USA Today, NBC and some Seattle newspaper. Once I sent the email to the press I forwarded the mail to Amazon and how surprised I was today when I received an email from their support team begging me to forgive them and telling me that they have contacted the region validation team to unblock all my international purchases. Which proves that my assumptions were correct.

In fact, they have a huge problem with my country (Switzerland) as we don’t have their branch office in our country and we have 4 official languages (German, French, Italian and Romansch) we are entitled by default to Amazon DE FR and IT. We’re not part of the EU either. IMHO they do that just to keep the money out of the reach of the IRS, something like what Apple is doing with their European HQ based in Ireland. If I remember correctly Apple was being investigated by them for this exact same reason.

Just to explain why I don’t want to support Europe and in consequence EU, read this article published on the Daily Mail in 2013 and you’ll understand. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2329554/EU-expenses-MEPs-Brussels-earn-740-average-citizen-enjoy-free-haircuts-gallons-petrol.html

It's true that MEPs' salaries are a problem - but do you seriously believe that the US doesn't waste any money - or spend it where they shouldn't? (Guantanamo, CIA hair analysis, NSA performing industrial espionage in Europe, warfare...)

Funny. Gitmo being one of the better investments the U.S. government makes.

Massive waste this side of the pond on the Fed level, not so bad at the state level depending on the state.

Melanie,

I was not talking about states policies but EU politicians and the why I don’t support the EU, that is becoming more and more like the old USSR.

I started this thread to show people (specially the Americans) how Amazon didn’t have the Americans best interests in mind.

Politics is not part of this forum so I won’t discuss it here but in my opinion Amazon policies is.

I have all interest in helping US economy and job creations. Remember that my brother lives in US and his wife is American, so doing my part will also help him and his family to keep their jobs and the jobs of all my American friends. If I have to choose help to my country or another country, I’ll choose mine, but between EU and US I choose US.

Hans, I am a former U.S. Marine, and I think I am as patriotic as anyone, but more importantly I believe in freedom. Freedom for the individual transcends a squabble with my government over taxes. Please spend your money in any way or place you choose to.

As to the phone number issue, if you can arrange a VPN to the U.S. or have a short trip here, get a U.S. Google account and sign up for Google Voice. They will give you a U.S. Phone number for free. I have used mine while in Mexico over wifi with much success. That should let you talk to "US" support people.

Media rights are screwed up in this country, and with these damned secret treaties the U.S. Is negotiating (TPP for example) it may get screwed up globally. We shall see. Meanwhile, play the game and do whatever you have to in order to enjoy your freedom.

Hi @ericnay,

Thanks for the tip about Google voice. I'll probably ask my brother to open an US google account for me and sign up for A google voice on my name.

What I'm not sure is if there is a real support in US. I say that because when I contacted the support I called their US phone number, but maybe you're right they redirect international calls.

Thanks again.

H

If one was to do it...

For example, you could find a DNS provider from Canada (for a monthly sub cost) and you can get books, watch movies and get NFL season for free.
Some advanced services might require the need to get a virtual mailing address (also a monthly cost). But it's quite doable for less than $20 per month.
It just shows that credit cards have more power more than cash.
If you like...

Hi All,

This is something I didn't want to do but I think that will make people think twice before starting any private message.

Not that I'm against it but I think that if you start a private conversation you should keep it going not only use it to "give lessons" to others.

Below is an example of what I think was something that could be a productive private discussion but it seems to be just someone trying to give you a lesson, thinking that he knows more than me...

Bischof Sent 3 days, 16 hours ago

Hi.

Sorry to say that I was quite amused about your statement related to the EU Union being a Dictator ship and am honestly interested what brings you to this point of view ?

best regards
Elmar

Bischof Bischof Sent 3 days, 15 hours ago

Regarding the MPs being overpaid.
I rather have them ”swimming in the Gravy” is it call in the article you posted, than corrupt like in Russia. Once their pockets are full they can start to think about what to actually do good, instead of what to do to fill their pockets.
(That’s also the reason why the old Major of Moscow was missed once he was replaced a couple of years ago. Not because he was not corrupt, but because he already had his pockets full, as I was told and there after really started to look out for Moscow.)
An belive me, I know a thing or two about Russia. Have lived there for couple of years and am married to a Russian. We (the EU) are 120 years ahead from their current state of affairs regarding corruption. Sure there still is some room of improvement and they should at my opinion go for a more Basic Democratic process, but rather as it is than Corrup underpaid politicians or Kinds n Queens.

Hans Ruopp Hans Ruopp Sent 3 days, 14 hours ago

Hi Elmar,

To answer your question about why I think EU is becoming a dictatorship, let’s go back some years ago and look at the time when the EU constitution was proposed: The French and the Dutch refused the text and what the eurocrats did? They made some small changes to the text in particular to avoid new referendums and send the text to be ratify by the states members, this time without a referendum. Ireland was the only country that was obliged by its constitution to make a referendum and guess what? The text was refused. That was in in 2008. A year later the made the Irish vote again and this time the text passed. I’m sure that if the Irish had refused the text a second time, they would have voted a third time.

When the Irish refused the text it should have been throw in a trash can and they should have start all over again. That’s what a true democracy do (and I know what I’m talking about we, Swiss, we vote 4 times a year for referendums and popular initiatives). But no, the EU commission simply decided that the Irish vote was wrong and they should vote again. In the meantime, they made all kind of threats to Ireland to scary enough the people so they could vote according their desires. Do you really think this is democratic?

The popular initiative introduced in EU is nothing but a bad joke. They copied our initiative model and changed it to reduce its applicability and even make it very difficult to fill the prerequisites. Worst the EU council can simply ignore the text. The Swiss popular initiative changes the Swiss Constitution.

I can go on and on with this but I think I gave you an idea of why I think EU is anything but a democracy.

The article I posted was just to make a point why I prefer to expend my money elsewhere.

I hope that I answered your question. Feel free to contact me whenever you want.

Best regards

Hans

Does Elmar knows what a true Democracy is? Does he know if I have a real experience of a dictatorship government? Well for the first question I would say no because he doesn't have a clue what Swiss democracy is. For the second question I say no too. I've lived in a dictatorship country for, at least, 20 years. I heard people screaming in dungeons prisons while I was conducted to testify against a supposed terrorist. I was only 12 at that time. So please don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.

There are many FS fans I would like to share ideas, Sci-fi, tactics and other. I think that private messages is a good way and I thank Mr. Brown to give us this tool. I also should say that this tools is not to be used lightly to empty your frustrations (except if you want to discuss the subject).

Finally as I'm talking about politics despite the fact that I didn't think this was the place, I'll answer Melanie (@olympe).

The US is a Country where their people decide what is best for them. Guantanamo, CIA hair analysis, NSA performing industrial espionage in Europe, warfare… as you said, is their problem, not ours. EU is not even near to be a nation as US is. They are a bunch of arrogant people thinking they are better than the people. Get real Melanie, you seem to prefer to be ruled by someone other than your fellow citizens from your country.