A small update on the issue of Amazon geographical restrictions for Kindle eBooks. Apparently some users are still getting the following message:
We are sorry…
We could not process your order because of geographical restrictions on the product which you were attempting to purchase. Please refer to the terms of use for this product to determine the geographical restrictions.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
Ultrasuft and HotSpot Shield, VPN and similar solutions seem to work. However they are not feasible for all users. I’m investigating the issue in depth.
Update: It’s all made clear with the international release of Kindle. Not all books are available to all countries. Geographical restrictions are here to stay. Though with time most books will be available to all countries IMHO.
With the announced international introduction of the Kindle 2, I expect this to really be a technical glitch. After all, if after October, the Kindle 2 is delivered to 100 countries, current Kindle users in those countries surely should be able to buy eBooks from Amazon.
I have my suspicions that non-US consumers will be able to buy the international Kindle but the ebook list will be severely restricted. Just look at audible.com the audiobook site which requires a US credit card and address and which has vastly more titles compared to audible.co.uk which has a much more limited selection for UK customers. Also if you try to buy US ebooks (as a non-US customer) on other ebook sites at the moment, you will also be blocked. I hope I am wrong as I would lke to switch to ebooks and the Kindle seems like a good option – but I’m not going to buy the hardware till I am confident that a sufficiently wide range of ebooks will actually be available on it.
It’s all made clear with the international release of Kindle. Not all books are available to all countries.
Any news concerning the launch of the Kindle DX also in international flavour? Any clue why Amazon decided to launch only one of it’s readers abroad?
I am thrilled to see Europe getting the Kindle, but if i were to buy one, i’d surely like the DX for the larger screen.
It’s funny that you would ask… :) I’ve just finished putting together a post about international Kindle DX based on a rumor that I’ve dug up some of my own speculations.
Surely,
My aunt brought me a Kindle DX as a gift for me in Shanghai, I am blocked…. hardly buy ebooks from the amazon, it turns to be useless to me.
HMMMM! Interesting to read the comments above. I am in Australia and was just about to purchase a Kindle, having researched it for some time. I am at a loss as to the inexplicible reason US companies such as Amazon and iTunes do not allow reputable Credit Cards such as Visa & Mastercard, which may be used universally, NOT to be used for purchase on the internet, simply because the customer lives outside the US. Isn’t the whole point of the internet to allow people to shop globally????
Another reason to believe the US is too ethnocentric for its own good.
Guess we’ll have to keep on cutting down the trees for paper a little longer until someone sees the light.
John,
This news post is more than 6 month old.
Kindle is already international and countries other than US get very good eBook selection too.
For users overseas, if you download kindle for PC, and then provide a US address, you can easily get around the restrictions above, and then transfer the books via USB to your kindle. WOrks great for free books too!
I live in France and tho I purchased my Kindle Fire in the UK, I have had no problem purchasing books (files),but when it comes to games,it’s a no no. When I click on games,all games listed are in French .and free but I am not able to download. I click on music,which is in French, find a free song, go to one click purchase and lo and behold it does download and does play. Amazon is International so anywhere in the world, in whatever language,all things should be made available..