Amazon Kindle Book Deception

[noendtoit]

There are two great titles available for Kindle on Amazon.com by first time authors.  One is called 1809:  The Year They Freed the Slaves, by Jack Lourens, and the other is called Cap'n Billy, by Bill Smart.

 

I strongly recommended these titles to a friend in the US and was startled to learn that both books carried a lower price tag for an Amazon customer shopping from the US than for a customer shopping from Thailand!  1809 sells for $7.99 in Thailand, but only $5.99 in the US, using the exact same URL.  Cap'n Billy sells $10.99 in Thailand but only $8.99 in the US, also using the exact same URL.  ?

 

Maybe it is a small matter, and maybe Amazon has a reason for charging extra for overseas sales, but I cannot see it.  It is an internet download and does not cost Amazon a penny more for a book downloaded to Thailand, or even Timbuktu, than it does for a book downloaded to the US.  I have been a customer of Amazon since its inception and have grown to trust it, but this has broken my trust.  I buy a lot of merchandise from Amazon to be delivered to the US for reshipment to me here in Thailand.  Have I been the victim of double dealing on those purchases, too?  My trust is shaken; I don't know what to think, except that may be i should stick with eBay and other vendors that don't double deal.

 

Farang complain vociferously on TV about the double pricing here in Thailand, one price for Thais and a higher one for farang.  Well how do you feel about getting the same treatment from a big western outfit like Amazon?  I don't like it.  I contacted Amazon to ask them what the heck was going on and whether the double pricing scheme applied to all of their merchandise.  They ignored the second part of the question completely.  I had two communications, both dripping with politeness like somebody whispering sweet nothings into my ear while bending me over a table and taking me from behind.  I will reproduce both responses in full below:

 

First response:   

Hello,

I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused about the price difference on other Country websites of Amazon from Amazon.com website.

I'd like to inform you that, pricing of titles from the Kindle Store varies by your country or region due to differences in digital list prices, local market segment prices, and tax rates.

If you're browsing in the Kindle Store and the country or region displayed doesn't match your actual home country or region, you may see a different price during checkout that is specific to your home country or region. Please Sign in to see accurate pricing and availability for your home country or region.

As you're a US customer, please sign in to your account before placing an order and you'll be able to see the exact price of the content and purchase it.

I also suggest you that, whenever you'd like to browse books, etc., on our website, please sign in to your account first and then continue browsing to get Amazon.com rates and to place orders.

I'd also like to take this as a feedback. Your feedback help us to improve our customer service as well as our inventory and motivates us to serve you better.

I hope this helps. Rest assured, we always endeavor to provide the best service to our valued customers and aim to ensure that the issue is resolved to the fullest satisfaction.

We appreciate your business with us and happy to have a loyal customer like you.
Best regards,
Rohit

 

Second response: 

Hello,

I've read your email and your previous correspondence with us. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience that you've faced. We certainly didn't expect this to happen.

First of all, I would like to inform you that we at Amazon.com pride ourselves in ensuring that all of our customers receive timely, efficient service and a stress-free shopping experience. Your patronage is greatly appreciated. We were unable to provide you with this level of service for your order and for this, I am truly sorry.

I'd like to inform you that, pricing of titles from the Kindle Store varies by your country or region and unfortunately it's not possible to list its prices by every individual country or region of any particular book. That's the reason, we ask our customers to update their account country settings while they are travelling or moved to any other country, so the website will display the exact price.

** Secondly, if you'll change the country settings of your account back to U.S. while you're in Thailand, then you'll see the prices according to US customers, however, after couple of purchases, system will detect that you're not in US and you'll be prompted to change your account country settings and in case you doesn't change it, then after few purchases, system will block the purchase ability of your account.

The reason why my colleague, suggested you to sign in to your Amazon.com account before browsing or checking out the digital books, is because some content might not be available for Thailand which are available for US. However, the other items which we sell on our website will not be impacted. 

However, Considering  this issue as a feedback for further improvements, I have passed your  comments along to the Kindle team for consideration. This kind of  information is invaluable to us, as it helps us continue to improve our  program.

Customer feedback like yours really helps us continue to  improve our store and provide better service to our customers.We are always improving our  customer experiences, and when we are ready to share new features, we  will announce them on our website.

If you have any other question or if you need any further assistance in this regard then feel free to write back to us by clicking on the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/rsvp-mi?c=hgderxhr3743043739&q=o2r

You can reach Kindle Customer Support via phone or chat by clicking one of the below links:

To contact us via phone:
http://www.amazon.com/clicktocall

To contact us via chat:
http://www.amazon.com/clicktochat

Enter your number on the call link, and we’ll call you back right away.

In addition to our large selection, one of the benefits we try very hard to offer our customers is convenience. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you experienced in this case.

We look forward to see you soon.
Best regards,
Farah

 

I especially liked the part where she said, "We certainly didn't expect this to happen."  I guess that is a pleasantly euphemistic way of saying, "We certainly didn't expect to get caught."  And in the first response the guy mentions, "pricing of titles from the Kindle Store varies by your country or region due to differences in digital list prices, local market segment prices, and tax rates."  Well Amazon sets it's own prices, especially when dealing with independent authors like the two mentioned above.  As for "tax rates," do you really think Amazon collects the surcharge then dutifully sends 7% VAT (or anything else) on to the Thai government for digital purchases made by customers here?   As they say here in Thailand, 555.

 

Now, of course, probably everybody on this forum knows how to beat the double pricing scheme:  Just use a US proxy.  But that's not the point.  The point is, Amazon has been hitting us with "secret" surcharges that should be disclosed.  In fact, using a proxy is such a simple work-around that I have to conclude that Amazon's "secrecy" over the surcharges is quite deliberate.  Only customers that do not know about the surcharge will pay it, so they hide it. They deliberately deceive us that trust them.

 

I hope many of you find this as disgusting as I and write a protest to Amazon over the policy.  If enough people complain, they may stop the deceptive practice.

 

There's just no end to it, is there?

 

 

Edited August 12, 2014 by noendtoit

[theguyfromanotherforum]

A question for you.

 

Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.

 

Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.

 

Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?

 

 

[gmac]

A question for you.
 
Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.
 
Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.
 
Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?
 
 

Assuming big Companies like Amazon pay any tax at all is a leap of faith. Most of them register themselves in tax havens to evade taxes. I use the word evade rather than avoid because although usually quite legal it is to my mind totally unethical.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[noendtoit]

A question for you.

 

Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.

 

Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.

 

Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?

 

 

I have thought about this, and the logic isn't there because all Thai taxes are based on a percentage of the value.  So why, then, is the surcharge on a $5.99 book and on a $8.99 book fixed at a flat $2?  Long ago, this might be done for simplicity's sake.  But today with sophisticated computer algorithms to do the calculations, it simply doesn't hold water.   And $2 on a $5.99 book would come to a tax of 33.4%!  That's a pretty steep tax for a digital download!

 

If you buy something from Amazon for delivery to California, the California sales tax is levied and disclosed in plain sight at checkout.  If Amazon did this for its Thai (and other) customers, I'd have no complaint.  The lack of disclosure (secrecy) smacks of deception.

 

I have no issues whatsoever paying taxes to support the place I live.  But I think it is fair to have them disclosed.  Lotus, Makro, etc., all disclose the VAT I'm paying.  If Amazon is truly collecting taxes for the governments of the world, they need to disclose it.  The thing is, I don't think they are.

[noendtoit]

A question for you.

 

Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.

 

Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.

 

Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?

 

 

By the way, since you're from the "other forum," where I also posted, you may want to apologize for Amazon there as well.

[loppylugs1]

I had this,UKer ,but i registered with US address,the White House no less.  Bought a gift card and now buy away with that  UK newspapers $9.99.instead of £9.99

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Who r u?

 

I am not apologizing for Amazon. They do however generously give refunds and take complaints seriously.

 

To be clear.... they added a tax and they are probably making a bit of profit out of it.

 

Thailand is not their biggest customer, so they are hardly concerned about your complaint. Actually, I can tell you from experience that Amazon considers Thailand a scummy country full of counterfeiters, so in their head they probably justified extra tax as the loss of revenue.

[chris2004]

 

A question for you.
 
Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.
 
Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.
 
Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?
 
 

Assuming big Companies like Amazon pay any tax at all is a leap of faith. Most of them register themselves in tax havens to evade taxes. I use the word evade rather than avoid because although usually quite legal it is to my mind totally unethical.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

 

You can't really blame them , we would avoid/evade tax if we could. If the tax laws of the countries concerned allow it then why not. What amazes me is that the tax laws do allow it - something fishy there.
 

[robblok]

I just looked it up in the Thai tariff database and I am really surprised most countries don't tax books high.. Thailand taxes them with 40%

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I just looked it up in the Thai tariff database and I am really surprised most countries don't tax books high.. Thailand taxes them with 40%

 

Any info on Apps?

[robblok]

 

I just looked it up in the Thai tariff database and I am really surprised most countries don't tax books high.. Thailand taxes them with 40%

 

Any info on Apps?

 

To be honest i looked for printed books.. could not find digital books that fast but if you want here is the link. I used it before to know how much i needed to pay on stuff if it was intercepted by the tax office and they might be crooked but so far they always used this list 

 

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

[loppylugs1]

Could use a vpn on a free trial basis,then install credit card/debit or as I did buy a gift card,get the US price on books,newspapers ,apps  etc.

[noendtoit]

 

 

A question for you.
 
Yes, Amazon customer service sometimes gives canned responses like this, but at least they do ALWAYS answer emails.
 
Also, even though this is a digital download I am assuming Amazon pays tax on Thai imports. It is still an import and Thailand is probably to blame for a higher price, not Amazon.
 
Remember.... you do pay tax for kindle downloads, app purchases (android or iOS) in USA/Canada/Europe, so why do you think Amazon would not pass Thai tax to the customer?
 
 

Assuming big Companies like Amazon pay any tax at all is a leap of faith. Most of them register themselves in tax havens to evade taxes. I use the word evade rather than avoid because although usually quite legal it is to my mind totally unethical.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

 

You can't really blame them , we would avoid/evade tax if we could. If the tax laws of the countries concerned allow it then why not. What amazes me is that the tax laws do allow it - something fishy there.
 

 

I will say again, I have no problem at all paying taxes to support the place in which I live.  That's how the services we all enjoy are funded.  But it's fair to expect the taxes to be stated and collected openly.  If Amazon stated the $2 as a surcharge for Thailand at checkout, whatever their reason, it would be fair and open, and I would be free choose to complete or abandon the transaction.  But when it is tacked on in secret (no declaration), it's a deceptive practice.  

 

I cannot quarrel with anyone over Amazon's golden customer service, Amazon's customer service is typically as good as it gets anywhere.  This is why I have been a loyal customer since their inception.  Amazon doesn't always have the best price, but Amazon is simple and efficient and has always been straight up.  My discovery of this under the table double dealing has shaken my confidence in Amazon's integrity.  Are they getting too big and using their well earned reputation shield unsavory practices?

[noendtoit]

Who r u?

 

I am not apologizing for Amazon. They do however generously give refunds and take complaints seriously.

 

To be clear.... they added a tax and they are probably making a bit of profit out of it.

 

Thailand is not their biggest customer, so they are hardly concerned about your complaint. Actually, I can tell you from experience that Amazon considers Thailand a scummy country full of counterfeiters, so in their head they probably justified extra tax as the loss of revenue.

Who am I?  My name is John Robertson and I live in Phitsanulok.

 

Edit:  Since we are talking about full disclosure, and I have made mine, who are you?

Edited August 12, 2014 by noendtoit

[CaptHaddock]

The OP should really just grow up a bit.  When companies charge different prices for the same good or service, economists call it "price discrimination."  If the OP has ever bought a ticket on an airplane, studied in a university in the US, or received health care (in the US, at least), then he has already experienced price discrimination because the person next to him almost certainly did not pay the same price.  Airlines make great efforts to charge the business traveler more than the tourist who will in turn pay still less for his kid for the same seat on the same plane.  One doesn't hear howls of protest over the fact that businesses pay more.  At least in the US, unless the company is attempting to discriminate on a basis specifically prohibited by law, such as race, religion, national original, etc., there is usally nothing illegal about the practice and it is widespread.  

 

One wonders why it took him so long to notice.

[noendtoit]

I just looked it up in the Thai tariff database and I am really surprised most countries don't tax books high.. Thailand taxes them with 40%

You did not go far enough into the database.  Go here:  http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp  Click "Search for Imort Tariff," the search for books.  the ceiling rate is 40% (the most that can be charged under the law).  But you have to go in further to see that the actual General Rate is "Exempted."  Interestingly, books in the Thai language carry some tariffs, varying from different regions.  You can see them in the database.

 

But note that all those rates are for printed matter.  I can find nothing in the database regarding digital or electronic books.

 

As you may know the numbers used in the Thai database are HS codes ("harmonized system") and are the same the world over.  Looking at other databases of HS codes, I can find nothing about digital books.  Perhaps they are still too new to have been included in the system.  Or more likely, the harmonized system is used for shipping and digital books are not shipped.  There are other listings for CD's, DVD's, etc., but we are not talking about that here.

 

If you go to this TV link, you will see that nobody has been paying any tax on Amazon books imported into Thailand.  http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/643509-are-any-dhl-import-tax-on-amazon-books-in-thailand/

 

That seems to be the experience.  So what's with the surcharge?

[noendtoit]

Could use a vpn on a free trial basis,then install credit card/debit or as I did buy a gift card,get the US price on books,newspapers ,apps  etc.

Sure, there are always ways to work around . . . but what is the justification for such a deceptive policy in a company that prides itself as being "Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company"?    

[noendtoit]

The OP should really just grow up a bit.  When companies charge different prices for the same good or service, economists call it "price discrimination."  If the OP has ever bought a ticket on an airplane, studied in a university in the US, or received health care (in the US, at least), then he has already experienced price discrimination because the person next to him almost certainly did not pay the same price.  Airlines make great efforts to charge the business traveler more than the tourist who will in turn pay still less for his kid for the same seat on the same plane.  One doesn't hear howls of protest over the fact that businesses pay more.  At least in the US, unless the company is attempting to discriminate on a basis specifically prohibited by law, such as race, religion, national original, etc., there is usally nothing illegal about the practice and it is widespread.  

 

One wonders why it took him so long to notice.

What you say is stating the obvious.  Amazon has always held itself out to be different, which is precisely why it has grown so big so fast with such a loyal following.  I expect these types of practices from most businesses, so much so, that I am often branded a cynic.  

 

I expected better from Amazon.  Amazon has built my trust over the years.  I have no such trust for airlines, the insurance and medical industries, etc. Of course, Amazon's practices are not illegal, but they are definitely reminiscent of a mackerel shining on a moonlight beach.  From afar it shines like silver; up close, it stinks.

 

I might also add (peevishly) that I have difficulty understanding why feeling disdain at what seems to be breached trust built over many years equates with one's level of maturity.  But thanks for the typical TV compliment anyway.  Your comment would have been a lot more constructive had you not felt the need to throw in a gratuitous ad hominem attack.

Edited August 12, 2014 by noendtoit

[robblok]

 

I just looked it up in the Thai tariff database and I am really surprised most countries don't tax books high.. Thailand taxes them with 40%

You did not go far enough into the database.  Go here:  http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp  Click "Search for Imort Tariff," the search for books.  the ceiling rate is 40% (the most that can be charged under the law).  But you have to go in further to see that the actual General Rate is "Exempted."  Interestingly, books in the Thai language carry some tariffs, varying from different regions.  You can see them in the database.

 

But note that all those rates are for printed matter.  I can find nothing in the database regarding digital or electronic books.

 

As you may know the numbers used in the Thai database are HS codes ("harmonized system") and are the same the world over.  Looking at other databases of HS codes, I can find nothing about digital books.  Perhaps they are still too new to have been included in the system.  Or more likely, the harmonized system is used for shipping and digital books are not shipped.  There are other listings for CD's, DVD's, etc., but we are not talking about that here.

 

If you go to this TV link, you will see that nobody has been paying any tax on Amazon books imported into Thailand.  http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/643509-are-any-dhl-import-tax-on-amazon-books-in-thailand/

 

That seems to be the experience.  So what's with the surcharge?

 

I admit did not go into it deep enough into the table, and yes it was for printer matter.  I did not know they HS were harmonized good to know might be useful. Thanks.. but to be honest it looks like its not taxes but amazon just using different prices for different locations. That is of course an unfair thing. Makes people go for the illegal eBooks.  I never understood why ebooks cost almost the same or more as normal printed books.. does not seem logical. Means just having more profit.

[harrry]

        Tobe fair to Amozon books are downloaded on a 2g or 3g nework without additional charge to the user other than than the surcharge added for overseas purchases.  It is probable that the costs of obtaining network carriers worldwide is more than it is to deliver them only in the US.

[chrisinth]

If the $2 are such a hassle, it has been known for people to use proxy servers and order from the American (or any other if cheaper) website.

 

And of course, other scoundrels to get from torrent or http download sites.

 

Not that I would ever recommend that, just an observation.....................

 

And yes, I believe it does work from Phitsanulok.

[noendtoit]

        Tobe fair to Amozon books are downloaded on a 2g or 3g nework without additional charge to the user other than than the surcharge added for overseas purchases.  It is probable that the costs of obtaining network carriers worldwide is more than it is to deliver them only in the US.

Not always.  I don't use that service.  I always use the Internet download my e-books, which costs Amazon nothing.  If they want a surcharge for using 2G/3G, then that's fine.  But they tout that as a free service, don't they?

[noendtoit]

If the $2 are such a hassle, it has been known for people to use proxy servers and order from the American (or any other if cheaper) website.

 

And of course, other scoundrels to get from torrent or http download sites.

 

Not that I would ever recommend that, just an observation.....................

 

And yes, I believe it does work from Phitsanulok.

I used a proxy to see Amazon's price differentials and have used them to get to blocked sites, like Puritan Pride (vitamins, etc.), which is now blocked to Thailand for some strange reason.

 

But I admit, I do not know a lot about proxies and wonder if making an otherwise secure transaction through a proxy risks compromising passwords, credit card information etc.  Since it all goes though this third party proxy, how does one know whether such information is being skimmed?

[loppylugs1]

 

If the $2 are such a hassle, it has been known for people to use proxy servers and order from the American (or any other if cheaper) website.

 

And of course, other scoundrels to get from torrent or http download sites.

 

Not that I would ever recommend that, just an observation.....................

 

And yes, I believe it does work from Phitsanulok.

I used a proxy to see Amazon's price differentials and have used them to get to blocked sites, like Puritan Pride (vitamins, etc.), which is now blocked to Thailand for some strange reason.

 

But I admit, I do not know a lot about proxies and wonder if making an otherwise secure transaction through a proxy risks compromising passwords, credit card information etc.  Since it all goes though this third party proxy, how does one know whether such information is being skimmed?

 

 

Once the card or gift token is installed there is no need to use vnp  it is between you and the bank how much your account is in the black,or the red,then use the i click on amazon

 

Bit more,I am UK ,so no US address,asked Amazon rep ,she advised jokingly to use White House,is it 20500? she backtracked suddenly,but I used just that. Few months later Amazon said my UK card was no good,but changed to another UK one and everything went smoothly.

 

 Get about 3 books a month from US site  all in $  not £  and no tax excepting US (if applied)

 

 

Edited August 12, 2014 by loppylugs1

[CaptHaddock]

 

 

What you say is stating the obvious.  Amazon has always held itself out to be different, which is precisely why it has grown so big so fast with such a loyal following.  I expect these types of practices from most businesses, so much so, that I am often branded a cynic.  

 

I expected better from Amazon.  Amazon has built my trust over the years.  I have no such trust for airlines, the insurance and medical industries, etc. Of course, Amazon's practices are not illegal, but they are definitely reminiscent of a mackerel shining on a moonlight beach.  From afar it shines like silver; up close, it stinks.

 

I might also add (peevishly) that I have difficulty understanding why feeling disdain at what seems to be breached trust built over many years equates with one's level of maturity.  But thanks for the typical TV compliment anyway.  Your comment would have been a lot more constructive had you not felt the need to throw in a gratuitous ad hominem attack.

 

 

Amazon is a ruthless business, just like Wal-Mart or ExxonMobil.  One of their tricks in the past was to offer to provide a website for your bricks-and-mortar retail business so that you could have an instant online presence, which Amazon would then operate for you for a fee.  They would however be all the while gathering product sales and customer information from your business and at the right moment would jump into the same business undercutting you from the benefit of all of your proprietary data, quite possibly putting you out of business.  Amazon uses its market dominance position in book sales to squeeze publishers relying on retaliation such as crushing their sales if they dared to resist. 

 

It seems naive to me to expect that they will not take advantage of an opportunity to use price discrimination to their benefit by charging some customers more than others, which we know is a widely accepted business practice.  Amazon has very good customer service and has lived up to its promises for easy returns, fast delivery, etc. that I am aware of.  They never promised to charge everyone the same price.  I am not aware of any business that has made such a promise.

[alanrchase]

When I registered with my address it would not let me download any books to that region. Registered using a U.S address and could download all books. Changed to UK address as payment card was from a UK bank so no exchange rate fee. Sister in US has tried to gift me a book using US site and I am not allowed to download with UK address. As stated previously all to do with tax.

[loppylugs1]

When I registered with my address it would not let me download any books to that region. Registered using a U.S address and could download all books. Changed to UK address as payment card was from a UK bank so no exchange rate fee. Sister in US has tried to gift me a book using US site and I am not allowed to download with UK address. As stated previously all to do with tax.

 

I have been doing this for well over a year and it was from a gift token latterly,ask her to send you a gift token then

[alanrchase]

When I registered with my address it would not let me download any books to that region. Registered using a U.S address and could download all books. Changed to UK address as payment card was from a UK bank so no exchange rate fee. Sister in US has tried to gift me a book using US site and I am not allowed to download with UK address. As stated previously all to do with tax.

 
I have been doing this for well over a year and it was from a gift token latterly,ask her to send you a gift token then

It didn't bother me. To download it I could just register using her address. Other option was for her to gift it using UK website. Havent had an address in either country for 25 years.

[Aussieroaming]

Same reasons that Amazon downloads to Australia cost more than America would be taxes too I guess. Just gotta suck it up

[loppylugs1]

 

When I registered with my address it would not let me download any books to that region. Registered using a U.S address and could download all books. Changed to UK address as payment card was from a UK bank so no exchange rate fee. Sister in US has tried to gift me a book using US site and I am not allowed to download with UK address. As stated previously all to do with tax.

 

I have been doing this for well over a year and it was from a gift token latterly,ask her to send you a gift token then

 

 

Not used Calibre yet.   I like ww2 stuff  "Battle of Coral Sea" etc.   Martin Middlebrook,do not know if he is into Kindle yet,but got loads from Amazon,hard to put some books down