Download new eBooks while abroad - IP address!! Help!

[M_S-P]

Having just bought a NOOKcolor, specifically to use while going to & being abroad, more precisely to the Netherlands, I now find out that I cannot buy or download anything while I'm there. That means that after having spent $ 300 ++ on the Nook, cover, book to go with it, protective shields etc, I now have to spent far more, to chose & to buy all at once the books I like to take with me. Since I'm leaving for 4.5 months, this is next to impossible for me, so I'm contemplating returning the whole thing, while I'm still in the grace period.

I'm told that it is this way, as this is still a 'beta' product, & I can't use a foreign 'IP address', even though I have a valid USA street address & credit card to which everything is billed, & I use my American bought & registered laptop. I even get my American e-mail without fail delivered to that laptop. 

I've also been told, that there are ways to get a US IP address in the Netherlands, but the technician was not allowed to go there. He did tell me, he, in the Phillipines, did have a USA IP address, but in the Netherlands that is not possible. Nobody told me this before, at least I'm glad I hear it now, but I'm very frustrated! Is there anything I can do, except return it & wait till we're out of that beta period & we can download things in the Netherlands as well?

Maybe buying the Nookcolor was a mistake after all, and I should have gone for the Kindle - Amazon does have European connections!

Anybody: Please help, or I will have to return my Nook - even though I do like the product!

[geertm]

I have sent you a Private Message.

[bklvr896]

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M_S-P wrote:

Having just bought a NOOKcolor, specifically to use while going to & being abroad, more precisely to the Netherlands, I now find out that I cannot buy or download anything while I'm there. That means that after having spent $ 300 ++ on the Nook, cover, book to go with it, protective shields etc, I now have to spent far more, to chose & to buy all at once the books I like to take with me. Since I'm leaving for 4.5 months, this is next to impossible for me, so I'm contemplating returning the whole thing, while I'm still in the grace period.

I'm told that it is this way, as this is still a 'beta' product, & I can't use a foreign 'IP address', even though I have a valid USA street address & credit card to which everything is billed, & I use my American bought & registered laptop. I even get my American e-mail without fail delivered to that laptop. 

I've also been told, that there are ways to get a US IP address in the Netherlands, but the technician was not allowed to go there. He did tell me, he, in the Phillipines, did have a USA IP address, but in the Netherlands that is not possible. Nobody told me this before, at least I'm glad I hear it now, but I'm very frustrated! Is there anything I can do, except return it & wait till we're out of that beta period & we can download things in the Netherlands as well?

Maybe buying the Nookcolor was a mistake after all, and I should have gone for the Kindle - Amazon does have European connections!

Anybody: Please help, or I will have to return my Nook - even though I do like the product!

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It's a publisher copyright issue.  B&N is not an international retailer, they do not have the mechanisms in place to sell in foreign countries.  They do not have contracts with publishers in foreign countries to sell the books.  In order to sell internationally, they will have to negotiate contracts with the publishers in the foreign countries and make sure they in compliance with each countries laws.  Then there's the whole customs/duty issue.  When you buy a printed book and have it sent to the a foreign country, it goes through customs which makes sure it doesn't violate any laws (and yes, some countries have laws on what types of books, etc can be sold in that country) and any applicable duties are paid.  That doesn't happen with eBooks delivered wirelessly.  Amazon is an international retailer, they already have some of what is needed in place, but up until the Kindle DX (I think) they were also limited to selling the US.

You can always purchase books from a retailer in the Netherlands and sideload the books while out of the country.  I was able to purchase a book from an UK retailer and load it onto my Nook with no problem. 

[tcbeachy]

I know this is a bit of a pain, but if you have anyone state-side that has the BN Nook app installed ion a PC, and has the same BN account as you, they could do the purchase, load the ePub file on the PC, zip it and email it to you for 'side loading from your PC to your NC.

[M_S-P]

I'm new to these messages - you said you sent me a private message - where do I get that? I appreciate your effort! Thanks!

[M_S-P]

Thank you for your answer. I am now swamped w advises like: go for an iPad, they can handle it all (but it is much bigger & I don't really need that) or for a Sony eReader (promising, but only B&W), and I have to make the decision this week, as I can still return the NC till Sunday.

But w your answer I'm a step closer!

[geertm]

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M_S-P wrote:

Thank you for your answer. I am now swamped w advises like: go for an iPad, they can handle it all (but it is much bigger & I don't really need that) or for a Sony eReader (promising, but only B&W), and I have to make the decision this week, as I can still return the NC till Sunday.

But w your answer I'm a step closer!

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Amazon is the only e-book store that has agreements with the publishers to sell their books outside the US (or is just powerful enough to get away with it).

If you buy an iPad or a Sony you will run into the same geo-restrictions as with the NC.

If you are in the Netherlands you will probably not be able to buy books from the US iBook store, or the US Sony store without using the same workarounds and tricks needed with the NC.

[lilsmartie]

Anyone who is in the US can log in for you & buy books from your B&N account, if you add them to your wish list on there before you go it will be easier.

You can use an IP blocker and 'fake' a US IP this works in the UK for sure. Also you could buy books & sideload them as suggested above, there are lots of ebook stores not just B&N & Amazon

Kate

[Jenniisme]

Just out of curiousity...why didn't you research the product before buying it? BN specifcally states that it cannot be used for buying books aborad.

[M_S-P]

Well, it never occurred to me that that would not be possible, as I bring my US laptop there, have my US credit card with me, charged to my physical US address. I did not know, until yesterday, that an IP address belongs to the local internet & not to the computer. Besides, though indeed I did not research it extensively on the internet - it was not mentioned in the articles I did read there, nor did the representative mention it, when I told him that one of my goals was to take it overseas and use it there too. I did know that it would not be able to download non- B&N books, so no Dutch books, but I did not think much about that, just that there were no eReader/eBooks in the Netherlands yet. An iPad, bought in the Netherlands apparently can solve part of the problem, but only part. So, I am not sure what to do yet. I hope I have satisfied your curiosity.

[Isildrum]

Hi, same problem here. Any solution that doesn't involve rooting the device?  geertm,  I'm very interested in the private message you sent to the guy from Netherlands.  Any help appreciated,  and no, I don't plan to get any other reader's tablet than my nookcolor.

[geertm]

I have sent you an PM.

[purpletatoe]

If the company you work for is based in the U.S. and they have a network setup for VPN access, you could use vpn on your computer and then access the b&n website.  It should then appear as if you are in the U.S. and you may be able to buy books?

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M_S-P wrote:

Having just bought a NOOKcolor, specifically to use while going to & being abroad, more precisely to the Netherlands, I now find out that I cannot buy or download anything while I'm there. That means that after having spent $ 300 ++ on the Nook, cover, book to go with it, protective shields etc, I now have to spent far more, to chose & to buy all at once the books I like to take with me. Since I'm leaving for 4.5 months, this is next to impossible for me, so I'm contemplating returning the whole thing, while I'm still in the grace period.

I'm told that it is this way, as this is still a 'beta' product, & I can't use a foreign 'IP address', even though I have a valid USA street address & credit card to which everything is billed, & I use my American bought & registered laptop. I even get my American e-mail without fail delivered to that laptop. 

I've also been told, that there are ways to get a US IP address in the Netherlands, but the technician was not allowed to go there. He did tell me, he, in the Phillipines, did have a USA IP address, but in the Netherlands that is not possible. Nobody told me this before, at least I'm glad I hear it now, but I'm very frustrated! Is there anything I can do, except return it & wait till we're out of that beta period & we can download things in the Netherlands as well?

Maybe buying the Nookcolor was a mistake after all, and I should have gone for the Kindle - Amazon does have European connections!

Anybody: Please help, or I will have to return my Nook - even though I do like the product!

---

[Lady_Mousie]

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Isildrum wrote:

Hi, same problem here. Any solution that doesn't involve rooting the device?  geertm,  I'm very interested in the private message you sent to the guy from Netherlands.  Any help appreciated,  and no, I don't plan to get any other reader's tablet than my nookcolor.

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I am also interested in what you have to say. Please can you PM me too? Mousie

[Vlek]

Wait, guys, you're going about this all wrong. Instead of jumping ship, lets instead consider another, more practical, option.

All one has to do in order to download books when the Nook is being a pain is to go to their Nook library and click Download on the book they wish to put on their nook. When the book has been downloaded onto your harddrive, simply plug the nook into your computer, and paste the book file into the books directory on the nook (Last I remember, it was super easy to navigate to).

This can be done with Any book file that the nook accepts, not just ones you buy off of barnes and noble.

If the same problem persists with it saying that it won't let you download even to your computer, then get yourself an american proxy. If you don't know what a proxy is, I suggest you learn what a valuable tool this can be.

Happy reading,

Vlek

[geertm]

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Lady_Mousie wrote:

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I am also interested in what you have to say. Please can you PM me too? Mousie

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PM sent.

[Bill2]

Although it may not apply to the Netherlands, I was able to  down load some books while abroad in Greece and Italy.  It might just have been luck in the books I chose while in Greece as I was able to download all.  However in Italy certain authors? or subjects? I couldn't download.

[NanaJaneJP]

I need this same help!

NanaJane

[geertm]

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NanaJaneJP wrote:

I need this same help!

NanaJane

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PM sent.

[vlisa0277]

Hello,

I too am having the same problems.  I bought my nookcolor to use for school while in the UK.  When I was told that it wouln't work outside of the US, the lady explained it as if it required only a US credit card.  I also don't want another reader.  All I want to do is to download the QuickOfficePro app to use MS applications and be able to highlight and take notes in my PDF articles.

Could you kindly send me the same private message you sent to the person who started this thread?

Thanks!