If you want to read more last year's Kindle Paperwhite (with 300 comments!), click here.
1) Updates: - 5 August 2013: I just opened a new online shop Singapore Kindle Shop. Get the Kindle Paperwhite (no ads version) at S$250 with free 2-day delivery
- 7 October: I've received my new Paperwhite. Highly recommended with a fantastic screen!
- 26 Oct 2014: This blog entry will no longer be updated. Click here for the new Kindle Voyage entry!
- 1 July 2015: The new Paperwhite has been upgraded to 300PPI!
3) How to buy a Kindle in Singapore
4) How to buy Kindle ebooks in Singapore
5) Some Kindle ebooks I've bought
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New 2013 features Apart from the hardware, the software has been evolving continuously. The first two features below are VERY exciting! (For owners of Paperwhite version 1, these features will most definitely be available in a future software update.)
New Kindle FreeTime—Built-in parental controls have been extended to give parents a simple, engaging way to encourage kids to spend more time reading. Hand-select books for your kids to read, and hand out achievement badges when they hit reading milestones. A progress report keeps parents updated on total time spent reading, number of words looked up, badges earned and books finished.
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- Summary: Buy from Amazon, who will ship to your forwarder, who will ship to you. Turnaround: around 14 days.
- Go to the Kindle page buy yourself a Kindle. (You can use your local credit card with correct local billing address to do this. You don't need a VPN and don't need to use gift cards.)
- The new Kindle will be automatically linked to your Amazon account.
- Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. Borderlinx (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and Comgateway (go to 'get my US address') are both excellent. They both use DHL to ship packages to Singapore. DHL is extremely reliable and fast; they even deliver on Sundays!
- When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at "home>settings", register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".
- Summary: Use a VPN and prepare your Amazon account. Buy gift card and send to yourself.
- Because Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore, there were instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and were asked to provide proof of US residency before they could buy books again. The probability of this happening is very low. To be totally safe, use a vpn described below.
- Firstly, do not buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books.
- Buy a gift card with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account.
- Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)
- You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as Private Tunnel to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click here to download some instructions. The cheapest VPN package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.
- Exit your Internet browser.
- Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.
- Go to Manage your Kindle at the Kindle product page.
- Go to 'settings>country settings'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address. Take a screenshot of it in case Amazon asks in future.
- Switch off the VPN.
- Summary: Don't buy books from Kindle itself, buy gift cards, send to yourself, use a VPN on your computer to buy books
- Do not buy eBooks (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device.
- Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.
- Exit your Internet browser.
- Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to http://www.whatismyipaddress.com . It needs to show a US IP address.
- Go to Amazon. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance. New: Copy or do a screenshot of this information (the US billing address and telephone number that you used.) You may be asked for it in the future.
- Switch off the VPN.
Comments
Alicia
Can I use the same Amazon account when I buy the kindle and when I buy e-book ?
Anon: You can use the same Amazon account, yes. When you buy ebooks though, the best practice is that the billing address should be a US one though.
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Hi Jeff,
I recently got a Kindle and received a message from Amazon:
Hello from Amazon.
We are writing because the home country registered to your Kindle account may not match your country of residence. Due to publishing rights, the home country registered to your account must match your country of residence.
To continue purchasing titles available for the United States, please send a copy of your valid government-issued identity card, passport, or a utility bill received within the previous 90 days to our secure fax line:
Within the US: 206-266-1838
Outside the US: (00)1-206-266-1838
For your security, you may obscure the passport, ID, or account number. However, we ask that you do not obscure any portion of your name, your address, or any expiration or statement dates.
Your fax will be converted to a secure electronic image that will never be printed. Once we have completed the verification process, we will delete the image.
If you have moved to a different country, you can update your home country in the Manage Your Kindle section of your Amazon account (www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle):
1. Login to amazon.com/manageyourkindle.
2. Click "Country Settings."
3. Click "Change."
4. Choose an existing home address from your account or enter a new one.
5. Click “Update.”
We may restrict your home country setting if you continue to purchase from the catalog of titles for the United States without completing the verification process.
We appreciate your cooperation.
Regards,
Account Specialist
Any idea if i can ignore it and continue purchasing using VPN etc. Not sure how to get around this and appreciate ur help!
Thank you so much!
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Polly, what you need to do is to ignore this email, and start buying books again using a vpn as described on this blog entry; the 'how to buy ebooks' section.
Is it possible to get the Kindle app for my iPhone? I used to have it but because I can't authorise it from the UK account I used to have it's now been cancelled.
Thank you
Wendy
Stumbled onto your blog- very useful. Thanks !
Bought paperweight for daughter. She was happily downloading the e books then the home wireless ip (Singapore ) got discovered. Now cannot purchase anymore.
"items could not be purchased.
You have attempted to purchase an item while in a different country than listed on your amazon account"
Is there a way of resetting? What should I do? Any advise?
Thanks
Sam
For those who want to DIY in case you see a similar issue, please follow my instructions starting from 'some preparatory steps to take before buying eBooks from the Amazon US store'.
Great and useful post, thanks!
Just wondering, are you familiar with the Japanese version of kindle paperwhite? Is seems much cheaper. Any idea what's the difference between the US and the Jap version?
Thanks a lot!
The other issue is more 'serious' in that the Japanese version's serial number is tagged to the Japanese store. So if you have an issue and want to repair it etc., you probably can't talk to US support; you need to speak Japanese with the Japanese support staff instead.
Other than that, the 2 are similar.
I'm thinking of ordering a paperwhite from Amazon. I set up an account with Comgateway and got my local address in the US. My question is, once they receive my paperwhite, I have to choose the size of the box to ship it to Singapore right? If so, what size is a good size? I'm only planning to order the paperwhite itself and nothing else like the cover or spare adapters.
Thanks.
Don't order anything else except the Kindle and the cover; there's just no need to.
Yes, everything is included; fuel surcharge etc.
As long as your total purchases don't exceed around USD300, you don't need to pay customs duty (7% Singapore GST)
You can check amazon to see if the package is shipped. Once it ships, you can also follow its progress to cgw.
If I'd like to purchase just the cover from your Kindle shop, does the listed price include shipping costs as well? Thanks.
Is it possible to purchase from both amazon uk and Amazon us? I am thinking of purchasing a paper white for my kid. I realized that amazon us does not sell her her favorite author's (Enid Blyton) books but the uk one does.
Do I have to register and de- register my kindle and change my country settings each time I want to buy from either stores?
Thank you
I don't really recommend buying direct from the Kindle as doing it on a computer is so much more comfortable (from a screen size point of view.)
Liz, technically it's possible but you need to deregister out of the US store, log into the UK store and vice versa. (Once a book is in your Kindle there's no need to do anything further.) And you may also need a UK VPN.
Anon, thanks for the info, good to see the numbers you provide are still very good...
So I signed up with AlwaysVPN, whenever it connects it shows that I'm not connected to the AlwaysVPN network. But, when I go to showip.net, it shows a different IP address and shows that I'm in the US. What should I do? I have tried compatible connect and faster connect and I get the same results.
Jus wondering, won't switching on wirelessly cause you to be detected by amazon your actual location? Cause u did mention that in your topic "How to buy eBooks from the Amazon US store" about downloading wirelessly to your kindle. I am too scared to switch on my kindle wirelessly, fear that they'll detect me. But I have a habit of buying a few books at a time and downloading them wirelessly would be a huge plus point.
I have heed your advise to have registered with Borderlinx and AlwaysVPN, and purchased gift card which has been sent to my Amazon.com account.
Under your last section of "How to buy eBooks from the Amazon US store", at your last second point where you said to include any US address as "Billing Address" for buying books with gift cards.
Question: Can I use the same US forwarding address provided to me by Borderlinx?
If I do, then both my shipping and billing address will be identical.
Will that be a problem? Will it create any suspicion on Amazon side? Otherwise can please advise me?
Thank you.
Nick
It's reasonable that a person's billing and shipping address is similar (i.e. the address that the credit card bill arrives at should be the same as the place the purchases will go to!)
I can't think of a reason why this would present a problem...
Many thanks for your prompt reply.
Cheers.
Nick
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201176250
Thank you for the write up, you are a god sent. Bought my wife Kindle as a surprise now she can enjoy reading again.
http://www.sgkindleshop.com/blogs/news/10562957-the-diy-way-to-buy-kindles-yourself
Does the method you describe work for Mac users as well?
I have bought a book from Amazon forgetting to turn on my VPN. What's gonna happen???
Thanks.
Anon 2: Just let someone else use the older Kndle. :)
I'm learning japanese and wish to read more japanese novel/book and kindle got the dictionary feature that really useful. If i got a kindle, how should i go about buying from amazon japan? do i need a jap set or any version will do? Regards, SAM
http://www.perapera.org/kindle-paperwhite-godsend-japanese-learners/
If you want to get the Japanese set from local importers, do note that tech support/exchanges are not practical as the US store won't honour tech support claims for a Japanese set. If you are fine with that, you're good to go. But you *may* need a vpn.
Been reading through and reading up and contemplating on choosing between get Kindle PW (US) and Japan. One has more space than the other, but I also read somewhere that the Japanese model's warranty wouldn't offer hardware assistance should any cropped up.
Also, read somewhere that there is a rumour that PW3 might just be coming up.
Wondering what your take would be - get a PW2 now, or hold up?
The space is irrelevant as you will never even get close to the limit. The real difference is the support (or lack of it) if you actually have access to the Japanese set. If you can live with the risk, sure, get the Japanese set.
Amazon routinely announces a new model around September. There's really no reason to wait as the current model is quite flawless.
Have you tried buying Preorder ebooks? When purchasing Preorder books, after clicking the Preorder button, they are asking you to key in the Credit Card (CC) number. Seeing this, I aborted the purchase.
Do you or anyone else has experience on this?
I am assuming that you can key in the CC (perhaps also the Billing Address which they normally ask for whenever they require the CC in a normal purchase), but eventually they will deduct from the giftcard.
Therefore, they are no issues with the purchase if we proceed to provide the CC information?
Just buy them when they are released.
Great Post! A few points I would like to clarify:
1)After purchasing the gift card, can i send it to the email account I registered at Amazon(the one I paid the gift card for)? Since it seems that it ll be a deadgiveaway when I apply the giftcard to my Amazon account
2)Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.) --> Does this means I have to erase my credit card info from the account(from which I bought Kindle) whenever I pay for my ebooks even if I am using VPN?
Also, Can i buy ebooks with the same Amazon account that I bought my Kindle, as long as the credit card info is erased?
Thanks!
2) Well, I actually do that because I don't often buy gift cards. (I just buy a lot of money at one go.) This step may not be so critical compared to point 1 above.
Yes you can buy ebooks with the same account, provided (1) is fulfilled.
-CQ
I am living in Taiwan now and thinking of ordering the Kindle. It can be delivered to Taiwan and I assume no problem with the download/ buying of ebooks etc.
What I concern, and I am not sure if you can assist, is when I move back to Singapore. Will I be able to continue to purchase/ download the ebooks or would I be declined, and have to start the VPN/ gift voucher method? I am also wondering if all my previous purchases will be wipe out.
Any insight you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks and Regards
Johanna
I cannot connect to the private tunnel vpn. It kept trying to reconnect after a failure.
Any idea why? I am using a surface pro 3. Could it be due to that?
Thanks!
Hazel
What should I do? How does Amazon know where you're ordering from? Do they just check against your credit card, or do they check IP address too (hence need for VPN)? If I was to use your method here, wouldnt they restrict my account even if I used gift cards because they've already caught me and asked for residency check before the account is useable again?
Anon, what you need to do now is to ignore the email, and follow the instructions on the blog. They look at the IP address. I don't think there's an issue with the gift card method going forward.
Also could I gift back the kindle book from the US account to the non-based US account as a gift book?
2) I don't think gifting works like that. Anyway, there's no such thing as a non-US account. If the account is from amazon.com, they are treated similarly.
Good evening.
Need help here.If I buy a kindle paperwhite in Singapore would I be able to use it whenever I travel to Hongkong or Malaysia.Which setting should I go to.
Your reply would be very helpful.
Thank you
Anon 2, you can use it anywhere. The bigger issue is how to buy books? For me I just use my own method and stick to the US store using a vpn.
Am thinking of purchasing a Kindle Ppaerwhite 2013, and would like to check if I could use the methods as you described to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, i.e. US$9.99 per month? Will the procedures be any different from purchasing ebooks ad hoc?
Thank you.
The purchasing of books of the 'free' books remain the same.
Anon2, your books should be able to be accessed through the cloud. Email me at jeffreyyen@gmail.com
Thanks
Unless you can get a vpn working on your iPad working, you should use your computer+vpn instead as described in my workflow. Once you are able to buy a book, reading it on your iPad kindle app is trivial.
Need your advise. I'm thinking of getting a HD fire Kids for my children from Amazon and they have unlimited free time download
Do you know if I would still be able to download from Singapore? Many thanks!
I have been buying kindle ebooks from Amazon for over a year now, using a local debit card but by having my mail forwarder's US address in my account. No prob so far. And I have been reading those books on my desktop via the Kindle Cloud Reader. I recently got a Kindle Paperwhite. Would like to ask you:
1. Is it safe for me to deliver/download those books that I already purchased from 'CLoud' to 'Device' within my Kindle itself (wifi connected)?
2. Is it ok to deliver/download and then USB transfer them from desktop to my kindle without connecting to VPN? Or still need to use VPN?
Thanks in advance!
I find that your blog is very insightful and certainly it benefit me a lot. thank you for sharing.
However, i curious whether the VPN and gift card method work for freetime unlimited subscription?
thank you and have a great day ahead.
best regards
yk
1) Yes it's safe.
2) You don't need to use the USB. The issue is not with downloading books you've already bought. It's buying new books that may have issues.
yk, for freetime, you need a US credit card and vpn. I use neteller.com
For Kinlde Unlimited user, can user download/buy free and paid ebooks directly on the Kindle?
Or should the user download/buy the ebooks on VPN-enabled computer as you suggested?
Regards,
LK
I don't know, but I would advise against it. It's easy to buy the free books using your computer with a vpn.
When I look at the kindle book through my Singapore account (through which I purchased the paperwhite), I see the listed price as $6.
However when I look at it through my US VPN account (solely for buying books), the price is listed as $9.99.
Why is there a differnce? Thank you in advance.