UK Kindle Queries

[yoshimi]

I've pre-ordered the new Kindle, but had a few queries...

1. When the UK Kindle Bookstore is launched, will I still be able to buy from the US store? Say if a book is available in the US store and not the UK one, or if it's cheaper on the US store.

2. Are the prices likely to be...
 i. Cheaper/same/more expensive than the US store?
 ii. Cheaper/same/more expensive than the UK iBooks store?
 ii. Cheaper/same/more expensive than the print version on Amazon.co.uk?

Looking at a few books I'd like to buy, I'm currently finding these prices...

Sh*t My Dad Says, by Justin Halpern
£4.99 Amazon.co.uk, $7.58 (£4.75) US Kindle Store, £7.49 iBooks Store

Under The Dome, Stephen King
£11.87 Amazon.co.uk,  $5.78 (£3.62) US Kindle Store, £6.99 iBooks Store

So looking like the Kindle store prices are really good. Rumours that Amazon and Apple are price fixing eBooks is a bit worrying though. Hope the UK Kindle Store doesn't price like Apple currently are.

[Ann in Arlington]

Rumours that Amazon and Apple are price fixing eBooks is a bit worrying though.

I can't answer about the UK specifically as I'm not there. . . but Amazon and Apple are NOT "price fixing".  Rather, the US publishers have insisted on an 'agency model' where they get to set the price.  They refused to allow Amazon and Apple to sell their e-book titles AT ALL unless they agreed to this model. . . .the reasoning is that the discounting was 'devaluing' the books. 

We do have a couple of other UK members who can probably give you some info on the other. . .but I'm not sure anyone will really know until the store goes 'live' in the UK on the 27th. . . . . .

[Linjeakel]

According to the support pages on amazon.co.uk, we will have the option to switch our account to the UK store if we wish and have a uk 'manage your kindle' page etc. If you're a new kindle owner you'll be on the uk store automatically. I would presume we will only be able to buy from the store our kindle account is at. As to availability, there are many books in the US kindle store that are not available to download if you're in the UK and I would imagine the UK store will reflect that, so that all the books on amazon.com that we're allowed to buy in the UK will be be available in the UK store.

As to prices, we already pay more for our books on the US site than US users do - your account details tell Amazon where you are and it displays the prices accordingly. That's because we have to pay VAT on ebooks (as opposed to paper books which are VAT free). I would expect the prices in both stores to be comparable. Whether we'll be better off buying books priced in £s rather than US$s will depend on the exchange rate on any given day and how your credit card charges you for foreign purchases etc.

As to the comparison with paper books, just try looking on the .com site and you'll see that there's no hard and fast rule. Some books are considerably cheaper as kindle books, others are more expensive and of course it depends on whether you're talking about hardbacks or paperbacks. The prices you're looking at on amazon.com will also depend on where amazon thinks you are - when you're in the kindle book store there's a box on the left hand side of the screen headed 'your country or region'. Make sure that's set to UK so that you get a proper idea of what's available to UK users and the prices.

[richcb]

I suspect this is a debate we'll be hearing a lot more of after the end of this month as Britain becomes more aware of the Kindle and the whole ebook market. Until now, despite being available through Amazon.com, most Brits have been largely unaware of the Kindle phenomenon. I hope Amazon UK will be spending a bit of money on promoting the Kindle and the Kindle Store to what could be a new and enthusiastic audience.

[doreme]

Hi. Do any of you know if I can buy the Kindle through Amazon US, to gift to someone if I am giving it to them in the US (he lives in Ireland) and he will then carry it home (he'll be home in the US for Christmas)? Or is there something special ordering it through Amazon UK and getting it delivered to his home. Are they the same machines? Also, since they don't have AT & T there, I assume it would be wasted getting anything more than the wifi version (which he does have in his home). Also, would he be buying ebooks just like people in the US..or it sounds like he has to buy them through Amazon, UK? If he has a problem with it, does it get sent back to Amazon US. I'm trying to buy this as a gift, but it's so confusing to me.
Thanks so much.