Interesting quirk about sending to Kindle

[Ann in Arlington]

So, I'd be curious to know if anyone else has observed this.  First some background.

You'll recall that, in general, for Kindles that have 3G, if you send a book via Amazon and it's delivered via 3G, they will charge you a small amount.  To get around this you should use the @free.kindle.com address and/or set your 'authorized charge' limit to $0.00.  That way, if you send it even to the @kindle.com address, it will flip to the free one and only go via Wifi.

Which is all well and good if you have WiFi.

But I just got one of the $199 refurb DX's that Woot had yesterday and those don't have WiFi.  So, I wanted to load some PDF's. . .that size screen is better for viewing them even given the scrollability on the Fire.  Hmmm. . . but I didn't want to pay to send them, so I figured I'd be stuck with side loading.  Not a HUGE issue, but I do like the wireless delivery.

Wait!  I have some files that I'd previously sent to the Fire. . .so they're 'archived' as personal documents.  Yes, I can send them to the new Kindle (called Hogwarts for now. )  But I DO have the charge limit set to $0.00.  Wonder what will happen; wonder if they'll charge me. Wonder if it won't go?

Well, I gave it a shot. . .sent one of the files I'd previously sent to the Fire on to the DX. . . .sure enough it downloaded wirelessly just fine.  I waited some time, but never got any notice of a billing.  I guess I won't really know until the next time a CC bill comes -- or I check it on line in a day or two I guess -- but it sure seems like I've managed to deliver a personal document via 3G without paying for it.

So, it seems, that if I want a file on my DX, I should first send it to one of my other Kindles via WiFi and then it will be available and can be sent to the DX for free.

Now, what I haven't checked yet:  these were PDF's that were not and did not need to be converted.  I haven't tried it with a file I converted yet. . . I suppose that might be different, except that, once it's converted, it's in the archive as a converted document.

Anyone else tried playing with this?

[artsandhistoryfan]

So, I'd be curious to know if anyone else has observed this.  First some background.
 . . .
Wait!  I have some files that I'd previously sent to the Fire. . .so they're 'archived' as personal documents.  Yes, I can send them to the new Kindle (called Hogwarts for now. )  But I DO have the charge limit set to $0.00.  Wonder what will happen; wonder if they'll charge me. Wonder if it won't go?

Well, I gave it a shot. . .sent one of the files I'd previously sent to the Fire on to the DX. . . .sure enough it downloaded wirelessly just fine.  I waited some time, but never got any notice of a billing.  I guess I won't really know until the next time a CC bill comes -- or I check it on line in a day or two I guess -- but it sure seems like I've managed to deliver a personal document via 3G without paying for it.

So, it seems, that if I want a file on my DX, I should first send it to one of my other Kindles via WiFi and then it will be available and can be sent to the DX for free.

Now, what I haven't checked yet:  these were PDF's that were not and did not need to be converted.  I haven't tried it with a file I converted yet. . . I suppose that might be different, except that, once it's converted, it's in the archive as a converted document.

Anyone else tried playing with this?

Ann,
  Great workaround you thought of.  (I hope they don't close this useful loophole -- but downloading from Amazon servers with a 3G-only Kindle has never cost and so it should probably be ok.)

    Since the fee is for emailing something to a Kindle entailing a sort of relay, because Amazon servers must then "air-deliver" it to you, and this is not an emailing of a document to their servers, this makes sense!



   

[Ann in Arlington]

For the record, I did check my CC activity. . .no charges on the date or shortly after I did the above except for those I could otherwise identify as book purchases.

Ann,
  Great workaround you thought of.  (I hope they don't close this useful loophole -- but downloading from Amazon servers with a 3G-only Kindle has never cost and so it should probably be ok.)

    Since the fee is for emailing something to a Kindle entailing a sort of relay, because Amazon servers must then "air-deliver" it to you, and this is not an emailing of a document to their servers, this makes sense!
   

Except that they have been very specific that you'd have to pay if it was sent via 3G -- unless it was Amazon purchased content for which, presumably, those costs are figured in.  I was kind of surprised I was allowed to send it and that I wasn't charged! As described, the charge was never for the conversion or the sending to amazon, it was specifically because they'd be using 3G -- for which they'd incur a charge to ATT -- to send it on to the Kindle.

I expect if I'd sent the thing from my computer directly to the 3G only device, I'd have been charged -- or it wouldn't have been delivered as my charge limit is zero. 

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is a loophole in the system.  OTOH, as they're moving to devices with WiFi and are allowing archiving of personal documents, it might be they've just decided not to worry about it as it will become a non issue before too long. But I was surprised to see that the DX was enabled for sending -- 'app' devices are not, for instance.

Still, I think I'll get my tax pubs uploaded tout de suite in case they do close it.

[artsandhistoryfan]

For the record, I did check my CC activity. . .no charges on the date or shortly after I did the above except for those I could otherwise identify as book purchases.

Except that they have been very specific that you'd have to pay if it was sent via 3G -- unless it was Amazon purchased content for which, presumably, those costs are figured in. 

But only in connection with emailing personal docs to your Kindle, not when downloading them from Amazon
servers...

I was kind of surprised I was allowed to send it and that I wasn't charged! As described, the charge was never for the conversion or the sending to amazon, it was specifically because they'd be using 3G -- for which they'd incur a charge to ATT -- to send it on to the Kindle.

Again, that was always only in the section for emailing personal docs to one's Kindle.  It's a fine point, but it's the way they structured it.  They have no clauses involving choosing from manageyourkindle-page-sending to your device, and of course with the older models, they didn't include WiFi modules, so unless they ADD wording for specifically downloading from manage-your-kindle page, I don't see how they can charge for it.

I expect if I'd sent the thing from my computer directly to the 3G only device, I'd have been charged -- or it wouldn't have been delivered as my charge limit is zero. 

 Yes.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is a loophole in the system.  OTOH, as they're moving to devices with WiFi and are allowing archiving of personal documents, it might be they've just decided not to worry about it as it will become a non issue before too long. But I was surprised to see that the DX was enabled for sending -- 'app' devices are not, for instance.

I think that's the answer.  They'd never be unaware of circumstances under which they are paying for 3G downloads from their servers, and when they created the new 5-gig personal docs space, they must have thought of it.

I imagine they think the old Kindles will be deactivated for the most part, from its more aggressively Kindle-using customers.

Still, I think I'll get my tax pubs uploaded tout de suite in case they do close it.

  :-)  I would too! 

[Linjeakel]

I hadn't used the personal document feature yet as I tend to just side load things like that, but I gave it a go and sent something by email so I could get it into the cloud. Then I sent it from my MYK page to both my DX and K3 and it downloaded just fine, with no email to say I'd been charged for the DX transfer.

One thing I did notice, however, was that the 'sync to furthest page read' option was greyed out on the DX, but not on the K3, which would seem to suggest that you can only sync your personal docs by wi-fi, which kind of takes away any advantage for me of bothering to do it like that.

[Betsy the Quilter]

I haven't used the Personal Document feature much, but I did use it to put a customized Christmas Letter from my husband and me (OK, he has no idea what's on it  ) on each of the Kindles we gave to the grandgirls. 

I sent it multiple times and downloaded it onto my K-Touch to test drive before sending the final version to the Grandgirls' Kindles.  So I hope they don't charge me.   Actually all the devices were WiFi only so I guess that won't be an issue....never mind. 

Betsy

[Ann in Arlington]

To test it, Betsy, you could try sending the same document to your K1.  See if it goes.  My guess is that it will!

And, by the way, what a cool thing to do. . . . .a welcome letter from Jeff Bezos AND one from the grands!

[Betsy the Quilter]

To test it, Betsy, you could try sending the same document to your K1.  See if it goes.  My guess is that it will!

And, by the way, what a cool thing to do. . . . .a welcome letter from Jeff Bezos AND one from the grands!

I'll wait and see if you get charged. 

They seemed to like it.  I recommend it for anyone giving a Kindle to someone, it was kinda fun.  I put some "getting started info." I'm going to do it for my bro on his Fire, I think, since we still haven't exchanged gifts.  The trick is to be sure it's exactly the way you want it before you send it to the gift device, since, unless you've opened it, you can't get it off once you've sent it.  Fortunately, I had other devices to test on. 

Betsy

Here's what I sent, by the way (they got K4s).  The document title was "Merry Christmas, <granddaughter>"

Merry Christmas, <granddaughter's name>!

We've added the Narnia series to your new Kindle so that you will have something to read right away!

You can use your Kindle to check books out of the library, and some books you are required to read for classes may also be available on the Kindle.  Fewer books to carry!

You can also send Word documents to your Kindle to have with you.  And PDFs, though they often don't work as well on the small screen.

If you leave the WiFi on, your Kindle should stay charged for about a week.  It kinda depends on how much reading you do.   Connect it to your computer's USB at night and it should be charged in the morning.  Or use a USB wall adapter like the iStuff use.

Enjoy!

Pop-Pop and Betsy


Some basic info:

This Kindle is Wi-Fi only, so you will need a Wi-Fi connection to download books. 

To connect, do the following from the Home screen (press far right button with the house on it).

Use the menu button (2d one from the right) and use the controller to move the cursor down to "Settings."  Click the center button to select it.  On the next screen, move the cursor down to Wi-Fi Networks  "View."   Click on the center button.  A list of available networks will show up.  Move the cursor to yours and click the center button. You will be prompted for the password.  Press the keyboard key (2nd one from the left) to pop up the virtual keyboard and move the cursor from letter to letter, selecting with the center button.  Press the keyboard button again to dismiss it and then move the cursor to submit and select it.

You will have to de-register the Kindle from Betsy's account and re-register to your own Amazon account.  If you don't have an Amazon account, you'll need to create one.  Initially, you will have to have a credit card linked to your account, but you can add gift cards after that for book purchases.

To deregister your Kindle, go to "Settings" again. The cursor should be on "deregister" on the next screen.  If it isn't, move it to "deregister" and select it.  Then select "register" on the same screen and you will be prompted for your Amazon account information.

[Ann in Arlington]

Yeah. . .when I gave my aunt the Kindle I did a similar thing. . .except I printed it on paper so her helpers would be able to use it to assist!  I couldn't assume they'd know how to turn the thing on to read it.   In fact, my 'hints and tricks' started with "How to turn it on."

[Betsy the Quilter]

Yeah, if I was giving it to, say, Fred, I would have done that.    The granddaughters didn't have any problem figuring that part out.

Betsy