Has anyone ordered one yet? I preordered mine and it shipped out last Monday (October 19). The total including taxes and shipping came to $295 US (after the $20 discount they recently put on the International Kindle).
It reached Taoyuan airport on Wednesday (October 21) evening, where it’s remained since. The message on the UPS tracker website is “ADDITIONAL IMPORT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR CLEARANCE”
I finally got sick of waiting and called the local UPS office. They emailed me a few forms that asked me to fill out my name, address, passport information, signature and a copy of my passport. Is this standard procedure for UPS orders? Were they waiting for me to call them? If I hadn’t called, would I just be waiting indefinitely? They have all my contact information, so they could easily have contacted me last week.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with receiving shipments from UPS? Just thought I’d give people a heads up if they were planning to order a Kindle.
Private shippers like UPS often require such info, yes. They should normally call you within a day or so, so an extra week’s delay sounds like they screwed up. I no longer use DHL, UPS or Fedex if I can avoid it, as the extra paperwork and delay are both hassles, in addition to a higher likelihood of getting hit with customs duties, in my experience (in Taibei).
Having lots of fun reading the status updates of the delivery so far:
TAO-YUAN, TW 10/27/2009 3:31 A.M. PACKAGE NOT RELEASED THROUGH CLEARING AGENCY SYSTEM - DOCUMENT INSPECTION REQUIRED
TAO-YUAN, TW 10/26/2009 11:14 P.M. ADDITIONAL IMPORT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR CLEARANCE / BROKERAGE RELEASED SHIPMENT. SHIPMENT IS SUBMITTED TO CLEARING AGENCY FOR FURTHER CLEARANCE
TAO-YUAN, TW 10/22/2009 11:35 P.M. ADDITIONAL IMPORT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR CLEARANCE
TAO-YUAN, TW 10/21/2009 10:29 P.M. IMPORT SCAN
I order a lot from the USA (just got the new Canon Powershot S90) and this is very common (the paperwork, not the delay).
The document you have to sign is power of attorney, allowing the courier to deal with the customs declaration etc.
I now always fax and/or email a new PoA and ID copy to their customs gateways as SOON as I receive the shipping info from the seller. This usually gives me 3 days to make sure everything goes smoothly and gets delivered on time. I bombard them with multiple copies and make sure to plaster the airway bill number all over the paperwork.
A few hours after you sent your fax, call their customer services number and get them to follow up. They probably wont be able to locate your fax and will give you yet another fax number to use. However, I have found that the CS reps ALWAYS follow up and call back after I make initial contact.
My fax cover letter usually reads something like this:
"[i]I am expecting a personal delivery from the USA (UPS/DHL#________). It is currently in transit.
The content is___________.
The value is USD_____ , all invoices will be included on the cargo box.
I am faxing you ALL the paperwork now, to avoid unnecessary delays with delivery
Here are the Power of Attorney and ID card you need for customs processing.
Sometimes you cannot read my ID number, so here it is:________
Also, I realize there MIGHT be import tax duties. Please do NOT delay delivery.
Simply deliver the cargo, ASAP. If there is any import tax, then I will pay it in cash to the courier upon delivery.[/i]"
UPS are renowned world-wide for their sloppy approach to customs documentation, and their reckless assignments of H.S. Classification numbers and descriptions. I always got much better results from Amazon when they use someone like Deutsche Post.
Mind you, the Taiwan customs agents are not much better. I’ve seen them apply the wrong tariff number, apply the wrong duty rate, allow dutiable goods to enter free, and charge duty on goods which are free & exempt. I’ve been out to the airport several times to cause several crews & their supervisors to lose serious face.
It’s almost as if they were a bunch of idle slackhands just making it up as they go along, like border guard characters out of a Tintin book.
Thanks for all your help. The Kindle was finally delivered to me yesterday (Wednesday), exactly 1 week after it reached Taiwan. I phoned them in the morning to ask what the status was, and they said it would “probably” be delivered the next day. The status on the website at the time was PACKAGE NOT RELEASED THROUGH CLEARING AGENCY SYSTEM - DOCUMENT INSPECTION REQUIRED. However a couple of hours later it was delivered. Couldn’t they have updated the status when it left Taoyuan on route to Taichung (I thought that was the whole point)? Why didn’t the person who picked up the phone know that it would be delivered the same day and not the next day?
Anyway, delivery complaints aside, I’ve had a chance to play with the unit and here is my feedback so far, starting with what I don’t like:
From those that DO have Kindle versions, many are only available to US readers and not to international users (why??).
I don’t like the browsing for books experience on the Kindle as much as I do on the main site. The main site knows who I am, my browsing history and what books I would be interested in. On the Kindle however, you pretty much have to know what book you’re looking for to begin with. The best seller lists are full of books I have never heard of, since main of the real best sellers aren’t available (on the international Kindle at least).
The prices of Kindle books aren’t much cheaper than (especially for paperbacks). Most sell for $11.99 US which is around $375 NT. Hard cover equivalents tend to cost more.
Here’s what I DO like however:
All Kindle books let you sample a chapter for free. With one click, the first chapter is sent to your device. This works better with some books than others, since with some books, most of the “first chapter” is filled with acknowledgements and table of contents, leaving very little to sample of the actual book. However this is still better than nothing, and helps in the decision process (of whether to buy).
The wireless transfer works quite well. So you almost don’t feel like paying a few bucks more, because the book is instantly downloaded onto your device.
I downloaded a piece of software called Calibre from calibre.kovidgoyal.net/ It is a sort of itunes for ebooks. It is free (open source) and does a great job of converting pdfs and ebooks in other formats into the Kindle format. You have to plug your Kindle to your computer via USB though to use it. You CAN have it transfer files wirelessly to your Kindle, but then you get dinged hefty fees from Amazon ($0.99 USD per MB).
This Calibre software also lets you subscribe to your favorite blogs, feeds etc. These will be sent to your Kindle during your next sync.
In summary, without points 3 and 4 above, I would probably find the Kindle purchase to be a bit of a waste. However the Calibre software makes a big difference. Plus I expect the international selection to increase over time, which I expect to add to my enjoyment.
little confused… isn’t this what adam clo ordered? or did he get the older one?
thanks.[/quote]
There are only 2 Kindles available for sale now - Kindle 2 (works in US and International) and Kindle DX (large screen). The Kindle 2 you buy now is the same whether you buy it in the US or internationally. The only difference is that the content available to users IN the US is different than when you are outside the US. There may be ways around this, similar to the issue of iPhone apps not available in all international stores. So perhaps if my Amazon account was a US based one, I would have access to more content.
So just to clarify, I CAN download content, it’s just not as much as the US store.
I find the international selection limitations to be baffling. Adam, have you written Amazon to ask when the international store will have more selection? From what you’ve said, at the moment it is not really worthwhile buying a Kindle.
I’m sure they are well aware of the issues. It has to do with rights to sell material internationally and such. The new Nook from Barnes and Noble will be released next month in the US only, so it seems that B&N have the same limitations.
For now though, there are tons of other ebook sites that have lots of content, and as I mentioned there is software available to convert them to the Kindle, so that’s what I’ve been doing.
On a side note though, if Apple DOES come out with a tablet for reading books, I’m pretty sure they could do an amazing job of redesigning the interface. Coming from an iPhone and trying to use the little joystick to move the cursor around the screen to select content is pretty cumbersome. I would much rather be able to touch and swipe the interface to get what I want done! These e-ink screens are still in their infancy, so I’m sure later versions will improve upon all of this. For now though it feels like starting from the beginning with a black and white television.
I’m curious about how people are doing with Kindles in Taiwan.
#1: How is it to purchase books now? Does the selection still seem limited when you’re buying from Taiwan? Does there seem to be any pattern with regards to what’s available and what isn’t?
#2: Would there be any difference if I’m buying from Amazon with a Canadian credit card vs a Taiwanese credit card?
#3: Does where I BUY the Kindle matter? If I buy it in Canada and then bring it to Taiwan, am I buying from Canada or Taiwan or what?
#4: Techie question - if I’m using a VPN that pretends I’m in the USA, will that make a difference?
(I’m getting closer and closer to buying an e-reader. I want syncing across devices, the ability to download to purchase, and the ability to annotate/ highlight - and ideally then view the book on multiple devices. I’ll almost certainly be waiting for the next version of the Kindle before making a decision, although I’ll be in Canada for much of August; I don’t know if that’s a factor at all.)
Thanks for any tips!
EDIT: Example of a difference - it seems that you can subscribe to The Economist with a Kindle within the United States, but not outside of it. And now that I’m finally able to pretend I’m someone else with Amazon [private browsing, although I guess wiping cookies would also work], I now see… something curious:
Available in the US Kindle store: 602,196 books.
Available if Amazon thinks I’m in Canada: 400,749 books.
And if it thinks I’m in Taiwan: 407,065 books.
I wonder what kind of books are in the 200,000 difference? And why on earth the 6,000 extra books available in Taiwan compared to Canada?
[quote=“lostinasia”]I’m curious about how people are doing with Kindles in Taiwan.
#1: How is it to purchase books now? Does the selection still seem limited when you’re buying from Taiwan? Does there seem to be any pattern with regards to what’s available and what isn’t?[/quote]
WAY better than before. I’ve been doing a lot of Kindle book purchases recently. Most popular titles are now available, which wasn’t the case before.
[quote]#2: Would there be any difference if I’m buying from Amazon with a Canadian credit card vs a Taiwanese credit card?
[/quote]
I believe purchasing with your Canadian credit card ties you to the Canada store while the Taiwanese card would tie you to the Taiwanese store.
[quote]#3: Does where I BUY the Kindle matter? If I buy it in Canada and then bring it to Taiwan, am I buying from Canada or Taiwan or what?
[/quote]
No, shouldn’t matter at all. It’s the credit card account that matters.
[quote]#4: Techie question - if I’m using a VPN that pretends I’m in the USA, will that make a difference?
[/quote]
I believe it would still take you to the Canadian store when you login since that is where your card is based.
[quote](I’m getting closer and closer to buying an e-reader. I want syncing across devices, the ability to download to purchase, and the ability to annotate/ highlight - and ideally then view the book on multiple devices. I’ll almost certainly be waiting for the next version of the Kindle before making a decision, although I’ll be in Canada for much of August; I don’t know if that’s a factor at all.)
[/quote]
Kindle is your best bet. Although I have a Kindle, I do most of my reading on my iPad (bedside at night) and iPhone (when I’m standing in line or waiting around anywhere. The syncing across devices makes a huge difference! The other thing I really like is being able to send free samples to your device. I go to the Amazon site and keep sending samples of various books to my Kindle app. Later at my leisure I go through the samples and pick which ones I want to purchase, and which to discard.
No idea. Chinese selection? I don’t believe the Kindle is available in non Latin script languages though so probably not that.
The best way to buy for Kindle is to use a US credit card, buy via the website and download to your computer and then sync via USB, keeping the wireless turned off. Basically the three options:
US CC w/USB you get US selection of books and no international fees.
US CC w/wireless you get US selection and more convenience, but $2 extra international fee.
Taiwan CC w/wireless you get Taiwan selection and convenience, but selling prices are higher for international customers.
(I have the older version of the Kindle 2 which doesn’t have wireless service outside the US, so I really don’t have a choice.)
The reason there are ~6,000 more titles in Taiwan than Canada may be due to copyright law. Each country has different rules on when copyright expires. US copyright is especially complicated because older titles had to be registered and renewed to keep copyright. Because of varying copyright terms, most countries apply the shorter duration rule which is basically that the copyright term is the shorter of the local copyright term or the copyright term where it was originally published. NAFTA for some mysterious reason overrides the shorter duration rule among member countries, with the effect that in Canada, US published titles follow the copyright term of Canada regardless of whether it is already expired in the US. Combined with the old renewal requirements in the US, that means there are a lot of books with expired copyright in the US that are still valid in Canada. Taiwan follows the shorter duration rule.
Depends on your personal preference. The Kindle offers the following benefits over the iPad:
Much smaller and lighter
Much better battery life
Screen is better on your eyes during long reads
Screen is much better outdoors in the sunlight.
Text to speech function
Built in dictionary
The main benefit the iPad offers is that since the screen has its own light, it can be used at night without a separate light. And then of course the iPad has plenty of non eReader functions, but is double the price of the Kindle.