Gifting books on a kindle?

JustAnotherSaver

I picked up a Kindle last week. Before i bought it i read that you can gift books which was a big plus point as even now my mother asks what i want for birthdays and Xmas etc and rather than just buy a load of pointless filler like i know she will no matter how much i say i don't need anything or expect anything - i rather would have books, something that i can get some real use from, so that's what i ask for.


Obviously it seems i didn't look long enough.


Yesterday i tried looking in to how it's done and it seems that you can gift someone a book ....... if you live in America. It appears us in the UK are out of luck if i'm now reading right?






I was hoping for there to be some way where someone (so in this instance let's say my mother) could go on to Amazon for example, select a book, select to gift, select for it to go on a specific date (so Xmas day) and the account for it to go to.


Seems that can't happen? Is there any way around this other than just buying someone a gift card & saying here's £xyz go select your own books? Some of the best books i've read have been ones that have been gifted to me.

Robisere

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201964280


I Googled it....

[Deleted User]

As you now know you can't do this (outside of the USA only apparently).

The best workaround I've found is here:-

http://echoebooks.com/blog/160-giving-a-kindle-ebook-as-a-gift

Which still uses an electronic gift card but personalises it.

Edit: I've not personally tried this BTW but can't see why it wouldn't work.

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks Colin.

I was wondering - would changing your country in your account work? I was looking for it last night but couldn't find it so it might not even be an option.
Say I was to move from the UK to USA legitimately, i'd need to change my details. I just couldn't find it.

Or like I say, would that just not work?

[Deleted User]

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Thanks Colin.

I was wondering - would changing your country in your account work? I was looking for it last night but couldn't find it so it might not even be an option.
Say I was to move from the UK to USA legitimately, i'd need to change my details. I just couldn't find it.

Or like I say, would that just not work?

Not a clue on that I'm afraid, I'd guess not but you'd have to check.

DoaM

Thinking outside the box ... can you create an account on amazon.com and associate your kindle with that? Perhaps that method will work for gifting books?

Alternatively ... ask for Amazon gift cards (eCards) and then you can choose how you wish to use them and what books you wish to obtain?

JustAnotherSaver

DoaM wrote: »

Alternatively ... ask for Amazon gift cards (eCards) and then you can choose how you wish to use them and what books you wish to obtain?

I know that's a possibility but like i say - some of the best books i've read are ones that have been bought for me that i probably never would've looked at otherwise so to have that situation would do away with that.


I read these complaints from say 2014 and i thought for sure they must've added the feature by now, 4 years on, but no. It just seems ridiculous that you can't send a e-book as a gift here in the UK.





As for creating an account on amazon.com - i have thought of it. I just wonder if my kindle would be locked to an American account then and would it cause more problems than it solves?

Robisere

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I'm guessing your "I Googled it" remark at the end is just you being a !!!!!!? (since you could've just provided the link without adding that which would've shown you were more interested in helping than being an actual !!!!!!).


I Googled that too.



I also noted that your Google led you to amazon.com and not amazon.co.uk. I don't know where you're from (I didn't Google that either) but i'm from the UK.



I also Googled this: https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/feature/gadget/why-cant-you-give-kindle-book-as-gift-uk-3348268/ did you?


When i select a book (which i did before creating this thread by the way since that's a 2014 article (which i noticed in the Google search)) i note that there is no option to send as gift (like shown in the link that i got from Google where it compares the amazon.com American site vs the amazon.co.uk UK site).




Now i hope there's a Google result out there that shows a workaround that i haven't seen. Failing that i'd just settle for a helpful responder on this thread without any attitude.

I wasn't being a !!!!!!, no attitude, just trying to help. I don't appreciate the insults and I certainly will think again before advising anyone about anything here. I made a simple error in not checking that the Amazon site was UK.

JustAnotherSaver

Robisere wrote: »

I wasn't being a !!!!!!, no attitude, just trying to help. I don't appreciate the insults and I certainly will think again before advising anyone about anything here. I made a simple error in not checking that the Amazon site was UK.

I'm sorry but my opinion is that i just don't believe that.


Daily i see people complaining that 1) someone has not searched for the answer to their question on Google and 2) that their type of thread has been asked before so why not search for that old thread instead of making a new one.


So why feel the need to tell people you Googled your link? I would say it's your way of saying that i can't be bothered to google & should've done that first and then i'd have 'the answer'. Saying you googled it for seemingly no reason to me is not believable in the slightest. Trying to make a point that someone can't be bothered to search on the other hand, ties in with the theme that runs through this very message board.


I never understand those people. Especially those who say "your question has been asked before. I'm not going to give you the answer but search". If it's so bad then why not simply move along & not respond? It baffles me, seriously.






anyway, my thread on tablets got diverted in to an argument match. Feel free to respond but we wont be playing tennis here any longer i can assure you.

[Deleted User]

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

As for creating an account on amazon.com - i have thought of it. I just wonder if my kindle would be locked to an American account then and would it cause more problems than it solves?

Way more problems than it's worth I suspect.

Your only option is the link I supplied earlier, Amazon gift cards are available from just £1 and I tried the process up until a certain point and can't see why it wouldn't work. It is simple to do as well.

pmduk

UK kindle accounts have problems with US kindle books I've found, the website has always warned me off before I've finalised purchasing. Buying an e-gift token for the relevant amount is the closest you can get at this point.

A less than honest method would be to buy the book and strip the book of its DRM but neither I nor anyone on MSE would condone or recommend this.