Re: [tlug] Pretending to be outside Japan?

[Joe Larabell <fred62@example.com>]

On Fri, Jan 17, 2014 at 5:19 PM, Darren Cook <darren@example.com> wrote:

>> I'll set a challenge: if anyone can buy an mp3 (documented steps) from
>> within Japan in such a way that Amazon have no evidence you are in
>> Japan,
>
> How would we know that Amazon has or has no evidence that we are in Japan ?

Well, naturally you will be doing all steps through a U.S. IP address.
If you cannot spoof your IP then you have no chance with the other
requirements ;-)

I thought you said earlier that spoofing the IP was no problem. It isn't, actually. There are lots of VPN services that will let you go through a US-based IP. You could even use Tor (I read you can control the exit point with Tor but I've never actually tried that before; I *did* try a VPN service a while back, just for grins, but I really don't need it since I work on US-based servers all the time).

Just now I managed to send myself an Amazon Gift Card on the Amazon.com site using a credit card that's attached to a Japanese address. At no point did it ask for a physical address for the recipient. So, one way you could go is to set-up a dummy email address (gmail, hotmail, etc) and use your own CC to send a gift card to the dummy address. Then, from a US-based IP address, register with Amazon under a different name and use the gift card to pay for your mp3. I can't imagine why they would block someone in Japan from sending their US-based friends gift cards.

Of course, if you want to buy a Kindle book using that trick, you may have to d/load the files using a Kindle software app and copy them manually to your device. I'm not sure you can register the same device under two different accounts, but... then again... I've never tried that either because I don't have a Kindle and I read Kindle books with the Android Kindle app.

The other way to go would to to offer to buy me *two* beers and I'll order and d/load your mp3 of choice and you can pay me back (just kidding... I don't want to get deluged with requests ;-).