Amazon Prime Video sudden geolocation error

TheViper

Suddenly I can't play any amazon prime video due to error code: invalid_geo_ip

I was currently on the US east gateway, then switched to New York city and Chicago, all gateways have the same issue

Wtf is going on?

TheViper

Well Seattle servers seem to work

New York city, east, Florida, Chicago, Midwest, Texas, West servers do not currently work with amazon prime video.

Keep in mind, I am in the USA

EDIT: well now some of the ones that weren't working with amazon are all of a sudden working now, what was that all about?

EDIT2: Well it looks like they will work for a bit then give the geo_ip error

jbis

Not sure exactly but I know someone who is working with Amazon for putting in place a new filtering system for blocking VPN access to Amazon streaming video services. Its not working right yet and not fully in place, and its being tinkered with, but that might be why you are getting the geo-ip thing like you are with there one minute then the next gone then back again.

Then again, this is PIA and any odd thing that can happen with a VPN that's almost unheard of occurring with other VPN services will happen with the PIA VPN at some point and be pretty routine. 

TheViper

I understand the blockage if someone is outside the USA, but I'm in the USA. Netflix is also crazy about vpns, but I have no issues with Netflix at the moment with pia

p7695561

Service Area Restriction

This video isn't available due to geographical licensing restrictions. For videos available in your location, go to PrimeVideo.com or use the Prime Video app. For more details, please refer to Amazon Video Terms of Use. For further assistance, please contact Amazon Customer Service at www.amazon.com/videohelp and refer to error 4601.

p7695561

p7695561 said:

Service Area Restriction

This video isn't available due to geographical licensing restrictions. For videos available in your location, go to PrimeVideo.com or use the Prime Video app. For more details, please refer to Amazon Video Terms of Use. For further assistance, please contact Amazon Customer Service at www.amazon.com/videohelp and refer to error 4601.

My location is US California

jbis

Your actual location may be California - but it doesn't matter because on VPN even if the VPN location is in U.S. if trying to access via VPN then its detecting the VPN use which they will not permit. They allude to this in the Amazon Video Terms of Use  in paragraph '3. GEOGRAPHIC VARIABILITY' in the last two sentences with this "Amazon will use technologies to verify your geographic location. You may not use any technology or technique to obscure or disguise your location." The "technologies" includes detection of VPN use, by location they mean your actual real location and the VPN is designed to "obscure or disguise your location" even though the VPN provided location may be in a permitted geo-location you real actual location is still 'obscured or disguised'.  Anyway, If you legitimately pay for an Amazon account and use the service legitimately to begin with there is no sense on trying to access it via VPN in the first place. VPN services should not be advertising or implying that one can access such geo-restricted content anyway because at some point its not going to be true and in reality it was never really true. With new detection methods VPN service use is becoming relatively easy to detect because all VPN services base their systems on free open source code which includes OpenVPN which has a specific connection signature that is now detectable and that along with known IP tables and other methods will pretty much shut down VPN use on services like Amazon.  

Their 'Service Area Restriction' warning is ambiguous, it doesn't just mean geo-location restriction, it also applies to proxy and  VPN use as well. See my post a few posts up from this one about the new system Amazon is putting in place, sounds like it caught you. It will be the same for all VPN users, even those on other services, eventually when they get it working properly.

TXTornados

Is there any new news on getting around the Amazon blocking VPN use?  

Chodiac

Can anyone, particularly from PIA staff confirm this recent blockage?  I'm just now getting this same error whilst attempting to stream from outside the US.  Royally pissed if this is the case as I've just signed up to another Prime Account!

p4141841

I have never been able to stream Netflix or Amazon prime through the east connection in the 3 years of using PIA I've always been blocked.    

blopplop

The one server local that has always worked for me (until today because it's down) is Montreal.  Chicago use too but not any more.

blopplop

Now Texas is working for me. 

n0va_sa

amazon is doing a good job in reverse ip lookups.

anitsahu

 live in the USA, have been a Prime member for a long time. Recently I bought a Fire stick and have been happily watching Prime shows and app shows for a few weeks. Suddenly a few days ago I am unable to access any Prime video on either my smart TV or my computer via the website. In all cases I receive this error: SERVICE AREA RESTRICTION Amazon error on Prime video Error Code: INVALID_GEO-IP. 

Regards,
Anit Sahu

[Deleted User]

Hello! 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We have identified and corrected the issue that was affecting connectivity when trying to visit Amazon.com. You should now be able to browse the website as normal. If you are still having connectivity issues, provide us with any additional information such as error messages or screenshots so we may be of further assistance.

We are still looking into the other platforms so we thank you for your patience. 

Nejc

Hi, Anit.

A (very rough) guess on my part though; accessing Amazon with the VPN, or bypass your geolocation here's how https://thevpn.guru/how-bypass-geo-restrictions-location-errors/ you can do that. 

Also, you should try this setting:

1. On your Amazon Fire TV Stick, go to Home>Settings>Applications>Manage Installed Applications
2. Scroll down until you find Amazon Prime Video, Force Stop, and Clear Data
3. Return to Setting and go to device and restart it: Settings>Device> Restart.

Hope it helps.