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Alexa Zipato Skill now Geographically Restricted in Australia
Known
I had been using my Amazon Echo Dot here in Australia for some time. Recently with the official launch of the Echo in Australia I was forced to re setup my device. I found all my skills were reset, including my Smarthome setup. If I search for the Zipato skill it no longer appears. If I try and enable it from an Amazon search it says it cannot be installed/enabled due to geographic restrictions. Why is this skill now restricted if both Zipato and Echo are available in Australia?
Is it the skill developer or Amazon that needs to do something?
Has anyone found a work around?
The same problem 
No connection
Real-time notifications may not work
Waiting for 2-3 months and counting here in India.
Waiting for 2-3 months and counting here in India.
not sure why you were forced to re setup. Non of our devices were forced to, we changed the location to australia for the devices themselves, but left them attached to the original amazon account which is default US address.
Try re-enabling your US address as default in your account settings, then just change you local address on the Echo themselves.
Amazon does not yet allow voice services in Australia until there Echo are officially launched here, they still have the legality issues to sort out with voice recording and Australian Authorities, so you will see many things such as Sonos voice integration not working either if you have you location set as AU. Keep everything as US until mid this year is my suggestion.
not sure why you were forced to re setup. Non of our devices were forced to, we changed the location to australia for the devices themselves, but left them attached to the original amazon account which is default US address.
Try re-enabling your US address as default in your account settings, then just change you local address on the Echo themselves.
Amazon does not yet allow voice services in Australia until there Echo are officially launched here, they still have the legality issues to sort out with voice recording and Australian Authorities, so you will see many things such as Sonos voice integration not working either if you have you location set as AU. Keep everything as US until mid this year is my suggestion.
Thanks Adrian. Tried what you have suggested. No luck. I even created a new Amazon account with an American zip code. Re registered the Echo dot to the new account. When I try to enable skills I get a message to change my language to English Australian to get access to skills. When I do that I can see some skills like Telstra Home and TP Link, but not Zipato.
What's more, my Dot is shown as offline within minutes of setup. This is with both the computer and mobile apps. Updating WIFI reconnects for a brief period, long enough to take any settings like metric units, but then it's shown as offline again. It's obviously online as it responds to weather requests and gives me a flash briefing from SBS news.
My bigger issue is with why there are geographic constraints in the first place. I can understand why Netflix had them prior to their release in Australia. There were copyright issues and Foxtel's complaints to deal with.
But in this case the Zipato products are readily available in this country and obviously Amazon Echo is close to release here, Australian content is already coming through their network. Google have already laid the groundwork with the Australian authorities. What copyright or business would be threatened by allowing skills for products that are already in use here?
I'll just wait to see how this plays out in the upcoming months. I was really only using Alexa to control my AV gear through my Zipabox and Global Cache units. And of course, I haven't had Global Cache functionality for 10 months now. My ticket remains listed as "Known". The scope of my Zipato system continues to contract.
Thanks Adrian. Tried what you have suggested. No luck. I even created a new Amazon account with an American zip code. Re registered the Echo dot to the new account. When I try to enable skills I get a message to change my language to English Australian to get access to skills. When I do that I can see some skills like Telstra Home and TP Link, but not Zipato.
What's more, my Dot is shown as offline within minutes of setup. This is with both the computer and mobile apps. Updating WIFI reconnects for a brief period, long enough to take any settings like metric units, but then it's shown as offline again. It's obviously online as it responds to weather requests and gives me a flash briefing from SBS news.
My bigger issue is with why there are geographic constraints in the first place. I can understand why Netflix had them prior to their release in Australia. There were copyright issues and Foxtel's complaints to deal with.
But in this case the Zipato products are readily available in this country and obviously Amazon Echo is close to release here, Australian content is already coming through their network. Google have already laid the groundwork with the Australian authorities. What copyright or business would be threatened by allowing skills for products that are already in use here?
I'll just wait to see how this plays out in the upcoming months. I was really only using Alexa to control my AV gear through my Zipabox and Global Cache units. And of course, I haven't had Global Cache functionality for 10 months now. My ticket remains listed as "Known". The scope of my Zipato system continues to contract.
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