living in France, echo in english

[craftaddict]

I have been using my echo for the past 6 months in english, the only setting I couldn't use was my home address as french addresses were not accessible. I put in an address in Luxembourg which is physically the nearest to me.

Now that alexa has arrived in France it doesn't work anymore. I have no access to skills at all. I can't set reminders anymore, get told this is not available.

I thought that things would be easier now but doesn't work very well at all anymore.

I don't want to set it up in french and don't need any specific french skills.

Can anyone help please ?

I wanted to attach an image of the message I get but it seems attachments are not allowed.

[MartinB999]

Hi Craftaddict
I've just spoken to my friend who lives in France (near Nimes, Montpellier). She had the same. She got around this by deregistering her device then reinstalling it with her French address. She says everything works fine now. Hope this helps.

[craftaddict]

thank you Martin, will have to try that as last resort. So she has it with her french address and uses it in english ?

[DavidA]

I'm in France, use the Dot in English but can only use French skills even though the Dot is linked to my English Amazon account.

I wish that this issue could be sorted out!

[craftaddict]

thanks for reply, I have had to switch over to french to have any skills. While I was in english no skills were available. I think the echo can see your IP address so switches over automatically to France. I have even tried calling amazon in France and the UK and no one could help. I am not too worried, just have to remember to speak french to her but hubby's french is not very good.

[JIS]

Hello
Rather than started a similar thread, I thought I'd reply to this. So I recently bought an Echo from Amazon.fr as we live in France. To me it was a "no brainer" that I would be able to swap into English; and indeed it was easy. However, what I did not realise was that doing this is similar to giving your Echo a lobotomy (ie a material reduction in capability and functionality). My expectations were set when using an Echo in UK, so I was looking forward to setting up my own playlists; trying out certain skills etc etc. However, I soon realised that all this was not available! I called the FRENCH helpline of Amazon in France and I was told very clearly that An Echo purchased in France is meant to use FRENCH and link to everything French; any deviation from this will result in reduced "performance". So, an Echo purchased in France and taken to UK WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY I was advised to purchase an ECHO in the country (and language) in which I wanted to use it.
I am AMAZED by this. Amazon have seriously overlooked the fact that in UK there are hundreds of thousands of non-British nationals (including hundreds of thousands of French) and in France we have hundreds if thousands of British who will ONLY want to communicate with their Echo in their mother tongue. What are Amazon playing at ??

[DavidA]

I think that while the Echo was only available in a limited number of countries, this was not so much of an issue.

Now the increased user base requires more flexibility.

Let's hope that Amazon can deliver!

[dragon123]

I think that while the Echo was only available in a limited number of countries, this was not so much of an issue.

Now the increased user base requires more flexibility.

Let's hope that Amazon can deliver!

It wasn't an issue, because it didn't use to matter where you bought your alexa devices. I own German, British and US models myself, al work fine.

So this seems more of a recent development, and if so, going backwards very fast.

[craftaddict]

[ So, an Echo purchased in France and taken to UK WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY[/b] I was advised to purchase an ECHO in the country (and language) in which I wanted to use it.

That is incorrect, I bought my echo in the UK and have same problems as soon as it came out in France, it detects your IP address and will not do anything english anymore. You can change the language of course, but you can not use any of the english skills anymore. My calendar was linked to it and that does not work anymore. I worked perfectly well until it was brought out in France. So I have gone to french but dissapointed in what it can do. Hopefully they are working on improving things.

Very unfair to all english speakers in France I agree.

[JIS]

[ So, an Echo purchased in France and taken to UK WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY[/b] I was advised to purchase an ECHO in the country (and language) in which I wanted to use it.

That is incorrect, I bought my echo in the UK and have same problems as soon as it came out in France, it detects your IP address and will not do anything english anymore. You can change the language of course, but you can not use any of the english skills anymore. My calendar was linked to it and that does not work anymore. I worked perfectly well until it was brought out in France. So I have gone to french but dissapointed in what it can do. Hopefully they are working on improving things.
Very unfair to all english speakers in France I agree.

The issue seems to be a combination of the market in which the Echo is sold (the default language etc) and the "marketplace" that is set when you purchased your Echo. I am trying to document all the things that the Echo does not do when a) purchased in France b) used in France and c) used in English! I note that, when I swap to French, I am able to use a range of skills and doubtless additional functionality eg playlists; however, unless you wish to have your enture interaction in French, it's a pretty poor option. Amazon really do need to sort this 

[Biffp]

I live in France most of the year but return to the U.K. now and then. I purchased my echo dot in the U.K. on my amazon U.K. account. Set up the echo and app brought back to Francevplugged it in works fine. The only minor downside is when I ask her for a weather forcast she tells me the weather in the town where my account was set up.