Amazon Bans Dishonest Customers

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to go over the Kindle user agreement, and I was shocked about what Amazon is allowed to do according to the contract that all of us have agreed to. Amazon can charge you a wireless fee for tweeting on your Kindle or even introduce a wireless fee for surfing the Internet. And guess what? Amazon can kick you out and terminate your contract if you are too naughty. It seems a few people have failed to read their Kindle user agreement, and they’ve got the boot from Amazon. You can’t just buy books and return them for a refund every single day. If you do it too many times, you are going to get banned regardless of what company you are buying from. So is Kindle ban a big deal?

When you purchase any form of media from a company, do they have the right to deny you access in the future (presuming it was not purchased on a subscription basis)? The above mentioned user ended up with a $360 device that was totally worthless to him. He couldn’t even access books he had already paid for.

I have to admit that it could be frustrating to get banned by Amazon. After all, a Kindle with no wireless connection is just another Sony Reader, right? In my eyes, this is a non-issue. Anyone who keeps buying and returning books needs to get their wrists slapped. Amazon is running a business, and it is not responsible if you want to keep buying books and returning them. It does provide you with user reviews and even sample content before you buy. If you keep returning Kindle books, you are probably trying to game the system. Amazon can’t read your mind. It can’t just assume things. That’s why you get banned if you go overboard with your refund requests.

I do believe that Amazon has to provide a warning to the consumers before banning them completely. I am a big believer in second chances. Maybe you think you can get away with returning books on a consistent basis. Maybe you are having a bad week. Either way, it’d be nice of Amazon to let you know when you are going overboard. Let’s face it. Amazon is out there to make a profit. It spends a lot of money in its infrastructure and software platform. Foul customers just add to the costs, and as much as I want to be on the consumers side here, if you are a serial Kindle content returner, you probably shouldn’t own a Kindle.

Your take: is Amazon right to ban foul customers? Should you be able to return books as often as you like?