Classic Beware of the Nook!

[compusolver]

I bought my Nook back in May and initially was OK with it, though the magazine and newspaper "selection" is paltry, to say the least. Also, the number of books to choose from is much less than what is on Amazon.

But the real deal-killer happened last night -

After letting it sit on a shelf for a week or so, last night I decided to finish reading a book I'd purchased months before on the Nook. But it didn't happen because upon turning on the Nook, I was greeted with a message that my access was being "limited" and given an 800 number to call. Also, my purchased books were all gone. The message claimed that someone had made numerous failed login attempts and thus the account was being "limited".

So I call the number and after waiting on hold awhile, the guy finally answers and wants everything but my birth certificate. OK, maybe he wanted that too, but after giving him the Nook serial number, credit card info and other identifying information and still being questioned about who I was, I hung up and threw the d#&* thing across the room.

I don't know if it still works or not, but this morning I logged into my B&N account and sent a message to their Nook support team. That was roughly six hours ago and still no reply.

Imagine if you'd purchased several hundred dollars worth of books from B&N several months ago and now they sneak into your house and steal the books back!

Well, that is essentially what has happened with my Nook purchases.

Beware, the Nook!

[ProfCrash]

Did they give a reason for why the account was limited?

I have heard that Amazon has closed down accounts of people who have listed US addresses when they lived outside of the US. This is done because of different copyright laws which allow some books to be sold in the US and not other parts of the world and vice versa.

[compusolver]

Only that there had been some failed login attempts - which by the way, could not have been me because I hadn't tried to access my bn account in a couple months.

[clintbradford]

So someone tried to access your ACCOUNT WITH CREDIT CARD for charging without your permission, and B&N caught it before you incurred any losses.

And this pissed you off?

Would you have preferred working with your credit crd company to reverse a couple hundred bucks of unwanted charges?

Barnes & Noble performed exactly how *I* wish they would.

[clintbradford]

>> ... So I call the number and after waiting on hold awhile, the guy finally answers and wants everything but my birth certificate ...

No - they only ask you to verify what you have ALREADY provided to them. They are PROTECTING you and your credit card.

I would be thinking them profusely - instead of demeaning them in any public message forum.

[ellimak]

Originally Posted by clintbradford

So someone tried to access your ACCOUNT WITH CREDIT CARD for charging without your permission, and B&N caught it before you incurred any losses.

And this pissed you off?

Would you have preferred working with your credit crd company to reverse a couple hundred bucks of unwanted charges?

Barnes & Noble performed exactly how *I* wish they would.

Seconded. I'm sorry you're having a hard time dealing with B&N though. In my experience they've always been super helpful. Maybe try getting in touch with them one more time? I'm sure that they'll be willing to work with you once they have sufficient proof that you are who you say you are. Again, what they've done has been done largely to protect you.

[hch568]

This is the reason why I choose not to buy kindle or nook and DRMed book. If I pay for the books, I love to have them in my house and enjoy reading them in my private library.

Buying from Amazon (through kindle) and B&N (through Nook) feels like after paying a hefty sum for the books, you are not allow to take the books home, and they are locked in the retailer's locked box. And you need a key to unlock the book-box to read them!!! In addition to that, they can clear the box whenever they have excuses for doing it.

Yeah! You can backup the books in your hard-drive, but it is not easy for non-techie. If you loaded them to your device and use 3g or wifi to connect to the store, it will be gone if they have reason to rob your book from your device. It is just like buying the book and give the key of your home to the retailer, so they can get into your house and take the book without giving you any notice.

And security issue is a common excuses for the net-companies. They shouldn't keep your credit card in their server/system, so others can get into their system to stole your credit card info (it happened so many times that I never trust the security measure of net-companies, no matter what they swears). I always use the net-company that did not keep my credit card info in their system, and would use the credit card that would call me/email me/send message to my phone of my transactions. And I rather key in (or type in a non-sequential fashion and then copy-and-paste for security reason) my credit card when I shop online.

[clintbradford]

Same exact circumstances - told from another perspective ...

I bought my Nook back in May. I've had second thoughts because I didn't really adequately research eReaders, but it's been fine.

But the real deal happened last night - After letting it sit on a shelf for a week or so, last night I decided to finish reading a book I'd purchased months before on the Nook. But it didn't happen because upon turning on the Nook, I was greeted with a message that my access was being "limited" and given an 800 number to call. Also, my purchased books were all gone. The message claimed that someone had made numerous failed login attempts and thus the account was being "limited".

Wow - Am I glad that my credit card wasn't hit with charges that weren't mine! I know my bank has a "fraud" division - but had no idea that B&N were ALSO in the business of protecting us from fraudulent use!

I called the number, the rep verified my ID and Nook S/N, and I am back online and able to read my entire library again.

I hung up from the support call, and threw my arms into the air, declaring to others in the house, "Way to shoot, Barnes & Noble!"

After the call, I sent an email to the Nook support team thanking them for what had occurred with my account. That was roughly six hours ago and still no reply - but I don't really expect one.

Imagine if someone made hundreds of dollars of illegal purchases using my credit card!

Thanks, B&N!

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by compusolver

Only that there had been some failed login attempts - which by the way, could not have been me because I hadn't tried to access my bn account in a couple months.

I would be more upset that someone was trying to hack my account and potentially get my credit card info. The CS rep was trying to get the info that was on your account to confirm that you were the account holder and not the person who had been trying to gain access to your account.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by hch568

This is the reason why I choose not to buy kindle or nook and DRMed book. If I pay for the books, I love to have them in my house and enjoy reading them in my private library.

Buying from Amazon (through kindle) and B&N (through Nook) feels like after paying a hefty sum for the books, you are not allow to take the books home, and they are locked in the retailer's locked box. And you need a key to unlock the book-box to read them!!! In addition to that, they can clear the box whenever they have excuses for doing it.

Yeah! You can backup the books in your hard-drive, but it is not easy for non-techie. If you loaded them to your device and use 3g or wifi to connect to the store, it will be gone if they have reason to rob your book from your device. It is just like buying the book and give the key of your home to the retailer, so they can get into your house and take the book without giving you any notice.

It is easy to save a book to my computer. I go to my Amazon Kindle account and choose download to computer as opposed to download to my Kindle. It takes no time what so ever. As long as I don't turn on whispernet, there is no way for Amazon to remove the books a second time. I imagine that the Nook allows you to do something similar.

Additionally, there are plenty of places outside of Amazon or B&N for you to buy books to put on the e-reader which would keep the books out of the "lock box"

Amazon pulled one book from peoples Kindles. They screwed up, they said they screwed up, they returned the book to people or gave them to money to buy another book, this after refunding everyone when they initially pulled the book. The only other times that I have heard of Amazon blocking access to accounts is when they figured out that people did not live in the US but had registered a US address in order to buy books (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, really folks) or when a Kindle has been reported stolen.

[compusolver]

I would be thinking them profusely - instead of demeaning them in any public message forum.

Apparently you are unaware that there are many, less obtrusive ways to handle a case like that, rather than suspending a paying customer's account.

You can selectively lock out the particular IP address of the suspected intruder for instance. Or they could have temporarily limited the account and immediately sent me an email notifying me and giving instructions of what to do from there.

Instead, BN waited until I was comfortably in bed and ready to read and instead of enjoying my purchases, I was hit with an unexpected and unpleasant situation.

Then, even after providing requested id information, the situation wasn't cleared up promptly and politely.

But, I can surmise that BN checks forums like these better than its own support messages, because my Nook was working again within thirty minutes of posting this message. Now that's some serious SERM work!

[geertm]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

It is easy to save a book to my computer. I go to my Amazon Kindle account and choose download to computer as opposed to download to my Kindle. It takes no time what so ever. As long as I don't turn on whispernet, there is no way for Amazon to remove the books a second time. I imagine that the Nook allows you to do something similar.

Additionally, there are plenty of places outside of Amazon or B&N for you to buy books to put on the e-reader which would keep the books out of the "lock box"

Amazon pulled one book from peoples Kindles. They screwed up, they said they screwed up, they returned the book to people or gave them to money to buy another book, this after refunding everyone when they initially pulled the book. The only other times that I have heard of Amazon blocking access to accounts is when they figured out that people did not live in the US but had registered a US address in order to buy books (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, really folks) or when a Kindle has been reported stolen.

B&N works the same.
Go to the B&N website. Log in to your account.
Open your library and click on the download button next to the book.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by compusolver

Apparently you are unaware that there are many, less obtrusive ways to handle a case like that, rather than suspending a paying customer's account.

You can selectively lock out the particular IP address of the suspected intruder for instance. Or they could have temporarily limited the account and immediately sent me an email notifying me and giving instructions of what to do from there.

Instead, BN waited until I was comfortably in bed and ready to read and instead of enjoying my purchases, I was hit with an unexpected and unpleasant situation.

Then, even after providing requested id information, the situation wasn't cleared up promptly and politely.

But, I can surmise that BN checks forums like these better than its own support messages, because my Nook was working again within thirty minutes of posting this message. Now that's some serious SERM work!

Or that they were folowing their procedures and checking info out to make sure that you were the proper owner and as such could turn the account on again.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by compusolver

Apparently you are unaware that there are many, less obtrusive ways to handle a case like that, rather than suspending a paying customer's account.

You can selectively lock out the particular IP address of the suspected intruder for instance. Or they could have temporarily limited the account and immediately sent me an email notifying me and giving instructions of what to do from there.

Just a few thoughts on this.

1. B&N cannot simply block a particular IP address. The vast majority of people don't have have static IP addresses associated with their computers (Since most ISPs don't let you have a static IP to prevent you from running servers). Further, if the hacker is at all competent, he would be attacking from virtually every IP he could, except his own.

2. Sending email is likewise risky. If they had enough information about you to attack your account, it is possible they might also have access to your email. Sending an email out might warn the hacker that B&N was onto them, or worse, give them a chance to actually call in an pretend to be you.

3. I suspect that this sort of thing is done automatically by their systems.

Instead, BN waited until I was comfortably in bed and ready to read and instead of enjoying my purchases, I was hit with an unexpected and unpleasant situation.

Its hard to blame B&N for you being in bed. That just happens to be when you discovered the situation.

Then, even after providing requested id information, the situation wasn't cleared up promptly and politely.

Without knowing the specifics of your situation I can't really suggest why the situation was not resolved more quickly by Barnes and Noble. Just curious, how long were you on the phone with them? Was there a specific question they asked that sent you over the line?

But, I can surmise that BN checks forums like these better than its own support messages, because my Nook was working again within thirty minutes of posting this message. Now that's some serious SERM work!

Or it could be coincidence.

--
Bill

[Noah98]

Originally Posted by compusolver

Apparently you are unaware that there are many, less obtrusive ways to handle a case like that, rather than suspending a paying customer's account.

You can selectively lock out the particular IP address of the suspected intruder for instance. Or they could have temporarily limited the account and immediately sent me an email notifying me and giving instructions of what to do from there.

Instead, BN waited until I was comfortably in bed and ready to read and instead of enjoying my purchases, I was hit with an unexpected and unpleasant situation.

Then, even after providing requested id information, the situation wasn't cleared up promptly and politely.

But, I can surmise that BN checks forums like these better than its own support messages, because my Nook was working again within thirty minutes of posting this message. Now that's some serious SERM work!

How is it B&N's fault that someone tried to hack your account? Shouldn't the hacker be the target of your wrath? Your logic is seriously flawed...