[darryl]

@DiapDealer. I also don't think Government needs to step in at the moment. When they do they usually get it wrong at great costs to taxpayers. But Amazon should realise that there is a very good reason why some industries choose to self-regulate. Cancelling accounts without notice or explanation, no matter how justified it may be, is not a good look.

And it is not Mom who wants to hold our hands and protect us from ourselves. It's Nanny, who is alive and well in many governments throughout the world. Amazon now has significant operations in many jurisdictions that are to lesser or greater degrees so-called Nanny states. Australia is not the worst of them, but I expect such conduct by Amazon in Australia would result in complaints to the various consumer protection departments, usually followed by a trip to one of the various tribunals charged with administering the various consumer protection laws. These departments report annually to Parliament. Both the Departments and the Tribunals would be scathing about cancellation of accounts without notice and refusing to give reasons. Many businesses hate these tribunals. In some lawyers are prohibited, and there are no order for costs. Often businesses must send their people physically on a number of occasions to defend a matter. The costs of a business doing so are substantial. Compensation can and often is awarded against businesses. And I suspect Europe for one is as bad or likely even worse. Though I should also point out that, whilst this system can be very unfair to businesses, often these businesses have only themselves to blame.

Amazon is going to have to deal with this type of system outside the US, and will have to develop procedures to do so. If they are wise they should be regulating their own conduct lest such systems become the norm in the US as well.