[HarryT]

I don't mean to be impolite, but honestly it's nobody's fault but your own that you failed to do your research about how their store operates before purchasing the device. As mentioned previously, it is clearly stated that a credit card is required.

Forgive the obvious question, but why not just get a credit card? Eg, one of the pre-pay Visa cards that are widely available.

This is certainly not a discriminatory policy, as you claim; it applies equally to everybody.

Finally, it's worth noting that Amazon is not the only source of free books for the Kindle; you can download thousands of them right here at MR.