Amazon is nobody's friend

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by karunaji

Similarly, currently Google is discontinuing their services to many users who have tried to register on Google+ with a pseudonym instead of a real name. While there are many alternatives, it was practical for them to use gmail and other Google services in the past. They didn't expect that one day they would have to reveal their real names. Or in case if it cannot be avoided with Google+, they could continue as before without having Google+. But no, once they tried using Google+, they cannot go back. But they trusted that Google is their friend.

They make you use your real name?? I'm not a fan. I think I'll pass on using the service. Google is too intrusive, anyway.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

Ahh, my dear Mrs Joseph.

I am always in the market for bridges to somewhere.

Perhaps you should try selling them on Amazon. (Just a thought.)

But seriously, I am interested in hearing of actual real cases of Amazon's treacherous misdeeds if any exist.

Not hints at things unspoken. I haven't the time for that.

Amazon is my friend, and I think Amazon could be your friend as well.

Well there's always that small incident where they deleted books from user Kindles without warning.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well there's always that small incident where they deleted books from user Kindles without warning.

Hmmm, what about the time they started pulling LGBT books without any reason?

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

They make you use your real name?? I'm not a fan. I think I'll pass on using the service. Google is too intrusive, anyway.

I doubt they're knocking on doors asking for birth certificates. They're mostly just weeding out accounts like "HotTpaantS4567." It's supposed to be a legit social networking site after all, not 4Chan. Kinda like having a Facebook under a pseudonym rather misses the point.

[OneandonlyDoc]

Originally Posted by markdek

I thought Amazon was a nonprofit?

Please tell me you're just making a funny. Please.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by karunaji

I already mostly read only e-books. In 10 or 20 years paper books will be a rare thing. I can download and remove DRM from the books I have bought from Amazon. But what if Amazon storage space for digital files becomes too popular that I store all my files with them? One day Amazon catches me having illegal de-DRMed files and punishes me by canceling my account? I would have lost everything.

Then you will have been a fool. You don't trust them already, so why on earth would you ever do that?

Why would anybody trust a large corporation with storing all of their valuable, sensitive data (and not have their own backups)? They're not your friend, after all.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well there's always that small incident where they deleted books from user Kindles without warning.

kennyc,
first let me state that I am not saying Amazon doesn't make mistakes.

I ordered a foot warmer for a cold spot (a very cold floor). It worked wonderfully well.
I ordered a second for someone else. It got so hot that it could have burned the person's foot.

I sent it back. I didn't blame Amazon for selling a product that was less than what it was supposed to be. This happens every day with every kind of merchandise.

The 1984 incident was unfortunate for them. The book was represented to Amazon to be a legitimate sale. It wasn't. It was required legally that they stop selling it, and attempt to get the ones sold back.
They made a foolish error in erasing the books without notice.

That said, as I remember they made good the books to everyone and even paid off the kid whose notes were erased.

Then after that was done, they set down a policy for the future. I see no evil in their actions or any streak of perniciousness in their policies.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

kennyc,
first let me state that I am not saying Amazon doesn't make mistakes.
....

Nor am I, as I said early on in this thread, I buy most of my books from or through Amazon (and now Library loans too!!).

They are a business though and all their activities will be oriented towards gain for the business. Sometimes that is good for consumers, sometimes not, but the should never be trusted to side with the customer...all they really want from you is your money.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by tompe

From Wikipedia: In August 2006, Amazon stopped selling DRMed PDF and .LIT format ebooks. Customers were unable to download purchased ebooks 30 days after that date, losing access to their purchased content on new devices.

Also removing box related to specific subjects from the rating system.

DRM is a conundrum of problems. I don't like it, but other than that since it is required by the people (originator, publisher) that "own" the product it is a necessary evil in acquiring that product. On the other hand, afterwards, as they like to say "in the privacy of your own home" do what you wish.

I am going to miss the .LIT format. Microsoft has stopped supporting it. It was and is my favorite form of reading books on a computer.

As for Amazon's actions, here we are considering whether Amazon is a friend of the customer and only what was done for the customer.

Did they make good on the article that was sold?

\\\\\\\
Excuse me. I left out some.
On their rating system, of course they can do what they want with the boxes and such. I am just glad they have a rating system that you can read, and even verify that a comment you made was published.
On the other hand, they do some stupid things, like when you go to the trouble to enter 5 stars, or maybe something else, they won't publish the rating unless you put words in the comments box. I am not going to waste my time commenting unless there is very good reason to do so, so anyway, I hardly ever rate anything unless I have a bad comment.

One exception was recently when a very nice lady in Hawaii who sent me a used book did such a great job that I was pleased and impressed, and she, I gave a long and glowing comment.

[Harry_Y]

They are a business not your friend

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Harry_Y

They are a business not your friend

That is certainly one way to look at it.

So the very first person to enter this thread which is entitled

"Amazon is nobody's friend"

could have said "you're right" and that would have been the end of it.

Harry_Y you should have been quicker and saved us 7 pages of comments so far.

On the other hand, someone named "nobody" might have differed.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

That is certainly one way to look at it.

So the very first person to enter this thread which is entitled

"Amazon is nobody's friend"

could have said "you're right" and that would have been the end of it.

Harry_Y you should have been quicker and saved us 7 pages of comments so far.

On the other hand, someone named "nobody" might have differed.

And so after 7 pages you've come to save us eh?

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by karunaji

I have nothing to complain about Amazon personally but there are certain aspects of this big company that is worrying me. They already have done discriminating activities towards others that I don't agree with. Such big companies already have more money and have bigger impact on our lives than the governments in the past. Such power should be kept in check otherwise it will become corrupt.

If the phone or internet provider due to mistaken identity with some spammer would discontinue my service, I would be worse off than if the government cancelled my driver's license by mistake. Amazon provides good service but it is dangerous if we become too dependent on their platform. Hypothetically, if some day they decide to take away my Kindle privileges due to breaking some obscure TOS, I could be left without books to read, including access to library books in the future. That's more power than any government had every been able to have over their citizens.

Unless you are unable to download your books to your own computer and other various backups, then it should not be a problem. This is why I will never settle for cloud storage. You can only lose your books if you give someone else the right to store them that is out of YOUR control.

[Skip Wyona]

An interesting and lively discussion. The criticism that Amazon is a soulless corporation like any other corporate entity is probably true, but as Jessica Rabbit said in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?':

Jessica Rabbit: You don't know how hard it is being a woman looking the way I do.
Eddie Valiant: You don't know how hard it is being a man looking at a woman looking the way you do.
Jessica Rabbit: I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by frahse

The 1984 incident was unfortunate for them. The book was represented to Amazon to be a legitimate sale. It wasn't. It was required legally that they stop selling it, and attempt to get the ones sold back.
They made a foolish error in erasing the books without notice.

Amazon made a system that can remotely erase data from another person's device without the approval of that person. That doesn't happen by accident.