So I bought a blacklisted Kindle off Craigslist

[gargoyle67]

Looks like he's going to lose $120

[dougmwpsu]

Legally, I recommend contacting the police with the guy's information. As you just received stolen property it's the best way to avoid trouble. If you don't contact the police, and the craigslist seller points them in your direction when he gets a visit from the cops, you could get charged with the misdemeanor.

Morally, this is someone else's kindle that was stolen from them. Amazon did not replace it, and now they don't have a kindle. Your "seller" stole a kindle AND your $120.

[kermalou]

I know the moral dilemna. Thanks for the refresher. It was brand new in box and the box wasn't even opened.

I wanted to save $20 and wanted the thing today. I am out $120 at the moment since this guy won't pickup. Amazon probably wouldn't touch it with a 18 foot pole.

Now do I have to register this thing?

[EldRick]

Whatever else you do, report the seller immediately to eBay for selling stolen goods.

[RonF]

Originally Posted by EldRick

Whatever else you do, report the seller immediately to eBay for selling stolen goods.

Going back to the thread title:
"So I bought a blacklisted Kindle off Craigslist"

That would be Craigslist, and I'm sure the email he used to sell it is one of a hundred throwaway ones....

[dougmwpsu]

Originally Posted by kermalou

I wanted to save $20 and wanted the thing today. I am out $120 at the moment since this guy won't pickup. Amazon probably wouldn't touch it with a 18 foot pole.

I'd say you got a cheap lesson in free lunches, patience, and too good to be true. Why would someone sell a NIB kindle when they could just return it to Amazon for full price? It's been out for less than a month!

[Will2010]

Originally Posted by dougmwpsu

I'd say you got a cheap lesson in free lunches, patience, and too good to be true. Why would someone sell a NIB kindle when they could just return it to Amazon for full price? It's been out for less than a month!

Exactly.

Originally Posted by kermalou

Saw on craigslist yesterday some guy selling a Kindle 3 for $120 new in box yesterday, met up with him last night and bought the sucker.

Went into the website to register it and it wouldn't register, told me to call in to support.

I called in this morning and after being put on hold and transferred a couple of times, the rep came back and said that this serial # has been blacklisted and reported as lost/stolen.

I gotta return the thing to the seller or have him contact amazon to get this thing off the blacklist.

I'm trying to get a hold of the guy but he isn't picking up my calls at the moment and after reading around here a bit was wondering,

Do I have to register? I can get books from other stores and load it up.

I see that there is a registration hack for the K2, so thinking that if it gets released for the K3 I can add collections later.

I am just thinking of the worst case scenario if this guy turns out to be scum.

I have zero pitty for you dude. I suspect you knew it was a shady deal from the start, and if you didn't then you should have. Like the comedian Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid!"

In my state knowingly keeping stolen property is a crime. I hope it is your location too. Do the right thing and send the da*n Kindle back to Amazon. If you don't, I hope Amazon turns it over to your local police.

I personally think the moderators should ban you from this site!

[foghat]

Originally Posted by dougmwpsu

I'd say you got a cheap lesson in free lunches, patience, and too good to be true. Why would someone sell a NIB kindle when they could just return it to Amazon for full price? It's been out for less than a month!

I can think of at least one good reason. Buddy got it as a gift and doesn't want it.

[gargoyle67]

Originally Posted by kermalou

Now do I have to register this thing?

You can't Amazon it's blocked on the Kindles hardware\software by now, The only way of registering it would be by Amazon them selfs.

[dougmwpsu]

Originally Posted by foghat

I can think of at least one good reason. Buddy got it as a gift and doesn't want it.

Could be...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...cipientreturns

Storytime: a few months ago I tried to buy a used Sprint smartphone off Craigslist for a ridiculously good price. I was nervous that the deal was too good to be true and locked my keys in my car at the meet up spot. While waiting for the locksmith, I called in the serial number I was given for the phone and found out that it was blacklisted due to an unpaid account. The seller never showed up and the $40 I was going to use for the phone went to the locksmith instead. I went on my merry way with a brand new $40 clue.

[Will2010]

Originally Posted by kermalou

I know the moral dilemna. Thanks for the refresher. It was brand new in box and the box wasn't even opened.

Giant clue right there. Why wouldn't a legitimate buyer simply return it for a refund if it's still in the box, unopened? Amazon would have accepted it from the original purchaser (if purchased from Amazon) with no questions asked if still within the 30-day return period.

Because he isn't a legitimate buyer, that's why. You got scammed by a thief.

I wanted to save $20 and wanted the thing today. I am out $120 at the moment since this guy won't pickup. Amazon probably wouldn't touch it with a 18 foot pole.

Patience is a virtue, don't cut corners, and there's no such thing as a free lunch. You've heard it all before. Keep it in mind next such a "deal" presents itself.

I suspect Amazon most certainly would touch it with a 10 or even 18-foot pole. Depending on the circumstances of its being reported stolen, I'm betting Amazon sent a replacement to the original, legitimate purchaser and either absorbed the loss, or filed a claim with the package carrier. If Amazon took the loss, then returning it to Amazon would be welcome, and they can resell it as refurbished and at least recoup most of their loss.

Now do I have to register this thing?

If you're asking a technical question, the answer is probably not. Once enough hacks for the K3 are readily available, it's probably possible to hack it to work as a .mobi reader. You just won't be able to buy or download any legitimate books from Amazon. You will likely be able to place compatible free books from Project Gutenberg on it, once hacked. Then again, maybe not.

At any rate, your technical question is the wrong question to ask, as you already realize. The sting of your $120 loss is tough, but as the previous poster said, it's a cheap lesson in the long run. You know what you should do.

[foghat]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I have zero pitty for you dude. I suspect you knew it was a shady deal from the start, and if you didn't then you should have. Like the comedian Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid!"

In my state knowingly keeping stolen property is a crime. I hope it is your location too. Do the right thing and send the da*n Kindle back to Amazon. If you don't, I hope Amazon turns it over to your local police.

I personally think the moderators should ban you from this site!

Give me a break. Going to step off your soap box now?

Ya, the guy probably should have known better, but at the same time, the sale could have just as easily been legit. Has nothing to do with being stupid.

Now that he knows it is stolen, sure he has a decision to make. Because it might not be the decision (and isn't it easy to make the right decision when you're not the one out $120) you'd make, you think he should be banned!?

If everyone who has ever done something wrong or made a dumb mistake in their lives were banned from this site, there would be no members - present company included.

Let me guess, every moral dilemma life has thrown at you, you've passed with flying colors, right?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Will2010

If you're asking a technical question, the answer is probably not. Once enough hacks for the K3 are readily available, it's probably possible to hack it to work as a .mobi reader.

It will work as a Mobi reader without being hacked but, as has been said, that's not really the important question here. I would agree that the original poster should unfortunately regard this as a lesson in life and contact the police immediately to report the Kindle as stolen property.

[haroldgh]

Yeah, talk to amazon about it. I suppose you could report it to the police as well, but I don't see them putting out an APB and deploying the helicopters for $120. Hopefully amazon will do something for you.