I'm insulted. Yup, insulted! I went to Amazon and bought Katie's book "Unreachable" (wonderful story, recommend it to everyone) in Kindle format, downloaded the app for reading Kindle on a PC, and had a wonderful time reading yesterday. And then today...
Got an E-mail from kai(at)amazon.com, supposedly an "Account Specialist" with Amazon.com. Kai is concerned that
"We are writing because the home country registered to your Kindle account may not match your country of residence. Due to publishing rights, the home country registered to your account must match your country of residence.
To continue purchasing titles available for the United States, please send a copy of your valid government-issued identity card, passport, or a utility bill received within the previous 90 days to our secure fax line:"
How stupid do they think I am! Yup, I'll do just that when my uncle in Nairobi sends that money to my bank account like he promised... until then the only fax you'll get from me is one of me with my kilt flipped up as I bend over. And I won't be facing you!
Meanwhile, I'll be forwarding Kai's e-mail to some people who work at various alphabet agencies.
Okay, I'm finished my rant.
PS; be sure to read Unreachable. It's good.
Comments
I did some research and
I did some research and apparently that is from Amazon. Try contacting the Amazon Consumer Services directly to that problem.
A while ago I had to stop buying from the US amazon because it opened a Kindle store my country.
What I can't believe is that they still want people to use fax machines, who uses fax machines these days? Mine went the way of the Dodo about the turn of the Millennium.
You're kidding me, right!
I mean, who would send out an e-mail asking for the prime documents used for identity theft? I would expect that from some kid living in a basement in outer Mongolia, but from Amazon???
Oh, and I still have a fax machine set up and ready for use. Some legal documents can be faxed or mailed, not allowed as computer files. Archaic, but that's the legal system.
Anyhow, I've sent copies of the email to various departments including Amazon's customer service. And I just got a form letter telling me they've forwarded it to their security department.
Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue
From what I read in the
From what I read in the forums is that this issue mostly happens to people while traveling abroad.
Of course you can never be too careful, even though they sent emails to several people with that problem, it never hurts to contact first before following any instructions.
The same goes to emails from your bank, always contact them before doing anything an email tells you to.
It's funny ...
... that a company dedicated to dodging taxes by ensuring it only makes a profit in countries with very low taxes should be so concerned where its customers live.
I think I've got a fax machine though I've never used it. We bought a new all-in-one printer/scanner a couple of weeks ago that can be set up as a fax. I wondered what the point was but if its used for legal stuff then perhaps it has a point. I suppose they're good for sending sketches and diagrams done on the apocryphal back of an envelope as mine sometimes are :)
Robi
Me too
I got one like this when connecting my Kindle to the open Wi-Fi where I was working. The Internet Point-of-presence showed Geneva although physically I was in London.
Doh!
Look amazon!
The whole idea of these things is that you can load them up and go mobile to anywhere on the planet and consume the content. Sometimes you need to 'recharge' the content. do you really think that I am going to travel for say 22hours over 12 timezones just to do that? Please go and bang you head against the nearest brick wall (rather than sitting on the naughty step)
Unless, this is a prelude to having to sign into the internet to prove that you are in a valid location before the device will give you permission to read the content?
Whatever... You are really screwed up to think that people won't travel with any form of E-book reader or tablet AND not want to load new content whilst on their travels.
Be Sure to Transfer
Be sure to transfer you book to calibre or some other library management system before Amazon reaches into your kindle and deletes your purchase. Sure they give your account a refund but it's the principle of the thing. I consider an e-book the same as a paperback or any other hard copy, once I buy it, it's mine period.
They can try...
But first they have to get through my firewalls! The first thing I did after the Kindle app got set up on my computer was deny it permission to automatically connect and update itself. I'm running ZoneAlarm Extreme on my home network and I connect through a wireless router. Sometimes my firewall keeps programs I've expressly allowed from connecting, so a program that doesn't have permission is SOL. But transferring to another reader is good advice and I'll be sure to do that. I'm like you, once I pay for it, it's mine to keep and re-read!
Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue
Phishing?
I had someone message me on Facebook with a traditional Nigerian "claim the fortune" scam. I replied stating that I was wanted in the country where the money was being held (Togo) and that for only a few thousand US dollars, (sent via Western Union) I could clear my name and then we could happily claim our fortune!
Still waiting on my money, darn it.
Oceanside Property?
Are you also waiting for that Arizona oceanside property? Once you locate that I think I can find some oceanside property in Vermont.
I'm so badass,
even the SWISS Navy wanted me to serve. : )