Banned from Amazon.com?!

[davidtu]

Look at what Amazon is saying to me after spending $10,000 in the last couple of years... I am wondering if this is a joke. Incomprehsible.

What they seem to blame me for is making them stick to and apply the discounts they advertise. I have had almost no returns or refusals of shipments. I do have a lot of refunds and discounts applied retroactively when their system failed to apply them.

Anyone else ever heard of this happening??

Here is their email:
===========================

Hello from Amazon.com.

A careful review of your account indicates you've experienced an extraordinary number of incidents with your orders and corresponding shipments.

In the normal course of business, the occasional problem is inevitable. The rate at which such problems have occurred on your account is extraordinary, however, and cannot continue. Effective immediately, your Amazon.com account is closed and you are no longer able to shop in our store. I am very sorry for any disappointment this may cause.

Please know that any accounts related to yours have also been closed. If you were to open a new account, the same will result and it will also be closed. In the event that you attempt to do so, we will not accept the return of any additional orders, nor will we issue further refunds in connection with any future orders. We appreciate your cooperation in refraining from using our web site.

If you require additional assistance, or have any concerns, feel free to contact us directly at account-appeals@amazon.com.

Please do not contact regular Customer Service again, as they will no longer be able to assist you.


Regards,

Account Specialist
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com

[Hoover]

I believe that this is a scam email phishing for your account information. Clicking on the link is just a generic address, if it was for real the Amazon web page should have popped up.

I would contact Amazon and include a copy of your email. Don't write to the link you have. This is not a genuine message.

[davidtu]

Hoover, I sure hope you are correct. I did not click on any of the links. I would totally assume this was phish mail had I not just been trying to make an order and not been able to log into my account nor would the option to email my password work. Maybe it is a weird coincidence.

The link above is an email link that seems to set address to account-appeals @ amazon.com

[cgallery]

Happening to others:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...om-c93533.html

Maybe legit?

Looks like lots of recent complaints, maybe a new policy?

[Hoover]

One clue that it is a scam signed "account specialist". Any legit email has a name to contact. There are more than one account specialist at Amazon. Someone or group of scam artists put out fake emails trying to get someone to bite.\

Again don't contact the writer of the email message. I would be leery of a Trojan Horse.

Maybe cgallery is on to something. I would call Amazon's 800 number to be sure. If this is indeed legit, Amazon is commiting a serious mistake and lack of good judgment.

[cgallery]

It is possible that the link I've supplied is another part of the scam. Not sure entirely. Those other complainers have actually seen their accounts closed.

Here is a question: What happens when you go to Amazon.com and try to logon?

[Ed62]

Here is part of what is on the Amazon Dot Com Website: 6. Check the Web site address

Genuine Amazon.com web sites are always hosted on the "amazon.com" domain--"http://www.amazon.com/. . . " (or "https://www.amazon.com/. . ."). Sometimes the link included in spoofed e-mails looks like a genuine Amazon.com address. You can check where it actually points to by hovering your mouse over the link--the actual Web site where it points to will be shown in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window or as a pop-up.

We never use a web address such as "http://security-amazon.com/. . ." or an IP address (string of numbers) followed by directories such as "http://123.456.789.123/amazon.com/. . . ."

Alternately, sometimes the spoofed e-mail is set up such that if you click anywhere on the text you are taken to the fraudulent Web site. Amazon.com will never send an e-mail that does this. If you accidentally click on such an e-mail and go to a spoofed Web site, do not enter any information and just close that browser window.

7. If an e-mail looks suspicious, go directly to the Amazon.com Web site

When in doubt, do not click the link included in an e-mail. Just go directly to www.amazon.com and click "Your Account" in the top right menu to view recent purchases, or review your account information. If you cannot access your account, or if you see anything suspicious, let us know right away.

8. Do not "unsubscribe"

Never follow any instructions contained in a forged e-mail that claim to provide a method for "unsubscribing." Many spammers use these "unsubscribe" processes to create a list of valid, working e-mail addresses.

9. Protect your account information

If you did click through from a spoofed or suspicious e-mail and you entered your Amazon.com account information you should immediately update your Amazon.com password. You can do this through Your Account by choosing the option to "Change your name, e-mail address, or password" found under Account Settings.

Please be assured that if someone has been able to look at your account, they are not able to see your full credit card information. However, orders can be sent from your account using your credit card so please contact us immediately if you notice any orders that you do not recognize.

However, if you did submit your credit card number to the site linked to from the forged e-mail message, we advise that you take steps to protect your information. You may wish to contact your credit card company, for example, to notify them of this matter. Finally, you should delete that credit card from your Amazon.com account to prevent anyone from improperly regaining access to your account. To do so, click "Edit or delete a credit card" under Payment Settings in Your Account.
How To Report Phishing E-mails or Request Account Assistance

If you have received an e-mail you know is a forgery, or if you think you have been a victim of a phishing attack and you are concerned about your Amazon.com account, please let us know right away:

Report or Contact Us about a Phishing or Spoofed E-mail

Ed

[dbhost]

That is a phishing scam. Don't bite the bait!

[cgallery]

Are you guys reading the link I included above?

http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...om-c93533.html

The E-Mail is either legit, or it is a very well orchestrated phishing scheme with supporting documents. Lots of other people apparently received the exact same message. And they all say things like, "well, I did return a lot of stuff."

Some of them apparently check w/ Amazon CS and were told it was legit.

Of course, these could be messages posted by spammers, to make the scheme look legit.

However, if it is a scheme, I don't see where the payoff is. What do you click on to provide all your personal financial information?

Did the original E-Mail received that is listed in this thread contain a spoofed, "click here to appeal" link? All I saw was an E-Mail address to appeal to.

And if you can go to Amazon.com, and enter a test order, then I'd say it is a spoof. If going to Amazon.com results in a "your account is closed, go away" message, then it is legit.

Some of the people on the site I link had purchased the Amazon readers and say they can't access their books any longer... Hmmm...

[Uncle Cracker]

I think any legit Amazon communication will address you by name, and provide a visual web addy with a valid "amazon.com" component that will be visible if you roll your cursor over (don't click) the link. You can assume any links that are concealed, or go to an address without "amazon.com" are bogus.

That said, I'm sure that Amazon reserves the right to refuse business from anyone (and I'm sure has done so), but would probably not do it without giving you both a warning before the fact, and a fair hearing, particularly if your "troubles" stem from their errors or discrepancies. They would not want the bad press that would surely result if they starting knocking off people who were right.

You can initiate an inquiry to them through their bona fide website if you have any concerns about your status.

[MBG]

Best way to find out....try to buy something.

[Alex Franke]

Yeah, I think it's real... lengthy thread over at slickdeals: http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=908910

[jlm]

Doesn't seem like much of a scam to me. It's basically telling you to piss off, and not asking that you do anything or provide any information. If it were a phishing expedition, what would they be hoping to get here? The only link in the message appears to be a legitimate, but generic, amazon.com email address. Phishers usually ask for specific information, or direct you to a bogus web page.

I'd be inclined (especially since you can't log in at Amazon), to take it at face value, especially if you have a history of contacting Amazon's customer support frequently, as they allege. Seems like a pretty harsh punishment to apply (permanent banning) without giving you a warning or anything, though.

[LCHIEN]

Could be the start of a very bad trend.
If it is indeed real and I think it is, then those who contact customer service at a higher rate than others (returning goods or requesting price adjustments, or price match or applying discounts that are legit but not accepted by the Software) are at risk of being excluded from Amazon.

Why? Amazon is founded on the principle that having people shop online frees up personnel since most people will literally fill in the blanks and place their orders electronically. They figure rightly that customer service by real people is expensive. Notice how hard it is to actually contact a person at Amazon. I believe one of their key metrics is productivity - sales per employee and profit per employee, they probably employ the fewest people for sales amount of any major companies. Notice some internet companies make it clear they want you to call them... www.1800contacts.com for instance. The number's part of the web site name. Others have their 800-number on every web page header. At Amazon, you have to drill through about 20 pages to find a telephone number, if even then.

Its the logical extension that their profit gurus notice, like most businesses, that 10% of the customers account for 90% of the customer service calls. You, my friend David, are in the 10%. I'm sure there's some complex formula, but that's the gist of it.

What they have decided is that its cheaper to get rid of even good $$ volume customers and to cut 90% of their CS costs. Probably those transactions, with returns or credits (even if legit) and the CS costs associated (e.g. a 15 minute call with a CS rep can cost them $20 in just labor and burden) eat up all the profit from the sales.

Its regrettable in an indirect way because I am getting of the opinion if a purchase is going to be complex (application of multiple discounts and tie-ins), its going to be a lot of trouble at Amazon. And in the end just not worth it.

So unfortunately just as you can pick and choose your suppliers, the suppliers have the right to pick and choose their customers sometimes.

[cgallery]

Kinda guessing this isn't the end of Amazon's changes. They recently announced a price adjustment policy change. Now they close accounts they deem unprofitable. What's next?