Amazon accused of remotely wiping punter’s Kindle

It’s bad enough that when you buy an e-book, you’re really only renting it, but now we hear that at least one e-book seller will, it has been alleged, wipe your device if it sees fit.

Norwegian writer Martin Bekkelund tells the story of a chum, called Linn, who claims to have had her Kindle remotely wiped by Amazon UK.

Linn not unreasonably asked Amazon what was up and was told via email by one Michael Murphy, Executive Customer Relations at Amazon.co.uk, that we have found your account is directly related to another which has been previously closed for abuse of our policies. As such, your Amazon.co.uk account has been closed and any open orders have been cancelled.

As for the remote wipe, Amazons T&Cs say, according to Mr Murphy, that Amazon.co.uk and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or cancel orders at their sole discretion. [our italics]

Bekkelund’s pal maintains she had no Amazon.co.uk account. Instead she says she used Amazon.com. But the British offshoot refused to accept this point — or provide her with any further details that might provide her with a way back to the content she claims she acquired legitimately — via redwolf.newsvine.com