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Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

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Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#231

Post by unreal37 »

Semaphor wrote: post #140
unreal37 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you attempt to use a credit card that you haven't used in years, the bank will similarly ask you to verify your identity. I don't think it's weird that unused valuable accounts need re-identification when you start to use them again. I don't mind anti-spam measures in cases which are common spam techniques. Hijacking unused accounts is common enough to warrant an approach like this.

> the bank will similarly ask you to verify your identity I doubt that. The bank will either cancel my account long before that, or it will work. > Hijacking unused accounts is common enough Ah, yes, for all my 20 or 30 followers, can’t have them see a single image, and of course, the hijackers also hijack the computer those accounts are from, so the IP belongs to the same entity it always did.

Credit card companies run sophisticated anti-fraud operations in real time. Visa "analyzes more than 500 unique risk attributes" the moment you attempt to make a purchase with a card.

They make decisions in milliseconds on each purchase to determine whether it might be fraud. This includes looking at past purchase history to see if this transaction is unusual.[1]

[1] https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/security/outsmarting-fr...

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#232

Post by JKCalhoun »

mihaaly wrote: post #182
arthur_sav wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just Amazon. All big tech companies have this "trigger happy" approach to closing down accounts. Especially payment companies. I believe we need to pass down new consumer laws to protect the people. We pretty much rely on their services and they have no accountability.

I sense that some of this trigger happy approach is coming from other consumer protection laws triggered by the society (through popularity hungry polititians) demanding action from someone and anyone when one or some adverse parties use technology and services with harmful intent. Not all of course, companies with too much power act hostile just for the sake of it (means random management bullshit from power obsesse…

Apart from just hoping the companies come around, what do you suggest then? Or are we perhaps just screwed and have to walk on eggshells when we are on the internet?

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#233

Post by tyingq »

vifon wrote: post #59
Yeri wrote: post #28

Summary: The YouTuber had his Amazon affiliate account canceled after 7 years without warning or evidence of wrongdoing. The reason given was that purchases made through his links were for personal use or made by friends and family, which he denies. He finds the timing suspicious as it came a week after he made a video criticizing Amazon for canceling a customer's account for a racist doorbell claim. He argues that t…

> The reason given was that purchases made through his links were for personal use or made by friends and family, which he denies. Why is this even a problem? A purchase is a purchase.

They do have a policy that they deduct purchases for friends/family, but the tone of the wording is that they seem to recognize it happens:

"Why is there a deduction for personal use of the program?

We do not pay referral commissions for products you purchase through your own links. This includes orders for customers, orders on behalf of customers, and orders for products to be used by you, your friends, your relatives, or your associates in any manner. Due to the proprietary nature of the way we determine if the order was personal, we can't share the full list of criteria by which we detect these ineligible orders."

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/node/topic/G46FTB8...

I don't read anything there, or in further text that sounds like you'll get banned. Just that they might exclude those purchases from paying out affiliate fees.

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#234

Post by sidewndr46 »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #211
plagiarist wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it just retaliation for sake of retaliation? The company won't be financially affected either way. I wouldn't be surprised at all if some fragile ego called this in.

> The company won't be financially affected either way. Until the FTC or his Representative start to cost them real money.

If anything I'd expect the federal government to give them a pat on the head.

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#235

Post by netbioserror »

Yeri wrote: post #28

Summary: The YouTuber had his Amazon affiliate account canceled after 7 years without warning or evidence of wrongdoing. The reason given was that purchases made through his links were for personal use or made by friends and family, which he denies. He finds the timing suspicious as it came a week after he made a video criticizing Amazon for canceling a customer's account for a racist doorbell claim. He argues that t…

I once had a fraudster inexplicably start hitting a debit card I never used using an "Amazon Seller" source. They kept trying even after I closed the card. Because I am not actually a seller myself, Amazon support outright told me "No, we're not going to help you." Left it to my bank, who only compensated me after a police report.

What a mess.

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#236

Post by JKCalhoun »

sfjailbird wrote: post #143
Yeri wrote: post #28

Summary: The YouTuber had his Amazon affiliate account canceled after 7 years without warning or evidence of wrongdoing. The reason given was that purchases made through his links were for personal use or made by friends and family, which he denies. He finds the timing suspicious as it came a week after he made a video criticizing Amazon for canceling a customer's account for a racist doorbell claim. He argues that t…

Thanks for the summary but you're burying the lede - what the hell is a racist door bell?

> what the hell is a racist door bell?

Perhaps a door bell that grew up in a well-off (maybe even a gated) community that learned to fear people that are different?

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#237

Post by DubiousPusher »

arethuza wrote: post #125
arthur_sav wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just Amazon. All big tech companies have this "trigger happy" approach to closing down accounts. Especially payment companies. I believe we need to pass down new consumer laws to protect the people. We pretty much rely on their services and they have no accountability.

"The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can." Thucydides , ~5th century BC

In the absence of law, there is only power.

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#238

Post by burnished »

izacus wrote: post #226
burnished wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please think about what you say before you say it.

I thought exactly what I said.

You clearly didn't - that person doesnt spam or otherwise repeat comments

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#239

Post by InTheArena »

mrcartmeneses wrote: post #136

The anger in these videos is palpable. He’s doing us a great service by championing right to repair and consumer tech rights. But he needs a three-week holiday to Thailand before he snaps

With all due respect to Louis - he always sounds angry.

Re: Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]

#240

Post by Eisenstein »

mihaaly wrote: post #182
arthur_sav wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just Amazon. All big tech companies have this "trigger happy" approach to closing down accounts. Especially payment companies. I believe we need to pass down new consumer laws to protect the people. We pretty much rely on their services and they have no accountability.

I sense that some of this trigger happy approach is coming from other consumer protection laws triggered by the society (through popularity hungry polititians) demanding action from someone and anyone when one or some adverse parties use technology and services with harmful intent. Not all of course, companies with too much power act hostile just for the sake of it (means random management bullshit from power obsesse…

Ah yes, the old 'companies are screwing us but it is regulation that is the real problem' argument that seems to disregard everything that reality and history presents.

Hint: if you have no evidence of something but believe it because of an underlying philosophy, you should figure out how true it is before arguing its case.

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