09 Jun 11 Unauthorized Kindle Purchases: Amazon Responds
There is an increased risk of unauthorized purchases being made on my school library’s Amazon account. Here’s why: My library has increased its collection of Kindles from two to six. You see, more Kindles mean more possible visits to the Kindle Store and more possible buying. Because Amazon chooses to allow one-click purchasing from all Kindles, it is quite easy for any Kindle user to navigate to the Kindle Store and choose new titles. Although some libraries are beginning to embrace patron-driven acquisition, for others unfettered one-click purchasing represents a serious problem. Besides the risk of inappropriate content being transferred to the device, there’s the potential of having to contend with a big bill. In an effort to thwart this threat, I recently attempted to cap potential loss by attaching a gift card to my library’s Amazon account. This didn’t work. The credit card that’s associated with the account, the card that was necessary to first open the account, is still exposed to potential buying sprees. Deauthorizing each Kindle before checkout could solve my problem, but at this point the Kindles cannot connect to my school’s wifi. To make certain that I wasn’t overlooking another solution to the problem, I instant messaged Amazon’s customer service. The attention and courteousness of the customer service rep was commendable, but the recommended solutions were of no help. Here’s the transcript of the chat, which occurred on Wednesday, June 8, 2011:
You are now connected to Amit from Amazon.com.
Me: I work in a library. I have six kindles regsitered with my account and I have a corporate credit card associated with the account. I would like to be able to prevent purchases on the kindles or I would like to be able to remove the credit card and strictly use gift card balances for purchases. Can you help? 10:24:16 AM
Amit: Hello, my name is Amit. I will be happy to help you. 10:24:33 AM
Amit: I need to transfer you to kindle team. 10:24:52 AM
Me: ok 10:25:12 AM
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.You are now connected to Amazon from Amazon.com.
Amazon: Hello, my name is Swathi. I’ll be happy to help you today. 10:27:29 AM
Me: I work in a library. I have six kindles regsitered with my account and I have a corporate credit card associated with the account. I would like to be able to prevent purchases on the kindles or I would like to be able to remove the credit card and strictly use gift card balances for purchases. Can you help? 10:28:11 AM
Amazon: Thanks for the information provided. I will be glad to assist you. 10:29:43 AM
Amazon: I have checked your account and see that the current gift card balance is $25. 10:30:29 AM
Amazon: I understand that you want to use the gift certificate balance to your Kindle purchases. 10:31:19 AM
Me: Yes, but I also want to prevent buying on the credit card in the event the gift card balance were to be depleted. I want to minimize the potential loss from unauthorized purchases. 10:32:25 AM
Amazon: To ensure that no one else can use 1-Click purchasing on your account, you’ll just need to sign out of your account when you’re done using it. Click the “Sign out” link above the Self Service Tools box in the right-hand column of our Help pages at any time to exit your Amazon.com account. 10:34:09 AM
Me: I am worried about purchasing made from the kindle itself, not from within my amazon.com account. Can you help with that issue? 10:35:45 AM
Amazon: Thanks for the confirmation. I will help you out with this. 10:36:42 AM
Amazon: Can I have 2 minutes while I do a research on this matter. 10:37:16 AM
Me: Yes, of course. Thank you. 10:37:30 AM
Amazon: Sorry to have kept you on wait. 10:38:47 AM
Amazon: I am sorry currently we do not have an option to avoid unauthorized purchases from your Kindle Devices. 10:39:37 AM
Amazon: However, as an alternative you can set a password on the Settings screen. 10:40:26 AM
Me: Could you please explain that option? 10:41:04 AM
Amazon: Sure. 10:41:15 AM
Amazon: I will guide you through the steps to do so? 10:41:57 AM
Me: ok 10:42:06 AM
Amazon:Thank you. 10:42:17 AM
Amazon: Firstly, I request you to Navigate the Kindle’s Home screen and press the Menu button. 10:42:54 AM
Amazon: Then, Select “Settings” from the Home screen menu. 10:43:28 AM
Me: ok 10:43:32 AM
Amazon: Once you’re done with that, Select the “turn on” option next to Device Password on the Settings page.10:44:03 AM
Me: I don’t see that. 10:45:09 AM
Amazon: Is it clear till here? Can I proceed further? 10:45:09 AM
Me: I see Registration and Device Info. 10:45:30 AM
Amazon: Are you trying this on your 2G kindle? 10:45:53 AM
Me: Yes, but I can get a newer kindle. Please hold on. 10:46:36 AM
Amazon: Sure. 10:46:45 AM
Me: On the Settings screen I now see Registration, Device Name, Wi-Fi Settings, and Device Info. 10:48:13 AM
Amazon: Do you see a device password? 10:48:54 AM
Amazon: You can see this on the second page 10:50:01 AM
Me: No, I do not. In order to get to the Settings screen, I have to go through the Menu button, correct? 10:50:14 AM
Amazon: Yes, Correct. 10:50:34 AM
Me: Oh yes, my mistake. I do see it on the second page. 10:50:44 AM
Amazon: Okay. Now can you please select the “turn on” option next to Device Password on the Settings page. 10:51:27 AM
Me: Wouldn’t this prevent a library patron from reading as well as purchasing? 10:51:52 AM
Amazon: Yes, It prevents from reading as well as purchasing. 10:53:00 AM
Amazon: Can we proceed for the further steps? 10:53:18 AM
Me: I’m not sure how this begins to solve the problem that I have. I’m wondering why amazon couldn’t simply password-protect accounts, like the iTunes Store does. 10:54:21 AM
Me: Is there another way that I could handle the issue? 10:54:37 AM
You are now reconnected with Amazon.
Amazon: Are you there? 10:55:25 AM
Me: Yes. 10:55:32 AM
Amazon: Thanks for confirmation 10:55:40 AM
Amazon: Can we proceed with the steps? 10:55:57 AM
Me: Sure, if you think that they’re going to address my problem. Thank you. 10:56:29 AM
Amazon: Yes, surly it will be of help. 10:57:21 AM
Amazon: Enter your new password twice and also enter a hint to help you remember the password. 10:57:39 AM
Me: Ok, but will this option prevent the patron from reading? Will I have to share the password in order for the patron to read? And, if so, wouldn’t the patron then be able to navigate to the kindle store and make purchases on my account? 10:59:06 AM
Amazon: Yes, if you share your password with the patron, then they will get an option to read and purchase. However, we do no have any specific security option to restrict from Kindle purchases. 11:01:38 AM
Me: Ok. Thank you for your assistance. 11:02:13 AM
Amazon: So, you do not prefer to create a security password on your Kindle screen? 11:02:43 AM
Me: No. That does not help in this situation. Thank you. 11:03:19 AM
Amazon: Okay, I will take this as a feedback and forward to our improvement team. 11:03:54 AM
Amazon: However, just for you to know gift certificates will be directly credited from your account for any kind of Kindle content purchases upto you Gift certificate balance in your account. 11:05:10 AM
Me: Ok, but will purchases then be made on the credit card? In other words, If there’s $25 on my gift balance, could someone be able to make $500 worth of purchases? 11:07:16 AM
Amazon: As an alternative to restrict anyone else purchase from your Kindle you can remove the Payment method associated with “1 Click settings in your account. 11:11:30 AM
Amazon: Whenever you would want to purchase content, you can add the payment method again to 1-Click settings. 11:12:46 AM
Me: That seems impractical, unless I can replace the credit card as the primary payment and make a gift card the primary method. That doesn’t seem to be possible, however. The only change that I can make is to add a different credit card or debit card. 11:13:22 AM
Amazon: I am sorry as of now this is the only alternative option we have to restrict the purchases. 11:15:06 AM
Me: Ok. Thank you. I will sign off now. 11:15:27 AM
Amazon: Is there anything else that I can help you with?11:16:16 AM
Me: No. Thank you. 11:16:26 AM
Amazon: We hope to see you again soon! Please click the “End Chat” link to close this window. 11:16:51 AM
Me: Ok. 11:17:09 AM
15 May 11 Ereaders in Your Library
May 2011 New Hampshire School Library Media Association Conference presentation: Ereaders in Your Library. My part of a panel presentation. Other presenters: Kelly Budd, Dot Grazier, and Pam Harland.
25 Jun 10 iPads in libraries? Not an easy decision.
I just canceled my print subscription to the Wall Street Journal because I found that I was most frequently reading it on my iPad. The Journal’s iPad app is one of the best I’ve seen and, like the iBooks and Kindle apps, it provides a truly excellent reading experience. Many magazines and newspapers offer content for the iPad and I can begin to envision a library’s periodical collection being made available this way. Clearly this would be cool and convenient. Yet, I’m not sure that iPads deserve a place in the library.
While noted blogger and speaker David Lee King has recently talked about “quite a few uses for an iPad in a library setting,” I’m wondering if its multiple uses completely undermines its usefulness as a serious reading tool. After all, unlike Amazon’s Kindle, which in its simplicity provides a more traditional and intimate reading experience, the iPad is loaded with distractions: Safari, YouTube, iTunes, and of course the App Store. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, an author laments the Internet’s constant distractions and interruptions and asks, “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?” Perhaps the same could be asked of the iPad. Is the App Store just one more thing promoting a wide-spread turn toward shallow thinking?
Modern libraries are, of course, about much more than books. I’ve argued, in fact, that libraries should have widespread computers and technology. Yet, there is definitely a difference between technology for productivity purposes and technology for content consumption purposes. The Tech Guy Leo Laporte talks about iPads as replacements for entertainment tools, but not computers. I think he’s right. My iPad does a lot, but it’s a far cry from my laptop. That means that the iPad is not a computer but is much more than an ebook reader. And this, in my view, makes it an awkward fit for a library.
As an educational tool, the iPad’s potential is enormous. The number of apps in the App Store is growing at an amazing rate. But, I have to wonder if the educational tool can be justified as a library tool. Several questions need answering: Do libraries want to provide this type of entertainment tool, even if it has educational use? If so, will it be loaned or used strictly in-house? Would patrons be permitted to add content and apps? If so, what types? If not, how could that be prevented? What content will the library provide? Fiction books? If so, the iPad would amount to a really costly ereader. Could the iPad contain reference sources and act as a portable reference collection? The answer to this is, perhaps in the future, but not presently, as neither the iBooks Store nor the Kindle Store offer many reference titles. And one final question (from the Library Law Blog): Do prohibitions against lending the Apple software even allow for library usage?
Library mission statements often talk about meeting patron “recreational needs,” “promoting life-long learning,” and providing “access to modern technology.” Maybe in this language librarians can find support for iPad use. And maybe I’m just looking at this subject way too narrowly. As of right now, I’m really not sure. Besides, I’m on my iPad and I’m now distracted.
My Library Site
- Book Reviews: Copper Sun, The Social Animal, The Geography of Bliss December 28, 2011
- Improved Access to The Times December 7, 2011
- Nominate Books for NH Award December 6, 2011
My LibraryThing
- Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper December 27, 2011jrpalin's review: "While the book's depiction of slave capturing in Africa seems realistic, the book's historical realism declines when the main character Amari reaches America. The story powerfully shows the cruelty of slavery, but too many scenes seem contrived merely to keep readers interested, rather than educated about the psychologi […]
- The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner December 27, 2011jrpalin's review: "In search of the world’s happiest place, the author travels widely, tells of his findings, and arrives at several conclusions about what makes people happy. It seems that money helps some, low expectations a little more, and a few other things like living within cultures of limited diversity. By interacting with interesting local […]
- The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks December 27, 2011jrpalin's review: "The book is odd, amounting to a psychological analysis of two fictional characters, Erica and Harold. Their development, from birth to adulthood to old age, is chronicled in a story of personal and professional successes, mistakes, failures, and problem solving. At times the author seems to try overly hard to make the characters […]