Amazon charged me for a Kindle ebook I never bought

**vetran** · 5 February 2021, 12:21

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

I'm normally pretty slack about checking my online bank statements, and God knows how many sneaky small payments have slipped under the radar. But yesterday I happened to notice a £9.99 charge for "Kindle Svcs*MF43Q8" and on checking my Amazon orders found an order for a Kindle ebook. Curiously the book was the same as a physical book I ordered some months ago.

As I don't own a Kindle, nor ever would, and have thus never ordered a Kindle ebook, I contacted an Amazon bod via chat and obtained a refund.

Thought I'd mention it in case there has been a bug or "feature" introduced into Amazon's systems and lots of people have been charged for a Kindle ebook via unsolicited orders!

Happens on fire tv occasionally. Make sure you set a pin for purchases on each device. They don't have a global setting.

**AtW** · 5 February 2021, 12:22

Avoid browsing MFs shop next time - and use NOSCRIPT plugin

HTH

**d000hg** · 5 February 2021, 12:50

Curious it's something you did own physically. Did you ask Amazon to confirm which device had been used for the order purchase because they should know, and exactly what time?

**OwlHoot** · 5 February 2021, 13:49

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

.. Did you ask Amazon to confirm which device had been used for the order purchase because they should know, and exactly what time?

Hmm, no I didn't. I wasn't aware they would somehow know which device I had used, because I don't recall ever providing this info on their website (although of course they could always obtain a hardware signature of some kind).

I wondered if there was some tick box on the original physical book order page to say "Automatically order future editions or next in series of this when released", which I hadn't noticed was ticked by default. I wouldn't put a trick like that past the money-grubbing feckers.

But then the book was only a novel (one of Mick Herron's excellent Slough House espionage series but I digress), rather than say a textbook on quantum computing or something for which new editions would be likely.

**d000hg** · 5 February 2021, 13:56

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

Hmm, no I didn't. I wasn't aware they would somehow know which device I had used, because I don't recall ever providing this info on their website (although of course they could always obtain a hardware signature of some kind).

I wondered if there was some tick box on the original physical book order page to say "Automatically order future editions or next in series of this when released", which I hadn't noticed was ticked by default. I wouldn't put a trick like that past the money-grubbing feckers.

But then the book was only a novel (one of Nick Herron's excellent Slough House espionage series but I digress), rather than say a textbook on quantum computing or something for which new editions would be likely.

They will log stuff like IP address as a matter of course, if you are using an app rather than website they will know which device it is. Many websites detect when you login to a new device and send you an email etc.

It might be interesting to ask for all information they had on the order just to see.

**Paddy** · 5 February 2021, 14:14

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

I'm normally pretty slack about checking my online bank statements, and God knows how many sneaky small payments have slipped under the radar. But yesterday I happened to notice a £9.99 charge for "Kindle Svcs*MF43Q8" and on checking my Amazon orders found an order for a Kindle ebook. Curiously the book was the same as a physical book I ordered some months ago.

As I don't own a Kindle, nor ever would, and have thus never ordered a Kindle ebook, I contacted an Amazon bod via chat and obtained a refund.

Thought I'd mention it in case there has been a bug or "feature" introduced into Amazon's systems and lots of people have been charged for a Kindle ebook via unsolicited orders!

You don't need a Kindle, it works on a PC and phone.

**Hobosapien** · 5 February 2021, 14:28

Originally posted by vetran View Post

Happens on fire tv occasionally. Make sure you set a pin for purchases on each device. They don't have a global setting.

Did this over crimbo when sharing my Amazon Prime Video with my brother so he could watch the footie (now they let you add profiles for up to 5 other people) without being able to buy or rent anything using my account.

**Hobosapien** · 5 February 2021, 14:30

Originally posted by Paddy View Post

You don't need a Kindle, it works on a PC and phone.

Just as well, my kindle no longer works with Amazon as it's 'too old'.

So using the Kindle browser (Cloud Reader) on my iPad that's older than the kindle.

**OwlHoot** · 5 February 2021, 17:46

Had another look, and it seems the book was only actually published yesterday, 2021-02-04 :

Slough House, by Mick Herron

So what may have happened is that I pre-ordered it months ago, accidently ordering the Kindle edition. So it wasn't an Amazon mishap at all. DOH!

I notice there are already 15 "used" hardback copies for sale, some asking more than the new price! Must be some pretty fast readers out there

Amazon charged me for a Kindle ebook I never bought