What do you think about Amazon putting a bad credit card statement on a Kindle?

14 Comments

  • Sharlene Lewis - 13 years ago

    I had a similar experience. My credit card had expired and I forgot to update it and when I tried to buy something from my Kindle, I got that same message. I don't mind that they reminded me to take care of it, but my mother has a Kindle on my account and she ALSO got the message and then was worried that she owed me money for something she bought on her Kindle. If they can send that message, why don't they word it better or only send it to the primary Kindle? It was kind of embarrassing. They could say there was a problem with the purchase instead of the credit card and ask you to call. Anyway. I don't really care if I get it, I just don't want anyone else to get it!

  • mgk - 13 years ago

    I think you should be notified by the same method that you made the purchase; if you made the purchase from your kindle expect the notice there, if you made the purchase online expect an email, if you made the purchase by phone expect to get a call. I agee with a prior comment, in this day and age a problem usually means an error somewhere, not you are overdrawn/past your credit limit. I would not be embarrassed, and wouldn't care if a family member saw the message myself.

  • karin - 13 years ago

    I would want to know if something was wrong with my credit card, for example the card expired and I didn't change the expiration date for the new card. No, I wouldn't be embarrassed if someone from family saw it. In actuality, I would appreciate it if Amazon let me know right away, that there was a problem, because I would be thinking that there was something wrong with my Kindle. Of course I would login to my email account ASAP to see if I received the order email.

  • John Casteel - 13 years ago

    I have a similar message. I use a dedicated debit card not tied to any bank account and it is my One Click payment on Amazon. From time to time I have attempted to buy more than was on the card. It does not bother me, I just transfer more money to the card.

  • Amy - 13 years ago

    Sorry, forgot to add that, in our case, Amazon did not put a notice on the Kindle, only via email.

  • Amy - 13 years ago

    The credit card attached to our Kindle was compromised in July. Amazon sent an email to let us know that a charge for an ebook couldn't go through. I think that is appropriate and appreciated. In fact, it's how we caught it before the number thief had time to do much charging. I was able to call our bank to see what the problem was before the bank even had time to notify me on their own. However, I don't like the idea of putting the notice on the Kindle, email is sufficient.

  • Bufo Calvin - 13 years ago

    S. and Caroline, my reaction would have been like yours...no big deal. However, if it does bother people, ignoring that is a big deal. I think of Amazon as a customercentric company, and responding to people's feelings is part of that.

    I also mentioned to my reader that I would personally find a phone call much more intrusive.

    Maybe a better way to go would be for the message to read,

    "Please call Amazon at..."

    That's non-specific, and I think would be perceived as more caring about how people feel.

  • S. Painter - 13 years ago

    I received the notice when the credit card on file had expired and I needed to update the information with a new expiration date. I was grateful and happy to get this notification so that I could quickly and easily correct it and move forward with more purchases. I have multiple kindles and apps on my account throughout the family and never thought about being embarrassed. I was grateful. I might have been more upset with a phone call - maybe thinking "why are they tracking me down" but since that didn't happen I'm not sure. I just appreciated the notice and the fact that it was right on the kindle where I was looking for the download made it so noticable. I hope they continue this, and fully back them in this.

    As I have seen on the discussion board, some people are super sensitive or looking for things to complain or fuss about. To me, this is one of them, but to them it might truely be something that upsets them terribly. I just hope Amazon looks at the majority and not at a few.

  • Bufo Calvin - 13 years ago

    Alan, first, let me say that I don't see anything wrong with quoting William Shatner on Saturday Night Live...I believe that's when the phrase "Get a life" was popularized. :)

    Second, I write about a lot of things (related to e-books)...some people consider some things more important and/or entertaining, some people prefer other things. I average more than a post a day...I vary my topics, figuring everybody who subscribes gets their ninety-nine cents a month worth.

    Third, and this is the key point, the person who wrote me was quite upset about it. It wouldn't have bothered me, particularly, but I don't want to assume that the way I feel about it is the way everybody feels about it. When I have a different reaction to something than someone else, I figure that's a good time to do a poll...that lets me (and people who read the blog) get a sense of whether or not it's a topic that perhaps should be addressed. So far, the poll is pretty split (it is just getting started), and that suggests that Amazon might want to look at the practice. For a company that cares about their customers and their ongoing relationships with them, they need to find out and care about how people feel, even if it seems like a small issue. Many companies underestimate the emotional impact of a small practice...something the company could easily change, but doesn't see the point. That's where you'll run into a small irritant that never changes prompting people to eventually dislike your company and perhaps make another choice.

    It's easy to dismiss feelings as unimportant, but I don't think it's the wisest move for a customercentric company.

    I wrote the post primarily because my reader was more upset than I was...and that should always be a cue that I might be missing something that may be upsetting other people.

  • Caroline - 13 years ago

    Not a big deal. People have issues with credit cards all the time...it doesn't mean that people are over-extended on their credit or in debt, just that there was some kind of error. No need for a big fuss!

  • Barbara - 13 years ago

    This happened to me. I used to have this come up when my credit card questioned small amount purchases. The reason it showed up on the kindle was that I had purchased a book to be transmitted to the kindle. Instead of the book, the message appeared. Personally I appreciated the immediate notice so I could resolve the issue right away rather than trying to figure out why a book didn't download. I was able to delete the notice just like deleting a book.

    As far as having other people see the notice, there was a lot less chance of that happening with the notice on the kindle in my hands than if the notice was handled by phone, which could be answered by anyone or by email which is shared with my SO. I think you're off base with you're concern

  • Thomas - 13 years ago

    This has happened to me also. I called them too. I don't think the message stayed on the Kindle
    after the call though.

  • Alan - 13 years ago

    Good grief. What a waste of time to worry about, take a poll, blather . Aren't there more pressing things to write about. I'd say get a life but that would be insulting, embarraassing? Not for me. Gheeze.

  • Alan - 13 years ago

    Good grief. What a waste of time to worry about, take a poll, blather . Aren't there more pressing things to write about. I'd say get a life but that would be insulting, embarraassing? Not for me. Gheeze.

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