Why You Should Never Consider Buying A Used Kindle
A few months ago, Amazon released a software update to the Kindle firmware that allowed for two things; the ability for Amazon to remotely de-register an authorized user from a particular Kindle, which protected against a nefarious secondary-user from purchasing books under the original owners account. A good thing. In a similar update, Amazon created a "lost/stolen blacklist" which enables Amazon to remotely brick a Kindle that's been reported as lost or stolen. (Technically, it's not a "remote bricking" but that's the end result.)
Which means, if you're ever in the market for a lightly-used, new-in-box Kindle, the original owner of that Kindle could report the serial number to Amazon, and whether or not the Kindle has actually been lost or stolen, the 2nd "owner" will not be able to register or use the device. The Kindle will boot-up, show you the dictionary and its screen saver, but that's it.
In a typical Craigslist transaction, you'd look the seller in the eye, turn on the machine and make sure it works. Give it the once over, looks good, pay the cash. In our world of ever-increasing DRM, and devices that sync one-way with their manufacturers, the manufacturer can decide, at any time, to turn your device into a brick, or remove that George Orwell novel you bought a few months ago. Which means, if you're not the original owner of the Kindle, there's no way to guarantee that the Kindle that looks brand new in the hands of your Craigslist seller will sync-up with Amazon when you take it home.
A tip: if you want to get a deal on a Kindle, and you have time for the legwork of Craigslist, make sure the person you're buying it from is google'able, has ID, and an original bill of sale in their name. If you make a transaction without any of these items, there's a chance your Kindle will end-up on the blacklist and your Kindle will become a minor-league doorstop.
To Amazon's credit, if you're a good samaritan and find yourself in the possession of a blacklisted, bricked Kindle, you can send it Amazon (on your dime) and they say they'll route it back to the original owner. Interestingly, this leaves open the very real possibility of a circular scam in which the original owner (or a friend) sells the Kindle, pockets the cash, and ultimately gets the device back, too. Yay, fraud!
Let's try this a different way: if you can prove you're the original purchaser of a Kindle 2 with the serial #B002A0A085221875, please get in touch this week. Plus, there's video of the ***** who sold me the Kindle, along with his wife and their baby. A happy stolen-goods family!
In the meantime, don't even think about buying a Kindle on the secondary market, even if you just want to read ebooks and the prices are too tempting to ignore while the rest of the world saves up for a backlit iPad.
