Way OT: kindle lost

[malcolm]

I recently left my amazon kindle on a flight from turks and caicos to atlanta. I remembered as soon as I got home and called lost and found and after a couple of days dealing with them decided to call amazon to make sure books weren't being bought with my account. The guy at amazon told me my kindle and been de-registered from my name and reregistered the day after I lost it. I asked if he could tell who re registered and he said he couldn't give me that information. I have the serial number on the box it came in and a receipt showing I purchased it. Do I have any recourse? Amazon knows I bought it and have proof of purchase yet they allowed it to be re registered and used. Their comment was we can't be the police in these matters. Seems a little shady to me they know it was at least lost if not stolen and yet continue to service it even re register it in a different name. What say you?

[1centaur]

From Amazon's perspective, you could have sold it, or you could be a nutcase who wants to go take care of this yourself in a way that would leave the current user's family looking at Amazon as leading you to the user. They are right in implying it's a police matter. Not sure how "found and kept" plays in the world of grand larceny, but if the person who re-registered it does not have proof of purchase from you I think you should be able to use your local police to put the pieces together in some official guise. In any event, I'd call them and ask for their advice.

[nahtnoj]

Is the Kindle in the US at least?

[Ray]

Damn Malcolm - that sucks. I guess I have to give the finder some credit for de-registering it and at least having the decency to pay for their own damn material on it. I too, can see Amazon's point, but all of my sympathies and instincts go towards you on this. Amazon should have some way of at least contacting the new "owner" and letting them know that the Kindle had been reported lost or stolen and see if they own up. Maybe a stock email to "finders" or thieves giving them your email address and the ability to contact you if their conscience ever gets the better of them. If they don't, I don't know that you have any recourse, but I would think Amazon should at least do that much for you as a customer.

I'm highly attached to my Kindle, particularly when I travel, and would be hugely bummed to lose it. But at least you have all of your material paid for and you can buy a new one and just re-upload the material. Its not cheap, but I guess losing it is a losing proposition unless you get a particularly honest "finder". Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like that happened in this case. :mad:

Good luck, but unfortunately, I think the good luck you coulda had is gone.

-Ray

[malcolm]

I understand amazons position and agree with it, but there has to be some mechanism in place to account for this. I can prove I purchased it, Maybe you should have to prove ownership before you can deregister and reregister in another name.

I called them back today and got more of the story, you can file a police report and then call their subpoena line and I think the info will be released to law enforcement assuming they are interested.

[chuckred]

I understand amazons position and agree with it, but there has to be some mechanism in place to account for this. I can prove I purchased it, Maybe you should have to prove ownership before you can deregister and reregister in another name.

I called them back today and got more of the story, you can file a police report and then call their subpoena line and I think the info will be released to law enforcement assuming they are interested.

Maybe Dante's Inferno? Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, etc... might freak them out to start getting a bunch of devil literature!

[malcolm]

Maybe Dante's Inferno? Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, etc... might freak them out to start getting a bunch of devil literature!


good idea but they deregistered me or effectively closed my account and opened their own.

[sc53]

I would try with your local police--but if you lost it, eg left it on a plane, it doesn't seem like a theft or other criminal activity actually took place, so they may not be able to do anything! I wish they would at least email the new user and let them know that the previous owner did not INTEND to abandon the Kindle and would like it back! How about calling the airline? Not that that would do anything either....
sorry that you did not come upon a charitable finder.

[malcolm]

I've already spoken with the airlines, very friendly and attempted to be helpful but not much they could do.

You really can't just find things actively deregister the owner and register yourself. Say you find a car with the keys in it and drive off and attempt to register it in your name. I think that is illegal.

[Ken Robb]

Another thought: the person with it now might have bought it in good faith from the person who found it.

Cars have titles to help prove ownership but regular personal property probably goes back to possession being 9 points of the law. I hope I'm wrong about this. Let us know what you learn.

[Joellogicman]

Is the Kindle in the US at least?

Currently Amazon's Kindle service works only through Sprint's domestic network.

I'm guessing Malcolm had some reading material down loaded on the Kindle before going abroad (or maybe Turks & Caicos is in Sprint's domestic network?)

[goonster]

Applicable common law (from Wikipedia):

Property is generally deemed to have been mislaid or misplaced if it is found in a place where the true owner likely did intend to set it, but then simply forgot to pick it up again. For example, a wallet found in a shop lying on a counter near a cash register will likely be deemed misplaced rather than lost. Under common law principles, the finder of a misplaced object has a duty to turn it over to the owner of the premises, on the theory that the true owner is likely to return to that location to search for his misplaced item. If the true owner does not return within a reasonable time (which varies considerably depending on the circumstances), the property becomes that of the owner of the premises.

[Ray]

Currently Amazon's Kindle service works only through Sprint's domestic network.

I'm guessing Malcolm had some reading material down loaded on the Kindle before going abroad (or maybe Turks & Caicos is in Sprint's domestic network?)
Right, but if you're not in a place where the Sprint network is available, you can download the books onto your computer and then transfer them to the Kindle with a cable. I assume that includes away from the US, although I'm not sure if a Kindle can be registered to a non-US address. I doubt any of this matters, though - sounds like Malcolm left it on the plane when he got off in Atlanta, so the Kindle is probably still living in the US, but it could be ANYwhere based on the amount of traffic that passes through Atlanta's airport.

-Ray

[malcolm]

it was left in a seat back pocket in front of my seat. If you buy electronics from a person not authorized to sell unless you know for sure it is his property you run the risk of being in possession of stolen property.

I certainly don't know the law and I agree I was a bone head for leaving it, but the fact that amazon just de registers me and re registers someone else rubs me the wrong way. The most irritating thing is i can't recall ever leaving a book on a plane and I loved my kindle.

I'm going to the police station thursday and attempting to file a report and will then contact the appropriate people at amazon and see where that gets me. I'll keep you guys posted.

Thanks for the advice and comments, Malcolm

[Ray]

Just out of curiosity, was it a first or second generation Kindle?

If it was a first gen, I'd just use this as an excuse to buy a 2nd gen. If it was a second, well, you'll probably eventually have to just bite the bullet and buy a new one. I hope you get lucky somehow, but I just don't see how you're gonna recover it.

I had the first gen and didn't see much to get excited about with the second gen. I wouldn't have bought one just to upgrade. But then my wife got me a second gen for my birthday a couple of months ago and I'm REALLY glad she did. There are a lot of little details that makes it MUCH more user friendly and even more of a pleasure to use. The books are the same books, obviously, but the new Kindle makes 'em disappear into the words even more than the first one did. If it was a first gen and you want to buy a replacement, I have one gathering dust that I can't convince my wife to try. If you want it, let me know, I'll give you a good deal on it. But if it was a second gen, you really want to replace it with a second gen.

-Ray

[gmork]

That's a real bummer. I had my laptop stolen this year and was hoping that apple could flag it somehow so if someone brought it to be serviced sometime down the road, it would turn up stolen. No dice. Unfortunately and understandably, the companies that sell us goods would like to stay far way from any disputes they can.

In the end with my laptop all I could do was hope someone would log into my email or go on my website and I could log the IP address. I figure if I had an IP address I could at least take that to the police and maybe it would lead somewhere.

Ultimately, I think my computer was just reformatted and I never got any leads, but I wonder if amazon tracks IP addresses of whoever unregistered and then registered it. The IP address might lead to an ISP and maybe, just maybe police would be willing to follow up. However, there is always the chance that whoever is using it bought it from someone else. That might be one approach you could take, although it requires police, the ISP, and amazon to be willing to take the time and effort. Good luck to you.

[Peter P.]

Stop the dreaming and contact your local police. You have enough information that the police should be able to contact Amazon, obtain the individual's information, and at least put the fear of God into them. Police can trace cell phone calls and track down stolen credit card usage; what you're asking is cake.

I don't know much about Kindles, but don't they have any password protection so they can't be unlocked, wiped clean, and reregistered? Sounds like Amazon dropped the ball on this one.

[malcolm]

Just out of curiosity, was it a first or second generation Kindle?

If it was a first gen, I'd just use this as an excuse to buy a 2nd gen. If it was a second, well, you'll probably eventually have to just bite the bullet and buy a new one. I hope you get lucky somehow, but I just don't see how you're gonna recover it.

I had the first gen and didn't see much to get excited about with the second gen. I wouldn't have bought one just to upgrade. But then my wife got me a second gen for my birthday a couple of months ago and I'm REALLY glad she did. There are a lot of little details that makes it MUCH more user friendly and even more of a pleasure to use. The books are the same books, obviously, but the new Kindle makes 'em disappear into the words even more than the first one did. If it was a first gen and you want to buy a replacement, I have one gathering dust that I can't convince my wife to try. If you want it, let me know, I'll give you a good deal on it. But if it was a second gen, you really want to replace it with a second gen.

-Ray

It was a 2nd and I agree they are great after about 5 minutes you forget you are not reading paper.

[Ray]

I wonder if amazon tracks IP addresses of whoever unregistered and then registered it. The IP address might lead to an ISP and maybe, just maybe police would be willing to follow up.
Its not NEARLY that complicated. To register a Kindle, you need to have an existing account with Amazon or open a new one. In either case, for Amazon to be able to bill you for content, they have a credit card number, an email address, and your friggin HOME ADDRESS! Them being able to track this person down is not the issue - they have ALL of the information.

Its about their willingness to inject themselves into this kind of dispute. And their willingness is nil unless legally compelled to. While I wish they'd help Malcolm out in this situation, I can fully understand their desire to stay as far away from these kinds of disputes as they can. They have no idea who the rightful owner is and they don't want to spend their time trying to figure it out - I can't blame 'em for that. Unless contacted by law enforcement and compelled to give up information, they won't. Which seems to be Malcolm's only recourse at this point.

-Ray