Amazon removed books from my Kindle

[arturg]

This issue is still being investigated?

[endriu]

It happened to me for the third time when installing the new update. I used cable, but still had to connect to the network to activate new features. All the siteloaded ebooks gone. This time I made some preparations, so it didn't take much time to restore everything. Still, super disappointed to see this issue remains unsolved for so long.

[haertig]

The extended timeframe that this has been happening is starting to make things lean away from it being an "issue that needs to be solved" and lean towards being "intentional behavior implemented by Amazon".

Has Amazon even acknowledged the problem yet, or have they remained silent on it? I would assume that someone has reported it to them. This is not something that I keep up with routinely, other than occasionally scanning this thread to see if there have been any updates. It's interesting to read about, but it doesn't affect me personally (100% in airplane mode, always).

[Strether]

This happened to me on Saturday. I have Kindle Unlimited and was trying to download a new book to read. Didn't pay attention and when I saw that my Kindle Unlimited book had downloaded, also saw that all my side-loaded books were gone. All I had left on the Paperwhite were 5 KU books.

Needless to say, no more KU for me and I'll live with my present software.

Jim

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by haertig

Has Amazon even acknowledged the problem yet, or have they remained silent on it? I would assume that someone has reported it to them. This is not something that I keep up with routinely, other than occasionally scanning this thread to see if there have been any updates. It's interesting to read about, but it doesn't affect me personally (100% in airplane mode, always).

I have seen sideloaded books disappear twice on my Paperwhite 10th gen. I have contacted Amazon Canada twice. The first time, I got one of the script runner "tech" support personnel and was told to factory reset my Kindle. The second time, the tech support wanted me to factory reset my Kindle. When I stated that I had already done that and it did not fix the problem, I was told that the tech could not see any record of a previous report of the issue. At that time, I was put on hold while the tech checked with their manager. After ~30 minutes on hold, the call was dropped—that has happened before when I've been on hold for a while and I don't blame Amazon for it.

Since to me, my Kindle is just a test bed for ebooks before they are sent to KDP, it's not a big deal to me since it is not my day-to-day ereader and often sits for a month between uses. Of course, that month between uses may be part of the trigger for the issue.

[arturg]

By the way, does Amazon advertise anywhere that Kindle supports side loading? I have not seeing anywhere mentioning that one can plug in USB and side load books. If you know of such advertisement, can you please share a link to it? Or page number in manual?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by arturg

By the way, does Amazon advertise anywhere that Kindle supports side loading? I have not seeing anywhere mentioning that one can plug in USB and side load books. If you know of such advertisement, can you please share a link to it? Or page number in manual?

Do the words "Download & transfer via USB" and the instructions for it qualify?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Do the words "Download & transfer via USB" and the instructions for it qualify?

Yes.

Also technically it's a crime in many countries to remove / delete files from someone else's system/device/computer.

And a good reason to buy any ereader is the tens of thousands public domain texts out of print. I'm sure Amazon has mentioned that in the past, though their main goal seems to be to sell subscriptions (Prime, KU, Audible, video etc), even to automatically sell again products you buy. They are using "Dark" UX / GUIs to get people to click on subscriptions. That's changed on German site due to court action, but not on the UK Site.

They promised after the Orwell debacle that they'd never delete ebooks again, even if they had be wrongly sold. The copyright issue was up to Amazon to resolve (and pay compensation on), not the customers.

Even if it's a mistake, that will only be a mitigating circumstance in deciding damages. They are absolutely breaking the law in many countries. The "value" of mitigation decreases with each day they let this automated "bug" continue.

[endriu]

Originally Posted by haertig

100% in airplane mode, always

You won't be able to upgrade to 5.16.8 then.

[arturg]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes.

Also technically it's a crime in many countries to remove / delete files from someone else's system/device/computer.

Ok so let's make a class act against Amazon for, say, one million dollars per user?

[Quoth]

The damages would have to be proportionate and that would be a civil suit. Class action cases don't even exist in some countries where this is actually criminal.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by endriu

You won't be able to upgrade to 5.16.8 then.

Actually, that's wrong. You can download the firmware and put it on the Kindle via USB. From what I've read, you won't be able to activate all of the new features without a WiFi connection.

[endriu]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

you won't be able to activate all of the new features

That's what I'm saying.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by endriu

That's what I'm saying.

But that's not how you said it. You said with WiFi off, the firmware would be unable to be upgraded. You said nothing about the new features that need WiFi to activate.

[endriu]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But that's not how you said it. You said with WiFi off, the firmware would be unable to be upgraded. You said nothing about the new features that need WiFi to activate.

Are you intellectually challenged, my friend?