Author Topic: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!  (Read 26670 times)

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Online SiliconWizard

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #50 on: June 13, 2023, 10:14:26 pm »
If you do no behave, you'll be grounded. :-DD
 

Offline langwadt

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #51 on: June 13, 2023, 10:18:09 pm »
If you do no behave, you'll be grounded. :-DD

except Amazon went directly to second part with no warning or even a question
 
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Offline TimFox

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #52 on: June 13, 2023, 10:24:46 pm »
I approve of employers protecting their employees from unprovoked customer attacks.
However, the procedure described here by Amazon is amazingly inappropriate and bad, both in verifying the accusation and in blocking unrelated paid services.
Question to anyone with similar Amazon-operated equipment:
Have you read the terms-of-service for the equipment;  if so, what do they say about this situation?
 

Offline MK14

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #53 on: June 13, 2023, 10:40:03 pm »
Question to anyone with similar Amazon-operated equipment:
Have you read the terms-of-service for the equipment;  if so, what do they say about this situation?

Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so.

Source:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html

Heading at top of page:
Quote
Security and Privacy  ›  Legal Policies  ›
Conditions of Use & Sale

Last updated on 17 November, 2022.

Section:
Quote
6. YOUR ACCOUNT

You may need your own Amazon account to use certain Amazon Services, and you may be required to be logged into the account and have a valid payment method associated with it.

If there is a problem charging your selected payment method we may charge any other valid payment method associated with your account. Click Your Payments and then Manage payment options to manage options.

If you use any Amazon Service you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer, and to the extent permitted by applicable law you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password. You should take all necessary steps to ensure that the password is kept confidential and secure and should inform us immediately if you have any reason to believe that your password has become known to anyone else, or if the password is being, or is likely to be used in an unauthorised manner. You are responsible for ensuring that the details you provide us with are correct and complete, and for informing us of any changes to the information you have provided. You can access your information in the Your Account section of the website. Please see our Protecting Your Privacy Help Page to access your personal information.

You must not use any Amazon Service: (i) in any way that causes, or is likely to cause, any Amazon Service, or any access to it to be interrupted, damaged or impaired in any way, or (ii) for fraudulent purposes, or in connection with a criminal offence or other unlawful activity, or (iii) to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety.

We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so. This will in particular be the case if you are in breach of applicable laws, applicable contractual provisions, our guidelines or our policies, which are all accessible on the website. Notwithstanding any such limitation or termination, you will continue to have access to content and services purchased by you up to that point.
 
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Offline Ed.Kloonk

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #54 on: June 13, 2023, 10:43:12 pm »
As a bit of a nonchalant observer of this type of Jerry Springer stuff...

I haven't been able to discover just exactly what the Amazon person 'thought' that they actually heard.
iratus parum formica
 
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Online SiliconWizard

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #55 on: June 13, 2023, 10:49:14 pm »
Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so.

I've never read such a stupid statement in a ToS, how can anyone agree to this?
OTOH, written this way, I don't think it would hold any value in court. So the guy should sue and curb the crap out of Amazon.
 
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Offline wraper

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #56 on: June 13, 2023, 11:06:00 pm »
Amazon UK:
Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so. This will in particular be the case if you are in breach of applicable laws, applicable contractual provisions, our guidelines or our policies, which are all accessible on the website. Notwithstanding any such limitation or termination, you will continue to have access to content and services purchased by you up to that point.
So it seems they acted against their own ToS.
EDIT: so in UK you have some rights, Amazon.com ToS are completely different: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GLSBYFE9MGKKQXXM
Quote
Amazon reserves the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, terminate your rights to use Amazon Services, remove or edit content, or cancel orders in its sole discretion.
Read as we can fuck you over on a whim.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2023, 11:17:15 pm by wraper »
 
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Offline tom66

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #57 on: June 13, 2023, 11:06:48 pm »
Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so.

I've never read such a stupid statement in a ToS, how can anyone agree to this?
OTOH, written this way, I don't think it would hold any value in court. So the guy should sue and curb the crap out of Amazon.

Not a lawyer but doubt a lawsuit would go anywhere.

I'm pretty sure that a company can refuse to give service to almost anyone providing they're not discriminating on a protected term (so they can't refuse to serve you if you're gay, but they can refuse to serve you if you're homophobic, because homophobia isn't a protected characteristic.)  14th amendment I think?

At that point it comes down to whether Amazon had good cause to believe the customer had broken the T&C's.  Not au fait on the US legal system, but I would have thought that these things would be determined on the balance of probabilities, as it's a civil matter.  Customer can try to sue, but Amazon would argue they acted responsibly based on an employee complaint, and are not obliged to offer service.  At best, customer might be entitled to a refund for remaining service costs - e.g. Prime membership.  Doubt that would extend to a refund for the devices purchased, they are still usable, just not with the customer's account.
 
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Offline Marco

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #58 on: June 13, 2023, 11:38:32 pm »
Since this hasn't blown up to national levels Amazon probably shouldn't respond this too officially and just throw fuel on the fire, but if they aren't at this very moment reforming their procedures they are idiots.

These kind of ecosystem accounts represents immense value and historical data to people ... disturbing the trust people have in it can never be worth it. If he had come out in a KKK hood and burned an Amazon driver in effigy they still shouldn't have cut off his account, it's an incredibly stupid way to run your business.
 
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Offline MK14

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #59 on: June 14, 2023, 12:07:55 am »
I suppose an analogy, would be if an energy company, provided electricity, gas, water, TV/on-demand (like Netflix) and phone services, to your home.

Then, because of a misunderstanding as to what your automatic doorbell voice said to a meter reader or other energy provider representative (e.g. for smart meters), they thought it sounded racist.

So, all your services (Electricity, gas, water, TV/on-demand and phone services), were permanently cut-off from your home, because of this.

There would be a huge out-cry, it could be dangerous to some more vulnerable members of society and could make the home semi-unsellable (or unrentable).

So, in the same way, an Electricity company in the UK, CAN'T disconnect your electricity supply, without extremely good reasons indeed and perhaps a court order as well.  E.g. Because you haven't paid for electricity for the last 15 months, and refuse or can't pay.

This (suspension and/or banning) could be an issue.

As I see it, Amazon are trying to manipulate themselves to be a massively giant monopoly, for selling you all kinds of stuff.  So being permanently banned from access from all of that, is potentially a big issue for many people.

So, maybe there are some real issues, e.g. legal ones and human rights etc.

I suppose you can say that electricity/water etc are essential services, but buying items from Amazon is not.  But even so, it is still food for thought.
 
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Offline Ed.Kloonk

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #60 on: June 14, 2023, 12:29:24 am »
Famously here, Amazon thought it was big enough to stand up to the Aust Govt when it was decided to include/enforce GST on imported products. Amazon spat the dummy and refused to cooperate by enacting a dumbed-down Australian version of the global site which has no real world inventory.

Now eBay and ali-x has the market share. Well done, Amazon. :slow-hand-clap:

iratus parum formica
 
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Online coppercone2

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #61 on: June 14, 2023, 01:07:19 am »
amazon should not be messing with peoples SHELTERS.

So what you get your security sys disabled because someone said something? Smart light on the stair case stops working?  Thermostat turns off? answering machine misses a urgent call? don't get an alarm to get your self to work?

That is like getting hacked by word of mouth.

A lot easier to do a break in too if you can degrade a house with things that have security-esque functions too. It's gonna end up being standard procedure for a break in I take it. You know, so you don't have Alexa or circumstantial evidence from sensors to worry about.  :o

And what does this do to increase safety for drivers. Unless there is a sentry gun up it just feels like you are protecting people from really half assed pranks.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2023, 01:13:34 am by coppercone2 »
 
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Online coppercone2

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #62 on: June 14, 2023, 01:20:22 am »
Today on "Why cloud based smart-homes are a dumb idea", episode #3489
There's no such thing as the "cloud".
Just someone else's computer.

I laughed the first time I heard of the Client-Server relationship being rebranded as "cloud computing".

Those of us of a certain age remember when "cloud computing" was the only practical and economic option.

Everybody heaved a sigh of relief when we were finally able to own and control our own data, and weren't held hostage by the Timesharing companies. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.

Anybody that discusses Oracle + gonads in palms wiil be guilty of derailing the topic :)

hahha yeah I read some many jokes about mainframes and sharing on like olddd usenet posts and stuff. My only experience with 'workstations' that were locally cloud networked was horrible! 70's university life
 
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Offline John B

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #63 on: June 14, 2023, 01:44:05 am »
I am on Louis Rossman's wavelength when it comes to this:

Amazon *shouldn't* be doing this sort of thing.

There's also no technical reason why amazon or any other company cannot create a device that functions independently and cannot be remotely rendered useless like this. It is a choice that they all made.

Outside a technical community, people know virtually nothing about this technology. The only long lasting solution is for people to be informed about this topic, and if they value privacy, independence and the right to actually own and control what you've purchased, only they can make the choice to continue using these products or not.

Trying to find other measures like legal means can certainly have a place, but it's always a cat and mouse game of companies trying to circumvent them. They have pretty much all made it clear that they WANT to have this level of control and access to your daily life.
 
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Offline MK14

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #64 on: June 14, 2023, 02:05:41 am »
I am on Louis Rossman's wavelength when it comes to this:

Amazon *shouldn't* be doing this sort of thing.

There's also no technical reason why amazon or any other company cannot create a device that functions independently and cannot be remotely rendered useless like this. It is a choice that they all made.

Outside a technical community, people know virtually nothing about this technology. The only long lasting solution is for people to be informed about this topic, and if they value privacy, independence and the right to actually own and control what you've purchased, only they can make the choice to continue using these products or not.

Trying to find other measures like legal means can certainly have a place, but it's always a cat and mouse game of companies trying to circumvent them. They have pretty much all made it clear that they WANT to have this level of control and access to your daily life.

It use to be that Amazon, was a very 'customer' orientated business (maybe they still are, but I'm not 100% sure).  Bending over backwards, in all sorts of ways, to keep their customers happy.  Even if/when it meant making a loss on some sales.

Such as great no hassle, very easy returns, honest items (when Amazon was the actual seller), and use to be (a somewhat long time ago), that Amazon was the only seller on Amazon (if I remember, correctly).
They also were generally the cheapest supplier, for most items they sold, in the past.

These days, I suspect Amazon is beginning to slip on the customer service front.  I don't think they are still the cheapest supplier (especially for very low cost items), any more, either.

I get the impression a change of management at the top, is gradually shifting Amazons business practices.  Away from being this super nice guy (friend), at least for the customers (much, much less so for the suppliers).  To being just another business, that is just out to make money, any way it can, even if it hurts the customers.

I also think, Amazon is becoming too much of a monopoly (or whatever the right expression is, to describe a business that has become too big for its boots).

E.g. An honest business, that sells a huge percentage of its items, via Amazon.  Could suddenly be dropped, because of one of a number of reasons, that has broken one or more of Amazons 'rules'.  Which could end up badly damaging that business, and possibly mean some people at that business lose their jobs.

If Amazon gets too big (or already is), they could end up harming customers, through excessively high prices and little or no viable alternatives, because of their monopoly like situation.

If a customer, just lost one service to their home and just one item stopped working, because of a minor dispute.  E.g. An online cloud service that lets you view some pictures you uploaded to it.  That would not be that bad.

But if you get into some kind of dispute with Amazon, and a huge number of services (such as losing access to your only mobile phone number, and hence lose your own customers, as you can no longer take any more small business calls).  Then that would be a disaster for the individual(s) involved.
 

Online coppercone2

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #65 on: June 14, 2023, 02:22:32 am »
I find amazon to be a dishonest seller that likes to mess with stuff, whoever is shipping that crap

My blender was missing a gasket and like 1/2 the accessories
welding stuff came with the wrong parts and dodgy fitup (very good fakes?)
new stuff comes with dust and scratches



 
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Online SiliconWizard

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #66 on: June 14, 2023, 05:15:16 am »
Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so.

I've never read such a stupid statement in a ToS, how can anyone agree to this?
OTOH, written this way, I don't think it would hold any value in court. So the guy should sue and curb the crap out of Amazon.

Not a lawyer but doubt a lawsuit would go anywhere.

I'm pretty sure that a company can refuse to give service to almost anyone (...)

Well, I don't think so, unless maybe it's explicitely expressed by the company. In Amazon's case, I've never seen it stated anywhere that they reserved the right to give service to anyone at their discretion, as long as customers respect the ToS. I think that would be quite shocking. That's something you can sometimes see in restaurants, bars and night clubs. And even so, that's usually written on the door.

Once a service has been sold to a customer, that's actually what the ToS are for. It's like a contract, both parties are supposed to abide by the terms. As long as said terms are not against the law, obviously disproportionate, or way too vague to be applicable.

In this case, my point is that the quoted term, "if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so", is so outrageously vague and unrelated (or at least not related in direct and expliciut ways) to the service that it just can't be enforced and thus wouldn't hold 5 min in court, if this is indeed the term that Amazon used to justify its action.

You can hardly state something more vague than this. What does "your behaviour" entail? In what context? What is a justified reason? If I'm wearing a hat, that sounds like a behaviour, and Amazon doesn't like that, it can find it justified to terminate my account?

When terms are too vague in a contract, they are usually not enforceable.
 

Offline .RC.

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #67 on: June 14, 2023, 05:26:34 am »

That's old news.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/lg-uplus-launches-iot-for-bathrooms-with-wi-fi-bidet-toilet/

Goodness me.   What are the settings

1. Feather duster.
2. Normal.
3. Enema.
4. Goatse. (no don't google that if you do not know what it is)
 

Offline John B

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #68 on: June 14, 2023, 05:40:38 am »

That's old news.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/lg-uplus-launches-iot-for-bathrooms-with-wi-fi-bidet-toilet/

Goodness me.   What are the settings

1. Feather duster.
2. Normal.
3. Enema.
4. Goatse. (no don't google that if you do not know what it is)

Pro-Lapser 5000 ™
 

Offline tom66

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #69 on: June 14, 2023, 08:34:52 am »
I suppose an analogy, would be if an energy company, provided electricity, gas, water, TV/on-demand (like Netflix) and phone services, to your home.

Then, because of a misunderstanding as to what your automatic doorbell voice said to a meter reader or other energy provider representative (e.g. for smart meters), they thought it sounded racist.

So, all your services (Electricity, gas, water, TV/on-demand and phone services), were permanently cut-off from your home, because of this.

There would be a huge out-cry, it could be dangerous to some more vulnerable members of society and could make the home semi-unsellable (or unrentable).

So, in the same way, an Electricity company in the UK, CAN'T disconnect your electricity supply, without extremely good reasons indeed and perhaps a court order as well.  E.g. Because you haven't paid for electricity for the last 15 months, and refuse or can't pay.

This (suspension and/or banning) could be an issue.

The difference is a smart home is a convenience.  These systems are not usually essential.  Loss of electricity, water or gas could kill someone.  Telephone service arguably could be important for emergency services (though I think you can still call emergency/999 without a contract?) 

Well, I don't think so, unless maybe it's explicitely expressed by the company. In Amazon's case, I've never seen it stated anywhere that they reserved the right to give service to anyone at their discretion, as long as customers respect the ToS. I think that would be quite shocking. That's something you can sometimes see in restaurants, bars and night clubs. And even so, that's usually written on the door.

Once a service has been sold to a customer, that's actually what the ToS are for. It's like a contract, both parties are supposed to abide by the terms. As long as said terms are not against the law, obviously disproportionate, or way too vague to be applicable.

In this case, my point is that the quoted term, "if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so", is so outrageously vague and unrelated (or at least not related in direct and expliciut ways) to the service that it just can't be enforced and thus wouldn't hold 5 min in court, if this is indeed the term that Amazon used to justify its action.

You can hardly state something more vague than this. What does "your behaviour" entail? In what context? What is a justified reason? If I'm wearing a hat, that sounds like a behaviour, and Amazon doesn't like that, it can find it justified to terminate my account?

When terms are too vague in a contract, they are usually not enforceable.

Is it really any different from say Costco kicking out someone who's abusive to their staff?   "Oh, but I have a Costco membership!  It's still good for another 7 months!"  Well, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, the only reasons they can't decline service are on the basis of sex, race, etc., because those are protected characteristics.  There are plenty of T&C documents that have conditions like this and usually, there's no refund to the customer, though perhaps that could be the point of a lawsuit but who is going to sue over ~$1k of smart home kit?  As I said it's not like the kit is useless so it hasn't lost value in that way, it just can't be used with the Amazon account. Most of those smart bulbs can be paired with other systems.  I guess the Alexa's are lost value.

I don't think the terms are vague in this contract either.  The term is basically "we reserve the right to not do business with you for any reason whatsoever".  The only case that couldn't apply would be a violation of equal protection.
 
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Offline wraper

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #70 on: June 14, 2023, 09:50:00 am »
Is it really any different from say Costco kicking out someone who's abusive to their staff?   "Oh, but I have a Costco membership!  It's still good for another 7 months!"  Well, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, the only reasons they can't decline service are on the basis of sex, race, etc., because those are protected characteristics.  There are plenty of T&C documents that have conditions like this and usually, there's no refund to the customer, though perhaps that could be the point of a lawsuit but who is going to sue over ~$1k of smart home kit?  As I said it's not like the kit is useless so it hasn't lost value in that way, it just can't be used with the Amazon account. Most of those smart bulbs can be paired with other systems.  I guess the Alexa's are lost value.

I don't think the terms are vague in this contract either.  The term is basically "we reserve the right to not do business with you for any reason whatsoever".  The only case that couldn't apply would be a violation of equal protection.
It's like Costco kicking you out and remotely disabling a TV you bought from them a year ago.
 
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Offline tom66

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #71 on: June 14, 2023, 10:07:30 am »
Is it really any different from say Costco kicking out someone who's abusive to their staff?   "Oh, but I have a Costco membership!  It's still good for another 7 months!"  Well, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, the only reasons they can't decline service are on the basis of sex, race, etc., because those are protected characteristics.  There are plenty of T&C documents that have conditions like this and usually, there's no refund to the customer, though perhaps that could be the point of a lawsuit but who is going to sue over ~$1k of smart home kit?  As I said it's not like the kit is useless so it hasn't lost value in that way, it just can't be used with the Amazon account. Most of those smart bulbs can be paired with other systems.  I guess the Alexa's are lost value.

I don't think the terms are vague in this contract either.  The term is basically "we reserve the right to not do business with you for any reason whatsoever".  The only case that couldn't apply would be a violation of equal protection.
It's like Costco kicking you out and remotely disabling a TV you bought from them a year ago.

No, it's more like if Costco ran a streaming service, call it 'Cosflix', as part of your membership and that got cancelled along with your store membership.  So you lost access to that function on your (euck) "smart" TV.  But you could still turn it on and off. (Smart bulbs still work with normal light switches.)
 

Offline wraper

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #72 on: June 14, 2023, 10:45:02 am »
Is it really any different from say Costco kicking out someone who's abusive to their staff?   "Oh, but I have a Costco membership!  It's still good for another 7 months!"  Well, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, the only reasons they can't decline service are on the basis of sex, race, etc., because those are protected characteristics.  There are plenty of T&C documents that have conditions like this and usually, there's no refund to the customer, though perhaps that could be the point of a lawsuit but who is going to sue over ~$1k of smart home kit?  As I said it's not like the kit is useless so it hasn't lost value in that way, it just can't be used with the Amazon account. Most of those smart bulbs can be paired with other systems.  I guess the Alexa's are lost value.

I don't think the terms are vague in this contract either.  The term is basically "we reserve the right to not do business with you for any reason whatsoever".  The only case that couldn't apply would be a violation of equal protection.
It's like Costco kicking you out and remotely disabling a TV you bought from them a year ago.

No, it's more like if Costco ran a streaming service, call it 'Cosflix', as part of your membership and that got cancelled along with your store membership.  So you lost access to that function on your (euck) "smart" TV.  But you could still turn it on and off. (Smart bulbs still work with normal light switches.)
Even if lights still worked which is not necessary true as those could be regular bulbs with a separate device controlling their power, at least some of the devices he purchased were rendered totally useless on a whim of Amazon.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2023, 10:57:22 am by wraper »
 
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Offline Zero999Topic starter

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #73 on: June 14, 2023, 08:16:05 pm »
What would you possibly sue for?
OK heres your $40 back for Alexa.
He should be refunded for his now useless devices, plus any additional costs he would have incurred.


Try to think what the headline and story would be if they hadn't reacted. Staff member left traumatised after customer sayint racist abuse, company didnt care and left the staff member having to quit their job as nobody in corporate would listen to them or take action against the customer.
It could he quite serious if a company is seen a complicent in a racist situation. Bad PR and potential for a lawsuit.

I don't think that's the issue here.
The problem is a case of the customer being treated as if he's guilty by default. A proper investigation should have been done before any action was taken against the customer. Doesn't matter whether you agree if the punishment fits the "crime" or not.
I think this is the argument against using Amazon home automation systems and cloud based items like it: You're at the mercy of a large corporation "doing the right thing" which is never a wise consumer choice.

That's fairy typical for how racism claims work these days: guilty until proven innocent.

Quote
We reserve the right to refuse any Amazon Services or terminate accounts if your behaviour gives justified reason to do so.

I've never read such a stupid statement in a ToS, how can anyone agree to this?
OTOH, written this way, I don't think it would hold any value in court. So the guy should sue and curb the crap out of Amazon.

Not a lawyer but doubt a lawsuit would go anywhere.

I'm pretty sure that a company can refuse to give service to almost anyone providing they're not discriminating on a protected term (so they can't refuse to serve you if you're gay, but they can refuse to serve you if you're homophobic, because homophobia isn't a protected characteristic.)  14th amendment I think?
This is in the US, so I don't know which groups have protection under law.

In the UK this would be covered under the 2010 equalities act, which protects against discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, amongst a few other things.

The problem is, what is deemed to be homophobic is open to interpretation.  For example, an organisation might consider someone who expresses the view that same sex marriage shouldn't be allowed, to be homophobic. If this results in said person's account being terminated, then the organisation could get into trouble for religious discrimination, if they claim their view is supported by religious text.

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At that point it comes down to whether Amazon had good cause to believe the customer had broken the T&C's.  Not au fait on the US legal system, but I would have thought that these things would be determined on the balance of probabilities, as it's a civil matter.  Customer can try to sue, but Amazon would argue they acted responsibly based on an employee complaint, and are not obliged to offer service.  At best, customer might be entitled to a refund for remaining service costs - e.g. Prime membership.  Doubt that would extend to a refund for the devices purchased, they are still usable, just not with the customer's account.
Again, I don't know about the US, but in the UK, consumer protection laws place limits on what contracts companies can impose on customers. For example, it's not acceptable for your water company to cut your supply, without a valid reason. If you make a racist comment to one of their employees then they can contact the police, but they still have to maintain your supply.
 
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Offline TimFox

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Re: Amazon accuses customer of racism & shuts down their smart home!
« Reply #74 on: June 14, 2023, 08:19:10 pm »
The spelling varies depending on whether you're using UK or US English: In UK English, “behaviour” (with a “u”) is standard. In US English, “behavior” (with no “u”) is the correct spelling.
 


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