A lot of us tend to pick up things without reading the terms and conditions set forth by the manufacturer first. Think about it. You want to buy that nice HDTV or get that nice gaming console. Who has time to spend a few hours going through the terms and conditions and legal Mumbo Jumbo. But after having worked in the financial industry for a short while, I know you can get nasty surprises if you don’t know all the facts in hand. That’s why I read Kindle’s terms and conditions before I bought it. And you’d be surprised to know what’s in it.
Amazon Kindle comes with free wireless connection. That’s one of its strengths and has set it apart from other competitors such as Sony PRS 700. What most folks don’t know is that you can actually get charged for using your wireless connection for anything but shopping from Amazon Kindle.
Amazon provides wireless connectivity free of charge to you for certain content shopping and downloading services on your Device. You may be charged a fee for wireless connectivity for your use of other wireless services on your Device, such as Web browsing and downloading of personal files, should you elect to use those services. We will maintain a list of current fees for such services in the Kindle Store. Amazon reserves the right to discontinue wireless connectivity at any time or to otherwise change the terms for wireless connectivity at any time, including, but not limited to (a) limiting the number and size of data files that may be transferred using wireless connectivity and (b) changing the amount and terms applicable for wireless connectivity charges.
As you can see, you can get charged for surfing the Internet or tweeting on your Kindle. Not only that, if you are a bandwidth hog, Amazon could charge you a fee for your trouble. And if the Sprint partnership falls through some day, you can find yourself without wireless connection, and you won’t have the right to get your money back.
What surprises me is to see so many people complain about their area not being covered by Sprint after they have bought the Kindle. Amazon clearly states that your location may not be covered by Sprint, and that’s not Amazon’s fault.
… if your Device is located in any area without applicable wireless connectivity, you may not be able to use some or all elements of the wireless services. We are not responsible for the unavailability of wireless service or any interruptions of wireless connectivity.
And don’t for a second think you can use Kindle’s wireless connection to check something quick on your laptop. That’s not allowed either.
You agree you will use the wireless connectivity provided by Amazon only in connection with Services Amazon provides for the Device. You may not use the wireless connectivity for any other purpose.
I am sure Amazon values its customers too highly to charge them fees or discontinue their wireless service anytime soon. But don’t be surprised if and when they do that. You were told about it when you bought your Kindle!
Your take: is Amazon leaving the door open to charge for the wireless connection in the future?
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0 comments
#1CameronMarch 26, 2009, 2:25 am
One way or another you are already paying for the wireless connection.
Either Amazon is charging more for the Kindle to pay for the cost of the connection OR they are charging more on books to pay for it.
Since i have not heard of anyone getting charged for the internet connection or being disconnected from the wireless services i do not think this is all that big a deal.
Right now browsing the web on the Kindle is a bit of a pain and i don’t see that changing any time soon.
If Amazon can change that somehow and make browsing the internet on the Kindle a great experience then i would be more then willing to pay a monthly fee for the internet.
#2P. RadMarch 26, 2009, 7:04 am
Let me be clear. I doubt it’s in Amazon’s best interest to charge us customers, but they already have made us all agree to it. So if they want to, they can do it easily.
#3cameronMarch 26, 2009, 9:19 pm
Lets just remember that we already are paying for the wireless connection. It is added into the existing price of the kindle and books you buy on the kindle.
If Amazon starting charging for using the wireless connection to do anything not related to the amazon store and could then offer cheaper kindles. I would be happy to take that deal.
What i really hope for is Amazon allows the Opera people to make a web browser for the kindle. Opera knows how to make web browsers for mobile devices better then just about anyone. Even if i had to pay for it. it would have to be a better experience then what we have now.
#4BrianMarch 27, 2009, 4:02 am
Amazon kept the option open to charge for wireless just because they basically had to. If it turns out that Kindles somehow start eating up Sprint’s bandwidth, they wouldn’t have any other way to get that money back.
On the other hand, it’s hard for me to look at that as anything more than a Doomsday scenario for Amazon, to be exercised just before they filed for Chapter 11. In all likelihood, the wireless on the Kindle will be a *huge* cash cow for the company (or, at least its book division). Why would they want to kill that off by charging for wireless access? In the end, it might even be cheaper for them to just recall the old Kindles and retrofit them with wi-fi. (I don’t know how expensive a project that would be, but I imagine it would be a more attractive prospect than letting such a lucrative system slip through their fingers.
#5Mike S.September 29, 2009, 1:00 am
Has anyone actually found this illusive list of current fees for such services should someone decide to browse the web on their Kindle? Kind of strange that they list this in their Wireless Connectivity policy yet fail to produce prices on their website.
#6P. RadSeptember 29, 2009, 6:46 am
@Mike. The only fees that I know of are those for downloads and so on. I think the rest Amazon has kept to itself. I have read the T&Cs and all related documents over and over again. Amazon talks about “fees” but never mentions how much. I do browse and tweet on my Kindle. Amazon doesn’t care at this point but it does reserve the right to charge you or drop you as a customer.
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