# Are Stolen Kindles easily recovered by Amazon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479 "2012-08-05T02:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/1 "2012-08-05T02:23:54Z")
Every Kindle has a serial number. It’s used to register a Kindle to your Amazon account. I just looked at mine under Manage Your Devices. Also, the Kindle serial number(s) are encoded in the books you buy for a Kindle. (don’t ask how I know. 😃 But, trust me, it’s in there.) If a Kindle is stolen it should be easily traced when it connects to Amazon’s server. Or when it’s registered to a new Amazon account. **But** , does Amazon bother recovering stolen Kindles? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/2 "2012-08-05T02:26:28Z")
Most companies don’t bother. They have no idea if you sold the device or not, or if someone is reporting it stolen as fraud or (and I saw this when I did that sort of support), to get at an ex. If the police come to them with paperwork, they can probably locate it. But they’re not going to recover it for you because you call and say it is stolen. Nor can they tell you where it is or in whose name it is registered. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/3 "2012-08-05T05:45:18Z")
I thought I heard they would brick it for you if you reported it stolen and the person tried to connect to Amazon with it. I could be wrong though. Anyway, if I stole a Kindle I wouldn’t connect to Amazon. Not that I would steal a Kindle of course. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/4 "2012-08-05T06:11:32Z")
Are Kindles really all that desirable as objects of theft to a tech savvy thief? New B&W 4th generation Kindles are just $ 80. Is a Kindle really something people (especially book readers) would feel the need to buy on the street to get a deal? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/5 "2012-08-05T06:20:30Z")
People will steal anything, dude. Assholes broke my car window to steal a few burnt CDs. They don’t give a fuck. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/6 "2012-08-05T06:47:44Z")
Yeah, I’m going on vacation and may take paperbacks instead of my kindle. We plan to camp at several state parks during the trip. You can step away from a lawn chair and leave a paperback on the ground. It’ll (probably) be there when you get back from the john. A Kindle? I’d have to drag it around everywhere I go. It’s not pocket size either. Carrying it around to the john or ice chest requires a free hand to carry it. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/7 "2012-08-05T07:13:08Z")
Your pockets must be different than mine. I always keep mine in my back pants pocket when walking around (both work slacks and jeans). Surprisingly, I’ve never sat on it. As for the question Amazon will blacklist the Kindle (not brick it) so that it can’t connect to Amazon (but it can still be used for anything that doesn’t require that). I’m not aware of them regularly providing any assistance in tracking it down. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/8 "2012-08-05T07:21:24Z")
Related question: by default one-click ordering is on. So what happens if somebody steals your Kindle and downloads 7 ebooks in your name? 700? Do you have to report it immediately? I don’t use my Kindle that often and if somebody lifted it, I might not realize it until I get my credit card statement. While I’m at it, how’s the .pdf rendering on the Kindle 4? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stolen-kindles-easily-recovered-by-amazon/630479/9 "2012-08-05T07:27:34Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > As for the question Amazon will blacklist the Kindle (not brick it) so that it can’t connect to Amazon (but it can still be used for anything that doesn’t require that). I’m not aware of them regularly providing any assistance in tracking it down. Way to correct me ☹ > [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Related question: by default one-click ordering is on. So what happens if somebody steals your Kindle and downloads 7 ebooks in your name? 700? Do you have to report it immediately? I don’t use my Kindle that often and if somebody lifted it, I might not realize it until I get my credit card statement. Dunno, but you can set a device password to avoid that.