# Dumb rule I hate on Amazon!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 25, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371 "2013-01-25T21:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steener122](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Steener122](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steener122)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/1 "2013-01-25T21:44:22Z")
I have yet to buy anything for cash on Amazon. I have “bought” tons of free ones. I do plan on buying stuff for real money soon but I need a job first! I just HATE that I am not allowed to review ANYTHING even though they know I have gotten it from them because I haven’t bought anything. And its not even try want you to buy what you want to review. You just have to buy something. This seems unfair!!! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/2 "2013-01-25T22:03:39Z")
I suspect it’s to help keep spammers from posting spam—or nutcases from posting insane rantings—as “reviews.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/3 "2013-01-25T22:08:50Z")
You have “bought” tons of free ones? Free _what_? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/4 "2013-01-25T22:53:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You have “bought” tons of free ones? Free _what_? Exclamation marks presumably. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/5 "2013-01-25T23:21:53Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Exclamation marks presumably. Or Kindle books. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/6 "2013-01-25T23:58:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You have “bought” tons of free ones? Free _what_? [56,434 free ones](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=s9_hps_bw_clnk?node=163856011&field-price=-1&field-feature_browse-bin=625151011&page=1&sort=salesrank&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_r=1NKCW0FKYPVDX7C2Z29B&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1288895482&pf_rd_i=678551011)! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/7 "2013-01-26T00:05:46Z")
If it bugs you that much, buy a $1 or $2 book. There’s a lot of them. Surely you can afford that amount of cash to change something that obviously is bugging you? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/8 "2013-01-26T00:09:52Z")
> [@Steener122](#): > > This seems unfair!!! You should ask for your money back. Or threaten to stop giving them your business. That’ll get their attention. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/9 "2013-01-26T01:57:22Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > If it bugs you that much, buy a $1 or $2 book. There’s a lot of them. Surely you can afford that amount of cash to change something that obviously is bugging you? Lots of books for .01 (a penny!), but shipping is $3.99 no matter the size or weight so there is a $4.00 minimum. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/10 "2013-01-26T02:07:24Z")
Isn’t this more of a pitting? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/11 "2013-01-26T02:09:22Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Lots of books for .01 (a penny!), but shipping is $3.99 no matter the size or weight so there is a $4.00 minimum. Kindle books have no shipping. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/12 "2013-01-26T02:11:48Z")
[100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less](http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000706171) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-rule-i-hate-on-amazon/648371/13 "2013-01-26T02:15:04Z")
And before anyone asks, you don’t have to have a Kindle in order to buy Kindle books. You can download a free Kindle for PC reader from amazon.