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WARNING: Using FreeBookService.com Can Result in Termination of KDP Account

86K views 345 replies 117 participants last post by  Gerald 
#1 ·
As some of you know, I was one of the testers for FreeBookService, a service that guaranteed a certain number of downloads for free books. I was skeptical, as were others. I agreed to be a guinea pig, and while they did deliver downloads the whole thing stunk on ice. Some people continued to and still continue to support them. Be warned, I just received the following email from KDP:

"It recently came to our attention that you may have used the third-party site, www.FreeBookService.com, for your title, [My Book]. While we will always support legitimate efforts of KDP authors to promote their books, this site uses improper practices to artificially inflate sales ranking in the Kindle Store.

We take activities that jeopardize the experience of our customers and other authors very seriously. We wanted you to be aware of the nature of www.FreeBookService.com's offering and ask that you not work with them or other services that attempt to manipulate the KDP platform. If this activity continues, we will have to take appropriate action (which may include removing your title from Amazon and/or terminating your account)."


Stay away. Stay far, far away.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for letting us know. KDP keeps a better eye on things than we realized. Good for them.
 
G
#10 ·
Nice to see Amazon paying attention. Glad Monique only got an email and didn't get in real trouble!

But yes, I've said this on many occasions. Any system that is set up to artificially manipulate Amazon's algorithms is bad for everyone. Amazon's algorithms only benefit us if they are organic. One of the peculiar things in the other thread was the inability of some folks to recognize the difference between normal marketing and artificial manipulation. It is one thing to place an ad with a website visited by readers. That is just a matter of making people aware of your product. They still have to act on their own power before you have any benefit. It is another to pay a fee for a guaranteed number of downloads from suspicious sources for the sole purpose of inflating sales rank.

NO service can guarantee a fixed number of REAL READERS. Not unless the service is being run by Professor X.  :eek: ;D All a legitimate service can do is put your product in front of potential readers. The readers still need to make a decision whether or not to download/buy.
 
#12 ·
Quiss said:
Wow, whoever predicted that this would happen (back in that first thread) should have put money on it!
KDP have changed their tune though. They were asked at the time by a few skeptical people and KDP said it's fine, the downloads are going to legit customers. Looks like they didn't investigate properly back then. Scary. I wonder when KDP will decide that freebooksy or sites similar also fall outside their acceptable use. I know its a different situation, but acceptable use is what Amazon says it is, not necessarily what we think it should be.
 
G
#16 ·
We have had no communication from amazon about our service. This quote looks made up. Maybe post a screenshot of the email from kdp?

Also, if there is actually an email, take a screenshot of the email headers so I can check the source of the email and verify it came from amazon and was not spoofed by someone.
 
#18 ·
freebookservice said:
We have had no communication from amazon about our service. This quote looks made up. Maybe post a screenshot of the email from kdp?

Also, if there is actually an email, take a screenshot of the email headers so I can check the source of the email and verify it came from amazon and was not spoofed by someone.
Monique has been here for years and is a respected member of the community. What possible motive would she have to fabricate this email?
 
#19 ·
freebookservice said:
We have had no communication from amazon about our service. This quote looks made up. Maybe post a screenshot of the email from kdp?

Also, if there is actually an email, take a screenshot of the email headers so I can check the source of the email and verify it came from amazon and was not spoofed by someone.
I'm pretty sure Monique knows the difference between a spoofed email and a real one.
 
#20 ·
freebookservice said:
We have had no communication from amazon about our service. This quote looks made up. Maybe post a screenshot of the email from kdp?

Also, if there is actually an email, take a screenshot of the email headers so I can check the source of the email and verify it came from amazon and was not spoofed by someone.
I think your time is probably better spent going directly to Amazon yourself now that you've been made aware of this.
 
G
#21 ·
D-Scrog said:
I'm pretty sure Monique knows the difference between a spoofed email and a real one.
Does Monique know how to read email headers? Ill wait for her reply thanks.

cegesmith said:
I think your time is probably better spent going directly to Amazon yourself now that you've been made aware of this.
I wont be spending time contacting amazon as only people who have their email address public via kboards have gotten contacted. If it was really amazon sending the email, why would they have to use Kboards to find the authors email?
 
#24 ·
freebookservice said:
Does Monique know how to read email headers? Ill wait for her reply thanks.

I wont be spending time contacting amazon as only people who have their email address public via kboards have gotten contacted. If it was really amazon sending the email, why would they have to use Kboards to find the authors email?
Monique uses KDP, so they would have her email, address, and everything else on file. They wouldn't need to come to Kboards to find her email.

It's interesting that you're being hesitant in going straight to Amazon yourself and asking about the email. Or simply contacting Monique via Private Message and ask her about it rather than 'waiting for her to post a screenshot'.
 
G
#25 ·
RM Prioleau said:
Monique uses KDP, so they would have her email, address, and everything else on file. They wouldn't need to come to Kboards to find her email.

It's interesting that you're being hesitant in going straight to Amazon yourself and asking about the email. Or simply contacting Monique via Private Message and ask her about it rather than 'waiting for her to post a screenshot'.
You are right. I will ask her directly for the email headers.
 
#26 ·
Yeah, because if I ran a company that provided a service and a user posted something on a discussion forum that indicated they heard from a major company that suggested users not use that service, I would go to the users before I went to the major company and ask what's up.

Said no one, ever.
 
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