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

Monique · Feb 21, 2014

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.

Robert A Michael · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for the heads up. Sorry you had to be the sacrificial lamb on that one.

AshMP · Feb 21, 2014

That's really scary. I've never used them, never even knew they existed until this thread, and I certainly won't use them now.

SunHi Mistwalker · Feb 21, 2014

Wow, that's scary. Thanks for this heads up, Monique. I've never heard of them, but I'll make sure to stay far away.

Marti talbott · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for letting us know. KDP keeps a better eye on things than we realized. Good for them.

Quiss · Feb 21, 2014

Wow, whoever predicted that this would happen (back in that first thread) should have put money on it!

Anne Frasier · Feb 21, 2014

wow. thanks for the warning.

60169 · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for sharing that, Monique, I really appreciate it. I was baffled that everyone didn't see this for the obvious manipulation it was, but it's nice to have it confirmed.

Jan Hurst-Nicholson · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for the warning

. Good to know Amazon is looking out for the manipulators!

Guest · Feb 21, 2014

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.

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.

69959 · Feb 21, 2014

Thank you for letting us know. I remember the debate from the original thread. I'm glad that you received a warning with no further action!

Mark E. Cooper · Feb 21, 2014

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.

deedawning · Feb 21, 2014

WOW They sound serious. Thanks ::)

RM Prioleau · Feb 21, 2014

I knew that site looked suspicious from the very beginning.

I'm glad that Amazon has been keeping an eye on this kind of thing.

MonkeyScribe · Feb 21, 2014

Very scary. Thank goodness KDP is being reasonable about it.

At the end of the day, yet another reminder that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Guest · Feb 21, 2014

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.

Vaalingrade · Feb 21, 2014

While I figured it was shady from the start (and torn between my appreciation for gaming systems and my disdain for profiting off of gaming the system), I wonder if KDP got its back up because people here went and tattled.

MonkeyScribe · Feb 21, 2014

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?

Al Dente · Feb 21, 2014

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.

Cege Smith · Feb 21, 2014

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.

Guest · Feb 21, 2014

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?

Al Dente · Feb 21, 2014

freebookservice said:
Does Monique know how to read email headers? Ill wait for her reply thanks.

Holy S... Are you for real?

Quiss · Feb 21, 2014

freebookservice said:
This quote looks made up.

Sorry. Them's fightin' words. Don't go there.

RM Prioleau · Feb 21, 2014

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'.

Guest · Feb 21, 2014

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.

Jim Johnson · Feb 21, 2014

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.

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

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