[CJArcher]

This has just happened to me. I haven't used ACX since Feb 2018, and was moving to Findaway. This is what they sent 2 hours ago: Hello,

I got exactly the same email today and the exact same response after I queried it. Considering I haven't used promo codes from ACX in more than a year, I have no idea what unusual activity they're talking about and they're refusing to look into it further. I don't care about losing access to promo codes since I don't use them, but I'm very worried this will affect my account in other ways. Any advice?

 

[........]

I just got the same email. They must be sending them out today. I have zero idea why I've now been banned from generating ACX promo codes.

I used to email back in the day to get codes but never used them.

Then three and half years ago, I decided, what the hell, I'll use some. I emailed some people from my mailing list asking if they were interested in a free code. Twenty-three people in the US said yes and three in the UK. There was no "code for review" exchange. I just checked my email and I even noted that if anyone left a review they needed to add review copy received from author disclaimer.

**

This is why Amazon's monopoly is a terrifying thing. If I was banned from Amazon, my ability to make a living writing would be effectively wiped out.

I could have my entire life blown to pieces and there is no way to discover why this ban was handed out. Was one of the people on multiple mailing lists just trawling for audible codes? Did they review multiple books in the series and tripped an algorithm?

I'm glad I was lazy in promoting audio. I got audio codes for multiple books and then eventually just stopped requesting them because I was never sending them out.

So now I don't know what to do. Query and argue and like OP of this thread will they suddenly reveal it was a mistake or will I just get the Amazon wall of silence?

Three and a half years ago. That's how long it has been since anyone redeemed an Amazon promo code I sent out.

 

[SusanMayWriter]

I just got the same email. But I have been sending out codes and it's part of my marketing, so it is a hit for me.

However, I'd never do anything fraudulent. I do pretty well with audibles and I wouldn't risk that. I don't even know how you'd use them fraudulently. Not the new ones anyway. I've never heard of them being sold.

They did seem to give me an extra hint at what the issue might be in my case by adding this sentence in: "Going forward, please also make sure that you observe ACX’s guidelines (http://audible-acx.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8887). "

I have recently published a collection of novellas, which included a novella that I'd previously produced on its own. I didn't realize that this breached their codes of conduct as I've seen people talk here about publishing boxsets on audible and how you should wait until the sales of our book slow down before combining them because it will affect the single books' sales. I've written to them in reply telling them I didn't realize this based on what I'd thought of as general knowledge in the author world and normal practice for eBooks and paperbacks. I told them I'm happy to take the book down now that I know, but just want to confirm it all. If it is this, why wouldn't you just write and say that this novella is included in this other novella, please take it down?

I've got lots of codes out there through sheer hard work and marketing, and I haven't used any other platform to distribute them. I'd copied some onto a spreadsheet for ease of use to distribute them, and I've only just sent some out in the last forty-eight hours, so I don't know if those will be redeemable or they are canceled as well. They don't mention any of that.

I'm wondering if this has anything at all to do with the expiring codes, which expired on the 9th. I sent out an email to my mailing list offering these, especially to UK people because I hadn't used any. So, I've recently had a lot of codes redeemed. However, they told us to do that in the email advising us they were expiring.

It's very distressing but if I don't get a good reply, which from reading here, I probably won't, then I'll use the Jeff Bezos email and persist with it. I need those codes for reviews on my books and my launching strategy.

I haven't had anything like this happen before. It's very upsetting, for sure.

 

[Vaclav Vrbensky]

Hello everybody,

I’ve received exactly the same email as you all today.

I’ve never try to manipulate ACX, I don’t even know how!

When I tried to email them I just got simple answer that it is their final decision to take out promo codes.

This is very strange since on their website clearly states you should use all the promo codes to promote your book.

It’s very depressing since this is my only source of income at the moment.

Anyone know any solution? Or know anyone from ACX to help with this? Seems like there is a lot of people getting this email...

 

[SusanMayWriter]

Can you please check the other thread. https://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,318727.0.html and my comment at the bottom.

I'm starting to wonder if there has been a bump in sales that can't be accounted for. We may have somehow been used like the KU scammers have used other authors as a smoke screen. As the original poster has said, they eventually got their account and codes back after writing to [email protected] If enough of us write, surely they will realize their error. I'll also send this to David Gaughran as if there is a scam going on, he'll know about it.

 

[Vaclav Vrbensky]

Yes we should definitely email to Jeff Bezos. This is very strange what’s happening.

Who’s David Gaughran please?

 

[SusanMayWriter]

Yes we should definitely email to Jeff Bezos. This is very strange whatÂ's happening.

WhoÂ's David Gaughran please?

He's a very proactive author in the community who pretty much is on top of scams and always alerted Amazon to them. To little avail, I might say. But at least we are all made aware.

Did you check out the other thread? Let us know over there, if you saw a bump in sales that was unaccounted for. Definitely write to Jeff about this. I am, as well as persisting with ACX. I haven't had a return reply yet, but once I do, it'll be Jeff email next.

 

[........]

Apparently the narrator also gets audio codes too? I never heard of that. I wonder if they were giving out a bunch.

 

[SusanMayWriter]

Apparently the narrator also gets audio codes too? I never heard of that. I wonder if they were giving out a bunch.

A narrator who is doing a 50/50 share with an author gets codes. That hadn't occurred to me. But I've paid for all my audibles and they've cost a pretty penny because I've used top-notch narrators who've won awards. I've got one in production at the moment. So their threat of closing my whole account if I continue to manipulate codes (which I don't know how I did or how I would now I don't have any) is very concerning.

 

[gilesxbecker]

I have been thinking about doing an audiobook. Now I have stopped even considering it after reading the mess you can get into. Sorry for author's troubles here, wish there were a platform more trustworthy somewhere. 

 

[KevinH]

A narrator who is doing a 50/50 share with an author gets codes.

All narrators get codes, even those hired PFH.

 

[lea_owens]

Well, these discussions on the ACX codes has brought my plans to go ahead with audio to a screeching halt. I'm seeing authors reporting on this issue everywhere - no one seems to know how it can be made into a scam, but Amazon is behaving as though honest authors are conducting a scam, and it has certainly put me off even going there. It seems a dreadful mess.

 

[SusanMayWriter]

Lea, it is a dreadful mess, but don't be put off. Audible is a very good option and a growing market. I'm not put off, but I'll just keep fighting until someone listens to us.

 

[ImaWriter]

Someone has stated elsewhere that they got this email today... yet they don't have an ACX account or any audio books.

 

[SusanMayWriter]

Someone has stated elsewhere that they got this email today... yet they don't have an ACX account or any audio books.

Oh wow! Where did you hear that? I've seen it discussed extensively at SPF and also Redditt, which I've posted here, but I don't know where else. Seems extensive now and if that's the case then this is a bad glitch. It's causing me extra work and issues with people writing that they can't redeem codes that I sent in the last 48 hours. So damn rude of ACX.

 

[MMSN]

It's in the Writer's Sanctum ACX Promo code banhammer swinging thread.

 

[SusanMayWriter]

It's in the Writer's Sanctum ACX Promo code banhammer swinging thread.

Thanks so much. That topic has been moved to a private group. I don't know how to join the private group, but anyway I've done everything I can so far, so I guess reading about more wrongly accused authors is just wasting more time on aCX tom foolery.

 

[Laran Mithras]

And sometimes I get scornful responses when I say, "I don't use any kind of Amazon-approved promotions; you never know when Zon will swing the ban-hammer and take you with it."

While these problems may be a fraction of authors and many authors are making millions per month using these services and therefore it's all good, those platitudes do nothing for the unfortunate authors who get caught up in Zon's silliness. Some authors lose their only source of livelihood over things like these.

Glad I don't use any Amazon promotions. 

 

[SusanMayWriter]

We didn't use any promotions. We simply had ACX accounts to publish our audibles. Some people, like myself, used the promo codes given to us by ACX, which is an Amazon company, and that's all we've done.
Whatever the issue is, it's nothing to do with using any promotion sites or cross-promotion. Somehow, we've been caught up in something that has to do with scamming and we haven't done anything except publish our audiobooks through an Amazon company.

 

[Vaclav Vrbensky]

I’m definitely not leaving this just like this.

This is very unfair and kinda “scatchy” from ACX! Without anything to say!

I’ve never done anything against their guidelines and they just take my promo codes and also freeze my account.

If any person who’s working in ACX sees this please look into my account properly instead of just stop everything on my account.

I’m Publishing almost 2 years and now this?

Not fair to anyone!