Ask HN: Can Amazon terminate an AWS account because you returned a shirt? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Can Amazon terminate an AWS account because you returned a shirt?

20 pointsdangrossman7 comments

If an Amazon.com account is closed by Amazon the retailer, what happens to the AWS account under the same login?

Here's why I ask:

Amazon retail closes Amazon accounts for various reasons, like seller policy violations or excessive returns. Googling "amazon closed my account" brings up thousands of examples. When they do this, they also close all "linked accounts", which will generally include accounts at the same household.

Is there a risk that my primarily-AWS-hosted business could be wiped off the earth one morning because someone retail-side decided my significant other returned too many pairs of pants this year? She is prone to ordering clothes and returning those that don't fit. Is it a reasonable concern, or would the AWS account be unaffected by such an action?

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A couple experiments in the past have got me banned from Amazon Product Advertising API for breaking the TOS, and I can confirm that other aspects of the account (store access, AWS account) were never shutoff.

That said I would not recommend using the admin account for your AWS account for purchases. Historically the support for Amazon store has been easy to social engineer (see links for reference) and I imagine with enough info about the Amazon account and/or product purchase history a clever con artist could get your Amazon store account details changed and password reset, to give them access to your AWS account.

Best to keep the email for your AWS admin account just as secret as the password, and only log into it when you need to change billing info. Use a separate IAM account for day to day access.

http://gizmodo.com/5969981/two-for-one-amazons-socially-engi... http://www.wired.com/2012/08/apple-amazon-mat-honan-hacking/

They share a single sign-on, but their accounting systems are totally separate. You don't have to worry about it. Also if you really are worried about it, just open an account under a different email address and you'll be safe.

It's a reasonable concern, and you should contact amazon about having a separate business and personal account. I've never used AWS, I'm surprised if it's tied to your retail purchasing account with the same login.

I don't share accounts with my s/o. That doesn't matter since "linked accounts" get closed, and we're in the same household, with the same address, logging in from the same IP.

I have not previously heard of retail accounts being closed for too many returns.

http://www.google.com/search#q="amazon+closed+my+account"+re...

Try registering an account in the name of your business.

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