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Experimenting with new Amazon account
 

After having my Amazon seller account shut last year, i made a stealth account using new windows user account, my real name, old address, ⊗⊗⊗⊗ d.o.b, made up passport details, real credit card.

I'm assuming they don't have a way of verifying passport details as i got the account up and running and only now (after 9 months) is it pending verification.
This is where the account ends, as although i could probably put together a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ proof of address energy bill, the passport may be a bit of a stretch (and are we getting into risky territory falsifying that? :noidea:)

So, time to open a new account and i thought i'd test their systems again.
The layout looks different so they have possibly improved things from last year?
First try was to see if they'd kept details of an account from a few years back. My real name, address, land line phone number, and passport details...but new windows user account, credit card and email. I got to 'choose store name' section and it wouldn't let me continue.
Once logged out of Amazon i couldn't log in again.

That seems to be the new tactic. Once an account is suspended i can't even log in. No email from Amazon and difficult to pin down the relevant department and get any info out of them. You need to note how much is owed in your seller account and trust them to pay out after 3 months (or longer if your account is kept in limbo!) You also lose contact with your buyers.

Second try and i went with new windows user account (some basic browsing for cookies), new email, ⊗⊗⊗⊗ name but surname matching an address, a 2nd real credit card, ⊗⊗⊗⊗ passport details, online sms service for phone code verification.
Again, got to choose a store name before the 'save and continue' button became useless (it just refreshed the page).
Before logging out i saw a notifiaction saying 'seller privileges had been removed'... although no further details when clicking it.
Could no longer log in with that email later also.

In fairness i was chancing it to see if i could get lucky. It wasn't to be and Amazon remains a tough nut to crack without careful preparation.

Questions
1. Are the 2 genuine credit card details now toast?
2. Is Amazon ghost up to date with any new defences Amazon my have installed?
3. Some say new windows user accounts are risky? Better to use new PC's. I have been using 2 Amazon accounts without detection so far though (1 as a buying account with seller banned...the other as a seller account only)
4. Is online sms confirmation a bad idea for phone verification?
5. Do they have a way of checking passport details?

Re: Experimenting with new Amazon account
 

1 - I don't know, maybe uk users can help for this
2 - from what I know amazon ghost has not been updated
3 - use vm ware is better
4 - bad idea
5 - don't know if they do, but they can check they MRZ on the passport easily

Re: Experimenting with new Amazon account
 

My two cents:

1. Credit card details are toast
2. Not sure...
3. What tooknapa said - use VMWare
4. Use a real SIM card, shouldn't be difficult to get one if you're in the UK
5. Not sure...

Re: Experimenting with new Amazon account
 

Thanks for these replies. Interesting info.

Should i try to edit my passport scan to adjust passport numbers or is this more trouble than it's worth? That's to say...only someone with good skills should even bother?

The dilemma of having short lived account that die upon verification or false ID's already prepared for more permanent accounts.