I'm not sure if linking Serve was the culprit in any way. Just adding a data point.

Any thoughts why Amz shut you down?

Maybe not as some have reported no other reason other than using same computer- same IP address for transactions. Just saying this could be a trigger if they are doing random audits.

maybe yes as I never bother to change my IP.

But whatever warms your heart, do as you pleased :D

Mine is very similar, 5 total accounts, 3 addresses, 3 last names between all of us. Me, my wife, my sister, her husband, my mother. Been doing it for 3 months now. Hopefully it stays alive.

I respectfully disagree.

I have 10 accounts that have been successfully paying each other in a circle for nearly 2 years now. Each has it's own IP address. For June, I got in a hurry and forgot to change to the assigned IP address for account "C", and logged into the account from an IP address that was in a different geographic location than usual. A few days later, I received these emails:

---------------
Greetings from Amazon Payments.

At registration we collect information related to our customers, such as name, address, date of birth, social security number and EIN. This information is used to verify the account holder’s identity. We were unable to verify the information you provided during account registration.

In order to verify your identity information and to be able to start transacting using your Amazon payments account, please login to your account and submit the requested information.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter and for using Amazon Payments.

- The Amazon Payments Team

------------
Greetings from Amazon Payments.

We appreciate your use of Amazon Payments. Unfortunately, we have been unable to confirm your account information. This may be because you failed to respond to our past requests for more information or we could not confirm identity information provided by you.

In either case, we are now required to restrict your Amazon Payments account features.

We apologize for any resulting inconvenience and appreciate your understanding of our need to take this action.

Please sign in to your account and contact us should you have any questions about our need to take this action.

- The Amazon Payments Team
--------------

Thankfully I was able to reproduce the data I used when I created the account, and got it restored. But if I hadn't kept good records, and had forgotten the address, SSN, driver's lic number, etc. that I "used" to create the account, I would have been stone cold shut down.

Again, the ONLY difference in activity this month from the previous couple of years was the location of the IP address that I used.

That really doesn't mean anything. Tons of people have done transactions using the same IP address for as long with no issues.

At best, it's just a hint at unacceptable behavior. It's neither necessary nor sufficient for a shutdown.

Tomato, tomAHto. Some people get away with using the same IP address. Other people have problems due to IP tracking. Including me. To say that my experience really doesn't mean anything is to simply ignore the facts. The ONLY change in my pattern in the past year was the IP address, and that change set off AP's trip wires. The opinion of whether it was necessary or sufficient for a shutdown is irrelevant...AP explicitly stated that they would shut me down if I did not comply with their request for further information.

Either way, to say that IP tracking is a forum legend is simply false. It's not an absolute shut down flag, but it's also not a myth.

Maybe.

Or maybe not.

Maybe it was just your time/turn to became a target.

Not much room for the argument since we don't know how the Bezos tribe operates.

You do what works for you.

I'll do what works for me.

This whole conversation about ips is absurd. They have your drivers license, your ss number, your address. It should be child's play for Amazon to shut down everyone with a duplicate account. For some reason they are not doing so.

Yep.

One simple automated SQL query, done.

Agreed.

FYI - in case it helps people, there's a difference between the IP address on your local network/router vs the public IP you're really connected to the internet as (cable/phone provider).

Running ipconfig from the command line - your IP address on your local network/router,

For the public IP - http://www.whatismyip.com/

Call me a suspicious old auditor, but maybe the NSA pays Amazon a commission per account information collected. More accounts = more money? Naw, our government would never do anything like that....

I remember when I used to tell people about things that were "forum legends" regarding MVD.

And then I got shut down.

Either way, I hope your approach to AP works long and prospers.