Amazon to Replace Cracked Kindles

People usually buy cases to protect their technology. In this case, the $30 case Amazon.com has been selling as a Kindle 2 accessory has apparently been causing cracks in the Kindle where the case clips to it, that eventually cracks the screen. Not good, and also not good that it took a lawsuit to prompt Amazon.com to offer replacements without a $200 charge.

Previously, Amazon.com had asked users to pay $200, because the problem wasn't covered under Amazon's limited warranty. That led to a $5 million class action lawsuit by Matthew Geise, who experienced the problem with his wife's Kindle 2. Atta boy, Matt...


A look at the one-star reviews for the case at Amazon.com's own site shows not just that the problem was relatively common, it also showed that some people managed to get a freebie in return. Not all, though. One said:

The Kindle stayed in it's leather case, but the point at which the two small metal pegs attached to the unreinforced plastic caused a fracture which got worse until the $360 kindle was useless. Amazon "customer service" says it's no design flaw and will only repair it for $200!

What a rip-off!

A little bad publicity, a little lawsuit, and viola. Spokesman Andrew Herdener told The Seattle Times:

"We do not comment on active litigation. Nevertheless, we encourage anyone who has an issue with the cover-attachment mechanism to return the cover and device for a free replacement so we can investigate further."

Geise's lawyer told the Seattle Times that the lawsuit will continue.

"If they would like to resolve the matter, I think the way to do it is through a court-approved process. What I'm concerned about is it may not take care of all the class members. What we want is a consistent and comprehensive resolution for everyone who has been affected by this problem and will be affected in the future."