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Intermernettoday at 3:51 PM2 repliesview on HN

I recently had a perfect storm of non-friendly technology.

I made one purchase on Amazon while connected to a VPN.

Amazon froze my account and demanded proof of identity.

Amazon don't accept an existing photo of primary ID for their preferred ID verification check, it must be a photo taken by a camera on-device, and I don't have a webcam on my desktop PC. Once you select the secondary method, it seems you can't go back to the primary.

My bank can't issue a statement on the mobile app.

My bank, even through the website, can't issue a statement that has the required details (name, credit card details - blanked except for last four digits, and transactions) that includes pending transactions.

I had to manually request a statement from my bank (via a phone call) that included the pending transaction, edit it in an image editing app, submit it to Amazon via their web-site.

None of the apps (bank, Amazon, government ID, camera) had the flexibility to solve the problem.

The root cause was using a VPN to make an online purchase of a $12 piece of hobby electronics.

Not only are apps broken, the current state of the internet (and the random ways companies try to enforce "security") is also broken.


Replies

nickfftoday at 4:08 PM

>”Amazon don't accept an existing photo of primary ID for their preferred ID verification check, it must be a photo taken by a camera on-device, and I don't have a webcam on my desktop PC”

In my experience, it was not possible to complete the verification via computer, even with a webcam. The verification site assumes and seems to require that you use a cellphone.

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inigyoutoday at 3:53 PM

Just make a new account at that point, right?

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