The Hidden Risk: Losing Access to Your eBooks if Your Account Is Suspended
eBooks are easy to buy and take up no physical space. However, because the system inherently increases lock-in to a “digital reading platform,” there is a real risk of losing access to purchased eBooks if the account is suspended.
Modified at: 2025.9.23Posted at: 2022.8.29
Purchased eBooks Depend on Platforms
When buying eBooks, most people approach the purchase with the same mindset as buying a physical book. However, the contract for purchasing an eBook is fundamentally different from that of a physical book. The key difference is ownership: eBooks do not grant ownership of the digital file. What is granted is merely the “right to access and use that eBook on the specified platform.”
In other words, depending on the platform’s discretion, there is a risk that access to eBooks can be revoked.
The Scariest Risk: Account Suspension
That said, accounts rarely get suspended if used normally. Even if an account is suspended by mistake, in many cases it can be reinstated by following the proper procedures.
On the other hand, a common cause of account suspension on digital reading platforms is “using gift cards purchased via flea markets or auctions.”
While third-party sellers on online marketplaces often list Amazon Gift Cards and Apple Gift Cards at a discount, some listings are posted by criminals selling stolen gift cards or codes.
If such fraudulently obtained codes are applied to an account, the account may be flagged as “attempting to use an unauthorized code,” leading to suspension. There are multiple reports of this occurring online.
If it can be proven to the platform whether the intent was fraudulent or the purchase involved someone else’s stolen card, reinstatement may be possible; however, once a platform determines there was a violation, account recovery is not easily granted.
In that case, all previously purchased eBooks can become “completely inaccessible.”
How to Prevent eBook Account Suspension
How can the risk of “losing access to all previously purchased eBooks due to account suspension” be mitigated?
Common countermeasures include:
- Do not use gift cards purchased via flea markets or auctions.
- Create a separate account dedicated to eBook purchases.
- Split purchases across multiple platforms.
Discounted gift cards on marketplaces can be tempting, but given the risk, avoid buying such gift cards.
Separating accounts and distributing purchases across platforms is safer in the sense that issues on one account or platform won’t affect others, but it does introduce the hassle of switching each time when reading.