Ever since I can remember, one of my favorite ways to pass the time has been to curl up with a good book. As a kid, I became a master in the art of rapidly hiding a library book at very short notice and striking a natural-looking pose, so I could sneak reads while I was supposed to be studying math. I have since refined my reading methods (and, by the way, passed all necessary math classes). In January of 2010, I became the proud owner of a hand-me-down Kindle 2, given to me by my dad when he got an upgrade for himself. My Kindle may be a slightly dated version, but for all intents and purposes, it was everything I ever wanted for reading: a small, portable device capable of containing hundreds of books at any given time. And believe me, in the almost eight months I have owned it, my Kindle has gotten a lot of use.
Even though I read a lot from my Kindle, I always treated it carefully. The only time it was ever damaged was the time I dropped it, for which I accept full responsibility, and luckily only the casing was damaged, so it still works perfectly well for reading. However, the dropping incident did not in any way affect the cord, and the cord is the part I find issue with.
A number of weeks ago, I noticed that on a part of the cord just below the micro-usb end that plugs into the Kindle, the insulation had begun to crack and peel off, exposing part of the wire. I was surprised, because I hadn't noticed it begin, and it seemed like the kind of thing that would happen over time. So I showed it to my dad, and we decided duct tape would be the cure. Upon inspection, however, we found several more places along the wire that had cracks. So we patched it up, and I went along my merry way.
Skip to present. I hadn't been paying much attention to the cord, since when I used my kindle I usually focus on the screen. But today, I inspected the cord only to find that the deterioration had greatly accelerated, and in one place, a piece of insulation the size of the end of my finger had fallen off. Suddenly, I could see myself being electrocuted as I plugged my Kindle in, or burning the dormitory down in the middle of the night, simply because I wanted to be able to curl up with a good book. Not acceptable.
So, I checked online to see about ordering a new one. When I looked at the reviews for the cord, I noticed that several other people had complained of the same problem. Curious, I checked out the forum, and found this thread: Kindle 2 power cord fell apart. This thread is full of people posting about the same problem, and there are 1,033 posts. Wow! It appears I'm not the only one. People have complained about their cords falling apart, on average, after two years, but sometimes as early as three or four months.
Even though my Kindle is no longer under warranty, my dad suggested I call customer service about a replacement, since it's a known problem. And... what do you know? They replaced my cord, free of charge. They even reimbursed me for shipping. And the customer service was great too. Any time I call with a problem, they always say "I'm so sorry for [insert name of problem here]," whether it's my fault or theirs, which I find kind of funny. My only concern is... is the problem fixed? Yes, I have a new cord for free, which they technically didn't have to do, since my Kindle's no longer under warranty. But I have to wonder: will the same thing happen to my next cord? Or are they going to make them out of better plastic? Other cords I've owned have lasted for years without problems. But since Amazon seems to have decided not to issue a recall or a warning, I've decided to issue a warning of my own to my friends who own Kindles:
Regular inspection of your Kindle's cord is recommended for safety. If you see any signs of cracks or fraying, call Amazon Kindle customer service immediately (1-866-321-8851) for a free replacement. According to my experience and the posts in the forum, once the damage starts it will progress rapidly. Expect to replace your cord at least every two years, and at most every three or four months with normal usage.
As soon as my new cord gets here, I'm going to get right back to my favorite pass-time. Now that I'm an adult, I don't have to hide my reading every time I hear someone coming (although I have to accept full responsibility for my education). But my Kindle is still my favorite book, because it's more than just a book; it's a medium for reading: it's easy to use, it's very portable, and, for old time's sake, easy to hide.
Even though I read a lot from my Kindle, I always treated it carefully. The only time it was ever damaged was the time I dropped it, for which I accept full responsibility, and luckily only the casing was damaged, so it still works perfectly well for reading. However, the dropping incident did not in any way affect the cord, and the cord is the part I find issue with.
A number of weeks ago, I noticed that on a part of the cord just below the micro-usb end that plugs into the Kindle, the insulation had begun to crack and peel off, exposing part of the wire. I was surprised, because I hadn't noticed it begin, and it seemed like the kind of thing that would happen over time. So I showed it to my dad, and we decided duct tape would be the cure. Upon inspection, however, we found several more places along the wire that had cracks. So we patched it up, and I went along my merry way.
Skip to present. I hadn't been paying much attention to the cord, since when I used my kindle I usually focus on the screen. But today, I inspected the cord only to find that the deterioration had greatly accelerated, and in one place, a piece of insulation the size of the end of my finger had fallen off. Suddenly, I could see myself being electrocuted as I plugged my Kindle in, or burning the dormitory down in the middle of the night, simply because I wanted to be able to curl up with a good book. Not acceptable.
So, I checked online to see about ordering a new one. When I looked at the reviews for the cord, I noticed that several other people had complained of the same problem. Curious, I checked out the forum, and found this thread: Kindle 2 power cord fell apart. This thread is full of people posting about the same problem, and there are 1,033 posts. Wow! It appears I'm not the only one. People have complained about their cords falling apart, on average, after two years, but sometimes as early as three or four months.
Even though my Kindle is no longer under warranty, my dad suggested I call customer service about a replacement, since it's a known problem. And... what do you know? They replaced my cord, free of charge. They even reimbursed me for shipping. And the customer service was great too. Any time I call with a problem, they always say "I'm so sorry for [insert name of problem here]," whether it's my fault or theirs, which I find kind of funny. My only concern is... is the problem fixed? Yes, I have a new cord for free, which they technically didn't have to do, since my Kindle's no longer under warranty. But I have to wonder: will the same thing happen to my next cord? Or are they going to make them out of better plastic? Other cords I've owned have lasted for years without problems. But since Amazon seems to have decided not to issue a recall or a warning, I've decided to issue a warning of my own to my friends who own Kindles:
Regular inspection of your Kindle's cord is recommended for safety. If you see any signs of cracks or fraying, call Amazon Kindle customer service immediately (1-866-321-8851) for a free replacement. According to my experience and the posts in the forum, once the damage starts it will progress rapidly. Expect to replace your cord at least every two years, and at most every three or four months with normal usage.
As soon as my new cord gets here, I'm going to get right back to my favorite pass-time. Now that I'm an adult, I don't have to hide my reading every time I hear someone coming (although I have to accept full responsibility for my education). But my Kindle is still my favorite book, because it's more than just a book; it's a medium for reading: it's easy to use, it's very portable, and, for old time's sake, easy to hide.
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