I guess we'll need some references here -- that's a lot of either inside knowledge or assumptions otherwise. If they did have permission from Amazon to violate

I guess we'll need some references here -- that's a lot of either inside knowledge or assumptions otherwise. If they did have permission from Amazon to violate the TOS, I hope they had a contract to do so with protections/compensation for early termination. If not, the situation is not unlike how off label drug usage can be okay until the FDA tells you to stop. Once they change their minds, that's that.