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Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

I was taking a look at the Auto-parts category on Amazon and figured out instantly that the first few pages are 90% dominated by products that are sold and shipped by Amazon itself. In other words, they fixed the search engine to show their products and trash all others.

The Amazon Basics products occupy the first positions as well, some of which are trashy in comparison to other seller's items, but still they are placed at the top.


Is this even legal?!! It is so obvious that these search results are artificially fixed :pop2:

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

It is their website so they can to a large extent do what they want. Not fair but it is what it is I’m afraid

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Amazon can do pretty much whatever they want on their site.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

90% sure their search algorithms pick up hot items sold by their sellers and then put their own brand at the top.

Pretty smart, but just shows how incredibly along for the ride you are there.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Well what about unfair competition laws? Have they been trashed somewhere?!!

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

No idea. Keeping the money that's in your seller account when you get suspended for shipping late doesnt seem legal, either.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

That's a very good point I totally forgot about. Elizabeth Warren talked about barring Amazon from participating in its own marketplace. She pointed out the fact that Amazon forced 3rd sellers to give up information about their suppliers, prices they paid...etc and ended up making the same products and selling them under the "AmazonBasics" brand. Not only that, but as I mentioned before and everybody on earth already knows, Amazon fixed its listings' positions in search results.


Go to Amazon.com and look for a toaster, the very first few results are all products that are shipped and sold by Amazon. There are many other departments that are suffering the same predatory/illegal practice.


I am honestly shocked that they are getting away with this inside the EU. Austria and Germany just launched investigations with respect this very specific matter along with unfair treatment of 3rd sellers by suspending them abruptly.


When the word monopoly is mentioned nowadays, Google and Facebook immediately come to mind. In my opinion, Amazon is a far greater problem in that regard than say Facebook. Amazon has affected not only brick-and-mortar sellers, but also online ones who sell on its platform.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

In my view amazon is like say you own a home and you "let" people in from time to time.
But at the end of the day it's still your home and no one but yourself has the rights to do anything you want.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Amazon sells counterfeits of big brands. some of their Zuru balloons were obvious knock offs

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

I have seen it where Amazon have hijacked a listing and sold the product cheaper with FBA that the original lister. Big manufacturers have caught them out in importation of ⊗⊗⊗⊗ product and you never get to find out about it. I know a few containers for them have been seized by customs and either returned to sender or contents destroyed.

I hope that Elizabeth Warrens dream of breaking this company up and those who monopolize the market places occurs, even the present administration wants to do this.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

I need to disagree with this point of view.

Amazon would not be the same what it is today. The 3rd party sellers made Amazon.

In the beginning Amazon contact a lot of business (even ebay sellers) if they would like to sell on Amazon. I need to say, that they even called you a couple of times and send you email how great it would be if you add the products there. They even gave you 3 months of monthly fee of $39.95 for free!
A lot of business gave it a try.

After that, Amazon collected a lot of Data from customers and of course sellers. This is the most important thing for them. After month/ years of tracking Sellers and of course Customer - Amazon did know which product is a great seller, how much quantity all sellers sold per month etc. what the selling prices are and even the cost price you paid to the Manufacturer (or why do you guys thing they ask for Invoices. Not for inauthentic claims btw.)

With all those informations, Amazon contact every Manufacturer to buy the products in wholesale. They immediately asked for the same prices or lower prices if they purchase in big quantities.
Then Amazon listed on the same product page as other sellers and lowered the prices very quickly and all the idiots of sellers tried to compare with them. But at the end Amazon goal is lower any prices because to have the lower prices can gain more customers. The other thing is Amazon can easy lower the prices because the seller needs to always pay for the fees.

And since a couple of years, Amazon get deals with well known brands and locked out the 3rd Party sellers. But if you rethink that, without the 3rd Party sellers the prices are always the same there is no price changes or sales with other sellers.

Then i need to say, that for all the Brands who get the deal to lock out the 3rd Party sellers are the most idiots of all time. Because yes you as the Brand control the prices on Amazon but for Amazon those brands are just an alternative on there website for customers. Amazon tracks the bestseller products and remake them and sell them under there own brand with a much lower price.

That's ladies and gentlemen is the world of Amazon.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

All of what you said is pretty well known around here Duspast. The problem is they're perfectly within their rights to do all those things they've done, at least here in the USA. Until antitrust laws are changed I don't really see Amazon getting in trouble for doing what they tell sellers they're going to do in their TOS. Doesn't meet the definition of "monopoly" unless Amazon were the only retailer you could buy from online or in person.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Many cases where AMZ holds their sellers to extremely high standards and simply throw them in the trash if they slip up just once.

Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos himself admitted when they released the Kindle they recieved an IP rights notice for illegally including a copy of a book to consumers. To remedy it, they simply went into your Kindle overnight and 'took" the books back. That's the problem with elitism, Amazon looks like a hypocritical ass when they mess up, but of course, dont hold themselves responsible or suspend themselves for it.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

I know, I know. I've heard the good and bad. Evidently they're really good at PR because this forum is the only place on the internet where I see negative perspectives on Amazon.

I don't see anything illegal though. Unethical and very business smart, yes.

From what I can tell they maintain their reputation just like these forums do.. by only letting good feedback shine through and deleting the rest.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Probably not, Google got fined for similar by the EU.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Nothing illegal, for sure. Their exceptional customer-based ideology is exactly why they're at the top. Jeff realized customers want to buy from somewhere that will bend over backwards for them, no questions asked.

Amazon loses money on instances that cost them money even if they're not at fault, no doubt. In the long run that reputation as a trustworthy enterprise is what keeps customers coming back - for that peace of mind.

Everyone messes up now and again, though, everyone. So to hold sellers to such a high standard then give them the boot is asinine. I mean I get it. Doing that keeps their reputation intact, and makes them look like Ebay if they dont. But no one is immune to hiccups. And Amazon forgets, it was sellers that helped them get to where they are now.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

God I sound like a fking liberal... :doh:

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

Yes i mean there a lot of more things what Amazon is doing and that is highly illegal worldwide. I.e. holding money for months from sellers or closing accounts just because of "inauthentic claims" i don't think that's legal at all as long as the seller can verify the products. Also Amazon themselves purchase a lot of ⊗⊗⊗⊗ stuff from "Manufacturerers" and sold it online. But i know what you are saying.
When i talk to people and let them know how ****ed up Amazon is, they can't believe it.
Another thing is, that Amazon set high standards for the 3rd party sellers but it's not accepted by there own.

I also think, that Amazon doesn't have the great experience and good reputation on the customers anymore what they had a couple of years ago.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

How they've created their TOS they've legalized stealing. Your money, your inventory, your time, your work...

The few orders going over metrics dont justify keeping the money earned from all the rest. Those other transactions were completed per policy and by their standards.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

It all boils down to TOS that are unfair and designed to give Amazon a major advantage over 3rd party sellers on their site. Can you really blame them?

As sunspot famously said one time.. "they want it all!"

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

If Ebay starts selling their own branded goods and works out a deal with Ayden to hold onto your funds when you're suspended, we're all gonna be b****ing and moaning.

How Ebay has been modeling Amazon in events passed, it's entirely possible one or both of the two could happen.

Re: Amazon illegal practices!!!
 

You mean where you make the case for giving a **** about others, oh no!