Amazon issued a press release stating that it is fighting with 10,000 Facebook groups that sell fake Amazon reviews. It’s ironic, since Amazon has been a chief promoter of the avenue allowing this behavior: Section 230. Section 230 allows tech platforms to host and indirectly promote just about any type of bad behavior, including illegal behavior (fake review services and yes, human trafficking, murder-for-hire, etc.) and then say it’s just a community space and belatedly remove the ...
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Retail Dive reports on Amazon's lazy claims that it cares about stopping counterfeits. Counterfeiters on Amazon may steal a brand's product design, name, and product pictures. When a brand reports this to Amazon, Amazon often does: nothing.
This is an issue for American brands. For example:
A brands creates a product. The brand pays for research and development.
Brand may pay to have it made in America.
Brand takes professional pictures of the finished product.
Today’s Times shares that Amazon Prime members often spend twice as much compared to those that aren’t members. This led to me ponder: What if a first step to reducing Amazon’s monopolies is just canceling a $119/year ‘membership’? Prime may be Amazon’s strength—as well as its achilles. If we can find a way to undermine it, I believe one can save money and our communities.
During this holiday season, does one want to tell their family and friends that they sell knock offs--or that they help Main Street? I'd vote for the latter. Yet, a new service is trying to sell knock offs and eat in to retailers' lunches.
For the last few years, retailers have been having a hard time of it: they are increasingly circumvented by the brands. With the advent of the e-commerce websites and social media, brands are pitching their wares directly to consumers and ...
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Retailers have had a difficult time in recent years, as brands have increasingly circumvented them. With the advent of e-commerce websites and social media, brands are pitching their wares directly to consumers and cutting out retailers.
I’ve sometimes wondered: What if the factory decides to do the same and cut out the brands? If the retailers don’t like it, how will the brands? Some businesses are now trying this. Services like Italic allow a consumer to bypass...
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March 12, 2020
March 12, 2020
Last week I compared Amazon to a vending machine with dangerous products, and today’s WSJ shares how it reviewed products from this vending machine and found counterfeits, fakes, and deceptively labeled products.
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News outlets like the Wall St. Journal have shared that Amazon is full of fake products, counterfeits, and listings with exaggerated prices. In today’s WSJ, Amazon shares it removed 1 million fake health products related to the Coronavirus. Amazon’s action supports the accusations that Amazon often fails when it comes to policing its marketplace. It’s rare ‘action’ is actually a sign of larger ‘inaction.’ While these Coronavirus products may have ...
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October 26, 2019
October 26, 2019
Wonder how prices are so low on Amazon? Yes, many items are stolen (at the time of purchase) or counterfeit, but there’s another reason: they’re bought after you buy them using stolen credit cards. In other words, they’re stolen after the ‘legit’ purchase. Recently, a retailer reported that it was being asked to ship Versace items to far off locations, only to have the credit card holder say it didn’t order them. They say their credit card was stolen. The reason the scammer ordered the goods ...
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June 28, 2019
June 28, 2019
Amazon may falsey report low stock and raise prices after you add an item to your shopping, shares David Streitfeld in today’s Times.
Amazon is awash in fakes reports today’s Wall St Journal. Recently, I looked at an Amazon page selling Anna Weatherley. The page said the seller was “Anna Weatherley.” It wasn’t. If you clicked this name, it showed the seller as someone else. Why would the page mislead the shopper?
My conclusion is Amazon has a shady website, and it helps shady sellers sometimes sell fakes.
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September 3, 2015
September 3, 2015
Today's WSJ reminds us that small businesses are required to update their credit card terminals before October 1st. Otherwise, they're liable for fraud.