Here’s the Email Amazon Sent Sellers It’s Allegedly Screwing Over After FTC Filed Antitrust Lawsuit

Lee Duna@lemmy.nz to Technology@lemmy.world – 155 points –
Here’s the Email Amazon Sent Sellers It’s Allegedly Screwing Over After FTC Filed Antitrust Lawsuit
vice.com
7

The email reads like... something you'd expect a corporation to put out. Which is oddly refreshing after so much Elon/Trump BS.

I'm not sure that soulless corporatism is what I would find refreshing inbetween two servings of xenophobic manchildren.

Don't get me wrong, it's only refreshing because my ears have been beaten down by the sound of bleating assholes. It still is corporate soullessness but I'd take that over the likes of Musk any day.

And yet there's a good reason I pulled out of Amazon selling and had my FBA items returned to me. Their fees made it impossible to use without being a very high volume power seller.

I'm no Amazon fan or legal expert, but I don't see what it's obviously wrong with their practice.

FTC: "'Combined, all of these fees force many sellers to pay close to 50% of their total revenues to Amazon.” I thought normal store markup is 40-50%. Also, brands often pay for specific shelf space and buy back unsold inventory. It seems like the savings to sellers and consumers in the early days of Amazon were an aberration, and at the time people complained it was impossible for brick and mortar to compete.

I guess maybe the judgements they make could expand to Kroger, etc, restoring some of the online price advantage? At this point I don't even know what I want to happen. If we're just about reducing runaway profits, my wish would be higher taxes.