690

Amazon hides cheaper items with faster delivery, lawsuit alleges (arstechnica.com)

submitted 4 months ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

92 comments fedilink hide all child comments

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 145 points 4 months ago

Don't forget that Amazon also routinely charges shipping costs that sellers have already rolled into their pricing. The first time Amazon moved away from the $25 free-shipping mark, I started looking elsewhere and found the same sellers at their own websites or on ebay, with zero shipping charges (I was looking for hard drives at the time). When I reached out to ask the sellers about it, they said they had no idea Amazon was up-charging their orders but they had no say in the final pricing.

Now that Amazon has once more abandoned the $25 free shipping I have stopped using them entirely (again). I'll read the site for product reviews, then go find the same seller on ebay and get it for an honest price and free shipping.

[-] GooseFinger@lemmy.world 74 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

You can't trust Amazon reviews either though.

~~* Sellers frequently farm good reviews by including cards in their packages that state "give us a 5 star review and get a full/partial refund!"~~

Sellers update their listings with good reviews with different pictures, descriptions, etc. which effectively creates a different listing while carrying over a large review count.

~~* Amazon doesn't allow reviews after 30 days (?) from purchase, so items poor durability will not have that reflected in their reviews~~

It's a damn shame, but between this broken review system and their incredibly low quality items and quality control, they're not worth the money or headache to use. Especially since most of their products are no name Chinese garbage that are exclusively available on Amazon. They're basically Wish, Tubi, or Alibaba.

Edit: Amazon must've updated their review policy since I've last used them, 2+ years ago. They explicitly ban monetary rewards for good reviews, and I don't see a mention of review deadlines either. The only references I found about their review deadlines is a few Reddit posts from a year ago. So my bad!

If nothing's changed though, they still sell hot garbage.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Sellers frequently farm good reviews by including cards in their packages that state "give us a 5 star review and get a full/partial refund!"

I order A LOT off Amazon and I have never gotten one of these, I'd know because I would absolutely do this. I've seen "Please leave a review" card but never with a promise of a refund

Sellers update their listings with good reviews with different pictures, descriptions, etc. which effectively creates a different listing while carrying over a large review count.

Can confirm, I've seen this, but I thought it was Amazon themselves for some reason lmao

Amazon doesn't allow reviews after 30 days (?) from purchase, so items poor durability will not have that reflected in their reviews

I don't think that's true, I'm pretty sure I've seen reviews from people months after they ordered it

[-] dirthawker0@lemmy.world 15 points 4 months ago

I've gotten cards that offer a free product for a good review, and cards that offer a gift card, but not an actual refund. I've been offered refunds to take down my bad reviews.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] Confound4082@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago

Anecdotal, but I've gotten one of these cards in an order.

[-] lobut@lemmy.ca 4 points 4 months ago

Me too, for several purchases. I've never followed through with it though. I'd report them if I felt it did something.

load more comments (3 replies)

[-] deweydecibel@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Honestly, at this point, you can barely trust reviews anywhere. They've all been corrupted to some degree, and LLMs are going to make them exponentially worse.

[-] Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 5 points 4 months ago

Yeah I agree you can't immediately trust the star rating, and you really need to read through the reviews to find the authentic ones. Even the bad reviews can't always be trusted (I see a lot where folks complain about a product and go on to explain how their own idiocy or lack of knowledge led to the failure). I've actually noticed several lately that explicitly point out they were paid reviews so at least some folks are being honest about it. Usually when I read reviews I'm looking for more specific information, like when checking for a log cart recently I saw complaints that a small wheel size led to tipping. It would be nice if ebay had a more extensive and visible review system in place, but I'll take what info I can find.

[-] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 months ago

It's such a shame. In it's heyday there was a time where a five star review and more than a hundred reviewers consistently meant something was just awesome. I would sometimes buy stuff I didn't need if a came across this combination jist because I knew I would end up with something cool. Not anymore ; now I'm skeptical of every single review.

[-] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 months ago

Yeah, I’ve bought a few products that I had reservations on based on some bad reviews, and then when I got and used the item it was immediately obvious the reviewer didn’t read the instructions or try to troubleshoot in any way.

[-] asteriskeverything@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

To avoid the second one always sort the reviews by newest and keep an eye on the date

[-] ChapulinColorado@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

I got hit by the updated pictures and product problem you described recently. Used the “buy again” for a silicone set of wipers for my car (those last for years instead of the 2 seasons you get out of the rubber garbage the companies push). Rain x had updated the product to the latter one to make more money with the reviews of the older long lasting one on the inferior product. Had to return and buy from elsewhere. I can’t trust the “order again” functionality and at this point, Amazon and the companies there any longer (since they used the process to mislead customers).

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] Okokimup@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

I haven't had a problem reviewing after 30 days.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] alignedchaos@sh.itjust.works 14 points 4 months ago

Amazon promotes the shittiest, least honest reviews to the top of most products, though I guess if you know how to hunt for the rough 2-4* ratings you can technically find real reviews too.

[-] baggins@lemmy.ca 126 points 4 months ago

Price and quality issues aside- when I do go on Amazon it's because I want to buy from Amazon. Not some random business shipping stuff from the other side of the country. Can't stand how every store has a 'marketplace' of random overpriced AliExpress crap on their sites these days.

[-] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 60 points 4 months ago

Amazon is still sketchy with legitimacy of product. Fake product can get mixed into legit bins of product if the main seller doesn't pay extra for dedicated bins, separate from other sellers selling "the same" products.

[-] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 12 points 4 months ago

Also, AmazonBasics is exactly as the name implies. If you buy an AmazonBasics XLR cable, you know it's going to have two conductors not four and you know it's not going to be super well shielded if at all.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] conciselyverbose@kbin.social 30 points 4 months ago

I don't mind fulfilled by Amazon. I'm selective, but there's still value there.

If I could permanently remove everything that isn't in an Amazon warehouse from showing up in search results the platform would be way less annoying, though. De-emphasizing that nonsense is a huge value add as far as I'm concerned.

[-] space@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 4 months ago

Because Amazon is shitty with the sellers, the good ones can't make profit on the platform. All that's left is the Chinese garbage sold at huge margins, where the seller doesn't care if it gets returned.

[-] PopMyCop@iusearchlinux.fyi 10 points 4 months ago

That's strange to me. I remember, and still think of, amazon as a marketplace. I bought used books and video games as my first purchases, waaaaay back when. You would have to sort out the prices and compare them to the listed 'condition' of the purchase, trying to figure out whether 'like new' condition was worth the $3 price jump over 'good' condition.

[-] bratosch@lemm.ee 6 points 4 months ago

other side of the ~~country~~ world

[-] dirthawker0@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

I've been bitten by bad return policies when buying from businesses that sell directly, e.g. being refunded the purchase price but not their shipping, having to pay return shipping myself, or getting hit by some bogus restocking fee. Amazon return policy is pretty clear for items they're selling or at least stocking in their warehouse. So I do prefer to buy Amazon-shipped items.

load more comments (2 replies)

load more comments (8 replies)

[-] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 124 points 4 months ago

gasp No. They wouldn't. A monopoly? Anti-consumer practices? No. I refuse to believe these slanderous lies.

[-] d2k1@feddit.de 15 points 4 months ago

Slander?! I resent that. In print its libel.

[-] phx@lemmy.ca 98 points 4 months ago

Fun thing, if you don't sort by "Prime" you'll often find that there's another one of the exact item you're looking for - without Prime - but actually for a lower price. The Prime isn't actually free shipping, it's just baked into the price

[-] BeardedSingleMalt@kbin.social 48 points 4 months ago

Yeah I learned that a long time ago. Was looking for a new knife...

Amazon - $14.99 with Free Prime Shipping.

Sellers A & B - $9.99 with $5.00 shipping

Seller C - $4.99 with $10 shipping

[-] menemen@lemmy.world 35 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

But be careful that the other option has "free return shipping" included.

[-] wafflez@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

do you know if they're they taxed differently? so one might theoretically be slightly cheaper? /genc

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] Toribor@corndog.social 15 points 4 months ago

Plus the delivery dates are a joke anyway. Prime or not my orders all show up in the same amount of time. Sure they promise it's always 1-2 days but that doesn't seem to matter.

load more comments (3 replies)

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 11 points 4 months ago

Better still, don't buy on Amazon. If you've seen their selling fees, you'll know why.

[-] Leg@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

Is there a better amazon competitor?

[-] sleepmode@lemmy.world 9 points 4 months ago

I use Amazon to find stuff I want or need. Then I look to see if I can buy direct and more often than not it’s close or close enough in price and shipping. Or I look for a specialty retailer like B&H if it’s electronic, Jenson USA for bike parts etc. As a side bonus they usually know how to pack items properly too.

[-] 52fighters@sopuli.xyz 4 points 4 months ago

Most companies selling on Amazon are contractually prohibited to sell for less elsewhere, even from their own website.

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] Chestnut@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago

That's not very customer obsessed of them

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 26 points 4 months ago

Amazon is now always more expensive and longer then just going to a brick and mortar. Haven't touched their shit in about 2 years and haven't cared. Infact I've saved.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago

I see this a lot, and I just don't get where people are shopping that this is true, are you comparing it to Dollar Tree or something?

Amazon isn't as cheap as they used to be, but still competitive with places like Walmart and a far greater selection and stock. They're definitely cheaper than locally owned places, I've tried to shop local, but the best I've seen is still like double what Amazon or Walmart has it for

Also, I get the promised shipping time I'd say about 90% of the time even for same day items

[-] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

I actively avoid Amazon. It ends up taking a bunch of leg work but prices are consistent for me between Amazon, best buy, target, ebay, and b&h photo. They might have an advantage of home depot/Lowes but those items tend to be something I'd like to touch and feel first. But I understand I'm in a metro area so I have many stores around and that I'm still not supporting the higher prices of indie shops. I can't do everything

load more comments (6 replies)

[-] Deceptichum@kbin.social 20 points 4 months ago

Gonna go against the grain and say Amazon is still good value on a lot of things in Australia and cheaper then going into a physical store.

Which is more an indictment of how badly we've been getting fucked over on pricing here all our lives.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago

Yea, Amazon is still a decent value in America too, frankly I just don't understand where people are getting these comparisons from.

Sometimes Walmart is cheaper, sometimes Amazon is cheaper, a lot of the times they're neck and neck, but I don't have to step into a Walmart with Amazon so that's a huge plus for me lmao and a lot of the items are same day or next day

[-] Speculater@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

You don't want to wait in a self checkout lane for forty minutes to buy a single extension cord?!

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)

load more comments (3 replies)

[-] jmanes@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

I’ve largely stopped using them. I only buy from them if I cannot find what I need elsewhere which is quite rare.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 months ago

Yeah you're overpaying. Half of everything on Amazon is cheap plastic shit made for pennies that 50 different Chinese companies then reskin with their weird sketchy company name and sell for 10000% markup.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] tedu@azorius.net 5 points 4 months ago

Are there examples? I click through to other buying options periodically, but haven't found many hidden deals in there.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 4 points 4 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Amazon rigged its platform to "routinely" push an overwhelming majority of customers to pay more for items that could've been purchased at lower costs with equal or faster delivery times, a class-action lawsuit has alleged.

Authorities in the US and the European Union have investigated Amazon's allegedly anticompetitive Buy Box algorithm, confirming that it's "favored FBA sellers since at least 2016," the complaint said.

As of 2023, European regulators have continued pushing Amazon "to take further action to remedy its Buy Box bias in their respective jurisdictions," the customers' complaint said.

Both feel that Amazon "willfully" and "deceptively" tricked them and hundreds of millions of US customers into purchasing the featured item in the Buy Box when better deals existed.

Taylor and Selway's lawyer, Steve Berman, told Reuters that Amazon has placed "a great burden" on its customers, who must invest more time on the platform to identify the best deals.

"Our team expects the class to include hundreds of millions of Amazon consumers because virtually all purchases are made from the Buy Box," a spokesperson for plaintiffs' lawyers told Ars.

The original article contains 678 words, the summary contains 181 words. Saved 73%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

load more comments

this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024

690 points (98.9% liked)

Technology

55606 readers

2492 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS