Operating Issues Continue To Affect The Integrity Of Products Sold On Amazon Site

News reports last week described in detail the operating issues that affect the integrity and reliability of products sold on the Amazon site. The Verge reported that some sellers:

"... hop onto fast-selling listings with counterfeit goods, or frame their competitors with fake reviews. One common tactic is to find a once popular, but now abandoned product and hijack its listing, using the page’s old reviews to make whatever you’re selling appear trustworthy. Amazon’s marketplace is so chaotic that not even Amazon itself is safe from getting hijacked. In addition to being a retail platform, Amazon sells its own house-brand goods under names like AmazonBasics, Rivet furniture, Happy Belly food, and hundreds of other labels."

The hijacked product pages include photos, descriptions, reviews, and/or comments from other products -- a confusing mix of content. You probably assumed that it isn't possible for this to happen, but it does. The Verge report explained:

"There are now more than 2 million sellers on the platform, and Amazon has struggled to maintain order. A recent Wall Street Journal investigation found thousands of items for sale on the site that were deceptively labeled or declared unsafe by federal regulators... A former Amazon employee who now works as a consultant for Amazon sellers, she’s worked with clients who have undergone similar hijackings. She says these listings were likely seized by a seller who contacted Amazon’s Seller Support team and asked them to push through a file containing the changes. The team is based mostly overseas, experiences high turnover, and is expected to work quickly, Greer says, and if you find the right person they won’t check what changes the file contains."

This directly affects online shoppers. The article also included this tip for shoppers:

"... the easiest way to detect a hijacking is to check that the reviews refer to the product being sold..."

What a mess! The burden should not fall upon shoppers. Amazon needs to clean up its mess -- quickly. What are your opinions.

Comments

[Chanson de Roland]

One can always go to the local stores. Stores, such as the grocery store, bookstore, Walmart, which is the other everything store, hardware, furniture store, Home Depot, etc., still exist and are open for business. And the experience of shopping in them isn’t bad and involves getting out and taking some exercise, and meeting and interacting with actual people. And some, indeed most, of the sales personnel are courteous and helpful, and many are quite knowledgeable about their products and services. This is especially true of my booksellers, who know books. And shopping locally provides local jobs and boost your local economy.

So avoid Amazon, and instead get to know and patronize your local retailers. Some of those people are your neighbors, and all of them are part of your local communities. And here’s another little secret: Their prices are usually at least competitive, if not lower. And you can actually almost always see and experience the product in the store or discuss the service with the salesperson. And the physical store and the person who sold the goods or services to you are physically present and accountable to you.

Go to your local store instead of Amazon.