Feeling conflicted about selling on Amazon given what you know about them?
Does anyone here shop on Amazon themselves? And if so, do you feel guilty at all about it knowing what we know about what Amazon does to small businesses, how it treats its employees, how it abuses its unbelievably far-reaching power, how it negatively impacts the environment and the role it plays in degrading consumer behavior beyond repair?
If it were up to me, my company would have left Amazon a decade ago. My bosses know how I feel about this place, but for obvious reasons they will continue selling in this platform. That's fine. I'm not in charge here at all.
I was just coming here wondering if there are any like-minded people out there to commiserate with.
I'm not coming here to start a fight or anything. There’s plenty of other places for that if you’re looking for an argument. I'm just here to see if I’m the only crazy one is all.
Thank you.
Feeling conflicted about selling on Amazon given what you know about them?
Does anyone here shop on Amazon themselves? And if so, do you feel guilty at all about it knowing what we know about what Amazon does to small businesses, how it treats its employees, how it abuses its unbelievably far-reaching power, how it negatively impacts the environment and the role it plays in degrading consumer behavior beyond repair?
If it were up to me, my company would have left Amazon a decade ago. My bosses know how I feel about this place, but for obvious reasons they will continue selling in this platform. That's fine. I'm not in charge here at all.
I was just coming here wondering if there are any like-minded people out there to commiserate with.
I'm not coming here to start a fight or anything. There’s plenty of other places for that if you’re looking for an argument. I'm just here to see if I’m the only crazy one is all.
Thank you.
43 replies
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
Amazon is completely blind to the fact that all those sellers they suspend steal from and mistreat.....are also their costumers on the buying side.
Though Amazon mostly leaves me alone (I am a boring old fish in the ocean) I have changed my shopping behavior and yes, do feel a sort of betrayal now shopping at Amazon. Of course I still do, but I'd say easily less than half compared to previous years. As sellers are forced to sell on other platforms, I am forcing myself to remember to BUY on those too.
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
I agree, we still buy on Amazon but have probably cut down our purchases by 1/2 as well. Feel guilty about it and we are constantly trying to move as much of our $$ off this site. The way they treat 3P sellers is just ridiculous, toxic and abusive are just to words that come to mind.
Seller_Uuh1lu5sKdtdI
Yes, I actually hate selling here, but since most of my income comes from here, I continue on.... Just about every other day or so, I say to my hubby "Have I mentioned that I absolutely HATE Amazon?"
I am trying to increase my sales on ebay - and the people there are so much more polite and honest! Not always of course, but waaaay more than Amazon.
I also feel guilty when I shop on Amazon, but since my daughter has prime, I sometimes take advantage of that next day shipping.
On a side note - you know how sellers get screwed with returns most of the time? Amazon refunds for any reason. BUT when it comes to a product they are selling, NOT SO. I ordered chocolate bars and they melted and rehardened at some point in their travels. When I contacted Amazon about it, they hemmed and hawed and made me jump through hoops just to get a replacement for one of the two boxes. To get a replacement for the second box, I was required to email them pictures, and get my daughter online at the same time as me . It was just too much hassle for $30 so I let it go.
What I do know, however, had it been a 3rd party seller selling those candy bars, I would have been refunded instantly - and also probably sent replacements too!
Seller_74oNzVilI9TnR
I've shopped much less and also spent less time into growing FBA/Amazon. It's more headache and negative than positive.
From random listing take downs, to destroying of inventories, I'm ready to put my time and attention elsewhere and not allow this be a main channel of sales.
Seller_bLpzUne3tRjkG
I've drastically reduced my purchases on Amazon due to my experience as a seller. Whenever I shop online, I look for alternatives first. As an example, for books, I read the reviews and check out the preview here on Amazon because of the completeness of their catalog, but then search the title at Alibris, Walmart, B&N, or directly from the publisher. If a book from a 3rd party seller is listed on Alibris and Amazon both, I always pick Alibris because they treat their sellers much better.
Seller_mFUNUCCYB0cok
I sell on this platform only because I have to. It has the largest marketshare of online buying traffic and understand our sales would be far less if we didn't sell on Amazon. However, if we can significantly increase our sale on other platforms and in other sales channels, we would not hesitate to leave Amazon in a heartbeat
What Amazon is doing by allowing the Chinese sellers to destroy this platform kills US domestic small businesses. I do know as an Amazon buyer, I always click on the seller name. And always choose the US seller if they are selling the product. Amazon has bitten off the hand of the sellers that made it what it is.
Seller_4HsL3GZbyDLea
When I describe to friends and people I meet how Amazon treats third party sellers, they are shocked.
I buy almost nothing from Amazon direct. And I will not buy their Amazon brand products. We focus all the necessary buying on third party sellers.
Seller_CW0P5hgbsiqWX
Amazon is what it is. It has grown too large and becomes more dysfunctional every day.
We sell FBM on the site and only use Amazon to broker the deal with the buyer. Jeff Bezos designed the company to operate the way he wanted, and you know what that got him. A new ship to live on in the Mediterranean. Ofer the past 24 years, I contributed 1.1million dollars to the new ship, but I am not holding my breath that I will be invited for a visit.
Seller_okzTokjyyYTIG
Not about to join your trauma bond. What started as a COVID side hustle, I love selling on Amazon for the last 4 years and 7 figures. Yeah, fees have increased causing you to put out more volume, but that's how it is with any job; the constant need to cut cost and do more with less. Amazon is merely optimizing their workflow/revenue, rightfully so. Its to the best interest of the seller to do the same. It is not a get rich quick scheme, nor should be treated as such.
As far as shopping on Amazon? Of course I do. The time save far outweighs the price differential (marginal at best) of having to go physically to stores.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Seller_BeWo5Xt3t43rn
I do most of my shopping on other platforms and if I do buy on AMAZON it is after trying to buy elsewhere first!
I have relatives who work for AMAZON and they have been treated fairly but they are not the poor souls who work packing and shippng orders! California this week fined AMAZON $6 million for warehouse workers quotas.
