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Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

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Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#301

Post by eco »

c3534l wrote: post #270

This sounds like anti-competitive behavior. Even if legal, as someone who spends literally thousands of dollars a year on their site and have been for over a decade now, this will cause me to look for alternatives. I admired amazon because they were often aggressively pro-customer. But this move will not benefit their customers. They may well wind up destroying the customer loyalty they've built up over the years wit…

> ...look for alternatives.

What kind of serious alternatives are there to Amazon? There is Monoprice and Newegg for electronics and accessories. I just heard about Jet on Planet Money which sounded interesting. Anyone have any general shopping sites they like?

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#302

Post by robterrell »

sandGorgon wrote: post #89
RIMR wrote: post #33

Well, if I needed a reason not to buy a Fire Stick, here it is. If you can't sell your product without striking down competitor's products, than clearly your competitors have a better product.

Does anyone here have a Kindle Fire Stick? It seems to already have dual band, has double the memory/ghz of a chromecast and most importantly - does not need a phone or computer to work. It comes with an independent remote control and built in apps to run. Plus, it already has Spotify. I'm wondering why you would get the Chromecast over the Fire Stick.

I have the original fire stick. It's fine, nothing great. I prefer stand-alone devices -- using a computer with a chromecast == me doing tech support for the kids all the time. It has ended up being our default netflix client due to the nice not-IR remote.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#303

Post by javert »

x0x0 wrote: post #247
dragonwriter wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAICT, that problem is general to buying anything through Amazon except things sold directly by Amazon.

Yeah, it's becoming annoying. Batteries are more likely fake/offbrand than not, even when the ad claims otherwise, and last at best 3 months instead of 24 in my car's key fob. I got frustrated and eventually bought them at a local hardware store. Replacement chargers are chinese imitation shit. I've had an increasing number of purchases that don't match their descriptions. Amazon has been very good about it, and alwa…

Yeah I've bought bad batteries from Amazon (they were recharged AAs being sold as new), of course from a third-part seller.

Amazon doesn't care; thousands of people complain, and they keep letting it happen.

Amazon Subprime.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#305

Post by stock_toaster »

madrox wrote: post #171

Why is it when Apple does this to an app for the same reasons, it's ok? I suspect their announcement was a copy/paste of Apple's Kindle app rejection on the app store (when it included the option to buy books).

Amazon pulled the kindle app's ability to purchase books, because to continue to do so they would have had to pay Apple the standard 30% cut. Amazon did not want to pay that. So they chose to instead to remove the ability for customers to purchase books inside the app.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#306

Post by martin-adams »

I disagree with this. If Amazon want to avoid customer confusion, then make the products show a 'Amazon Prime Video Compatibility' notice on the product page.

But where does it stop. Do they start banning gaming devices, tablets, etc? Will music players be next, and e-readers?

It feels like this is Amazon's way to get those vendors to take note and consider and integration, or calling their bluff because they failed in their corporate negotiations to make that work.

Having said that though, I do feel it's unfortunate that to run the Amazon App store on my Android phone I have to leave the phone in an insecure state because Android only officially supports the Google Play Store. It feels like both are battling with each other and doing it in a very public way by harming the consumer experience.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#307

Post by AJ007 »

yid wrote: post #107
cwkoss wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). I have Prime and prefer Netflix, because Prime Video still doesn't have a great selection.

> They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). This is why it almost seems like Amazon's Google+ moment: one underperforming product area somehow manages to convince leadership to change the company's underlying principles in its advantage to the long-term detriment of overall brand perception. Edit: 32 points in 19 mins for this comment. I really hope som…

This is more about Roku vs Google & Apple than Amazon vs Google & Apple. Roku has been the market leader by far up until 2015.

One problem is that Amazon is now inviting consumers to open a direct relationship with Google or Apple. If a user makes a purchase of an Apple TV or Chromecast directly, Google or Apple now know exactly who they are.

Generally speaking, making it hard or cutting off sales channels for specific products can work to divert sales. Big retailers do it. However, if it is a product the consumer really, really wants they are going to jump through the loopholes to get it. I imagine Apple TV will eventually fall under that category.

Alternatives? Let Apple TV and Chromecast continue to be sold but place large warning messages and suggest buying a Roku or Amazon whatever device instead.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#308

Post by endymi0n »

cwkoss wrote: post #42
Artistry121 wrote: post #5

I don't think this move is in Amazon's best interests long term. Their competitive edge with Prime is that I go to them first because I assume they'll have what I want, at a fair price and the highest level of convenience. If they are no longer the "Everything Store" then they won't be where I go to for everything...

Totally agree. They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). I have Prime and prefer Netflix, because Prime Video still doesn't have a great selection.

Absolutely, and if they really try to open up a front against Google, that might be a stupid move, as they risk an "accidental" visibility penalty in their Google SERPs. Usually, Google doesn't play this low, but Amazon has much more at stake.

Shameless self-plug: See both your Netlix and Amazon Prime accounts' content at once at our site justwatch.com - filtered to your likings :)

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#309

Post by jon-wood »

rm_-rf_slash wrote: post #199
robwilliams wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's an interesting point. When Google started pushing G+ social networks in general was all the tech media were talking about. Now it's the death of cable and the rise of streaming services. And just like Google wanted it's piece of the buzz-worthy social media space, Amazon wants a piece of the growing streaming market. It's certainly not a good precedent to set banning competitor's products from their store. I c…

G+ is vestigial at best and creepy at worst, but at least there's something to be said about a giant sprawling octopus of a tech company managing to wrap everything into one, centralized platform. Amazon on the other hand seems to be subscribing to the amputation school of thought. I don't know a soul that's ever bought an Amazon gadget that wasn't exclusively named "Kindle." If people truly preferred Amazon's device…

I'm one of those souls, and really like both the Kindle Fire and Fire TV I have. This move has really soured them to me though - Amazon have a great product in Prime Video and their Fire lineup, a product which doesn't need these sort of shady tactics.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#310

Post by x0x0 »

korzun wrote: post #284
x0x0 wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ditto, though here's the problem with amazon: buying apple stuff on there is a shit experience. Go there right now and type macbook pro in the search. You'll get a page of results with these top results: Apple MacBook Pro MF839LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (128 GB) NEWEST VERSION Apple MacBook Pro MD101LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (NEWEST VERSION)…

That's not the point. Who cares if it's expensive or confusing. They are banning products that are competing with their own products. Amazon is simply a store for majority of the people who shop there. If Google banned Amazon from search results you would probably be outraged.

Google is a monopoly or near monopoly in search. Amazon is not a monopoly or near monopoly in general ecommerce (excluding ebooks.) Seeing as amazon is not a (near) monopoly in general ecommerce, I can't be bothered to care. If you don't like amazon's policies, patronize walmart, target, newegg, apple.com directly, or a dozen other competitors. I personally think amazon is wildly overestimating their ability to extract concessions from apple.
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