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Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

recode.net

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Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#501

Post by jhall1468 »

bamboozled wrote: post #460
com2kid wrote: post #442

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They can do that because so many people don't price compare anymore before going to Amazon. There is also the fact that Amazon already has my info, it is worth a buck or two to not have to type all that in on my phone, or at least go through someone else's checkout process. With Amazon, I can think of something I need, pull out my phone, and with their app have it ordered in minutes. If I shop around and it takes m…

Also achieved with PayPal

From those that accept it, which isn't everyone.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#502

Post by jhall1468 »

awaywopassd wrote: post #246
arbuge wrote: post #19

Their basic underlying assumption appears to be that they're no longer in danger of losing customers and can now act accordingly. Now that they've captured 50%+ of US ecommerce, they've also raised many prices, to the point where they're far from the cheapest price in many cases. A random example... the cat litter I just purchased is $17.89 at Amazon, $13.49 at Walmart. Last week I bought a chair mat for $21.95 on Eb…

> My Prime membership expires in a couple months time, and this time I'm not renewing it, after being a member for several years. Same here. After almost a decade, I will not renew my Prime membership. It is just scary thinking about it especially losing other benefits like Prime Music and Unlimited Photos backup but Amazon shopping experience keep getting worse. I am pretty sure I have received a few fake name brand…

> Lately, they only fix the issue/replace the item. Maybe, they spoiled me but to me that is sign of declining customer service.

That's a sign of "good" customer service vs over-the-top. They still send gift cards/free prime memberships from time-to-time, but frequent callers probably don't get those deals any more.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#503

Post by dceddia »

adameast9000 wrote: post #420
__jal wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the issue they should care about is that I'm losing trust in them, for a number of reasons, and (anecdatally) I'm not the only one. - Are they taking me for a ride on price? I don't optimize this enough and do overpay because I'm lazy, but there have been multiple times lately that they gave me a price that was just stupidly high. - Is this the kind of product that will cause their screwed-up warehousing system t…

Somewhat related, there's a chrome extension called honey that will compare the final price (incl. tax) of all sellers for a product listing and add the best one to your cart. I've saved tons of money in some situations where an alternate seller had no taxes, was cheaper but longer shipping, etc... It's still frustrating the lengths I have to go to to get a fair deal on Amazon. there's so much anticompetitive behavio…

Recently I saw an item where the warranty would only be valid for the Sold by Amazon version. The first bullet in the product description was "Amazon as the seller is the ONLY authorized Fulfilled By Amazon Dealer".

I ended up buying the item in a brick-and-mortar store -- same price, instant pick-up, and easier to return in case it didn't meet my needs (plus no fear of blacklisting or whatever, which I'm not sure is a thing Amazon does, but I don't really want to find out, either).

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#504

Post by peteretep »

Gustomaximus wrote: post #164
cs702 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their basic underlying assumption appears to be that they're no longer in danger of losing customers and can now act accordingly. Speaking as a longtime customer, I agree: this is what Amazon's behavior feels like to me nowadays. Search no longer works well for me. Reviews and product ratings are no longer trustworthy. The authenticity of products in key categories (e.g., electronics) can no longer be taken for gra…

Does it though? 1) The day Amazon feel threatened they can become the cheapest in the market quickly again. 2) Given purchasing power scale and people like fast delivery there will only be a handful of companies that can complete with Amazon ever, so it seems unlikely there will be a 'started in the garage' business compete with them now the market is maturing. 3) With the extra profit Amazon are making vs a competit…

> 1) The day Amazon feel threatened they can become the cheapest in the market quickly again.

No. Amazon had built up trust. Trust that they were the cheapest place to look, and trust that they were ultra-reliable. Trust that their reviews were trustworthy.

The longer that's untrue for, the more the brand is becoming irreparably damaged. It seems mind-blowingly stupid. Three years ago, I would purchase absolutely anything I could from Amazon. Clothes, for example.

There's a brand of jeans I like, I know the size and style I like, and I used to always just go to Amazon. These days I spend my money on Zalando because I don't want fakes, and I know that Zalando will make sure I get genuine items each time.

I bought a suitcase a little while ago. Wrong item was sent. Because of whatever agreement Amazon has with the third-party who sold it to me, I couldn't easily generate an immediate refund like I used to be able to do.

Amazon have probably lost around $3-4,000 of easy revenue from me this year, so far. The whole thing feels like a massive own-goal.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#505

Post by joegahona »

pbreit wrote: post #254
arbuge wrote: post #19

Their basic underlying assumption appears to be that they're no longer in danger of losing customers and can now act accordingly. Now that they've captured 50%+ of US ecommerce, they've also raised many prices, to the point where they're far from the cheapest price in many cases. A random example... the cat litter I just purchased is $17.89 at Amazon, $13.49 at Walmart. Last week I bought a chair mat for $21.95 on Eb…

The Recode analysis was decent but problematic in that its test searches are pretty contrived. Does anyone really search for "shoes" or "cereal". There was only 1 reasonable search attempted "justins peanut butter" and the results were indeed mediocre. But I would have liked to have seen better testing.

I thought they were lame searches too, so I went to Amazon and searched "Bose headphones." Nothing above the fold was Bose headphones -- the second pair of headphones don't even have a brand listed. Thinking that wasn't specific enough, I tried "Bose noise-canceling headphones," and the same thing happened.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#506

Post by rubyn00bie »

This is THE example of why any website that has “relevant” or “best” as a filter type is absolutely shit...

I have really loved Amazon but their practices lately to drive growth are driving me away. My Prime membership is coming up soon and this may be the last year I renew if I do at all.

Ads are half the problem, counterfeit goods are the other... I actually could careless about things being counterfeit but it’s a risky proposition with electronics and often risky...

As long as they got Gran Tour I’ll probably subscribe... because Clakrson, Hammond, and May are worth the $99 a year alone. Everything else... not so much.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#507

Post by cynwoody »

jstarfish wrote: post #307
toomuchtodo wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The day Amazon feel threatened they can become the cheapest in the market quickly again. > Given purchasing power scale and people like fast delivery there will only be a handful of companies that can complete with Amazon ever, so it seems unlikely there will be a 'started in the garage' business compete with them now the market is maturing. I'd rather just walk into Target (same day pickup), Walmart (same day pick…

> Buy Buy Baby Always hated the name of that store. It sounds like a euphemism for Planned Parenthood. > The UX is still great for me to track down products I might like or need and then go shop for them in person. What a hilarious inversion of the way things used to be.

> Always hated the name of that store. It sounds like a euphemism for Planned Parenthood.

Back in 1994, Bezos wanted to call his new company "Cadabra," as in the magic incantation "abracadabra," but he quickly had a fresh brainstorm when his lawyer misheard the name as "Cadaver."

https://mashable.com/2011/07/22/facts-amazon-com/#QQ1l8PmD7q...

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#508

Post by zorbadgreek »

hef19898 wrote: post #305
tfha wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I've been unhappy to see Bezos gaining steam. As his other products become more successful, you can expect a lot more of this. Alexa is not your friend, Alexa is a tool to make Amazon money. Amazon's move into media is not an effort to improve the media system, it's a recognition that there's a lot of money to be made by controlling the media that people consume. Same thing with the fire phone, it wasn't…

In my opinion that changed with the fire phone debacle. Arguably that was Jeffs baby, when it tanked (as far as I know) most of the developer team left. And the apparently told Jeff that some stuff he wanted in the phone was bad idea. So, that would go against thr leadership principles of vocally self-critical and earn trust. Not that it harmed stock performance, but it changed something, somehow. Not sure what, so.

Most people on the team did not leave. A lot of the people who worked on Fire Phone went to other projects inside the company including Amazon Go.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#509

Post by jessaustin »

melq wrote: post #221
specialist wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctor's orders. I'm immune compromised. Dr says it's as effective as tamiflu. From my reading, elderberry doesn't prevent infections, but it does minimize the symptoms, which matches my experience.

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/euroelder >Although some preliminary research indicates that elderberry may relieve flu symptoms, the evidence is not strong enough to support its use for this purpose. You may want to find a new doctor.

...which matches my experience.

Don't ever tell a patient to disregard personal experience. Someone who has suffered a chronic condition, and learned enough about it and her body to find an effective non-pharmacological treatment for it, knows more than a room full of physicians about how that condition is best treated in her body. Besides, don't we know by now that most studies (especially non-replicated ones on unpopular subjects) are worthless?

Source: personal experience.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#510

Post by jessaustin »

vel0city wrote: post #354
awaywopassd wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You were likely buying from a 3rd party seller. I know of some people who do this. Basically, list tons of items on Amazon from local speciality stores, Costco, etc. They markup prices, of course. Then once a day, on their way back home, they pickup stuff that was bought, pack it at night, and then ship it in the morning. You are basically paying for someone else to shop. I was introduced to this side-hustle by my fr…

Even better are the drop shippers, who just scrape retailers online and create marked up listings on Amazon. When a user orders from their Amazon shop, they just place the order immediately on the boutique shop with the buyer's delivery information. Get a lot of these scripts running, and you can make a good bit of money.

At least, that's what the paid online "run your own dropship business" courses would have us believe...
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