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Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

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Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#431

Post by dannyw »

vinay_ys wrote: post #378
dannyw wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct. Fulfilment is UPC based and independent of seller, for all FBA products.

This doesn't sound right. Even if two different sellers are selling the exact same brand manufactured product (say, an Android Phone), via FBA, when a customer buys from seller1, they should get the Item1 which was actually supplied to FBA by Seller1. They cannot get Item2 which was supplied by Seller2. When the customer returns the Item1 for manufacturing defect etc reasons, it has to go back to the Seller1. This is…

This is what happens though. Now you understand why counterfeits are a problem.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#433

Post by Marsymars »

toasterlovin wrote: post #354
Marsymars wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Competition free of biased incentives, but I thought that would be too wordy. Or simply products and services free of biased incentives would be fine too.

Do you really think the government needs to get involved when no demonstrable consumer harm is being done? Have you actually considered how house brands might be beneficial to consumers? Let me explain. I just did a search for "lightning cable" on Amazon. I don't want to pay $19, or whatever it would cost, to buy an Apple branded lightning cable. So I'm going to go for something cheaper. The top result is by Amazon B…

> Do you really think the government needs to get involved when no demonstrable consumer harm is being done?

Generally no, but I don't think a monopoly is a prerequisite for biased incentives to cause consumer harm, particularly for platform companies. Consumers don't have to choose between a bunch of non-monopoly platforms that aren't acting in their best interest when they can collectively decide, via their government, to force the platforms to do as they want.

This is speaking generally - I don't actually have any problem with the specific case of Amazon promoting their AmazonBasics brands.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#434

Post by dredmorbius »

some_random wrote: post #265
password1 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Otherwise, Amazon feels like AliExpress with faster shipping and better English. It literally is. All these products are cheap stuff that marketers find on aliexpress. They buy them in bulk, stamp a logo on it, import in the US/EU, stock in logistic centers and then sell on Amazon. It's the same stuff, but it comes from an English seller and a warehouse in US/EU. It's exactly the same thing that Amazon does with it…

I was told by an ex-amazon employee that amazon basics were all designed in-house. As in, they're explicitly not white-labels.

OT response to a killed comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21009618)

HN seems to have had an influx of incentivised accounts (via third-party services). They're putatively gaining some sort of credits. That's been discontinued at HN's request to at least some such services.

Best response is to flag the comments/posts, and if you see egregious abuse, email the mods: hn@ycombinator.com

(I've emailed re: the earlier thread.)

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#435

Post by stefek99 »

diffeomorphism wrote: post #402
stefek99 wrote: post #400

Excuse me, what's the news here? A company wants to maximize its profit. If it is wasn't that way, they would be acting illegaly. (publicly trading company must seek shareholders profit) So what is the news once again?

> If it is wasn't that way, they would be acting illegally. Common misconception. > Corporate directors are not required to maximize shareholder value. https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/academics/clarke_business_...

Interesting.

"Usually maximizing shareholder value is not a legal obligation, but the product of the pressure that activist shareholders, stock-based compensation schemes and financial markets impose on corporate directors."

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#436

Post by jshowa3 »

okmokmz wrote: post #425
jshowa3 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most US goods come manufactured from China. While China has a large counterfeit market, it's mostly restricted to inside the country.

>While China has a large counterfeit market, it's mostly restricted to inside the country There are a huge number of online retailers where you can purchase chinese counterfeit items in the US. If you're in Seattle I can take you down a few streets where you can openly buy counterfeits as well, and I experienced the same in LA and New York. It definitely isn't mostly restricted to China, there is a massive market for…

Compared to China, there really isn't. Literally everything in the stores in Chinese markets is counterfeit. I've been there. Fake gucci, fake airpods, fake drones, fake action figures, etc. I doubt you'll find any of this as wide spread, even in major cities, in the US.

And most of counterfeit items online are obviously from China or from Chinese sites. They aren't from the US.

And considering nearly all US clothing comes from China and is not considered fake and is largely the same with electronics and even toys, it isn't so much a quality issue when you get things from China. It more has to do with what company you get it from.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#437

Post by LegitShady »

sk5t wrote: post #376
LegitShady wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2016 a company called Liason Interactive bought a majority stake in Newegg, personally I think to try to turn newegg into an electronics version of amazon. Since around then Newegg has been garbage, and continues to become worse. I think any seller like amazon or newegg that turns into a marketplace/platform is trading their reputation for the potential of a cut from a much larger market, and they probably do this…

At least B&H and Adorama are still clean, right?

Pretty sure they're actual giant brick and mortar stores in NYC. Not proof against buying out but different. I dont buy enough from either to know.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#438

Post by muddi900 »

password1 wrote: post #52
Pxtl wrote: post #34

Considering how shopping at Amazon now feels like shopping at an electronics bazaar in Singapore with giant bins of random knock-off products of suspicious quality, tweaking the algo to push name-brand options (even if it's their own name-brand) would be a welcome move to me as a buyer. Obviously it's grossly unfair to their vendors, but from a strictly user-centric view it's an improvement. Otherwise, Amazon feels l…

> Otherwise, Amazon feels like AliExpress with faster shipping and better English. It literally is. All these products are cheap stuff that marketers find on aliexpress. They buy them in bulk, stamp a logo on it, import in the US/EU, stock in logistic centers and then sell on Amazon. It's the same stuff, but it comes from an English seller and a warehouse in US/EU. It's exactly the same thing that Amazon does with it…

Amazon analytics firms(JungleScout etc) specifically offer direct search to Alibaba from their apps, for private-labelling
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