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Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

wired.com

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Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#21

Post by fortran77 »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #17
fortran77 wrote: post #14

This guy got a "hand sanitizer" copper disk (??) listed as an "Amazon's choice!" https://www.amazon.com/Sani-Disc-GK95D-Cleaner-Wherever-Prob...

Many metals are contact-antimicrobial See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_properties_of_co... -: Copper and its alloys (brasses, bronzes, cupronickel, copper-nickel-zinc, and others) are natural antimicrobial materials. And https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodynamic_effect -: The oligodynamic effect (from Greek oligos "few", and dynamis "force") is a biocidal effect of metals, especially heavy metals, tha…

You're welcome to rub your hands with a copper disk after going out in public. I'm going to wash them with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#22

Post by liability »

maxerickson wrote: post #5
sneak wrote: post #2

> We use sophisticated tools, including machine learning, to combat them, and we are making it increasingly difficult for bad actors to hide. So sophisticated that some reporter for wired could find them in the top few hundred bestsellers in a few minutes with a quick visual scan. Let’s be clear: Amazon should not be censoring legal items on their platform. However, their efforts at stopping it are purely a PR matter…

What's the difference between a platform that censors and a platform that sorts in a useful way?

Ask Amazon; they're the ones who said they'd remove these listings, not derank them. I assume that means they understand the difference.

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#23

Post by fortran77 »

fortran77 wrote: post #20
fortran77 wrote: post #14

This guy got a "hand sanitizer" copper disk (??) listed as an "Amazon's choice!" https://www.amazon.com/Sani-Disc-GK95D-Cleaner-Wherever-Prob...

And here is somone who got a "#1 best seller listing". Notice they say "ma-sk" instead of "mask" https://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Disposable-Respirator-Activ...

And then there's the "masssk"

https://www.amazon.com/4-Layer-Adjustable-Disposable-Comfort...

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#24

Post by fortran77 »

luxuryballs wrote: post #18

Good, let people buy face masks. Better than not being able to find any.

That's not what this article is about. It's about people listing face masks as books or other items.

And then there's the issue of items not being as described, like photos of 20-mask packages, but what arrives are single masks repackaged under unsanitary conditions:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ETU-_paU0AIjwnK?format=jpg&name=...

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#25

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

fortran77 wrote: post #21
TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many metals are contact-antimicrobial See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_properties_of_co... -: Copper and its alloys (brasses, bronzes, cupronickel, copper-nickel-zinc, and others) are natural antimicrobial materials. And https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodynamic_effect -: The oligodynamic effect (from Greek oligos "few", and dynamis "force") is a biocidal effect of metals, especially heavy metals, tha…

You're welcome to rub your hands with a copper disk after going out in public. I'm going to wash them with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Totally agree.

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#27

Post by gentleman11 »

sneak wrote: post #2

> We use sophisticated tools, including machine learning, to combat them, and we are making it increasingly difficult for bad actors to hide. So sophisticated that some reporter for wired could find them in the top few hundred bestsellers in a few minutes with a quick visual scan. Let’s be clear: Amazon should not be censoring legal items on their platform. However, their efforts at stopping it are purely a PR matter…

It seems to be that a single intern whose only job was to search for prohibited items and unlist them could do better

Really, just use Mechanical Turk. Their inability to handle this is obviously showing they intend to not fix it

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#28

Post by threeseed »

My favourite is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dukal-900610-Reflections-Earloop-Plea...

$46 for 100 and the "newer" version is $170 for 50. If you look at the reason for this massive price jump:

"high price caused by 1) price spike of non-woven fabrics, 20K up to 200K/ton, due to capacity issue caused by coronavirus. 2) till now, US custom will block or expropriate large quantity of mask, so we have to ship this product through small airmail package, which 5 time cost of logistic fee vs shipment in container"

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#29

Post by SkyPuncher »

fortran77 wrote: post #21
TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many metals are contact-antimicrobial See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_properties_of_co... -: Copper and its alloys (brasses, bronzes, cupronickel, copper-nickel-zinc, and others) are natural antimicrobial materials. And https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodynamic_effect -: The oligodynamic effect (from Greek oligos "few", and dynamis "force") is a biocidal effect of metals, especially heavy metals, tha…

You're welcome to rub your hands with a copper disk after going out in public. I'm going to wash them with soap and water for 20 seconds.

To be fair, this would be a great fidget toy while out in public.

Re: Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despite new rules

#30

Post by CoryAlexMartin »

olalonde wrote: post #13

If only we could get rid of this widespread notion that price gouging is bad/evil...

Yeah. When supplies can't meet demand, raising prices serves to discourage people from buying more than they need or buying just to resell.
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