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As it grows larger, the "Amazon marketplace" is getting more and more filled with garbage knockoff products and fake reviews. There may eventually come a tippin

As it grows larger, the "Amazon marketplace" is getting more and more filled with garbage knockoff products and fake reviews. There may eventually come a tipping point where they lose user trust.

nvusuvu 8y ago
I'm almost there now.
willismichael 8y ago
My hope is that smaller, more focused online retailers and marketplaces emerge that can compete in specific verticals. For example, I already go to non-amazon sites where I prefer to buy music gear and computer hardware.
- SneakerXZ 8y ago
  This is more popular in EU. In many countries Amazon even does not operate, and even in Germany people try to prefer different place if they can.
RhodesianHunter 8y ago
Most people in my circle already won't buy anything they put in their bodies from Amazon, because the risk of Chinese counterfeits is just too great.
gregknicholson 8y ago
If that happens, I don't think the problem will be perceived as "Amazon" — people will say "online shopping" is untrustworthy, like how "social media" is responsible for the world's ills, not "Facebook".
lostlogin 8y ago
Unmentioned here as far as I can see is their attitude to worker’s rights. That’s massively off-putting for me.
sejordan 8y ago
I feel like every time there is a discussion about Amazon on the Internet, this point is brought up. I spent about $9,000 on Amazon across 139 orders in 2018. I buy a lot on Amazon. I've never had a problem with receiving knockoff products. I don't understand how this can be such a prevalent issue when I've not run into it, given how much I use Amazon. The only thing I can think is that, if I'm buying something expensive, I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" or alternatively, I'll use a marketplace seller if the seller is the manufacturer of the item I'm buying.
- airstrike 8y ago
  > I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" Most users don't think to check for that, though. I know my mother-in-law doesn't...
  - lotsofpulp 8y ago
    They intentionally don't offer the option to filter for it many times, otherwise, I would have that permanently selected.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > The only thing I can think is that, if I'm buying something expensive, I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" If you are trying to avoid counterfeits, that's not really helpful, since the problem with counterfeits is magnified by commingling, by which items sold by Amazon itself, and FBA sellers that do not opt-out of it are mixed and orders fulfilled with goods that may have been sourced by any of the sellers.
Shorel 8y ago
For many things that is an issue. But I still buy laptops and other electronics from Amazon.

As it grows larger, the "Amazon marketplace" is getting more and more filled with garbage knockoff products and fake reviews. There may eventually come a tipping point where they lose user trust.

nvusuvu 8y ago

I'm almost there now.

willismichael 8y ago

My hope is that smaller, more focused online retailers and marketplaces emerge that can compete in specific verticals. For example, I already go to non-amazon sites where I prefer to buy music gear and computer hardware.

SneakerXZ 8y ago
This is more popular in EU. In many countries Amazon even does not operate, and even in Germany people try to prefer different place if they can.

RhodesianHunter 8y ago

Most people in my circle already won't buy anything they put in their bodies from Amazon, because the risk of Chinese counterfeits is just too great.

gregknicholson 8y ago

If that happens, I don't think the problem will be perceived as "Amazon" — people will say "online shopping" is untrustworthy, like how "social media" is responsible for the world's ills, not "Facebook".

lostlogin 8y ago

Unmentioned here as far as I can see is their attitude to worker’s rights. That’s massively off-putting for me.

sejordan 8y ago

I feel like every time there is a discussion about Amazon on the Internet, this point is brought up. I spent about $9,000 on Amazon across 139 orders in 2018. I buy a lot on Amazon. I've never had a problem with receiving knockoff products. I don't understand how this can be such a prevalent issue when I've not run into it, given how much I use Amazon. The only thing I can think is that, if I'm buying something expensive, I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" or alternatively, I'll use a marketplace seller if the seller is the manufacturer of the item I'm buying.

airstrike 8y ago
> I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" Most users don't think to check for that, though. I know my mother-in-law doesn't...
- lotsofpulp 8y ago
  They intentionally don't offer the option to filter for it many times, otherwise, I would have that permanently selected.
dragonwriter 8y ago
> The only thing I can think is that, if I'm buying something expensive, I'll strictly only purchase items "Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc" If you are trying to avoid counterfeits, that's not really helpful, since the problem with counterfeits is magnified by commingling, by which items sold by Amazon itself, and FBA sellers that do not opt-out of it are mixed and orders fulfilled with goods that may have been sourced by any of the sellers.

Shorel 8y ago

For many things that is an issue. But I still buy laptops and other electronics from Amazon.