5 ms·

12 hours ago the OP reported the issue was resolved. No further explanation except thanking Pax from amazon.

by pgrote 6y ago

unethical_ban 6y ago
Just saw that as well. Pretty frustrating that they didn't add any detail.
- Cthulhu_ 6y ago
  There may be a clause in their contract (or something they had to sign) where further communications or sharing details is disallowed or conditional to actually getting the money. TBH for 4.x million + continued business (12M a year at least), I'd shut right up myself. That's not just "your" money but all of your employees as well (with 200K shipments / month or however much it is they're likely operating a warehouse of their own)
  - salawat 6y ago
    How is it totally fine that a company should have enough leverage to blackmail you into shutting up and continuing to use their platform? I'd be sorely tempted to shout from the rooftops, hit up every VC I could, and move heaven and hell to break into their vertical just on principle at that point. Sometimes, not rocking the boat does more harm than good. Doing anything else is basically accepting the legitimacy of the practice. Don't get me wrong. I understand the inherent risk. I realize they have their business and employees to think of. However, taking the hush money and moving along just sets Amazon up to do it to someone else. It isn't "just business"; it's bad business, damnit and getting away with it lowers the bar for everyone because you're not willing to hold someone to account. If the next 5 businesses who catch Amazon out doing this type of thing carefully, documenting every detail, and take it to the authorities, you can bet there will be change. They may make more money than a small nation, but tie up non-trivial portions of it fighting tooth and nail against multi-national legal scrutiny, and I guarantee there will be traction gained. Anyway... End rant, andapologies. That type of thing makes my blood boil.
    - teh_klev 6y ago
      Have you seen what the big chains such as Tesco, ASDA, Next, M&S do to their supply chain vendors? Amazon aren't any different or more evil.
golergka 6y ago
Still worth upvoting to spread awareness. The more people are aware of horror stories of interacting with digital monopolies, the better. Even if they solved this particular case, in may cases they just shut you away.
- jshevek 6y ago
  Promoting a post about a resolved issue that doesn't prominently show that the issue is resolved is misleading. It would be better to promote critical non-misleading posts.
  - luckylion 6y ago
    What's misleading about "Amazon has chosen to go the Google route and only offer support if you can drum up a lot of attention on social media, even if you pay $5000 per month for a support agent"?
    - jshevek 6y ago
      I think you answered your own question, as that is not the content of the post.
whoisjuan 6y ago
Lol! That's why social shaming works. Ignoring quiet people scales. Ignoring loud people doesn't scale. So learn your lesson and complain everywhere you can when you have an issue.
- hinkley 6y ago
  I used public shaming on Usenet once, in the Computer Shopper era, when a vendor kept telling me “next week” on the motherboard I ordered. All summer. The system was going to cost me a huge fraction of my income for that year (student, gift from family) but I wanted it for career advancement. And in fact had cost me, because they charged my card immediately. So I was furious. Three hours after posting a fair but damning report where all the home brew people hang out and I get a manager on the phone and some sob story about how they probably shouldn’t be selling that hardware anyway. I didn’t disagree. And even then I had to go to the bank anyway and reverse charges because they tried to charge me a restocking fee for hardware they clearly couldn’t even get their hands on. What are you restocking? I ended up using the money to move to Seattle instead, which was at least as good an investment.
kyleblarson 6y ago
Likely some sort of NDA

12 hours ago the OP reported the issue was resolved. No further explanation except thanking Pax from amazon.

by pgrote 6y ago

12 hours ago the OP reported the issue was resolved. No further explanation except thanking Pax from amazon.

unethical_ban 6y ago

Just saw that as well. Pretty frustrating that they didn't add any detail.

Cthulhu_ 6y ago
There may be a clause in their contract (or something they had to sign) where further communications or sharing details is disallowed or conditional to actually getting the money. TBH for 4.x million + continued business (12M a year at least), I'd shut right up myself. That's not just "your" money but all of your employees as well (with 200K shipments / month or however much it is they're likely operating a warehouse of their own)
- salawat 6y ago
  How is it totally fine that a company should have enough leverage to blackmail you into shutting up and continuing to use their platform? I'd be sorely tempted to shout from the rooftops, hit up every VC I could, and move heaven and hell to break into their vertical just on principle at that point. Sometimes, not rocking the boat does more harm than good. Doing anything else is basically accepting the legitimacy of the practice. Don't get me wrong. I understand the inherent risk. I realize they have their business and employees to think of. However, taking the hush money and moving along just sets Amazon up to do it to someone else. It isn't "just business"; it's bad business, damnit and getting away with it lowers the bar for everyone because you're not willing to hold someone to account. If the next 5 businesses who catch Amazon out doing this type of thing carefully, documenting every detail, and take it to the authorities, you can bet there will be change. They may make more money than a small nation, but tie up non-trivial portions of it fighting tooth and nail against multi-national legal scrutiny, and I guarantee there will be traction gained. Anyway... End rant, andapologies. That type of thing makes my blood boil.
  - teh_klev 6y ago
    Have you seen what the big chains such as Tesco, ASDA, Next, M&S do to their supply chain vendors? Amazon aren't any different or more evil.

golergka 6y ago

Still worth upvoting to spread awareness. The more people are aware of horror stories of interacting with digital monopolies, the better. Even if they solved this particular case, in may cases they just shut you away.

jshevek 6y ago
Promoting a post about a resolved issue that doesn't prominently show that the issue is resolved is misleading. It would be better to promote critical non-misleading posts.
- luckylion 6y ago
  What's misleading about "Amazon has chosen to go the Google route and only offer support if you can drum up a lot of attention on social media, even if you pay $5000 per month for a support agent"?
  - jshevek 6y ago
    I think you answered your own question, as that is not the content of the post.

whoisjuan 6y ago

Lol! That's why social shaming works. Ignoring quiet people scales. Ignoring loud people doesn't scale. So learn your lesson and complain everywhere you can when you have an issue.

hinkley 6y ago
I used public shaming on Usenet once, in the Computer Shopper era, when a vendor kept telling me “next week” on the motherboard I ordered. All summer. The system was going to cost me a huge fraction of my income for that year (student, gift from family) but I wanted it for career advancement. And in fact had cost me, because they charged my card immediately. So I was furious. Three hours after posting a fair but damning report where all the home brew people hang out and I get a manager on the phone and some sob story about how they probably shouldn’t be selling that hardware anyway. I didn’t disagree. And even then I had to go to the bank anyway and reverse charges because they tried to charge me a restocking fee for hardware they clearly couldn’t even get their hands on. What are you restocking? I ended up using the money to move to Seattle instead, which was at least as good an investment.

kyleblarson 6y ago

Likely some sort of NDA