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I've listed a few things on Amazon. This is very much true. If you don't have a registered trademark youre a second class citizen. You can't upload a video, for

I've listed a few things on Amazon. This is very much true. If you don't have a registered trademark youre a second class citizen. You can't upload a video, for example.

gerdesj 4y ago
Amazon isn't eBay. In theory, for us punters: we should be flogged goods by Amazon that conform to local standards. Beyond that all bets are off. eBay doesn't even bother with ... anything - it's all caveat emptor. So even in the wild west of Amazon at least there are a few standards. Sorry if you feel aggrieved but I'd rather buy stuff that had to follow a few standards that I nominally trust. By registering a trademark/incorporating/etc you are declaring your intention to work within the rules or at least some rules. You are not a second class citizen at all. You are actually trying to avoid being a citizen at all if you don't want to abide by rules designed to protect customers. Amazon is pretty horrendous already if you are not careful but you seem to imply that you want to use it for ad hoc sales. That is what eBay and the like is for. Amazon is for shop style sales ie vendors with product lines and inventory.
- sgc 4y ago
  You are kind of deciding Amazon's business model for them, or describing what you would like them to be. But your description doesn't fit well with their "Do you have one of these to sell?" links etc. It seems fair to say they send out mixed signals.
  - gerdesj 4y ago
    No, I am describing my experience. You?
- discardable_dan 4y ago
  I doubt many Amazon goods from those sellers legitimately adhere to local standards. For example, I outright refuse to purchase silicone for food use from Amazon.
  - klipt 4y ago
    Probably best not to buy anything food related from Amazon 3rd party sellers. I assume their Whole Foods division is at least FDA regulated.
  - avereveard 4y ago
    Same, I also avoid stuff with embedded batteries.
- pishpash 4y ago
  That's the problem: Amazon gives the false sense of brand identity and quality, forcing these problems, whereas eBay is transparently honest. The latter approach is simply better.
  - alangibson 4y ago
    True. Amazon tries so hard to hide the fact that 3rd party sellers exist that to the casual user it feels like they're buying everything from Amazon.
- mkhpalm 4y ago
  It depends, for parts the only place to reliably find name brand is on eBay. Parts on amazon is mainly just a domestic arm of of Aliexpress and Alibaba.
- alangibson 4y ago
  > So even in the wild west of Amazon at least there are a few standards. Getting a trademark isn't an "Amazon standard." It's a requirement to use A+ Content, among many other things. However, you can ship product into their warehouses all day long without one. So clearly not a "standard." > I'd rather buy stuff that had to follow a few standards that I nominally trust. The standards, like food safety, that people really care about have nothing to do with trademarks. You can say that it stops unsafe knockoffs, but this is factually wrong based on the amount of counterfeit stuff that comes out of Amazon. > By registering a trademark/incorporating/etc you are declaring your intention to work within the rules or at least some rules. Registering a trademark only guarantees you are willing to follow the rules of getting a trademark. Nothing else. > You are actually trying to avoid being a citizen at all if you don't want to abide by rules designed to protect customers. Non sequitur. Trademarks don't exist to protect customers. They exist to protect businesses from knockoffs. > you seem to imply that you want to use it for ad hoc sales. Nope. I just don't want to spend 850 Euro to register a trademark for a low volume product. > Amazon is for shop style sales ie vendors with product lines and inventory. There's a "have one to sell? Sell on Amazon" link on every product page.
- willis936 4y ago
  It's easier to sniff out legitimate items on ebay than it is amazon. That is the only metric that matters and amazon is failing horribly, despite whatever security theatre they put on.

I've listed a few things on Amazon. This is very much true. If you don't have a registered trademark youre a second class citizen. You can't upload a video, for example.

gerdesj 4y ago

Amazon isn't eBay. In theory, for us punters: we should be flogged goods by Amazon that conform to local standards. Beyond that all bets are off. eBay doesn't even bother with ... anything - it's all caveat emptor. So even in the wild west of Amazon at least there are a few standards. Sorry if you feel aggrieved but I'd rather buy stuff that had to follow a few standards that I nominally trust. By registering a trademark/incorporating/etc you are declaring your intention to work within the rules or at least some rules. You are not a second class citizen at all. You are actually trying to avoid being a citizen at all if you don't want to abide by rules designed to protect customers. Amazon is pretty horrendous already if you are not careful but you seem to imply that you want to use it for ad hoc sales. That is what eBay and the like is for. Amazon is for shop style sales ie vendors with product lines and inventory.

sgc 4y ago
You are kind of deciding Amazon's business model for them, or describing what you would like them to be. But your description doesn't fit well with their "Do you have one of these to sell?" links etc. It seems fair to say they send out mixed signals.
- gerdesj 4y ago
  No, I am describing my experience. You?
discardable_dan 4y ago
I doubt many Amazon goods from those sellers legitimately adhere to local standards. For example, I outright refuse to purchase silicone for food use from Amazon.
- klipt 4y ago
  Probably best not to buy anything food related from Amazon 3rd party sellers. I assume their Whole Foods division is at least FDA regulated.
- avereveard 4y ago
  Same, I also avoid stuff with embedded batteries.
pishpash 4y ago
That's the problem: Amazon gives the false sense of brand identity and quality, forcing these problems, whereas eBay is transparently honest. The latter approach is simply better.
- alangibson 4y ago
  True. Amazon tries so hard to hide the fact that 3rd party sellers exist that to the casual user it feels like they're buying everything from Amazon.
mkhpalm 4y ago
It depends, for parts the only place to reliably find name brand is on eBay. Parts on amazon is mainly just a domestic arm of of Aliexpress and Alibaba.
alangibson 4y ago
> So even in the wild west of Amazon at least there are a few standards. Getting a trademark isn't an "Amazon standard." It's a requirement to use A+ Content, among many other things. However, you can ship product into their warehouses all day long without one. So clearly not a "standard." > I'd rather buy stuff that had to follow a few standards that I nominally trust. The standards, like food safety, that people really care about have nothing to do with trademarks. You can say that it stops unsafe knockoffs, but this is factually wrong based on the amount of counterfeit stuff that comes out of Amazon. > By registering a trademark/incorporating/etc you are declaring your intention to work within the rules or at least some rules. Registering a trademark only guarantees you are willing to follow the rules of getting a trademark. Nothing else. > You are actually trying to avoid being a citizen at all if you don't want to abide by rules designed to protect customers. Non sequitur. Trademarks don't exist to protect customers. They exist to protect businesses from knockoffs. > you seem to imply that you want to use it for ad hoc sales. Nope. I just don't want to spend 850 Euro to register a trademark for a low volume product. > Amazon is for shop style sales ie vendors with product lines and inventory. There's a "have one to sell? Sell on Amazon" link on every product page.
willis936 4y ago
It's easier to sniff out legitimate items on ebay than it is amazon. That is the only metric that matters and amazon is failing horribly, despite whatever security theatre they put on.