3 ms·

So it is better for customers when Amazon accepts whatever prices the publisher dictates and does not use its customer base to get better prices for its custome

So it is better for customers when Amazon accepts whatever prices the publisher dictates and does not use its customer base to get better prices for its customers? This line of argumentation wasn't exactly seen through here. The fear was that Amazon, having crushed any online shopping competition, would increase prices on their customers. Nobody loses sleep if they devour some publishers margin to decrease prices.

infinotize 12y ago
The publisher clearly wasn't willing to deal to whatever Amazon's requests were. Amazon's response is then to stiff-arm them, and that's not cool. What if you made an app, charged $5, and Google/Apple said we really insist you charge $3 or do such-and-such. You, who worked super-hard and believe the market will support your $5 price, decline, and then in turn Google/Apple take your app off the store. I'm not implying publishers are saints or anything but this is just bullying, not sticking up for the customer.
panarky 12y ago
What if we were talking about Walmart instead of Amazon, and shoes instead of books? There are many brands and styles of shoes that Walmart doesn't carry because they can't get a low enough price to make it worthwhile. Of the brands and styles of shoes that Walmart does choose carry, some they may promote by placing them on an end cap, and others can be hard to find, or even stuck in the stockroom and not displayed for customers. Nobody thinks Walmart is being unfair. Walmart can choose what merchandise to carry and how to display it. So what's different with Amazon? Is it their infinite shelf space? Is their industry dominance and market power?