• architect@thelemmy.club
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    3 months ago

    Amazon literally does this if you sell on their platform as the manufacturer or just at all. My source: Hi, that’s me, and I can confirm this is standard practice at Amazon and I’m the manufacturer of my own product.

        • mabeledo@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Do you really think that Amazon should be allowed to set prices outside their marketplace? That’s wild.

          • vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
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            3 months ago

            For the same thing sold on their marketplace, yes. Literally you are voluntarily agreeing to use a private marketplace, you should agree to all their rules or just stop using that marketplace.

            Amazon isn’t a public service. They aren’t a Farmer’s market run by the city. They aren’t a sidewalk. If you would like a public version of Amazon that doesn’t have those restrictions and would be cheaper for literally everyone, advocate for that. But until a public alternative exists then yes, Amazon can and should impose whatever rules it wants. Alternatives will appear if it becomes too restrictive and the platform will die.

            • mabeledo@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              That’s insanity. Under those terms, most suppliers would be at the whims of platform owners.

              Microsoft asking Valve for a 50% cut? Sure. Google delisting a website because the owner criticized their CEO? Absolutely. Amazon telling you to sell at a loss or not sell at all? Why not.

              • vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                That’s insanity. Under those terms, most suppliers would be at the whims of platform owners.

                Congrats, you found one of the many problems with the concept of capitalism.

                Microsoft asking Valve for a 50% cut? Sure. Google delisting a website because the owner criticized their CEO? Absolutely. Amazon telling you to sell at a loss or not sell at all? Why not.

                Yes. That is how all that works. Because they are all private companies and it is voluntary to use their services.

                If you think those services should be neutral, congrats, you’re advocating for communism. I think communism is pretty cool and there should be a state-run online marketplace that is entirely non-profit. But you seem to think you should or could force companies to be that public entity. That’s not only not realistic and not how the world has ever worked under capitalism, but it’s just simply a bad idea. Look at the USPS for why you should not have a private entity perform a public service.

                • mabeledo@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  But you seem to think you should or could force companies to be that public entity. That’s not only not realistic and not how the world has ever worked under capitalism, but it’s just simply a bad idea.

                  I disagree. There are plenty of success stories of companies being forced by governments to act in the best interest of consumers, from adopting USB-C to removing lead from gasoline.

                  Look at the USPS for why you should not have a private entity perform a public service.

                  You are conflating very different things here, I’m afraid.

                  • vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
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                    3 months ago

                    You are conflating very different things here, I’m afraid.

                    I’m really not. You want a neutral marketplace that just provides a service without a profit motive. That’s what it comes down to. Because any service that requires a profit will naturally protect that profit, and that includes excluding suppliers that are actively sabotaging it.

          • 0x0@infosec.pub
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            3 months ago

            You are allowed to not market yourself at amazon, i dont see the issue really

            • mabeledo@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Amazon is one of the largest online retailers in the world. If they force prices on suppliers to get a better deal than anyone else, that’s between extortion and price fixing.

              • 0x0@infosec.pub
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                3 months ago

                Sounds like not shopping or selling at amazon is the actual solution to the problem. I havent bought a single item of them in my life, so why do you?

                • mabeledo@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  So as long as you don’t shop at Amazon, it’s fine if they do illegal shit.

                  Got it.

                  • 0x0@infosec.pub
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                    3 months ago

                    Is that a ‘yes’ on you being a customer at amazon?