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Steve Simonson talks data leaks, Amazon holding itself to the same standard as it does us Sellers, alleged bribery and Amazon outrage we even verge into hacking.
- Based in Seattle near Amazon HQ
- Often involved in research projects with Amazon to educate them on what Sellers think in the real world
Amazon Marketplace – Data Leaks
- Data Leaks in a few areas
- Customer data was exposed
- There is some hacking going on that may have led to data leaks
- Amazon are as aghast and outraged as we as Sellers are around this
- Any company is going to face Hackers (Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart) – nobody is immune
- Bribe side they are taking very aggressive action and are very embarrassed by it
- They respond to negative publicity and news reports quickly
- Lots of people out there that will feed the negative press
- Amazon reacts more so to the press when it relates to customers trust
- Customers are more interested in manipulation of reviews than vendor central hacking
Holding Amazon to Account
- No benefit in trashing Amazon but we do want to hold them to account on standards and data leaks
- Amazon are happy to hold Sellers to account for ToS
- They do many things with their own brands that need pointing out
- The Atlantic magazine in-depth piece on Amazon talking of the get rich quick schemers who find it’s hard work
- Amazon are obsessed about their customers but letting Chinese Sellers manipulate reviews is a dichotomy
- So many unscrupulous things that CHinese (and other) Sellers do
- Amazon are not ignoring it but not reacting as quickly as they could
- Leveling the Chinese Suppliers to the rest of us with appropriate Tax ID numbers
- Giving an advantage to Chinese suppliers with full knowledge and complicity of Amazon
Bribes and ASIN Reports
- US, China and India had apparent Amazon employees selling ASIN reports out the back door
- Amazon wining and dining China Sellers leading to unhealthy behaviours
- Knowledge of being able to buy ASIN reports from China based personnel
- Culturally some of these practices are not accepted in US, UK, Western World
- Amazon are not going to come out and say they are working on their mole problem but will mop up behind closed doors
- As they see egregious things then they will bring the hammer down
Search Volume Hack
- Search volume was a hack and has always been a hack but everyone was using it via the API, then Amazon took it away.
