The FTC is interviewing Amazon sellers as part of antitrust probe
Antitrust officials have begun interviewing Amazon sellers to determine whether the e-commerce giant is using its market power to hurt competition.
Federal Trade Commission investigators have been conducting interviews with Amazon merchants, covering a range of topics, reports Bloomberg. All were asked what percentage of revenue their businesses derive from Amazon versus other online marketplaces like Walmart Inc. and EBay Inc. It suggests regulators are skeptical about Amazon’s claims that shoppers and suppliers have real alternatives to the Seattle-based company.
The interviews indicate the agency is in the early stages of a sweeping probe to learn how Amazon works, spot practices that break the law and identify markets dominated by the company.
The FTC is also seeking to determine the extent of Amazon’s power over its suppliers. All three merchants fielded questions on how much of their revenue comes from Amazon compared with other online platforms. Many sellers get 90% or more of their sales from Amazon, making them vulnerable to the company’s demands and abrupt, unexplained changes in its policy.
More Amazon news
Consumers feel guilty after shopping on Amazon, but keep coming back
Amazon reputation takes a plunge Amazon is dealing with a tsunami of online buying and shipping since the pandemic lockdown started and it continues to grow. Fulfillment centers are overloaded, causing shipments losses and delivery delays. Amazon has added more than...
Amazon bans Chinese sellers with $1 billion revenue
Several top Chinese sellers have disappeared from Amazon Amazon has blocked over a dozen Chinese sellers for alleged “suspicious behaviour”, including two of the biggest electronics Amazon-native brands out of China. The total sales by the suspended sellers exceeds...
Amazon will let sellers contact customers directly
Amazon is loosening its grip on customers Amazon is testing a new feature for sellers that will let them contact customers directly by email to notify them of things like new product announcements or sales. It’s a major change from Amazon’s current policy, which is to...
