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
Amazon expands its fleet
Amazon is reducing reliance on third-party carriers. Amazon's famous drones have yet to deliver much of anything, but its jets are a different story. After launching Prime Air in 2016 with 40 jets, the company appears to have renamed it "Amazon Air" and added 10 more...
Sex, booze, or Amazon?
Millennials pick Amazon over sex: survey According to New York Post, a new survey revealed 77 percent of millennials would go without booze for a year rather than quit Amazon, and 44 percent would forego sex. The survey, conducted by Max Borges Agency, also uncovered...
Amazon moves to South Park
“South Park” pokes fun at Amazon “South Park” pokes fun at Amazon, portraying Jeff Bezos as a sinister, giant-headed supervillain. The episode also satirized reports of working conditions at Amazon's warehouses. The episode, titled "Unfulfilled" in an apparent...
