Welcome to the Dark Side of Amazon

[joeekaitis]

 

 

 

I don't know why but I typed "priano" (an ALDI exclusive brand of pasta) at Amazon.  I discovered a strange underground of obscenely overpriced gray market goods offered by various Amazon Marketplace vendors.  Some are part of the "Fulfillment by Amazon" program which means Amazon is warehousing the stuff in violation of ALDI's "no resale" policy.  Don't know if Trader Joe's has a similar policy, but quite a bit of TJ's swag shows up there, too, also warehoused by Amazon.  Trader Joe's, for the record, doesn't offer online ordering.  Even Walmart's Great Value brand shows up, particularly food and other items labeled "In-Store Only" at Walmart.com

 

Search Amazon for a few of your favorite regional store brands and see what comes back.  Try and top this for sheer brazen audacity:

http://smile.amazon.com/Premium-Chicken-Breast-Ramen-Noodle/dp/B010TR5VNY/

 

[delaneymeegan]

Ummmm..

 

 

1. Anyone can go to any store, buy an item, and then attempt to resell it through any number of outlets.  One would think it would be for more money, but.....  

 

2. There are people who only shop on line, so they pay for the convenience.

 

3.  Any companies "no resale" policy would be up to them to enforce, and difficult and expensive at that.  What a person does with a product after purchasing it from any dealer, is up to that buyer. It's a legally non-enforceable policy.

 

4. I've seen stuff, and sold stuff, bought at the dollar store for a 300 to 500% mark-up.  I could do that all day.  lol

 

[mark_wpduet]

I've seen a lot of the

Costco Kirkland brand items on Amazon and I always thought it was strange they were selling on Amazon and it was more expensive than in store if I remember correctly.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I would bet that people can do the same on eBay also. I guess that Delaney's points apply. If someone has something that they believe would fetch more at auction or from a larger group of potential buyers than at a flea market or tag sale (and basically what are these things but online flea markets?) what's to prevent them from listing it online? I don't know if there are rules for being an Amazon Marketplace Vendor, but violations would need to be reported to Amazon and those would probably need to come from an unhappy buyer.

It does slightly piss me off that there are places where Prime does not get you free shipping. In those cases, I check eBay.

 

[frigilux]

I see examples of third-party sellers and their creative pricing on Amazon all the time---most recently with K-Cup pods and Perwoll Dark Intensive detergent. A couple of vendors were selling McCafe and Dunkin Donuts K-Cups for triple the retail price.

I was able to purchase Perwoll Dark Intensive---the absolute best detergent for keeping blacks looking black---for years for only slightly more than the inferior but more readily available Woolite For Darks. Very few vendors had it on offer when I checked a month ago; those who did were charging ridiculous prices.

But this is what capitalism and the free market are all about, kids! If I want to sell a box coffee pods for three times the retail price, someone out there will probably take the bait.

 

[washer111]

Sounds Like...

What myself and others are seeing with retired public transit vehicles (i.e. buses).

People buy them from the auction for $1000-3000, realise they're in quite a bit deeper than 10ft under with buses from the 1980's in service till right now, then relist the vehicles on Gumtree shortly thereafter as "Regularly serviced, Runs well, pass over pits no worries."
The price tag? Usually $6000 or more. For the same vehicle that sold for less than half that at auction.

The theory is these people KNOW there are enthusiasts around, and are preying on the "I want one NOW!" types who will make an impulse buy without considering their options.

To turn back to the Amazon, these sellers would not go to the effort in breaking these rules and charging these prices if it were not worthwhile. Obviously, there are suckers willing to pay that much...