[Reuters] US agency puts onus on Amazon for sale of hazardous third-party products

[Pepper_Thine_Angus]

Merged topics!

[spoonyfork]

thanks…I DID look before posting but obviously I failed.

[Dogtamer]

@Pepper_Thine_Angus

Merged topics!

@spoonyfork

thanks…I DID look before posting but obviously I failed.

With all due respect where it’s due:

…
I’m only human

Of flesh and blood I’m made

Human

BORN to make mistakes
…

[papy]

@Pepper_Thine_Angus

Yep, cause FBA = Amazon is a distributor.

@spoonyfork

Just saw this today…

Amazon Recalls

From @spoonyfork 's link:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in a decision on Tuesday that the retail giant qualifies as a “distributor” and therefore bears a legal responsibility for recalling dangerous products and informing customers and the public.
…
Amazon had argued that it was just a “third-party logistics provider” and that it “bore no responsibility for the safety of the products sold under its Fulfilled by Amazon program,” according to the CPSC.
…
But an administrative law judge previously found that Amazon qualified as a “distributor,” and the CPSC agreed in its decision on Tuesday.

Yes, Amazon will maliciously comply through “over” correction and might start asking more Sellers for their own testing of their stock (rather than merely accepting manufacturer testing, as Amazon has already done in some categories), but naming Amazon as a distributor of its FBA products and responsible for recalls is the right call and levels its playing field with other retail competitors.

Honestly, so much of Amazon’s “success” has been down to its abilities to fudge rules that were un-fudgable for b&m retailers–from the locally-owned small niche businesses, to the big names.

I’m frankly surprised to see any accountability for Amazon’s eagerness to make a buck by passing on any old poorly-made, human rights violating international products at the expense of the safety of US consumers who are used to more rigorous manufacturing guardrails.

I had a thread on OSFE with running links to lead-laden toys being sold on .com to US Buyers and continuing despite being notified that they were unsafe.

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@Pepper_Thine_Angus

FBM Amazon is NOT [a distributor]

True, and we FBM Sellers will continue to be responsible for any and all liabilities associated with our products, as well as adhering to Amazon’s vetting policies, procedures, and product requirements–as will FBA Sellers continue to be, too.

The only change is that now Amazon-as-distributor must be more proactive and less weasely with product recalls under distributor requirements.

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Amazon had argued that it was just a “third-party logistics provider”

LOL at Amazon: Come onnnnnn. We’re just, basically, like UPS, man.