"We are kind of Anti-Amazon"

Selling on Amazon
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This, on a product I purchased as a gift for relatives w/ chronic health issues, and can be worn on the arm or around the neck. Found on their website: http//lifeid.health

[03/11/2025]

We have decided to remove our product from Amazon, and some users have asked why. As the founder of LIFE ID, I strive to keep everyone informed about new developments, upcoming updates, and frequently asked support questions. Most frequent question asked in recent months has been.

Why don’t you sell on Amazon anymore?

I understand why many of you prefer shopping on Amazon due to its convenience. However, there are several key reasons we no longer sell our products on Amazon. Many vendors are making similar decisions.

1. Business Costs: Amazon imposes fees at every stage of the supply chain, including charges for ads and clicks—often leading to no sales. Despite high sales volumes, we have experienced losses during peak months, especially around holidays. Amazon is aware of this and continues to raise costs for vendors.

2. Impersonal Service: Amazon separates vendors from customers, meaning that customers often form a relationship solely with Amazon, not with us. Since LIFE ID is a personal product, the support provided through Amazon is often inadequate. Many customers are unaware that we have our own website or how to reach us.

3. Pricing Issues: Our products were consistently priced about 15% higher on Amazon due to their numerous fees. When this happens, Amazon pressures us to increase prices on our own website, a practice they previously applied to foreign vendors but are now extending to U.S. companies. Typically, U.S. companies offer lower prices on their websites compared to Amazon.

4. Predatory Practices: Amazon’s approach can be quite aggressive. Once you start selling through them, they expect you to use their warehousing, shipping, marketing, and software systems. If you don’t comply, you may face system issues, which they attribute to not using Amazon’s recommended solutions—most of which are owned by Amazon itself and charge more fees.

As a small business owner, I believe in fostering healthier growth through direct relationships with customers. Amazon’s impersonal approach does not align with the nature of LIFE ID, which is a personal product. I anticipate that many other vendors who value control over their products will make similar choices, especially as the costs of selling on Amazon become prohibitive.

On a personal note, I’ve also stopped purchasing from Amazon. Understanding how their system operates has made me realize that buying from Amazon doesn’t support U.S.-owned small businesses. I now prefer to research products and buy directly from their websites, which I believe many small U.S. business owners would appreciate. Direct purchase is more profitable for small businesses.

As a valued LIFE ID User, If you have any thoughts or suggestions I am always happy to hear about it.

Have a wonderful day.

Marcus Sassan

Note: Liked the product-so did the recipients. Life-changing-one of them called it! Three months after our last purchase, changed to membership only( fee payable yearly w/ a new product “free” every three years) If membership not purchased, health information can’t be accessed by EMT’s/Medical facilities! They did offer a 6 month extension for myriad reasons, including inability to pay. Merchandise purchased directly from their website, where the change wasn’t mentioned at time of purchase, not from AMAZON.

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Well… He’s not wrong. But in the end, the customers have to find your product or there is no business.

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Looks to me like a business which serves a real need.

It also looks like a business which can be duplicated without violating any patents. And if they have any, they had better have plenty of money to use to attempt to keep those patents from being invalidated.

I would be somewhat paranoid if it was my business. And I would resent every Amazon action and policy he included in his indictment of Amazon.

Many useful products have changed the way they do business to replace what was available for free to a subscription service. It does not make the relationship between the company and their customer stronger.

I feel quite certain that eventually someone else will offer a competing product/service which will be sold on Amazon. So I hope these LIFE ID people make some money while they can.

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For one thing, they aren’t wrong. For another, I personally appreciate this kind of transparency and attempt to educate shoppers.

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That’s why, several months before I shut down on Amazon, I started to add cards to my customers packages making them aware of this and sending them to my Ebay store instead :slight_smile: I am lucky, I run a business with hundreds of niche products and most of my customers followed me…

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This was brilliant. And who cares if Amazon got mad about it? You were leaving anyway. :winking_face_with_tongue:

And congratulations on your successful Amazon to eBay transition! Not all of us can do it (or are ready to) but it’s nice to know it’s possible.

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Well, aside from the fact that Amazon will squat on your funds, and your product if you FBA, for violations. But if you get away with it, more power to you.

I wish ALL businesses would do what this business did. But monopolies/monopsonies thrive on the assumption that sellers/buyers won’t cooperate with other sellers/buyers … or simply use regulatory capture to make it impossible to do so (see also so-called “tort reform”).

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Actually started on Ebay 10 years before I switched to Amazon. Ebay had closed down a very successful account because I got sick and for 3 weeks did not tend to anything, just wasn’t able to get myself to care (and went bankrupt) They didn’t accept any appeal at the time, so I was forced to look into Amazon. Fast forward 10 years, Ebay had forgotten all about me and I got a new account.Now I have 3 again. I have always sold MUCH better on Ebay than on Amazon, it really wasn’t painful to let go…Amazon truly sucks and I hate what they get away with :frowning:

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Please tell me that you did not run out of dog food.

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LOL, my dogs will eat, even if I don’t. At the time, I considered living in a tent, rather than sending the dogs back to a kill shelter and would have, if I had to. But I bounced back.

I did rescue and had about 25 or 30 of them. But rescue is a community and people will donate what is needed.

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Hi Anon, glad your strategy paid off. Just curious if your low Amazon sales were from selling OOAK products?

Marilyn

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