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Comment by cwkoss | Hacker News Reader

Amazon has recently started providing third party sellers for 'fulfilled by Amazon' orders with all of your personal information. There is no reason for them to have this.

I've gotten three marketing postcards and have a persistent Facebook ad that started appearing from a brand the day after I ordered one of their products. Don't buy stuff on Amazon if you don't want the third party seller to get all your info.

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Amazon has made this information available to Pro Sellers for years.

I think the original logic was if there was a problem with the order (missing part, defective product, etc.) the seller could send a replacement without having to ask Amazon for the customer's contact info.

As an Amazon customer, I have never received marketing mail separately from the item I ordered. However, almost all orders include a printed postcard or slip of paper saying something to the effect of "If there's a problem with the order, contact us, but if you like the product please leave a review."

These were mailed separately, which is what surprised me. When I left a negative review, Amazon removed it because it's "not about the product". Appears their new policy is to provide customer name, address, email and phone to third party sellers.

Postcard's call to action was to visit a URL. Luckily I opened it in a incognito tab, because the URL redirected to try to use a logged in Facebook messenger session to send the brand a message.

They do not provide your email address to third party sellers, the only way to email a buyer is through Amazon. I don't ever recall ever seeing a buyer's phone number, but I have also never looked for it. You've always been able to see a buyer's name and address, including for FBA orders, that not a new policy.

> When I left a negative review, Amazon removed it because it's "not about the product".

Product reviews are not seller specific so you cannot include seller-specific complaints there.

You need to leave a negative seller feedback instead, those are separate from product reviews.

Amazon changed this because many recent lawsuits have used the fact there's no direct buyer seller relationship to argue Amazon should be liable for defective products instead of the seller.

So they reduce their liability by giving away more personal information. What an ass-backwards system.

My burner google voice number I use for amazon started getting a ton of spam calls after I ordered from a drop shipper. Wonder if that's how they got my number.

And you'll never know if you get the real thing with all the counterfeits they mix in

Recently? They've always provided your personal information to third party FBA sellers. At least since 2015 which is when I started FBA. I've always been able to view the name/address my order was shipped to.

> and have a persistent Facebook ad

You're concerned about Amazon giving your personal information to 3rd parties, and yet you use facebook? Sorry, but, lol.

Their customer service reps also vigorously deny it

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