Supply chain definitely matters on anything you eat or ingest, though. Are you sure they co-mingle food and medicine?
I couldn't disagree more.
One of the big reasons co-mingling works well for Amazon is because many counterfeit items aren't detected by consumers. But just because they aren't detected doesn't mean they don't do harm.
If I buy an Apple USB charger, I expect to get an Apple USB charger. I don't have the equipment to check it for loaded voltage sag (check out some videos of knock off USB chargers for examples). However fast it charges is however fast it charges, but I'm still being harmed by an inferior product.
If I buy a SpyderCo knife with expensive steel, that's what I expect to get. I don't have the equipment to determine whether something is AUS6 or S110V, so I'll probably just use it and sharpen it as needed. But just because I don't realize I've been sold a counterfeit doesn't mean that I haven't been harmed by an inferior product.
There's a very good chance you could be harmed when it bursts into flames.
Actually, its No Starch Press's counterfeit book examples that have served as proof for why Comingling is bad.
https://twitter.com/nostarch/status/1183095004258099202
At a minimum, it means that payment for counterfeit products go towards fake scammers instead of the actual publisher. You're basically paying for pirated goods.
Maybe you're fine with piracy, but paying good money for it is probably a step too far for most people. Especially if the pirated books have smudge-marks and low-quality paper.
> That in itself is not much of a problem... returns are free.
Are you able to tell the difference from a counterfeit book on bad paper and an official book? Are you going to blame Amazon for the fake, or are you going to blame the publisher?
You may, from the bad paper quality. But are you able to tell that the Canada Goose coat you just paid 1000$ for is fake? [1]
In Italy, for example, when you - the buyer - is caught with a fake brand product the fine is up to 7'000 Euro. France, with a range of strong brands, also takes a very dim view on fakes.
I wonder if they're more careful in fulfillment in Europe or if they hope that the same argument (we're only a platform, guvnor) will be acceptable to European courts.
I don't think it will wash and it would be nice to see criminal charges laid at them for being a distributer of fake goods.
What is clear to me is that they don't give a flying fuck, unless it gets expesnive for them or turns into a pr nighmare.
[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/count...
That's amusing. In the US the buyer is usually considered a victim.
There are more regulations and norms. However given the amount of fraud over Amazon, think of the CE sign for example, I'd thought the regulators would have prosecuted and fined them to hell already. I can't explain the inaction on that part.
There are theoretically fines for carrying counterfeit but hardly anybody care about that. Just don't try to cross the Andorra to French border with a trunk full of clothes and handbags.
Where the US and EU differ, the EU leave official agencies take care of it and distribute fines, it's slow and easily half a decade after the fact, whereas the US leave anybody to sue the perpetrator for punitive damages or a class action. Strangely, neither have happened so far.
>Have no expiration date Not be consumable or topical products such as skin creams, shampoos, or cosmetics
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/external/200141480?...