Is it an exercise of free speech — or an attempt to quiet someone else’s speech — to express your opinion on a book based solely on its subject matter and what you’ve heard is contained therein? This question certainly predates the Internet, but it’s the issue surrounding the response by some to a recent Michael Jackson biography. [More]
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Amazon Launches iPhone MP3 Store While Managing To Cut Apple Out Of The Deal
By 1.18.13
Well, would you look at that? Amazon has found a way to simultaneously appeal to iPhone users and sell them stuff all the while neatly cutting Apple out of the conversation, which means, it’s not giving Apple any money while it takes it from its customers. To wit: Amazon has launched a mobile version of its MP3 store for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but since it’s accessible from Safari and isn’t a regular App, it doesn’t have to give Apple a dime. [More]
I’m Just So Relieved My Chalk Pen Arrived Safely Encased In This Huge Bed Of Air
By 1.18.13
Sometimes we think Amazon’s band of size-blind, extra packing material enthusiasts are sleeping on the job, neglecting to amuse us with their funny ideas about shipping things in ginormous boxes with too much packing material. But then they pop up and surprise us and we remember why we started paying attention to them in the first place. [More]
Amazon Takes Page Out Of Kafka, Puts Seller Account ‘Under Review’ And Won’t Explain Why
By 1.16.13
Having the ability to sell items in the Amazon Marketplace is a great opportunity for individuals with just a few items to get rid of. That’s the case for Allan: he’s sold a total of three items, ever. Amazon arbitrarily put a hold on his account before he sold the third one, meaning that he can’t get money from his sales for as long as a month and a half. How can he fix this? What did he do wrong? To find out, he’d have to penetrate Amazon’s bureaucracy. [More]
Ever Bought A CD From Amazon? It Might Be Eligible For Free MP3 Conversion
By 1.10.13
This morning, Amazon.com launched a new service called AutoRip that allows buyers of certain music CDs to automatically receive access to downloadable MP3s of the album via Amazon’s Cloud Player. But the most interesting feature is that it will convert any qualifying CD you’ve purchased on Amazon since 1998. [More]
Soap.com Sends Me Flour, Oats, Hot Sauce, Air
By 1.7.13
Anoop sent us a photo of his very first Soap.com order, labeling it “the most egregious overpacking [that he’s] seen.” We’ve seen worse, but it’s still pretty bad. [More]
Amazon Payments Locks Me Out Of Form For Not Filling Out Form
By 1.3.13
Rey had a really great idea for a Kickstarter project. We don’t know what it is: he didn’t tell us. The world may never have the chance to know what his amazing idea was, because he didn’t even get to the point of setting up his page and posting a slick video. Instead, Amazon stood in his way. Amazon? Why Amazon? Well, you have to accept Amazon Payments to use Kickstarter. Amazon needed information that Rey had already provided long ago and was still valid. In fact, they had just sent him some money. They asked him for it again anyway, and then things got ridiculous and confusing. [More]
Judge Tells Apple It Isn’t False Advertising If Amazon Also Calls Its Online Shop An “App Store”
By 1.2.13
So like, you know when you need to buy something? Where do you usually go? A store. And those electronic thingies, those applications, what are those commonly called? Yup, apps! Combine the two and you get — you guessed it! — an app store. Apple thought it had the corner on that name, but a judge just ruled that Amazon is allowed to use the term as well without it constituting false advertising. And likely anyone else selling apps. [More]
New Law Will Try (And Probably Fail) To Make Amazon Collect Sales Tax In Georgia
By 12.31.12 — Updated: 1.23.13
Starting tomorrow, Georgia will begin enforcing a new law intended to compel Amazon and other e-tailers to collect sales tax on purchase in that state. But it looks like Amazon may have a pretty easy work-around. [More]
Amazon Retains Its Crown Among Online Retailers In This Year’s Holiday Consumer Satisfaction Survey
By 12.27.12
Online retailers are sitting pretty these days due to the convenience they offer during busy times like the holidays, but according to this year’s survey of consumer satisfaction, some businesses made out better than others. Amazon is the reigning champ of customer satisfaction, and it held onto that title again this year, beating out upstarts like Gilt.com and RueLaLa.com. [More]
Amazon Cloud Server Problem Spoils Christmas Eve For Some Netflix Users
By 12.24.12
If you’re reading this instead of using Netflix to stream all those episodes of Sons Of Anarchy you were going to catch up on during the holiday weekend, it’s probably because you’re one of the many Netflix customers who can’t access the service following problems with Amazon-owned cloud servers. [More]
Penguin Group Reaches Settlement With Justice Department Over E-Book Pricing
By 12.19.12
The Justice Department is close to wrapping up one more piece of the e-book pricing dispute that’s been going on for months, announcing today it had reached a settlement with Pearson Penguin Group. The government had alleged that Penguin, four other publishers and Apple had been in cahoots to unfairly fix e-book prixes. [More]
Report: Amazon Preparing To Debut Its Own Smartphone In 2013
By 12.18.12
Amazon already has big box stores scrambling to compete with its massive online business, and now it seems the company might be gearing up to terrify smartphone makers with its own device. A new report claims the retailer will be debuting a device sometime in the middle of next year. It’ll be manufactured by Foxconn and go for between $100-$200. [More]
Amazon Lies To Customer, Says Company Doesn’t Set Its Own Prices
By 12.17.12
It’s one thing to tell a customer “no” when he asks for a price-reduction. It’s another to outright lie to try to avoid looking bad in the situation by blaming the manufacturer for your inability to offer the lower price. [More]
Add Massachusetts To List Of States That Will Collect Sales Tax From Amazon
By 12.11.12
Residents of Massachusetts, your days of “tax-free” shopping on Amazon are numbered, as the state’s governor has announced that the e-tail giant will begin collecting sales tax on purchases made by Mass. residents starting next fall. [More]
Thieves Get Grinchy By Following Delivery Trucks & Stealing Gifts From Doorsteps
By 12.5.12
While some of us are busy shopping online like Santa’s elves or buying gifts to celebrate Hanukkah, it’s also the time of the year when others get their Grinch on. But cops say three suspects in Massachusetts skipped going down chimneys to steal, and have instead been pulling a reverse St. Nick by swiping gifts from doorsteps moments after delivery trucks drop them off. [More]
My Son’s Power Rangers Took A Weeklong UPS Warehouse Vacation
By 12.5.12
Where were the robots? Jemande ordered Power Rangers robots for his son’s birthday, so he had a deadline. The merchant used UPS, and the package progressed smoothly to his local depot and onto a truck. UPS attempted to deliver and claims that no one was around. Jemande disputes this, but the really important part is what happened next. UPS took the package back to the depot, where it hung out from November 28th to December 4th (Wednesday to Tuesday) for no clear reason. [More]
New Survey Shows Why Amazon Has Bricks-And-Mortar Retailers Worried
By 11.30.12
Many bricks-and-mortar retailers claim Amazon has an unfair advantage because it is not — in most states — yet required to collect sales tax on purchases, or that Amazon can offer huge discounts because it doesn’t have the overhead associated with running a retail store. But a new survey shows that people might just like Amazon more than other retailers. [More]
