Amazon’s CEO says it has a “great relationship” with sellers. Longtime sellers say it’s “the worst it’s ever been”

Fortune

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy trumpeted the benefits that the tech giant provides to online sellers, but his comments came across as tone-deaf to some longtime sellers.

Transcript

00:00Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy recently praised the benefits that they provide to online sellers,

00:05but some longtime sellers find Jassy's comments don't align with their experience.

00:10Amazon has consistently raised the cut it takes from these sellers through various fees,

00:15which accounted for $140 billion of revenue in 2024.

00:19When asked by CNBC about the FTC's antitrust lawsuit regarding Amazon,

00:24Jassy denied that Amazon takes advantage of small and mid-sized businesses.

00:28He argued the company helps sellers with distribution and access to more customers

00:33than other e-commerce giants. But sellers cite multiple issues like an inbound placement fee

00:38that charges them extra if they're unwilling to ship their inventory to at least four different

00:43Amazon warehouses unless they sign up for a new Amazon warehousing service.

00:48And a new low inventory fee charges sellers if they do not keep enough inventory in Amazon's

00:53warehouses, but if they keep too much inventory in a warehouse for too long, they can also face

00:59fees. In June, Amazon will also begin charging sellers extra fees if customers return their

01:05items at an above-average rate. While Amazon has also lowered some other fees, many longtime

01:11sellers have told Fortune that the changes do not even out and that they will be either forced

01:16to raise their prices or try to sell more through other online sites or their own e-commerce shop.

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