Do you really know who you’re buying from? 

Aarp

Do you really know who you’re buying from? "


Play all audios:

Loading...

You searched Amazon, you found what you were looking for on Amazon, and you clicked “Buy” on Amazon. Odds are, however, that you didn’t actually buy from Amazon. More than 60 percent of the


site’s sales are made by other vendors, the company says. Amazon isn’t the only major retailer that’s expanding its business as a middleman. Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Chewy, Best Buy and


J.Crew, among others, also run what are known as third-party marketplaces. To put it another way, these giant online retailers are operating far less these days like a store and more like a


mall or flea market. The problem is some of the stores in these online malls are shady operators. And that problem won’t go away, given how this trend is growing. The reasons for this are


simple: Adding online marketplaces to existing e-commerce websites enables retailers to expand their product selection and generate fee revenue from smaller vendors without much risk. But


the setup can be confusing. These marketplaces often feature a crazy mix of sellers, from large corporations to small businesses to some guy working out of his garage. Product quality,


customer service, return policies and shipping times can vary dramatically. Items sold by third-party sellers may not be properly manufactured, stored, handled or ethically sourced, because


they operate outside of major retailers’ supply chains, explains Kari Kammel, director of the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University. What’s


worse, criminal enterprises use online marketplaces to sell stolen, expired, recalled and counterfeit products that could be contaminated or made with toxic chemicals, Kammel warns. The new


INFORM Consumers Act requires retailers to protect consumers from counterfeit, unsafe and stolen goods sold by third-party sellers, through requirements such as the clear disclosure of a


seller’s name, address and contact information. That should help consumers, but the law only recently took effect, and it won’t eliminate bad actors, Kammel says. Here’s how to shop more


safely.


Trending News

Adweek

Editor’s Picks THE ADWEEK RESOURCE LIBRARY Be a better marketer and get access to the latest Adweek-created guides, excl...

Pardon Our Interruption

Pardon Our Interruption As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few ...

Video Author Angeline Boulley talks about her new book, 'Firekeeper’s Daughter' - ABC News

ABC NewsVideoLiveShowsShopStream onLive UpdatesLive UpdatesTrump 2nd term Ukraine drone attack Trump tariffs Boulder att...

Well known tv and film star dies as husband says 'i've lost the love of my life'

EMMY-WINNING ACTRESS VALERIE MAHAFFEY HAS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 71 AFTER A BATTLE WITH CANCER, HER HUSBAND JOSEPH KE...

Ionospheric no-echo occurrences

ABSTRACT THE use of ionogram data to identify periods of high absorption has recently been criticized by Schaeffer1. Thi...

Latests News

Do you really know who you’re buying from? 

You searched Amazon, you found what you were looking for on Amazon, and you clicked “Buy” on Amazon. Odds are, however,...

Warning to those who grow rhubarb in their gardens

RHUBARB IS A POPULAR INGREDIENT FOR SWEET DISHES, BUT GARDENERS HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT THIS POPULAR VEGETABLE 12:51, 05 ...

Rapid evaluation of optigene rt-lamp assay (direct and rna formats)

Research and analysis RAPID EVALUATION OF OPTIGENE RT-LAMP ASSAY (DIRECT AND RNA FORMATS) Technical report summarising r...

Happening china latest news in hindi, photos, videos on happening china inextlive jagran

प्‍लेन को धक्‍का! जी, देखें Only in China के और नजारे interesting-news10 years ago जी हां, बात चाहें प्‍लेन को धक्‍का मा...

Departures | luis rodriguez - east los angeles

HOW TO WATCH DEPARTURES Departures is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV...

Top