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elgato
Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 17240
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:22 am Post subject: Backlash Against Amazon Price Check Builds Steam |
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What customers may see as an opportunity to trim a little off their holiday shopping expenditures, Sen. Olympia Snowe views as "an attack on Main Street businesses." A promotion tied to Amazon's Price Check app not only lets shoppers compare its pricing to that of products on local store shelves, but also offers an additional discount to those who opt to make their purchases online instead of at the cash register.
A backlash is growing against an app designed to help consumers scope out products at local stores, compare them to similar goods on Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) -- and then leave the stores empty-handed to make their actual purchases online .
Critics of the app, called "Amazon Price Check," include brick-and-mortar retailers and Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe.
Of course, Amazon has always competed on prices, and consumers are becoming adept at using their smartphones to comparison shop for the best deal.
Amazon's Aggressive Tactics
One thing critics find particularly galling is the deal Amazon is offering consumers on Saturday: Anyone who checks a price while shopping in a physical store will get an additional 5% percent discount off Amazon's price on up to three qualifying products in certain categories, such as electronics, toys, sporting goods and music.
That was too much for Snowe, who said what Amazon was really doing was just "incentivizing consumers to spy on local shops."
The Retail Industry Leaders Association also took issue with the app, pointing to Amazon's already lopsided advantage because it does not collect sales taxes from the vast majority of its online consumers.
Amazon did not respond to our request to comment for this story.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/73944.html |
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cohibastore.com
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 4908
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: Backlash Against Amazon Price Check Builds Steam |
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blah blah blah, more hot air from another vapid gasbag
if main street can't compete then they shouldn't be in business |
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greenbed
Joined: 10 Dec 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Merchants that can't compete get in bed with state government politicians that want more state tax revenue, and now we have a federal government politician in bed, too. We have a threesome!
And the loser is, of course, the consumers. Amazon needs to do more bribing / donating campaign contributions.
On a side note, I think Pricegrabber has this type of app, too. Creating this app is a very clever move by Amazon & PG. |
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