It’s official: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on Tuesday along with the Attorneys General of 17 states, accusing it of overcharging sellers, preventing rivals from fairly competing against Amazon, and engaging in actions that Read more
An online seller settled with the FTC over its product review practices – and also because it allegedly failed to issue shipping delay notices when it could not fulfill consumers’ orders in a timely manner. Hey Dude, Inc. will pay Read more
An Amazon seller received a disturbing message from a buyer, which the seller posted on the Amazon discussion boards on Monday: “Hello, I just wanted to send something your way that I found rather interesting. I get solicited by Amazon Read more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is going full steam ahead on enforcing a new law that takes effect next week that requires marketplaces to disclose sellers’ names and full addresses to their buyers. Last week, eBay sent the following email Read more
The FTC tweeted a message to consumers informing them they can get information about marketplace sellers and can report questionable activity thanks to a new law called the INFORM Act. The Friday morning tweet linked to a page on the Read more
The FTC issued a warning to companies about their use of AI (artificial intelligence) in commercial practices. It’s easy for online sellers to forget they’re obligated to comply with consumer-protection laws, but some fairly small sellers have gotten into big Read more
An Amazon seller was accused of “review hijacking” and will pay the government $600,000 in fines, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But the seller wasn’t hijacking another seller’s reviews – it was allegedly hijacking reviews left by its Read more
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned shoppers to do their homework before making a purchase on an online marketplace, advising them to research sellers and the marketplace itself. In a tweet on Monday, the FTC warned: “Before you buy Read more
It seems these days, sneakers aren’t for wearing, and toys aren’t for kids. Brands have found a way to make adults and teenagers pay much higher prices by putting a twist on average products, like the $120 “Gucci” Hot Wheels Read more
The government is cracking down on fake reviews and deceptive endorsements as it seeks to protect consumers. The FTC wants sellers and advertisers to know that blurring the line between authentic content and advertising can result in steep penalties. Endorsements Read more
