Amazon has a bit of a problem according to The Wall St. Journal.
As we all know, Amazon is a huge seller of merchandise. How many times this week have you purchased an item on Amazon? At least once, right?
But did you look to see if that product was actually sold BY Amazon...or was it sold to you by a 'third-party' seller.
Today, 60% of Amazon's merchandise sales are from third-party sellers, that's up from 30% just a few years ago. With that many third-party sellers, Amazon has been unable to police them all effectively to ensure the products sold through their website are 'safe'.
A Wall St. Journal investigation revealed that more than 4,000 items found on the Amazon website were either: 'unsafe', 'deceptively labeled' or 'banned from sale' by federal agencies. Some of these items were labeled 'Amazon's Choice'. The items included:
- toys
- eyelash growth serums
- children's medications
- pain relievers / supplements
- motorcycle helmets
- electronics
- baby blankets
When The Wall St. Journal purchased some of these items and put them through safety tests using federal safety guidelines, the products failed.
The investigation pushed Amazon into action, and they removed many of the items. Amazon says they have safeguards in place to ensure that products available on their website are safe, but unsafe items are still finding a way through and are available for purchase. Even items Amazon has taken down are re-posted on the site under a different seller using a different description.
For more information, check out the entire Wall St. Journal piece.