Press Release

October 19, 2021 
 
Media Contact: media@buysafeamerica.org   
 

Amazon Should Remove The Smokescreen Shrouding Its Third-Party Marketplace 
 

Third-Party Seller Conference Is Another Reminder That Amazon Has Failed To Address Criminal Schemes on its Marketplace
 

Washington, DC – Today, the Buy Safe America Coalition, a diverse group of retailers, consumer groups, manufacturers and law enforcement who support efforts to combat organized retail crime and protect consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods, released the following statement ahead of Amazon’s annual third-party seller conference.

“Lawmakers and the public should not be fooled by the glossy numbers Amazon continues to tout. Make no mistake, Amazon lets criminals make a living peddling hazardous knockoffs and stolen merchandise on its platform,” said Michael Hanson, Buy Safe America Coalition spokesperson. “With its annual third-party conference this week, it is about time that Amazon starts providing answers about the illicit schemes that run rampant on its marketplace, and why it still stands in the way of bipartisan consumer protection legislation.” 

The public deserves to know answers to the following questions: 

• Why has Amazon allowed its banned sellers to simply alter their name and rejoin the platform? 
• Amazon has aggressively recruited China-based sellers, many of which are tied back to contraband products. What percentage of Amazon’s third-party sales are directly from China? 
• What does Amazon do with the profits it makes off of stolen goods sold on their platform — a $45 billion industry? 
• Why does Amazon oppose common-sense consumer protection legislation supported by other online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy, and OfferUp? 

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The Buy Safe America Coalition represents a diverse group of responsible retailers, consumer groups, manufacturers, intellectual property advocates and law enforcement officials who support efforts at all levels of government to protect consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods.