“We continually work to help customers make more informed purchase decisions, and have since evolved how we describe pricing information.” “This study was conducted more than five years ago, and doesn’t accurately represent the shopping experience today,” they said. In one example, the researchers pointed to a vacuum cleaner that was being sold with a claim that there was 24% off of its original price, when in fact its price rose by 65%.Īrguing the strategy was being used by Amazon sellers to “mislead consumers,” the research team warned it was being employed across various product categories.Ī spokesperson for Amazon told Fortune on Tuesday that the company’s product pages provide “clear and accurate pricing information.” In many cases, they said, list prices-which help consumers compare the supposed regular price of the product with the promotional price-were introduced with a price increase before being removed days later alongside a price drop. They said sellers often framed short-term price increases as discounts by posting an elevated list price alongside a phony discount claim, allowing them to actually hike the cost of the product under the guise of offering a big saving. However, in a study published last week, researchers from Arizona State University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Florida warned consumers that some of the discounts on offer could actually be price hikes masquerading as competitive deals.Īnalyzing the prices of 15,000 products listed on Amazon between 20, the team found that this strategy was “a prevalent phenomenon” on the site. It marks the first time Amazon is holding its Prime shopping event-the annual sale exclusively for its Prime subscribers- twice in one year, with the October sale coming after a two-day Prime sale in July. The e-commerce giant’s flagship promotion returned on Tuesday and will run until Wed., Oct.
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