http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/04/24/amazon-steps-in-it-again Comments On: Amazon Steps In It Again by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
- Amazon Steps In It Again
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 3:38 PM

Paul - it looks to me that you posted your story, with no mention of the successful resolution *after* the updated information was, in fact, available. This is terribly dishonest. If you want to talk about business standards, lets start with the ethical standards of cherry picking information to suit your pre-existing bias. Your readers deserve better.
Posted by LP]]> Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:16:46 -0700 The Stranger
I should probably start beating the drum on what a lousy job Elliott Bay's remodeled restaurant did in responding to complaints about their terrible first few weeks after the re-opening. How many weeks does a beloved local indie institution get to figure out why the customer is unhappy with their the bland, overpriced, cold chili? Four? Six? Eight?
Posted by elenchos]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:16:57 -0700 The Stranger
As much as they infuriated me with their weird (non)censorship policy this is just ridiculously, stupidly untrue.
Posted by oh come the fuck on now]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:41:01 -0700 The Stranger Did you read the follow up to this? The guy ended up happy. And, do you read consumerist, because Amazon is so very clearly NOT the company with the worst PR. It's not even in the ball park. For instance, the story I read just on my feeder just before this one was how Time Warner is cutting people off for using too much of their product.
Posted by Tizzle]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:38:11 -0700 The Stranger
Failing newspapers and car companies deserve it, you have written, because technology is changing and the dinosaurs aren't able to keep up. Why isn't the same true of independent bookstores?

Posted by rjh]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:48:28 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Can't Sleep]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:55:38 -0700 The Stranger
I've never had an ounce of trouble with Amazon, so I can't speak to the quality of their Customer Service (I don't really see how this story relates to customer service at all, but I will accept your premise because I don't have the energy to unravel your logic).

Honestly though, can you trust any "open source" rating channel? Yelp? The Stranger restaurant reviews? Trip Advisor? My guess is that there are plenty of shills (and whatever the negative version of a shill is) to be found in all of those and most others. If any of you think random strangers should be trusted sources of information, I'll sell you a bridge.
Posted by Good Grief]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:42:36 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Big Sven]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:37:57 -0700 The Stranger Posted by What the fuck is your IQ? 60?]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:23:21 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Fnarf]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:53:16 -0700 The Stranger Amazon has the worst public relations policy of any major customer service company in the United States right now.
Yes. Because it took them 72 hours to fix a ratings glitch and they don't support the local arts. FUCXERS!
Posted by Big Sven]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:59:22 -0700 The Stranger Amazon.com won't be as happy and energetic as the Ballmers of the world. Doubly angry since it's in their backyard.

So this non-story is somehow worth the hype the other more valid story got.

Moral of the story: if you're a hometown company, you had better lob sexy PR people at the local press or they'll keep hounding you.
Posted by Baconcat]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:56:09 -0700 The Stranger
The correct response from Amazon, of course, should have been to instantly terminate the SELLER, not the review. Their response here is bad, bad news. Amazon reviews are very popular, and they are perhaps the most notable example of customers providing value to sellers -- a very large part of Amazon's value as a retailer is in their very large database of reviews. Now that is tainted.

Ordinarily a company that found out one of their employees was deliberately damaging one of their prime assets -- one they have spend years aquiring, FOR FREE -- would swiftly and mercilessly zap that employee. If Amazon has any decency at all the person who is killing these reviews would be fired immediately.
Posted by Fnarf]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:55:41 -0700 The Stranger http://consumerist.com/5225489/update-am…
Posted by genevieve]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:37:32 -0700 The Stranger Posted by infrequent]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:23:41 -0700 The Stranger Posted by balderdash]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:20:45 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Liz]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:17:37 -0700 The Stranger

Posted by infrequent]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:09:52 -0700 The Stranger
Hey, if Amazon doesn't want my business they don't have to have it, plenty of other sites will gladly take my money.
Posted by Chris]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:02:24 -0700 The Stranger
From either of the two parties.
Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:50:37 -0700 The Stranger