AMAZON is investigating claims that some of its staff sold confidential customer data and received bribes from sellers.
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Amazon employees have been selling internal data and other confidential information onto third-party sellers using the site for thousands of pounds.
This data can give independent merchants the upper hand when it comes to selling their products to buyers.
Selling on data in this way is against Amazon’s company policy.
The Wall Street Journal spoke to sellers who had been offered and had purchased the data, brokers who arranged the sale, and “people familiar to the investigation”.
The sources reportedly said that this activity is prevalent in China as the number of sellers there is booming and Amazon employees receive low salaries.
The payments alleged to have been taken by employees ranged from $80 (£61) to over $2,000 (£1,528).
In return for the money, sellers were reportedly offered internal sales metrics, reviewers’ email addresses and the ability to delete negative reviews or restore banned accounts.
Amazon is investigating several incidents involving employees based in China and the US, the Wall Street Journal has said.
The tech giant opened an internal investigation in May this year after Eric Broussard, Amazon’s vice president who oversees international marketplaces, was tipped off to the practice in China.
Reports suggest that Amazon has now shuffled executives in China to try and stop the bribery.
The investigation found that brokers – external to Amazon – have been making significant cash acting as an intermediary between Amazon staff and the sellers who want to purchase data or have reviews taken down.
The Wall Street Journal said these intermediaries have been contacting mid-level Amazon employees in China using messaging service WeChat and asking if they would be prepared to carry out these services in return for cash.
Deleting a negative review usually costs in the region of $300 (£229) a time. But brokers often put in a five review minimum limit meaning sellers are forking out at least $1,500 (£1,146) each time.
A cheaper option is to pay for the email address of disgruntled customers. This means sellers can contact people who’ve left negative reviews to try and get them to amend or delete their posts – sometimes in return for discounted goods or services.
This practice is banned by Amazon.
Sales data including keywords and clicks is also reportedly up for sale. This can help sellers create product pages that will rank highly in Amazon’s search. Amazon generally doesn’t disclose this information to sellers.
Amazon has confirmed that it is thoroughly investigating the claims.
A spokesperson said: “We have strict policies and a Code of Business Conduct & Ethics in place for our employees. We implement sophisticated systems to restrict and audit access to information. We hold our employees to a high ethical standard and anyone in violation of our Code faces discipline, including termination and potential legal and criminal penalties.
“In addition, we have zero tolerance for abuse of our systems and if we find bad actors who have engaged in this behaviour, we will take swift action against them, including terminating their selling accounts, deleting reviews, withholding funds, and taking legal action. We are conducting a thorough investigation of these claims.”
MORE ON MONEY STORIES
This is not the only controversy Amazon has faced in recent months. A study carried out by Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) and RepRisk tracking media allegations of human rights abuses said that Amazon was by far the all-round worst offender.
This was mainly due to the allegedly poor working conditions in its warehouses where employees reportedly fall asleep on their feet and are forced to pee into bottles as loos are too far away.
There have also been reports of third-party sellers setting up fake profiles to scam customers into handing over their data.
And just last month, Amazon sparked fury by halving its UK corporation tax bill to just £4.5m.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516. Don’t forget to join the Sun Money’s Facebook group for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.
Link
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/amazon-investigates-claims-staff-sold-customer-data-for-thousands-of-pounds/
News Pictures Amazon investigates claims staff sold customer data for ‘thousands of pounds’
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NINTCHDBPICT000434586486.jpg?strip=all&w=960
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий