As Amazon's stock price soars and Bezos adds to his billions, affiliates face massive cuts in their commissions

On Tuesday, Amazon told members of its affiliate marketing program that it will reduce the commissions it pays them to promote products on their websites. The Amazon Affiliates Program provides a way for third-party web publishers to post links on their websites that take buyers to Amazon.com to complete the sale, in exchange …

[Magani]

Put the boot in

The Register asked Amazon to explain why it plans to pay affiliates less but the company declined to comment.

Unconscionable is as unconscionable does. Amazon is seemingly taking the same attitude to its partners as it does to its staff.

[Chris G]

Re: Put the boot in

I saw on the News today that Amazon are threatening to pull out of France completely over the French being upset about workers lack of protection from infection while working.

Let's face it, if a few workers die, it's not as if there are more looking for work right now so why bother to protect them?

[JimboSmith]

Re: Put the boot in

I looked at the linked article about him buying the Warner Estate. So I Googled the Warner Estate and the first thing in the results was the Warner Estate. As I'm half asleep it took me a few seconds to work out it wasn't that one.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Put the boot in

"I saw on the News today that Amazon are threatening to pull out of France completely"

Who would believe it? France represent billions of € of income for them. And what's the threat about, anyway? "Stop enforcing laws on us or else we leave"? Good luck with that.

[Claverhouse]

I Would be grateful if You could find a New Photo of the Ineffable Bezos

That beatific smile is unctuous to the Nth Degree.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I Would be grateful if You could find a New Photo of the Ineffable Bezos

Sorted ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Evil#/media/File:Drevil_million_dollars.jpg

(of course, it should be BEEEEELLLLION dollars, but you get the general idea)

[Fred Flintstone]

Re: I Would be grateful if You could find a New Photo of the Ineffable Bezos

.. need .. more .. upvotes.

LOL

[Pascal Monett]

"people participating in the Amazon Affiliate Program have complained"

Yes, that is understandable. Unfortunately, you are the chowder that Bezos is surfing on, and you don't have a say.

Plus, you don't have a choice. Where else are you going to sell your tat ?

Bezos has you by the balls, and he has cut yours down by at least 50%, because he can.

It's called capitalism. The big prey on the small. He's not a billionaire for nothing.

[codejunky]

Re: "people participating in the Amazon Affiliate Program have complained"

@Pascal Monett

"Plus, you don't have a choice. Where else are you going to sell your tat ?"

Somewhere else. Depending on the types of product or if amazon is offering such an invaluable service why shouldnt amazon get some of that reward?

If the reductions are too much Amazon will lose the 3rd parties and other sites will rise. Or amazon is taking a smaller part of the profit than it could because on balance the service is worth so much more than amazon is charging currently.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "people participating in the Amazon Affiliate Program have complained"

This is Amazon affiliate marketing, not Amazon Marketplace?

[RM Myers]

Re: "people participating in the Amazon Affiliate Program have complained"

Yes, this is a commission paid to websites for driving traffic to Amazon's website. For example, yesterday I read a review of an Alienware gaming monitor. In the review, there was a button which said "see it on Amazon". If I had clicked the button and gone to Amazon's website and bought the monitor, the website with the review would have received a commission. This is a major source of income for many websites that have product reviews, and not just for technology products.

[Anonymous Coward]

Time for a new "AA"

Avoid Amazon

Amazon Adicts

and a whole lot more and often very derogatory.

Amazon and especially its dear leader clearly have one thing in mind and that is to drive every other retailer out of busines and to squeeze the bejabbers out of anyone foolish enough to use his precious platform to trade on.

IT goes even farther than that. He wants every other delivery company in the world to go belly up as his delivery arm takes over and starves them of packages to deliver.

Then we'll all have to kneel down and pray to the great god "Bezos the Bald" as he announces the last of his workers have been replaced by robots.

Just stop using the evil empire. You know it makes sense.

[Tom 38]

Re: Time for a new "AA"

Oh boo-fucking-hoo. Yeah, lets go back to £8 for mail order delivery and wait 28 days, that was fucking awesome.

Amazon is a more efficient retailer than other retailers - in every stage of the process. Why should we give a monkey's rectum about whether this is putting Yodel/DPD out of business?

Not paying "enough" tax? Change the stupid tax rules. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Ever worked in a warehouse? I have, Amazon's look like nirvana compared to some of the shitholes I've worked in. Automate that shit and replace it all with robots? - awesome, more efficient shopping, more jobs for robot technicians. No-one is crying that there are no jobs for chimney sweeps anymore.

Let the downvotes flow.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Time for a new "AA"

I still think there must be a better middle ground here.

Sure, Bezos stuck it out while everyone was laughing at him for making no profit, so he's had his payback (pardon the unintentional pun) already, but is there really any viable competition for Amazon?

He's become a shopping gateway/monopoly in pretty much the same way as Google has put itself between the Net and the resources on it, so does he really need to scrape the barrel here and then give what is in relation a pittance back to society - tax deductible, of course? Would it not be better to take a bit less and so keep the entire eco system intact?

I often wonder why nobody seems to be interested in ensuring a long term revenue flow - it's all about take today, leave nothing for tomorrow, which never fails to fully destroy resilience.

[codejunky]

Re: Time for a new "AA"

@AC

"but is there really any viable competition for Amazon?"

Was there any competition to the old book stores? The supermarkets? Google wasnt the first nor the leader, it took time and a better product/service.

"He's become a shopping gateway/monopoly in pretty much the same way as Google has put itself between the Net and the resources on it"

That is wrong. Its people who have put it (google or amazon) between themselves and resources. People choose to list on those services, people choose to go to those services.

"so does he really need to scrape the barrel here and then give what is in relation a pittance back to society"

Like the jobs, wages, products and a slick supply system which beat out the various areas of finding a supplier, ordering the product quickly and easily, lower prices, faster delivery. He is giving to society, he is giving them what society wants and you now want more!

"Would it not be better to take a bit less and so keep the entire eco system intact?"

An eco system he provides that people flock to and so amazon is trying to get a little more for the work they have done vs the people who choose to use the platform.

"I often wonder why nobody seems to be interested in ensuring a long term revenue flow - it's all about take today, leave nothing for tomorrow, which never fails to fully destroy resilience."

Does that describe amazon though? Or google? They invest their profits into improving their services instead of paying out and extracting that value. They expand and try new things, some work and some fail. And we are richer for it.

[ComputerSays_noAbsolutelyNo]

A humble suggestion for the Reg's catalogue of standard units:

The Amazon tax rate: measures the commission percentage Amazon pays to its affiliates relative to the tax Amazon pays.

[Steve Davies 3]

re: to the tax Amazon pays

What!!!!!!

Amazon pays taxes? Shirley not...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: re: to the tax Amazon pays

I'm pretty sure those 25M for the relief fund are going to be deducted from whatever tax they're paying, don't worry. If they're not paying any tax, they'll manage to get a refund.

[Rob V.]

Amazon tax rate == commision % / Amazon taxes paid -> DIVIDE BY ZERO ERROR

[Anonymous Coward]

This line of questioning is applicable..

Here is one of the finer public flayings of utterly overpaid people who don't contribute anything to society I have seen in some time, and I think Bezos really needs to face this too. Worth watching.

[Matt Ryan]

Re: This line of questioning is applicable..

Have a read of https://www.nber.org/papers/w10433 as it explains why, despite Bezos being super rich (and probably a total arse), we benefit from him starting and growing Amazon. TL;DR - Innovators capture only a small percentage of the value they create The rest goes to society as a whole.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: This line of questioning is applicable..

Maybe it's me, but I'm having problems calling $143bn "a small percentage". I know it's late, but still.