Slander... Or just an opinion? Slamming big players.

[WinMore]

I'm just thinking out loud here.

Let's say I would want to write a blog post about how easy it is to get scammed on Amazon.
How you should not trust buying on Amazon.
Why it would be better to buy at other places.

I might add an image like this

Language would be hard. There could be some screenshots of bad buyer reviews (name edited out obviously).

I have seen articles like that about some vendors. Usually on a forum, sometimes a blog.

Because I have seen it on blogs, it seems to me there aren't really any legal repercussions. In the end you are voicing an opinion,
and it's clear that for the products you are talking about, there is a real risk.

In this scenario I would obviously point out the ways that you can reach Amazon to help rectify the situation.

And probably slam them again.

Just wondering what BuSo thinks about this. Is it worth it? Is it risky at all?
I mean you technically are hurting their brand. Losing them money.

**Question is not about Amazon persé. Just any big brand that's pretty much a monopoly**

EDIT:
Just found this: amazon00sucks
It's more about how they treat their employees, but still, that url... xD

 

[Philip J. Fry]

They need to prove that your message caused them a loss in revenue. With "Amazon is a scam" it's pretty hard to prove that it caused Amazon a loss in earnings. Also, if you're going this route, whatever you say about Amazon *must be true*. If you are quoting actual reviews from people, it's fine. If you lie, hurt their reputation, and they can prove that it cost them money, you can be in legal trouble.

If you do it correctly, it's called a comparative advertisement. There's nothing wrong with that.

The above advice is only true for the US. Comparative advertising is not looked at well in the EU and using a competitor's name, without their permission, can cause trouble.

 

[WinMore]

In the example I envisioned it wouldn't be comparing myself to a competitor.

It would be a community (to stay with the Amazon example, let's say a giant online book-club) that believes buying books on Amazon is a terrible idea. Maybe link to an article that has a list of "trusted vendors".

Main goal is to get eyeballs. I don't think it would change anything if there would be some affiliates in the list. Then again, I honestly don't know.

Okay okay, honestly, I used Amazon just as an example, but the more I think about it, the more I just like the idea of sticking it to Amazon in any way I can.... (But that's not why I created the thread... Maybe an idea for another thread... "How to fuck Amazon")

Thank you for the term "comparative advertisement", will look into it.

 

[Boy]

My question is what's the benefit for you to put out something like that? Maybe to rile up some links or traffic, but is it worth it? Whether that's Amazon or Tom's Hardware Store down the street, are you doing this on a personal anonymous blog or your money-making website?

Catharsis?

I'm just wondering what the pros are. There's a difference between company X sucks and something like why I won't use company

TBH if you really wanted to do something like that I can see it working better as a YouTube video than a blog post.

 

[Samwise89]

The way I always understood it at its root is that you can state opinions and you can state facts. You can't state falsehoods as fact. When you do that and it can be proven that you damaged their income in the present or future, it become libel (written).

 

[WinMore]

My question is what's the benefit for you to put out something like that? Maybe to rile up some links or traffic, but is it worth it? Whether that's Amazon or Tom's Hardware Store down the street, are you doing this on a personal anonymous blog or your money-making website?

Catharsis?

I'm just wondering what the pros are. There's a difference between company X sucks and something like why I won't use company

TBH if you really wanted to do something like that I can see it working better as a YouTube video than a blog post.

People that feel disenfranchised by the monopoly would easily share the article. So the main intend is indeed links and traffic. I'm not sure if it's worth it. That's why I'm asking.

The idea would be on a money making website. An affiliate website so not a direct competitor to Amazon (again, as example).
Would link to competitors tho.

I think it would be logical to supplement with a Youtube video. Both seems to be a no brainer to me.

In the case of Amazon, you can focus on how the sellers are often not to be trusted. I think that case is easy to make. Don't even need to mention the sellers. Just some screenshots of reviewers slamming the seller.
This could be seen as a attack on Amazon itself tho.

In the case of Microsoft I think it's easy to make the case that Microsoft office is a money dump and there are cheaper alternatives that are just as good. Or that they don't take privacy serious enough.
But some OS manufacturers DO take this serious! (link to article about how Apple refused to unlock iPhone for FBI, including affiliate link)
Slamming Microsoft might be a bit harder without bashing the company itself.

Back to Amazon, didn't the same happen to Ebay back in the day? Non stop articles about how Ebay sellers are not trustworthy? I'm not sure if that happened on money making sites, but it would not surprise me.

For me there is no anger involved with the monopoly's. I do dislike monopoly's in general.
It just seems easy to find people riled up by them, that would be willing to share/link.

Wouldn't competitors be glad to link to an article smashing their biggest competitor?

I understand that in some cases that wouldn't happen. I don't see CCarter linking to an article on SerpWoo that slams Ahrefs. Maybe to an article listing the top 10 tools, and SerpWoo crushing Ahrefs.
(Sorry for using you as an example @CCarter, first to spring to mind)
But some webshop hosts I imagine would love it.

Maybe it would be batter as a "CAREFUL if you use Amazon! It's EASY to get scammed there. We suggest you try TRUSTED vendors! (link to trusted vendors/affiliates here).
So slightly less damning language... But it feels like that would lose out on how likely it is to be shared.
Maybe somebody else has a little experience in that department?

 

[CCarter]

Honestly, wouldn't your energy be better off put towards something that generates direct revenue? I don't see how you are actually monetizing the idea directly. In-directly, meh.

Amazon isn't a monopoly though. Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and thousands of big box retailers exist with online arms.

The problem is they ALL SUCK.

So people go to Amazon. Similar to Google - the alternatives are terrible.

Walmart destroyed a ton of mom and pop stores - but those mom and pop stores sucked.

Now Walmart is getting clobbered by a better competitor.

Pure capitalism rewards the better brand - who's execution is on-point, who's customer service is better, and basically who delivers the needs of the end consumer better.

Brands with billions of dollars in war-chests can't seem to get their shit together - cause they are dinosaurs. It's why you don't bet on a dinosaur to magically spring to life and kill a new emerging competitor.

In terms of Amazon monopoly - tell Walmart and the others to get better. They can't. So Amazon keeps growing and 100% of my default online shopping and most Americans are directly on Amazon.

eBay started fucking up BIG time and now dead.

If anything Amazon is a success story on building an online brand that doesn't need rely on Google by providing a far superior experience. They built an actual brand. Partly off the backs of affiliates, but affiliates are brain dead if they don't learn to pivot upward.

The day someone new comes and provides a better experience they'll be the top contender.

Hasn't happened with search, I doubt it will happen with eCommerce.

Consumers aren't loyal until a brand starts really fucking up or a really drastic better alternative exists. That's why Amazon can reduce their commissions down to 1% and affiliates will suck it up, whine, but still push traffic.

Forget Amazon for a second - your time is limited, only 24 hours in a day. What type of project is this and if there is no monetization angle - directly, what's the point? You aren't going to get people to find an alternative until someone better comes along and makes it.

Maybe it can be you.

Don't put energy towards "No Money Projects". You could easily put that same energy towards promoting and growing your own brand instead of being "Anti-Brand".

It's why a certain person is in the White House and will stay. The other side is "Anti-X" in the last run. They lost. Now they are trying the same banner "Anti-X".

They aren't "Pro-Y". Be "Pro-Y" is going create a real brand audience.

Being "Pro-Y" gets winning done.

Off the top of your head, can any normal consumer name one "Anti-X" brand that is winning?

You have to be for something. Not against.

 

[WinMore]

Honestly, wouldn't your energy be better off put towards something that generates direct revenue? I don't see how you are actually monetizing the idea directly. In-directly, meh.

I assume with directly, you mean I would be better off just writing a post promoting one of my affiliates, rather than bashing a competitor and linking to a post with a list of "better alternatives"?

If anything Amazon is a success story on building an online brand that doesn't need rely on Google by providing a far superior experience. They built an actual brand. Partly off the backs of affiliates, but affiliates are brain dead if they don't learn to pivot upward.

With pivot upwards I understand it as providing their own products and brand.
The only other option is trying to get somebody that they deem as "better" to the top. That's what I would do in my niche, but my niche isn't dominated by Amazon (still a competitor, but Amazon is in on pretty much every game that's physical).

While I agree, I don't see my current position as one where I can create my own product and start selling.
Maybe if I swap niche, or completely change direction. I would consider it, because I don't want to fall for the "sunk cost fallacy".

Forget Amazon for a second - your time is limited, only 24 hours in a day. What type of project is this and if there is no monetization angle - directly, what's the point? You aren't going to get people to find an alternative until someone better comes along and makes it.

Maybe it can be you.

Don't put energy towards "No Money Projects". You could easily put that same energy towards promoting and growing your own brand instead of being "Anti-Brand".

I don't see this as a project with no monetization angle.
Yes, the main drive of the website would be information articles. Helping people out.
And where I can I'd link to pages trying to get people to buy stuff.

This thread is to figure out if it could be considered a decent option for one article.
I wouldn't dream of focusing my brand around it.

The main benefit would be getting links tbh. It would also bolster the argument for why my "partners" are the better option, I suspect that most people that see the list of "approved vendors" first never would check out the bashing article.

It's why a certain person is in the White House and will stay. The other side is "Anti-X" in the last run. They lost. Now they are trying the same banner "Anti-X".

They aren't "Pro-Y". Be "Pro-Y" is going create a real brand audience.

Being "Pro-Y" gets winning done.

Off the top of your head, can any normal consumer name one "Anti-X" brand that is winning?

You have to be for something. Not against.[/B]

The only one I can think of is Linux, but Linus did make a very good product (for a big part out of disdain for the practices Microsoft did in that period). But the brand is more about efficiency and customize-ability than SAY NO TO MICROSOFT. So I'd say even that one doesn't really count. And it's not like they're beating Microsoft xD

You make a good point.

My brand would be "for" a lot of things tho.
"Keeping members of our community safe"
"Saving money, so we can enjoy our niche more"
"Learning and getting better at the niche"
"Look interesting stuff happened in the niche"
"Find places to enjoy the niche" <== |
"Promoting the niche to others" <== | these would be the main "use" of the website
"Reduce stigma around the niche"

The bashing article idea was intended for the "Saving money, so we can enjoy our niche more" pillar of my site.

I could just make the article a general warning with examples (screenshots) from Amazon, Ebay, and whatever other stuff that could go wrong when ordering something from the niche.
Maybe a list with warning signs.

"Have you ever come across customer reviews like these? Don't be like them.
Here are 5 warning signs you NEED to be aware of!

---Article---

Do the smart thing and buy from trusted partners."

I expect it would get fewer links, but I can see how that would provide more value to the reader.

 

[CCarter]

If you are going to attack than ATTACK! Don’t half-ass your war. Name names, sellers, and go all in. Otherwise any half-assed attempt won’t get traction.

i shit on Moz every chance I get.

 

[becool]

I don't understand what you're afraid of. Are you afraid of Amazon suing you? I don't mean this disparagingly at all, but who are you as compared to Amazon? If your smear campaign (for the lack of better words) becomes so monstrously big and profitable that Amazon takes notice and is interested in pursuing you, wasn't it all worthwhile if and only if your efforts translate to revenue?

Of course, you still need to figure out whether this is a good and revenue generating idea.

They need to prove that your message caused them a loss in revenue. With "Amazon is a scam" it's pretty hard to prove that it caused Amazon a loss in earnings. Also, if you're going this route, whatever you say about Amazon *must be true*. If you are quoting actual reviews from people, it's fine. If you lie, hurt their reputation, and they can prove that it cost them money, you can be in legal trouble.

If you do it correctly, it's called a comparative advertisement. There's nothing wrong with that.

The above advice is only true for the US. Comparative advertising is not looked at well in the EU and using a competitor's name, without their permission, can cause trouble.

This is horrible advice, if you can call it that. It's equally horrible information because it falls short of actual advice. Rather, it's information that's devoid of practicality.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

I don't understand what you're afraid of. Are you afraid of Amazon suing you? I don't mean this disparagingly at all, but who are you as compared to Amazon? If your smear campaign (for the lack of better words) becomes so monstrously big and profitable that Amazon takes notice and is interested in pursuing you, wasn't it all worthwhile if and only if your efforts translate to revenue?

Of course, you still need to figure out whether this is a good and revenue generating idea.



This is horrible advice, if you can call it that. It's equally horrible information because it falls short of actual advice. Rather, it's information that's devoid of practicality.

Your attorney must love you

I also doubt OP has enough money for the deposition, let alone the trial.