Ina Steiner EcommerceBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on ecommerce.
by Ina Steiner, Editor of EcommerceBytes.com
Fri July 26 2013 16:35:29

No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

By: Ina Steiner

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Amazon is eliminating a social-sharing feature on its marketplace. The customer-uploaded image feature had allowed people to upload photos to express their opinions about products or demonstrate how they used the products. "You can think about customer uploaded images as reviews in pictures," Amazon.com's website had said.

Apparently sellers had been using the feature as well as "customers." Readers have been forwarding me the letters they've received - one wrote, "as Amazon says, pictures help sell items...and now they're not showing pics I upload?"



As we reported on Monday, Amazon is allowing sellers more leniency in uploading photos in some categories by allowing them to upload images for used and collectible items. So what's going on?

Amazon.com spokesperson Erik Fairleigh said the decision to remove the customer images was due to quality and legal concerns.

However, sellers can still list photos with their products, he said. "Previously, some Sellers had been using Customer Images as a way of showing how their item differed from the Detail page product image (different cover for the book, for example). With Listing Photos, we just launched a way for Sellers to accomplish that same task in a more discoverable way. Here is the link."

Amazon is collecting feedback from users about the new policy. Under "How do you feel about the removal of the feature from Amazon," the three choices are: Saddened; Optimisic; and Want a better replacement.

If these policies affect you, let us know how. And be sure to tell us if the new policy saddens you!



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Readers Comments

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

This user has validated their user name. by: Anonymous Annie

Sat Jul 27 08:04:20 2013

Personally, I found the customer-uploaded photos to be quite helpful. From time to time, those photos have helped to influence my decision TO buy as well as to NOT buy an item.

I'll miss them if they disappear entirely.

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: FREDDY This user has validated their user name.

Sun Jul 28 23:50:39 2013

I liked it. I uploaded pictures on an older camera.  I think it was just up for a couple of hours then disappeared. Thought it was a good idea-should have been mandatory of actual item. Then no confusion.  I did not receive a feedback re the same. ''SADDENED''

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: Steevo This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 29 01:23:23 2013

Amazon is full of fraud, I looked up a Panasonic projector bulb.

The page says ''By Panasonic''.  There are numerous sellers selling on that page and some say ''OEM Equivalent''.  Some are silent on what they are actually selling.

''OEM Equivalent'' is a codeword for a Chinese fake or knockoff.

I think if I bought something on that page and it didn't look exactly like a real Panasonic brand bulb that would be fraud, and Amazon is full of that. Crooks!

It's fine that they are now forcing sellers to upload their own pictures, so now you know what you are getting.

Or at least Amazon sellers will have to upload their own forged picture. They won't be able to use a real picture to sell their forgery, they will have to forge it themselves.

This may be why Amazon is doing this. So you will know who the crooks are. Sad, really.

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: mendocinobooks This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 29 01:33:04 2013

I HATE the uploaded photos.  People upload all kinds of goofy stuff and then customers get angry with me when mine is different.  Wtih books, the photos are nightmares, as the first guy to list puts his printing up and then mine is different.  Something positive from Amazon, but its likely just to reduce hassles.  Why doesnt Amazon clean up its listings?  There was one guy who listed thousands of books as "Looseleaf" 7 years ago.  This is a violation of Amazon policy to sell looseleaf copies.  But when you enter the ISBN this is what you get. Ive told them over and over and they do nothing.  Half the listings have typos and such, which could be cleaned up easy enough.

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: Done This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 29 10:18:43 2013

I sell old and vintage books on Amazon and eBay both.  I have posted MANY pictures to Amazon because frequently these listings do not have any photos at all. I think they are helpful to the buyer and help me as a seller avoid unhappiness.  I can't understand why Amazon isn't willing to put these pix up if I am willing to take the effort to post them. Posting photos to Amazon won't be allowed to the Books category under the new rules. SADDENED  

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: Moonwishes This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 29 11:17:01 2013

Saddened.

So far I have only 4 images 'missing' but since I NEVER list anything on Amazon that doesn't have a photo, it means either mine or some one else's pictures have been taken down. So now a buyer doesn't have a photo to see what is for sale. The whole thing is silly and confusing. I was under the impression when I uploaded a photo in the midst of listing an item that I was doing it as a SELLER only now I find out that apparently Amazon was seeing me as a CUSTOMER instead. Odd since I listed the photo in the only way allowed to me at that point AND I am a pro-merchant!

This was not handled well or clearly at all, which is a first for me (not understanding Amazon's rules).

Perminate Link for No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon   No More Sharing Product Photos on Amazon

by: Steevo This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 29 12:24:34 2013

There is an interesting pattern here.

Amazon has had ''Product Detail'' pages that assume all of this same product are somehow the same, whereas in many instances there are differences.  Those differences were hidden by Amazon. Many different sellers selling the same item on Amazon and because of this they are all the same, but they're not.  

Ebay however all the listings were individual, separate with their own pictures, except now ebay has product detail pages that assume they are all the same.

As we all know, things are almost never the same.  Not exactly.

Ebay is rushing headlong into making everything like Amazon, but Amazon is finally realizing different sellers need separate listings because things just are not the same at all.

Like that guy who got sued by a movie company when Amazon fulfillment took the top DCD from a bin of mixed real and fakes, and shipped it out.  

As if they were somehow sure it came from that seller not this seller. That's what you get when you assume things are all the same.  



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