Why Sellers Think Amazon Is a Toxic Company: Real Experiences from Frustrated Sellers
Amazon has long been the go-to marketplace for millions of customers worldwide, offering convenience and reach like no other platform. However, for the sellers who fuel this retail behemoth, the experience can be anything but smooth. Increasing fees, arbitrary policies, poor support, and mounting pressures are driving more sellers to walk away from Amazon, calling it a toxic environment. Below, we explore real sellers’ frustrations and why they believe that selling on Amazon is no longer worth the hassle.
1. Amazon’s Overbearing Control: “It Feels Like a Dictatorship”
Many sellers feel Amazon’s tight grip on how they conduct their businesses has reached a breaking point. One seller, who had been on the platform for 16 years, finally decided to leave and described the overwhelming sense of relief they felt:
“After 16 years on this dictatorship we call Amazon’s selling platform, I would plead with all merchant sellers to walk away. I’ve been closed for three weeks now, and I feel like a massive weight is lifted from my shoulders. I have my life back, and it’s wonderful—no more refunds, no more weekly threats of closing me down because I won’t buy their shipping labels.”
The level of control Amazon exerts over sellers’ operations, from shipping requirements to the inability to appeal decisions effectively, creates a stressful environment where sellers feel like they are being bullied and micromanaged.
2. A Toxic Customer-Seller Relationship: “Scammers Everywhere”
One of the most significant issues sellers face on Amazon is the growing number of fraudulent buyers who exploit Amazon’s lenient return and A-to-Z claim policies. Sellers often find themselves losing money or products due to baseless claims made by buyers, with little recourse to challenge these decisions. As one seller shared:
“Good for you. We are going down the same route, as too many scammers compared to other selling platforms. Amazon used to be great for us, but not anymore.”
Amazon’s A-to-Z claim system is particularly notorious. Another seller explained the helplessness of trying to appeal decisions:
“Twice this week we have had A-to-Z claims auto-granted, and appeals knocked back—even when the customer has signed for the items at their home address! You cannot add evidence to A-to-Z claims, and even when you prove beyond any doubt the customer has the item, they don’t care and stand by their decision.”
This leaves sellers feeling not only unsupported but unfairly penalized by a system that seems to side with the customer, regardless of the facts.
3. Mounting Costs and Decreasing Profits: “It Works Out to Over 50% Fees”
Amazon’s fee structure has become another major reason sellers feel trapped in a toxic environment. Between fulfillment fees, storage costs, and the platform’s increasing reliance on paid advertising, many sellers find themselves working for Amazon rather than for themselves. As one seller put it:
“The cost of selling on this platform is getting more and more expensive. They keep asking us to spend more on advertising. With all the fees, it works out to over 50%. We are also finding groups of people are starting to abuse the returns policies and prepaid returns.”
Another seller expressed how the ever-growing financial burden is pushing them toward other platforms:
“It is rather sad, but we can get as many sales on other platforms as on Amazon. Every day, more platforms are joining in, and Amazon is losing its appeal.”
For many sellers, the appeal of Amazon’s vast customer base is no longer enough to offset the shrinking profit margins.
4. No Room for Seller Growth: “You Can’t Do Right for Doing Wrong”
Amazon’s constant policy changes and shifting rules make it difficult for sellers to find stability, let alone grow their businesses. Sellers report dealing with sudden deactivations, shifting product listings, and unpredictable penalties for things out of their control. As one seller commented:
“Amazon has become a business where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. The management has no idea what’s going on at the ground level. They try to talk about changing and improving, but they’ve gone further backward in the last two years.”
Another seller expressed how these changes have drastically affected their ability to compete:
“Amazon’s Fair Pricing Policy and preferential treatment for their own items and FBA mean it is difficult to make the necessary margins at Christmas to survive the rest of the year. Over the years, EVERY policy change Amazon has brought in has made it worse for sellers.”
5. The Emotional Toll: “I Got My Life Back”
The stress of navigating Amazon’s complex, ever-changing ecosystem has pushed many sellers to the breaking point. For some, the emotional and mental relief of leaving Amazon is worth more than the potential loss of income. One seller who finally left the platform shared:
“I started my own business to have at least a modicum of control over my life. I’m actually gobsmacked that I’ve been paying Amazon for the last few years to bully me and micromanage MY BUSINESS! Glad I’m out of it and free.”
Another seller similarly noted how Amazon had taken over their life in a way they hadn’t realized until stepping away:
“I have been on Amazon for 6 years. First 3-4 years were fine, but in the last two years, it’s been a gradual decline. I feel sorry for people who committed a lot of stock and effort with Amazon only to see it all slide away.”
For many sellers, leaving Amazon feels like reclaiming their personal and professional freedom.
6. Poor Support and Unfair Treatment: “Sellers Are Treated Like Muck”
Sellers frequently highlight how poorly Amazon treats third-party sellers, often referring to their customer support as unhelpful and dismissive. One seller, reflecting on the platform’s lack of support, said:
“We’ve been thinking about closing our Amazon listings for ages. It’s a complete nightmare selling on this platform and has been for several years now. Their absolutely atrocious customer support, constant goal-posting, and shifting responsibility to sellers just makes it a real pain to sell on here anymore.”
Many sellers feel that Amazon simply doesn’t care about their concerns. Another seller voiced a growing suspicion:
“It was Jeff Bezos who said third-party sellers were an important and strategic part of the Amazon model, but maybe the strategy has changed. Amazon no longer needs third-party sellers.”
This sense of being undervalued and ignored by Amazon is leading more and more sellers to explore other platforms or start their own e-commerce sites.
Conclusion: Is Selling on Amazon Still Worth It?
For many sellers, the challenges of selling on Amazon have outweighed the benefits. Rising fees, poor customer support, constant policy changes, and an increasing lack of control over their businesses have turned Amazon into a toxic environment for sellers. While Amazon still offers access to a massive audience, more sellers are choosing to leave the platform in favor of better alternatives where they have more control, better profit margins, and far less stress.
As one seller bluntly put it:
“Too save your sanity, walk away from this toxic site!!!”
For those still selling on Amazon, the question remains: is the stress, financial strain, and lack of support worth the potential sales? Many would argue it’s not.
