Sellers

Etsy Inc. said that US sellers on its marketplace will either need to self-verify their bank accounts or do it via a third-party, riling up sellers over data privacy concerns. The sellers Reuters talked to and several others on discussion forums were annoyed over the move, saying the recommended mode of verification involved providing financial technology platform Plaid with their banking username and password. "This is so typical of Etsy on any controversial subject, but when it has to do with our finances, it's…

Amazon is raising charges on third-party sellers again — this time adding a holiday fee for merchants who use the company's fulfillment services to pack and ship items to customers.From October 15 to January 14, sellers will be hit with an average fee of $0.35 (roughly Rs. 20) per item sold using Amazon's fulfillment services in the US and Canada, according to a notice the company sent to merchants Tuesday.It's the second fee hike imposed on merchants this year by the online retail behemoth. In April, the company added a…

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday warned investors to avoid buying money-losing stocks in a bet against short sellers.The market went in favor of short-sellers on Tuesday after the major indices fell. The market teetered earlier in the day as it digested disappointing financial reports from companies and prepared for key inflation numbers later this week."In a market that's presenting you with ample opportunities to lose money, I can't endorse buying these money-losing stocks in the hope of engineering a short squeeze. Sooner…

Image: MetaNow you can be as creepy as Resident Evil 4's famed, hunching merchant when talking with people on Instagram. “Over here, stranger. What’re ya buying?” Instagram’s parent company Meta announced Monday you can now buy directly from small business owners when chatting with them on Instagram.The company claims 1 billion people message a business each week on Meta-owned apps, which would include Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Now those small businesses using Instagram Direct can ask for payments within the…

Amazon has offered to refrain from using sellers' data for its own competing retail business and boost the visibility of rival products on its platform, EU regulators said on Thursday, a move aimed at staving off a possible hefty fine. The US online retail giant offered to treat sellers equally when ranking their offers for the "buy box" on its website and which generates the bulk of its sales, confirming a Reuters story. Sellers will also be allowed to choose their own logistics and delivery services company instead of…

Amazon has offered a number of concessions to third-party sellers on its platform in Europe in an attempt to settle an antitrust investigation opened by the EU in 2019. The European Commission accused Amazon of abusing its dual-position as both marketplace operator and retailer; using the sales data it collects from smaller vendors to outmaneuver them. To remedy this, the EU says Amazon has offered to “refrain from using non-public data relating to, or derived from, the activities of independent sellers on its…

A new report claims that Amazon is planning to host a second Prime-exclusive shopping event later this year alongside its July 12 and 13 Amazon Prime day event. A new report says that the event will be in the fourth quarter of 2022, either October, November, or December, and will at the very least contain limited-time lightning deals. From Business Insider Amazon is planning to host a new shopping event later this year that appears to be similar to Prime Day, Insider has learned. But the short notice and a lack of…

Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal: A look at Amazon's fight with China-based sellers of generic items trying to game its algorithm to develop Marketplace brands and get the “Amazon's Choice” tag — Jeff Bezos wanted to build the ‘everything store’—and now the company is drowning in China-based sellers hawking the same items under a dizzying array of brands Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal: A look at Amazon's fight with China-based sellers of generic items…

ProPublica: Analysis: despite claiming to reject gun ads, Google accepted ads from 15 top US firearms sellers between March 9 and June 6, generating over 120M impressions — ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published. ProPublica: Analysis: despite claiming to reject gun ads, Google accepted ads from 15 top US firearms sellers between March 9 and June 6, generating over 120M impressions …

Manya Saini / Reuters: HomeLight, which offers AI tools for home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents, raised a $115M Series D at a $1.7B valuation, $60M in equity and $55M in debt — HomeLight said on Thursday it had raised $115 million in a late-stage funding round that valued the real-estate home technology platform at $1.7 billion. Manya Saini / Reuters: HomeLight, which offers AI tools for home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents, raised a $115M Series D at a $1.7B valuation, $60M in…