Amazon is facing complaints from independent retailers over a new shopping experiment that lets customers buy products from other websites directly within Amazon’s app.
The feature, called Buy for Me, started rolling out in April last year alongside another program known as Shop Direct. The tools are designed to help shoppers find products that aren’t sold on Amazon — and, in some cases, allow Amazon to complete a purchase on a customer’s behalf using AI.
Bloomberg, Modern Retail, Financial Times, and others published stories this week citing brands who say they were caught off guard when their products appeared in Amazon search results. Some said they only discovered the program when strange orders started arriving from Amazon-linked email addresses.
Among the complaints raised by brands:
- Some say they never explicitly agreed to participate.
- Some say product listings displayed on Amazon were inaccurate or confusing, or were sold out.
- Others object on principle, arguing that Amazon is stepping into their customer relationship without permission.
In a statement to GeekWire, an Amazon spokesperson said participation in both programs is optional and that the company has received positive feedback.
“Shop Direct and Buy for Me are programs we’re testing that help customers discover brands and products not currently sold in Amazon’s store, while helping businesses reach new customers and drive incremental sales,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “Businesses can opt out at any time by emailing [email protected], and we remove them from these programs promptly.”
Listings created with Buy for Me are labeled as coming from other stores when they show up within Amazon search results. Amazon’s system checks the brand’s website to confirm the item is in stock and that the price is accurate. Product and pricing information is pulled from public information on a brand’s website, though Amazon says in an FAQ page that it “may modify these for display on the Amazon Shopping App.”
Amazon said in November that products available to purchase via Buy for Me had increased from 65,000 to more than 500,000.
The pushback from independent sellers — who make up more than 60% of Amazon’s online store sales — highlights a growing tension as tech companies roll out AI-powered shopping tools. The new technology is sparking debate over who controls product discovery and the customer relationship when platforms can act as an intermediary — or even a buyer — on behalf of consumers.
In November, Amazon sued Perplexity to stop the startup from using its AI browser agent to make purchases on its marketplace, citing computer fraud laws and security risks, along with a “significantly degraded shopping and customer service experience it provides.”
Related: AI is coming for your shopping cart: How agentic commerce could disrupt online retail
