What you need to know
- Choetech has been delisted by Amazon, the latest in a string of tech brand removals.
- The cause for Choetech's removal is not confirmed yet, but most of the recent removals have been for violations of the paid review rules.
- Amazon has been cracking down on paid reviews since a scathing report by SafetyDetectives back in May.
Amazon's been cracking down on paid reviews — which is a violation of Amazon's vendor policies — over the course of the summer following the exposure of a massive paid review scheme, and some of the bigger names in technology accessories have been swept up in the digital raid. Aukey and Mpow were among the first ones culled in May, then RAVPower was yanked days before Prime Day. Now, it seems Amazon has brought down the banhammer on Choetech, a popular maker of wireless chargers, power banks, and cables.
Choetech's listings all went dark this morning, and while the cause for the de-listing has yet to be confirmed by Amazon, it's easy to speculate that it's the same cause as the others. Many Choetech items are available on Walmart and Newegg from third-party sellers, but it's better to buy from Choetech's own website.
Losing the ability to sell on Amazon is a hard blow to any brand, especially in an age where e-commerce is higher than ever, and most shoppers stick fervently to the major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.
To a degree, it makes sense why Amazon is doing this now. In addition to it being a stain on Amazon's credibility, Amazon is currently under antitrust investigation alongside Google in the United Kingdom, and fake reviews could end up being part of the American antitrust investigations Amazon is facing in the U.S. and Europe, as well. Amazon needs to cover its bases, even if it means it has a smaller variety of quality Power Delivery chargers, wireless chargers, and power banks compared to three months ago.
Taking out major competitors to its AmazonBasics tech products is just icing on Amazon's cake.
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