Congress to Bezos: Why would third-party sellers compare Amazon to a drug dealer?

So I wanna talk to you about one company, that really stood out from the rest. I want you to pay close attention to how they describe your partnership Mr. Bezos. We heard from a small apparel company that makes and sells, what they call useful apparel for people who work on their feet and with their hands, like construction workers and firefighters. This particular business discovered and started selling a unique item that had been never been a top seller for the brand. They were making about $60,000 a year on just this one item. One day they woke up and found that Amazon had started listing the exact same product, causing their sales to go to zero overnight. Amazon undercut their price, selling it below what the manufacturer generally allow it to be sold. So that even if they want to do they couldn't match the price. Here's how the apparel company described working with Amazon and I quote, Amazon strings you along for a while because it feels so good to get that paycheck every week and in the past for lack of a better term. We call it Amazon heroin, because you just kept going, and you had to get your next fix your next check. But at the end of the day, you find out that this person who was seemingly benefiting you, making you feel good was just ultimately going to be your downfall and quote, Mr. Bezos This is one of your partners. Why on earth would they compare your company to a drug dealer? Sir, I have great respect for you in this committee, but I completely disagree with that characterization. What we have done is create in the store a place, if we go back in time, we sold only our own inventory. Was a very controversial decision inside the company to invite third party sellers to come into what is really our most valuable retail real estate, our product detail pages. We did that because we were convinced that it would be better for the consumer, it would be better for the- Mr. Bezos. Have all of that selection. And I think we were right. And I think it's worked out well- Reclaiming my time. Unfortunately, this is one of. Reclaiming my time Mr Bezos. This is one of many small companies that have told us during this year long investigation that they were mistreated, abused and tossed aside by Amazon. Now, Mr. Bezos, you said that Amazon is only focused on doing what's best for the customer. You just said it again. And that third part and also third party sellers. But how is that possible when you compete directly with third party sellers with your own products that undercut the competition Isn't it an inherent conflict of interest for Amazon to produce and sell products on its platform that compete directly with third party sellers, particularly when you Amazon sets the rules of the game? Thank you. No, I don't believe it is. We have the consumers the one ultimate making the decisions. They're making the decisions about What to buy, what price to buy it at, who to buy it from? And what we try to do is make an achievement for- That's not the question, Mr. Bezos. The question is there an inherent conflict of interest? Because you are a data company, you know when customers put something in their cart, when they take it out. Traditional brick and mortar stores like a grocery store where competition occurs don't have that. So I just wanna follow up finally on an answer to the question that you gave to congressman Jaya Paul, you said that you can't guarantee that the policy of not sharing third party sellers data with Amazon Amazon's online hasn't been violated. You couldn't be certain Can you please explain that to me? Can you list examples of which where that policy has been violated? Because it's particularly concerning to me Mr. phases that shouldn't third parties know for sure the data is being shared with your own line their competitors. Why should a third party seller list their product on Amazon? If you're just going to be undercut by Amazon own product as a result of data you take from them. Sir, I think what what I want you to understand I think it's important to understand. Stand is that we have a policy against using individual seller data to compete with our private label products You couldn't assure Miss Jaya Paul that that policy isn't violated routinely. Well, I'm we're investigating that and I and I do not want to sit here and I do not want to go beyond what I know right now. We are as a result of that wall street journal article. We are looking at that very carefully and really share them with you. Thank you and we look forward to it. The evidence we've collected shows that Amazon is only. Interested in exploiting its monopoly power over the e-commerce marketplace to further expand and protect this power. This investigation makes clear that Amazon's dual role as a platform operator and competing seller on that platform is fundamentally anticompetitive and Congress must take action.