Escrew Service. Worried about getting scammed on an Internet auction? "Just use an escrow service," is the customary advice. Not so fast. The latest auction scam is an elaborate swindle involving creation of fake escrow services, complete with convincing Web sites like www.escrow-is.com
posted by srboisvert on Jul 9, 2002 - 2 comments

Wine.com Inc. ceases operations and refers customers to eVineyard, billed as the largest online wine retailer. The email they sent doesn't make it clear if we are now eVineyard members or if we have to sign up again -- and recreate my my 10-page wine.com wish list. Ugh.
posted by thescoop on Apr 28, 2001 - 15 comments

Finally, a product that Amazon.com doesn't sell. Now that the holiday season is over, it's time to start saving for next year's gifts. Just the thing for the couple that has almost everything.
posted by bondcliff on Jan 2, 2001 - 7 comments

Crazy Eddie is back, and he's on the Internet. Rising from the ashes of what the accountants call "one of the twentieth century’s most infamous financial statement frauds," the consumer-electronics retailer is offering once again to "beat any price you can find," along with all-new radio commercials! Just like being in New York in the 80s again.
posted by grimmelm on Dec 3, 2000 - 9 comments

talk about a captive audience 'AT&T Corp. is mulling a plan ... [that] ... would charge for each customer that accesses an Internet retail site using AT&T’s communications network. It would receive an additional commission when customers buy something, analysts said.'
posted by rebeccablood on Oct 9, 2000 - 10 comments

Amazon.com to offer online car-buying service. I guess this explains why they've changed their navigation once again. A little more information for those hungry for it. I wonder if I can 1-click a car? Will it be shipped within 24 hours? And I don't want any damn bookmark!
posted by jdiaz on Aug 23, 2000 - 1 comment

Sears Expands Web Business, nobody notices Sears claims they've doubled their product categories. Well, they now offer one MP3 player. What did they have before, half of one?
posted by Outlawyr on Jul 25, 2000 - 0 comments

A former Boo.com employee describes some of the challenges they faced . Multiple currencies, multiple languages, on-the-fly tax calculation, integration with multiple fullfillment partners, no development plan, and ignorance of technology issues on the front end. Blech.
posted by Calebos on May 23, 2000 - 10 comments

Offshore pharmacy sites selling prescription drugs to US customers were shut down this week. I wonder if the cat is already out of the bag on this one, will there ever be a way to regulate prescription drug traffic on the web? There's no worldwide organization to watch over things like this, nor are there laws that every country can agree on. Something tells me that getting steroids and "date rape" pills online is going to be a problem that's never going away.
posted by mathowie on Mar 21, 2000 - 1 comment

Amazon is approved for a patent on the technology behind their affiliate program. Wow, this really has the potential to shake things up a bit. Will software patents like this destroy internet commerce?
posted by webshaping on Feb 27, 2000 - 3 comments

Presto Technologies is hard at work on Presto Pass - an example of the growing m-com (mobile e-commerce) market. SF Gate has an article about it which is (according to my source within Presto Technologies) not entirely accurate WRT which company does what in the process, but covers the actual product pretty well. Will this be a vector for the rocketlike Shopping-Cart-At-A-Time grocery store checkouts we've been promised, or just another way to track consumer demographics for Madison Avenue? Can I have one of these implanted in my scalp, so that I can find my head even when it isn't attached?
posted by CrazyUncleJoe on Feb 8, 2000 - 2 comments