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Amazon discriminates against Autistic people?

Does Amazon discriminate against people with ASD?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Maybe

  • Other

Results are only viewable after voting.
gaffaglow

gaffaglow

Well-Known Member
I recently had my ability to ask questions or post reviews on Amazon terminated due to “unusual activity.” The only thing unusual about my activity is the fact that I am Autistic and focus very intensely on what I’m looking at or searching for. I have never accepted payment or products in return for a review, and I have never violated their Terms of Service. I wonder if this often happens to Autistic people. I’ve tried a few times to contact them about this unfair decision, and I’ve never gotten a reply.
 
Sounds perhaps that in their eyes you violated their "Community Guidelines". You might want to review them to see if you can figure out why they removed your posting privileges. I came across this based only on googling Amazon's phrase "unusual actvity".

One thing though. It seems that Amazon isn't the least bit transparent about why they make such decisions.

Amazon.com Help: Community Guidelines
 
I put "Other". I have no reason to believe that Amazon discriminate against people on the spectrum. I don't like Amazon, or a lot (all?) corporations, but I haven't heard or read anything that would lead me to believe it's discriminating against people on the spectrum.
 
I don't think so. It's just bot detection however it seems as if many of us search like bots. I have been asked to confirm I am human many places I searched for things. It might be my wording, it might be how many items I click, it might be something else who knows.
 
That doesn't sound like discrimination. Either you may have inadvertently violated their Terms & Conditions, or it may be an accidental removal. Reach out to Amazon Customer Support if they have it available and maybe they can help you figure out what happened.
 
Judge said:
Sounds perhaps that in their eyes you violated their "Community Guidelines". You might want to review them to see if you can figure out why they removed your posting privileges. I came across this based only on googling Amazon's phrase "unusual actvity".

One thing though. It seems that Amazon isn't the least bit transparent about why they make such decisions.

Amazon.com Help: Community Guidelines
Click to expand...

I have read through them in the past, but I just read through them again. I haven't done anything that would even come close to violating their Community Guidelines.
 
VernalSole1355 said:
That doesn't sound like discrimination. Either you may have inadvertently violated their Terms & Conditions, or it may be an accidental removal. Reach out to Amazon Customer Support if they have it available and maybe they can help you figure out what happened.
Click to expand...

I have reached out to Amazon Customer Support more than once. They never responded, not even an automated email.
 
lolcatal said:
I have read through them in the past, but I just read through them again. I haven't done anything that would even come close to violating their Community Guidelines.
Click to expand...

It may be a matter of interpretation. Something where your perspective is vastly different from theirs.

Not to mention that the odds are overwhelming that you're dealing with an NT rather than someone on the spectrum. Where something may have inadvertently gotten "lost in the translation".
 
I browse, price check, compare and buy from Amazon regularly and have never had any problems.
The only "unusual activity" notices I've received are phone scams that aren't actually from them.
Bot calls about closing my account due to unusual activity or alerts that I've ordered large items like
TV's, computers, sound equipment.

Nothing ever comes from these phoney phone calls.
I never order big ticket items from them. Only certain items that are more expensive elsewhere.
 
Did you post a batch of reviews at once that were either all positive or negative? I heard that Amazon was finally going to crack down on the mass reviewers. (Seriously, the guy who posted 400 two-star book reviews within six months needs a new hobby!) You may have been incorrectly included in the sweep. Amazon is usually highly resistant to removing reviews.
 
Sorry Zon is being such a booger to you! They do have their weird moments. It's very possible they tossed you as a mistake and don't want to admit it.
 
I don't like Amazon because in just one week in one UK warehouse they send around 130,000 products to be destroyed. These include Smart TVs, laptops, drones, top of the range headphones and thousands of sealed face masks.
 
Aspergers_Aspie said:
I don't like Amazon because in just one week in one UK warehouse they send around 130,000 products to be destroyed. These include Smart TVs, laptops, drones, top of the range headphones and thousands of sealed face masks.
Click to expand...

That, doesn't sound right at all. Is there proof of this somewhere that I could see?
 
lolcatal said:
I recently had my ability to ask questions or post reviews on Amazon terminated due to “unusual activity.” The only thing unusual about my activity is the fact that I am Autistic and focus very intensely on what I’m looking at or searching for. I have never accepted payment or products in return for a review, and I have never violated their Terms of Service. I wonder if this often happens to Autistic people. I’ve tried a few times to contact them about this unfair decision, and I’ve never gotten a reply.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that!
 
It's possible that someone pretending to be you has been partaking in the "unusual activity". It's a long shot but not impossible that someone was using your account, or even has a very similar email address (such as one letter difference) and you were banned by mistake.
 
Aspergers_Aspie said:
Sure, sorry should have provided this link originally:-

Amazon: Next Day Destruction
Click to expand...

I can see why you would be concerned but that link offers no evidence or even a source for the story. It is not much better than "my aunt, who knows about these things, said..."
In fact, it leaves out everything that might be pertinent. Were the items just sent to a true landfill, or were the items handled correctly in accordanence with U.K. law?

I also want to point out that the consumer is as much to blame as the companies that gaslight us into thinking we "need" a new phone, computer or car every year. The consumer can simply resist being suckered into thinking what they have is somehow inadequate. Less demand means less production and less waste both before and after market.
 
Ebay or offer-it-up are where we usually shop. Most Ebay sellers are regular people selling things whereas Amazon, Jeff Bezo gets the money. I don’t care for Jeff and don’t want to give him any money and had rather keep the money in my country of origin.

Our family has lots of boycott’s, Amazon is almost on that list.

See if possibly you can find what you need elsewhere, this may be a solution.
 
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