Amazon Rigged Its Own Ad Auction (Allegedly) | Upside #106

In this episode, Ali Shariat and Leon Rymer break down the FTC and 22-state lawsuit alleging Amazon secretly manipulated ad costs over seven years across Sponsored Products, Brands, and Display ads. They explain how Amazon allegedly used hidden "soft reserves" to quietly turn second-price ad auctions into first-price auctions, causing sellers to pay their maximum bids up to 80% of the time. Learn about the leaked internal emails, Amazon's weak public defense, and three tactical steps sellers can take right now to lower costs and protect their ad budgets.