Amazon To Pay $61.7 Million to Settle FTC Charges It Withheld Some Customer Tips

[MechAg94]

Amazon To Pay $61.7 Million to Settle FTC Charges It Withheld Some Customer Tips from Amazon Flex Drivers
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/02/amazon-pay-617-million-settle-ftc-charges-it-withheld-some

According to the FTC’s administrative complaint against Amazon and its subsidiary, Amazon Logistics, the company regularly advertised that drivers participating in the Flex program would be paid $18–25 per hour for their work making deliveries to customers. The ads, along with numerous other documents provided to Flex drivers, also prominently featured statements such as: “You will receive 100% of the tips you earn while delivering with Amazon Flex.”

I didn't know it was possible to tips Amazon drivers. 

“Rather than passing along 100 percent of customers’ tips to drivers, as it had promised to do, Amazon used the money itself,” said Daniel Kaufman, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Our action today returns to drivers the tens of millions of dollars in tips that Amazon misappropriated, and requires Amazon to get drivers’ permission before changing its treatment of tips in the future.”

I figure someone in Amazon's organization made their numbers over a couple quarters by not giving that money.  That is some serious BS.  There should be charges of theft and a lot of punitive damages. 

https://news.yahoo.com/amazon-pay-61-7m-settle-182044864.html

This is from earlier in the years.  Saw it here.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKQ4rxR7_MI

[Ben]

I didn't know it was possible to tips Amazon drivers. 

+1

How are you supposed to tip a driver? I've never seen anything obvious on the website.

[Doggy Daddy]

Does this mean I have to start leaving some money in the Amazon Locker when I remove my stuff?   

[Bogie]

You know, that's not really a bad idea... I think I might start doing that.
 
Every so often, someone flips me a bill or so for helping with a battery, etc...
 
Take care of your essential retail service people.
 
(it generally isn't the BMW drivers...)

[cordex]

I think these tips must be for people buying via Prime Now.

[Hawkmoon]

Speaking of Amazon ... there was a Sam's Club in this area, which closed a couple of years ago. I went by it on the way to the VA hospital yesterday, and I noticed that it is now an Amazon distribution center. The parking lot was filled with those Amazon delivery vans -- more of them than I ever saw cars there when it was operating as Sam's Club. And this was mid-morning, when presumably a lot of the trucks were out making deliveries.

Left unchecked, Amazon is going to put every other retailer out of business.

[MechAg94]

Speaking of Amazon ... there was a Sam's Club in this area, which closed a couple of years ago. I went by it on the way to the VA hospital yesterday, and I noticed that it is now an Amazon distribution center. The parking lot was filled with those Amazon delivery vans -- more of them than I ever saw cars there when it was operating as Sam's Club. And this was mid-morning, when presumably a lot of the trucks were out making deliveries.

Left unchecked, Amazon is going to put every other retailer out of business.

If they keep hiring middle management that does stuff like keep tips from drivers, they will eventually screw up and decline just like most big companies.