Amazon bots bias to Nikon for Sony customer

I've noticed over the years that, despite my mostly looking at Sony SLR products on Amazon and buying Sony SLR products there, the Amazon feature that tracks what you look at and then makes suggestions later; almost always shows me nothing but Nikon SLRs. Basically, I never see Sony suggestions despite my owning Sony.

My guess is that:

1) The bots are dumb and just see SLR and show either the SLRs that are big sellers or SLRs that Amazon makes the most money from or SLRs that Amazon needs to unload because of overstock or some combination.

2) The bots see that on rare occasion I do look at Nikon SLRS to check them out and think they can lure me to a Nikon SLR by showing them to me whenever I am on the Amazon page.

3) Nikon and Amazon have some kind of deal to show more Nikons (I worked in a camera shop as a teen and this was the case in the store for one or two brands - but it was specific to one model and usually had a time frame for when we pushed that model.)

4) All of the above all at once or parts of depending on date, time of year, and my browsing activity.

The question is this: Do Nikon users and customers at Amazon see Sony (or Canon?) suggestions much more than Nikon? What do Pentax users see…?

BTW: I think the bots are just really dumb. Like the adds in Facebook and other social sites are always selling us stuff that, in a million years, we would never buy.

JMCO said:

BTW: I think the bots are just really dumb. Like the adds in Facebook and other social sites are always selling us stuff that, in a million years, we would never buy.

Click to expand...

If you think the bots are dumb then why are you wasting your time posting this silly rant?
--
Tom Seiler
My portfolio:
http://picasaweb.google.com/SeilerBird/MyPortfolio
Sony a55
Sony a330 Copper
Tamron 200-500mm
Sony 75-300mm
Sony 18-55mm
Rokinon 8mm

I think you're overestimating the intelligence of their website.

It's probably something like:

User clicks on multiple items in the photography section. Show deals on top selling photography items.

But for me, amazon seems to be doing well. I've bought a few lenses on amazon (24-70 CZ, 70-200 G, 70-400G) and I normally get Sony camera products in my "special deals". But I see other Canikon quite often on the side, and also on other websites. Those algorithms probably don't take into account brand name, rather top selling items.

The bots that Amazon uses are generally pretty amazing about figuring out what you might be interested in buying, but in the case of cameras they definitely need some work. Why it suggests Nikon or Canon lenses, when I own Sony equipment indicates there algorithm needs some refinement. It looks like it just recommends some of the best selling stuff regardless of brand.

It would be nice if they enhanced it so it would be more relevant - then again, maybe it's better for me that they don't.
--
Shawn

Tom,

No need for a nasty reply. Please put me on your Ignore List if my posts bother you.

Condor99 said:

If you think the bots are dumb then why are you wasting your time posting this silly rant?

Click to expand...

Why is this even an issue? Who cares. When I go to amazon (or any other site for that matter) I go for a specific reason, not to see what the site suggests I might want to buy, see or read.

Also, browsing with an adblocker makes using the internet at least tolerable. I truely cannot imagine not using one.

--

The greatest of mankind's criminals are those who delude themselves into thinking they have done 'the right thing.'

• Rayna Butler

I got so fed up with being spammed by the UK Amazon site with specials on Canikon that I wrote back to their (supposedly human) feedback address and pointed out the absurdity - since they had sold me a Sony body - of telling me about these incompatible lens bargains. Did they take any notice? Did they Eckerslike! So now all special offers from Amazon go straight in the junk folder.
--
Paypal? Just say "No!"

I own Sony and Olympus DSLR's as they are not Canon or Nikon. I use Capture One cause it not Adobe Photoshop.

They're trying to get ya to jumpship!! They do that to me too

--

Phil + Northern California | a 8 5 0 + Z + G | http://www.zeissimages.com/alphazeiss

Well, dumb or otherwise, targeted marketing that misses its aim, is a waste of resources. Bought a zimmer frame? Well, we guess you'd be interested in buying these running shoes...

If Amazon counts sales from these, eventually it'll get the message...

Dpreview is owned by Amazon. So, you might not want to complain too loudly on this forum.

that this time they get the message. It has been quite clear for a long time that the ears listening to this forum did not belong to Sony
--
Paypal? Just say "No!"

cyainparadise said:

Dpreview is owned by Amazon. So, you might not want to complain too loudly on this forum.

Click to expand...

Oh yes, I know. ;-) But other than my BTW comment of calling this software "dumb" it was more of an observation posting with a question. Not a complaint. Well, maybe just a complaint against bothersome-ness of it. I put a lot of money through Amazon, as do many of us.

Also, a bit of snarky comedy in it too. But, some more wooden members always miss that. :-(

While it does seem true that DP-Review is rather "thin-skinned" about complaints, Amazon loves complaints even more than praise - as does any focused SW company. Complaints tell us two things - first what displeases the Customer and second, how we can more closely align the sw with the Customer mental-model and keep them happily clicking inside the site!
--
The Ox is slow...but the Earth is patient.
Keith