A small business owner selling on Amazon recently shared a dilemma that hit a nerve with the r/smallbusiness Reddit community: A massive competitor just bought their “new innovative product,” and now they fear it’s about to be copied.
“A competitor 100x bigger than me just ordered my new product,” the seller wrote. “The name on the shipping label was ‘business name’ LLC and the business name is a billion dollar company… and the name of the person is someone whose job title is new product development.”
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The seller uses Amazon’s Fulfilled by Merchant system, so they still had the option to cancel the order. But they weren’t sure if doing that would protect them or make things worse. “I fear any direct contact and I’m at risk,” they added, explaining that Amazon’s strict rules can punish sellers for interfering with customer orders.
The comment section blew up with advice, sympathy, and cold business truths. Many said trying to block the sale wouldn’t matter in the long run. “They will just place another order, and/or tell their receptionist to order it,” one person wrote. Another added, “You can’t possibly expect to grow if you’re background checking every customer.”
More than a few people admitted this kind of thing happens all the time. One Redditor who works for a “multi billion dollar hardware company” said, “We order all our competitors’ stuff to test against and do [research and development] on. Consider it a compliment, and get to continued innovating.”
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Another person added, “They are going to get their hands on it whether you like it or not.”
Still, the situation felt personal for the original poster, who vented, “These people are known to steal ideas and low-ball the market… they instantly get worldwide distribution through 100s of retailers. I’m cooked.”
Redditors advised the seller to focus on protecting the product legally, even if it’s late in the game. “Get a provisional patent on it stat,” one wrote. Others chimed in saying patents offer some protection, even if enforcement is difficult.
There was also advice to use this moment as a possible opportunity. Several suggested reaching out to the buyer outside of Amazon to discuss licensing or a partnership. “Fulfill the order, then pick up the phone. You’ll be fine,” one person wrote.
