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French Fine Amazon For Free Shipping

Posted by kdawson on from the that's-just-fine dept.

strech writes "Ars Technica reports that France is fining Amazon for offering free shipping on some orders. A French high court ruled in December that the practice violated a law preventing discounting the price of a book more than 5% off of the publisher's recommended price. Amazon has decided to pay the fine, rather than drop free shipping. The fine currently stands at €1,000 per day but is automatically reconsidered after 30 days, after which it could be raised dramatically."

3 of 578 comments (clear)

  1. French fries? by Trivial_Zeros · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    So wait, Amazon is offering free shipping on french fries now?

  2. Re:Discounting the price of a book? by kestasjk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It's France; whining is what they do best. Yes over there they all smell, wear berets, smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, eat snails and frog's legs and play the accordion outside of a cafe.

    Sarcasm over: Who is whining here?
    The judge whining over free shipping? I doubt the judge represents the views of the French people; you think they're going to like having free shipping taken from them?
    The French people whining over the judge's bad decision? Aren't we doing the same thing now?

    I've always wondered why Americans (I assume you're American) are so anti-French, especially when they helped you get independence from Britain etc, right? (Correct my poor history knowledge)
    --
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  3. Re:Discounting the price of a book? by jonbryce · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It could be something to do with the French being so anti-American? Certainly anti-Americanism is growing in the rest of Europe, but the French invented it.