So, I just got an email from Amazon refunding me the purchase of lint-free wipes I bought for screen and lens cleaning. I didn’t request the refund, they initiated it, but their reasoning seems hilarious to me:
We have identified that the product that you purchased may not be safe for viewing a solar eclipse. If you still have this product, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend you not to use it to watch any solar eclipses, including the one happening on March 29. Please dispose of this product.
The product:
Are people actually watching solar eclipses through lint-free wipes? Anyway, I lol’d and thought I’d share it with you all to brighten your day.
TL;DR don’t use lint-free wipes to watch solar eclipses. You’ve been warned!
Obviously don't know the story for why Amazon is pulling this product, but know that the supplier is the one that will be eating the cost - Amazon will 100% stiff them in cases where the product is deemed faulty.
Seeing as the 'product fault' here is bullshit, and the product seems to be an honest USA-made one, I'd say this is just more of Amazon being shitty Amazon and harming small to mid-sized US businesses.
Well at least it's not a Canadian business
Why would they bother?
Well I can't speak to this exact case, but in the past Amazon has made their own product (which they get manufactured by a third party cheaply) to very similar specs and dimensions as the existing US market dominant product on their store - and then pushed them off the listing by placing theirs higher and slightly cheaper. Could be a similar case.
https://www.propublica.org/article/amazons-new-competitive-advantage-putting-its-own-products-first
https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/amazon-scooped-up-data-from-its-own-sellers-to-launch-competing-products