This is the core problem. If what I wanted was the first search results every time I searched Amazon, and I had no decisions to make between search and buy... then Alexa could work. That is far from the reality. This is a problem Amazon created, so it's hard to feel bad for them.

Not only had this hurt their Alexa dreams, imo it has hurt their brand reputation as well. Amazon is no longer a retailer I trust. I would much rather buy from a more traditional store that doesn't have 3rd party sellers, and maintains standard prices and quantities.