K-Tel ‘Surprises’ Amazon.com With New Deal

Longtime late-night advertiser K-Tel International Inc., makers of soundtracks such as “The 80s: Love Jam,” announced last week that it has a new deal with e-tail giant Amazon.com.

The problem is the deal is so new that an Amazon.com spokeswoman could only sputter that Amazon was “surprised” by the announcement.

In a news release Thursday, the Minneapolis-based music seller said it has “become an Amazon.com Associate to outsource K-Tel’s consumer order and fulfillment services on its www.ktel.com site.”

Amazon, however, said that being an “associate”--its term for approved sites that link to Amazon and receive a fee for purchases they refer--is far different from inking a major fulfillment deal, such as the one Amazon announced last month with Toysrus.com.

“That was a true partnership--we get the benefit of Toysrus.com’s ordering and forecasting and buying of toys; they get our expertise in customer service,” said Amazon’s Patty Smith. “K-Tel is an associate. They are one of 500,000 associates that Amazon has, and these sites have links to Amazon.com.”

A. Merrill Ayers of K-Tel said the problem could be in K-Tel’s description of the deal, but not the substance. K-Tel, he said, will only be selling its custom CDs and digital downloads. A customer who clicks on any other K-Tel items will be sent to Amazon.com.

So where will aficionados find the K-Tel title, “70s Heavy Hitters: Arena Rockers 1970-74”?

Either Amazon or K-Tel. The bill of sale, however, will come from a slightly perplexed Amazon.com.