When you click “Buy” on Amazon, do you really own that movie?
A new class-action lawsuit says no, and claims Amazon has been misleading consumers into thinking they own digital films that can actually vanish from their libraries without warning. 🎬
Here’s what’s streaming for you:
- Toronto gets bold with a seller-first summit 💥
- FBM sellers squeezed with a stricter 90% OTDR rule 📉
- Walmart hands out digital aisle space via QR codes 🛒
- Ghost ASIN suspensions are draining seller profits ⚠️
- Get Looped In and take the chaos out of ecommerce accounting ✉️
- We’ll link your newsletter for FREE. Send your applications here. 🤝
AMAZON NEWS
Amazon’s mantra is simple: fast, reliable delivery keeps customers happy (and keeps them shopping on Amazon).
According to Channel X, a new policy is rolling out requiring sellers to maintain a 90% On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR), and yes, it comes with deadlines and penalties.
♟️ The new rules of the game
Amazon’s rollout plan leaves little room for error:
- Sept 16, 2025: OTDR metric (90% minimum) goes live in your Account Health Dashboard.
- Oct 16, 2025: Amazon starts sending warning notices if you’re below target (no punishments yet).
- Feb 2, 2026: Enforcement kicks in: listings can be paused or FBM privileges restricted.
- Jan 19, 2026: Shipping templates change: max UK mainland transit time drops from 5 days to 4 days.
🛠️ How to stay in the clear
Amazon suggests a few tools to keep you on time (and in their good graces):
- Automated handling time adjusts handling times at SKU level based on your actual workflow.
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) sets realistic transit times using live carrier data.
- Buy Shipping picks the right service to meet Prime delivery promises.
Pro tip: If you use 0–1 day handling time + SSA + Buy Shipping, those orders won’t ding your OTDR.
Amazon’s putting FBM sellers on the clock. The new policy leaves less room for excuses, tighter timelines, and greater reliance on Amazon’s systems to stay compliant.
Here’s fun proof Amazon’s delivery game is a sprint:
TOGETHER WITH ECOMNORTH
Toronto’s Throwing Down: An eComm Summit Built for the Bold 💥
This September, Canada’s ecommerce scene finally gets the mic.
Toronto Summit: Be Bold isn’t your average snooze-fest of generic panels and recycled buzzwords. It’s the only Canadian conference built by and for the people actually in the trenches — founders, operators, and brand builders. Aka, you.
And yep, SellerBites will be there — soaking in the good stuff (and probably side-eyeing bad LinkedIn takes).
📍 Where: Meridian Hall & St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto
🗓️ When: September 23–24, 2025
Here’s what to expect:
- Zero-fluff talks from the minds behind BOOM! by Cindy Joseph, Vessi, David’s Tea, Mid-Day Squares, and more
- 20+ hours of practical programming — real insights, no TED Talk energy
- Unfiltered convos that go beyond “what’s your LTV?” over actual coffee ☕
🎟️ Perk for SellerBites readers: Score 15% off with code Sellerbites15 at checkout.
We’ll be there — so if you see someone furiously typing notes between panels, say hi. Or don’t. It’s a conference, not summer camp.
TL;DR: If you sell online and want real growth talk (not corporate cosplay), Toronto Summit: Be Bold is the Canadian event to hit.
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Drone Decisions: Severe weather conditions got nothing on Amazon Prime Air drones’ advanced safety systems.
- Exporter Lifeline: Korea-based financial groups are stepping up with more than $192B to aid affected exporters.
- Global Marketplace Won: China-based platform Temu snagged #1 at South Korea's 2025 Brand of the Year Awards.
- Resource Replay: Prep for the holidays, here's a curated look at August’s most impactful forum posts.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Get Walmart aisle exposure with zero shelf space
What if your product could sit in front of millions of Walmart shoppers, without ever touching a Walmart shelf? That’s the experiment Walmart is running right now.
Modern Retail reported that the retail giant has started placing QR codes next to products, giving customers a way to unlock variations not available in-store.
📱 QR codes as the new endcap
Instead of relying on physical shelf space, Walmart’s using QR codes to bridge its 270M weekly store visitors with the endless online aisle.
- Bigger assortment: Scan a code next to a coconut water in-store, discover more flavors online.
- Service add-ons: Scan a Kenmore washer QR code, buy it in-app, and book professional installation.
- Brand visibility: Marketplace sellers get a spotlight alongside Walmart products, no extra fee. 🤑
🤳🏻 More than QR codes
This pilot comes as Walmart unveiled more marketplace seller perks at its annual summit in San Diego:
- An AI-powered listing assistant
- A direct seller hotline to Walmart leaders
- New incentives for peak season
- Expanded Walmart Fulfillment Services (already used by 44% of sellers, up 250 basis points YoY)
Marketplace sales grew nearly 20% last quarter, so Walmart is clearly ramping up its Amazon-challenger strategy, except with thousands of physical stores as its secret weapon.
BLACK MARKET
Sellers take the hit from false ASIN suspensions
Getting flagged for a product you never sold—whether from catalog errors, glitches, or abuse—sounds absurd, but it’s real.
DAM Law Firm said false ASIN suspensions now hurt account health unless you prove the ASIN wasn’t yours. Yep, guilty until proven innocent, Amazon-style.
🛡️ Building a bulletproof appeal
Amazon loves structure. Your appeal should include:
- Root cause: Explain why the flag might have happened.
- Corrective actions: Show what you’ve done to fix the issue.
- Preventive measure: Detail how you’ll avoid repeat problems (ongoing audits, track invoices, and monitor catalog changes).
- Evidence: Attach supporting documents such as:
- Inventory reports showing the ASIN is missing from your catalog
- Settlement history confirming no sales tied to the product
- Invoices proving what you actually sold, not the ghost ASIN
Short, factual, and unemotional beats long, angry, and vague every time.
⚖️ When all else fails
If Amazon ignores your evidence or freezes your payouts, legal help can push your case through compliance channels.
Sometimes, the only way to reclaim your catalog (and cash) is to speak Amazon’s policy language through the right attorney.
