If the marketplace was a movie this week, it’d be a courtroom drama spliced with a holiday blockbuster and a sprinkle of mystery stars. 🎭
Here’s the week in bites:
- Amazon hit with revived and strengthened lawsuits 🥊
- Ever wonder what tools top agencies use for Amazon? 🛠️
- Did you know Pandora was hacked?! 🔓
- Seller reviews stripped down to stars-only ⭐
- Get Looped In and take the chaos out of ecommerce accounting ✉️
- We’ll link your newsletter for FREE. Send your applications here. 🤝
AMAZON NEWS
Arizona’s legal beef with Amazon refuses to stay buried. Attorney General Kris Mayes has refiled two lawsuits, accusing Amazon of rigging the Buy Box and operating a Prime cancellation “roach motel” scheme.
🍪 Quick bits
- Buy Box claims: Shoppers were misled into thinking the featured price was the cheapest.
- Favoritism factor: Allegedly boosted Amazon’s own listings or those paying steep FBA fees.
- Receipts included:
- 2021: Bob Marley vinyl—$22.97 in the Buy Box vs. $18.89 from another Prime seller.
- 2022: Corsair headset—$107.99 in the Buy Box vs. $71 elsewhere.
- Prime “roach motel”: Pre-2023 cancellation flow allegedly needed 6+ clicks, cutting cancellations by 14%.
💬 SellerBites’ take
Did you notice? Every time regulators take aim, the script is the same: inflated Buy Box prices, favoritism, and calls for reform.
The thing is, if the Box looks rigged, every seller in it looks guilty by association. You might win by the rules—but if the rules are on trial, your victories carry collateral damage: lost trust.
In short: when the Buy Box burns, it scorches everyone inside it.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- Trending Demand: Wondering what to sell online? Check out these trending and in-demand bestsellers.
- Trump Sues Sellers: The Trump Organization is suing Amazon, Walmart, and eBay sellers for allegedly selling knockoffs of Trump merch.
- Amazon for Drones: Drone pilots of the U.S. Army rejoice! A new online platform will soon deliver drones.
- 7-figure Strategy: This Amazon seller spills how one investment doubled her profits and made millions.
BLACK MARKET
Pandora confirms cyber breach amid rising online fears
The cyber breach list keeps growing, and this time it’s Pandora.
The global jeweler confirmed a cyber attack last week. No credit cards or passwords were stolen, but for Gen Z shoppers already twitchy about online risks, that’s still enough to tank a purchase.
🍪 Quick bits
- Gen Z pullback: 33% of U.K. shoppers aged 16–24 say cyber fears could make them shop less, or quit online shopping entirely.
- Small biz target: 200,000+ U.K. SMEs were hit by cyber attacks in just three months last year—roughly one every 39 seconds.
- Defense playbook: Update before staff holidays, stress test systems, train for remote risks, and stay transparent post-breach.
💬 SellerBites’ take
Sadly, hackers don’t care if you sell diamonds or dog treats—they just want in.
If you’re still thinking “it won’t happen to me,” remember—every brand on today’s breach list once thought the same thing. Right up until it happened.
It never hurts to be prepared. 😉
HOT TOPIC
Amazon trims seller reviews to stars-only
Amazon just “simplified” seller reviews—by scrapping written feedback altogether. Buyers can now only leave star ratings. No comments, no explanations, just… stars.
It’s faster for buyers, sure—but for sellers, it’s a recipe for confusion, frustration, and mystery one-stars.
🍪 Quick bits
- No more comments: Seller feedback is now stars only.
- FBA still takes the hit: Amazon’s shipping mistakes? Still your problem.
- Blind criticism: Without context, you can’t fix or appeal bad ratings.
- The slow squeeze: Many suspect this quietly targets smaller accounts.
- Hidden reasons: Amazon explained that before a buyer can leave a low-star rating, they must first select a reason. But can sellers see this reason? For now, it’s unclear.
💬 SellerBites’ take
For many sellers in the community forum, this isn’t streamlining—it’s blindfolding.
Amazon calls it efficiency, but sellers see the move for what it is: less detail, fewer disputes. The trade-off? More silent damage to account health.
And that’s dangerous. By the time you notice the squeeze, it could already be too late to recover.
