It’s finally Friday. The work week may be coming to an end but we’re still serving you the hottest Amazon news and tips.
- Seller claims Amazon “stole” their money 💸
- Staying on top of Amazon accounting 🖩
- New campaign feature for Sponsored Brands 🗠
- Marketing plans for Valentine’s Day ❤️
BLACK MARKET
A seller recently shared a failed attempt to appeal an A-Z claim. They said that it’s the third denied claim even if they’ve done everything right.
Not-so-swift refunds?
Amazon’s A-to-z Guarantee (or A-Z claim) protects customers by issuing swift refunds for third-party products. However, an order needs to meet conditions to warrant a refund. This includes defective products and late deliveries.
Sellers can appeal an A-Z claim if the reason does not match their records.
So, what happened here?
- A customer claimed that they did not receive their package. Amazon refunded the customer using the seller’s funds.
- The seller checked that the order WAS delivered (November 25) within the delivery window (November 27 - November 30)
- The seller appealed the refund in December
- Amazon replied last January, saying they had decided to uphold their original decision, which was to deny the refund.
What the other sellers are saying
Many sellers have experienced appealing A-Z claims and have shared their insights.
- The SHIP BY window is not the same as the DELIVERY window. Some sellers narrowed the problem to the difference between “ship by” and “delivered by.” One said, “It is the date that a carrier first scans the postage label that matters to Amazon.” If the courier scans the label later than the given window, it’s considered late. 🙁
- Everyone agreed that buying shipping labels directly from Amazon will help in A-Z appeals.
- Watch out for holidays when couriers may scan labels a day after label printing.
- Invest in “Signature Confirmation” for orders valued at $100.00 or more, and when Amazon "Recommends" that you do.
Do you have any additional tips when dealing with A-Z claims?
TOGETHER WITH UNLOOP
How to stay on top of your Amazon accounting
Amazon sellers like you are new-age entrepreneurs. You’ve taken the digital realm by storm, turning simple ideas into profitable businesses.
But even pro sellers know it’s not only about the ‘add to cart’ game. It’s all about the numbers–the money. And this is where accounting for Amazon sellers steps in.
💼 What’s unique with Amazon accounting?
Amazon isn’t your typical brick-and-mortar store. Amazon accounting isn’t your average bookkeeping process, either. Here’s why:
- Dynamic Fee Structure: Amazon has different fees, from listing charges to referral fees. Tracking these can be the difference between profit and loss.
- Multi-Currency Challenge: Selling worldwide? Say hello to multiple currencies, exchange rates, and international tax regulations.
- Inventory Intricacies: Opted for Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)? That's a whole new world of inventory management and costs.
- Sales Tax: Different states, different rules, different processes. It's a puzzle that requires constant attention and updating.
💡Staying on top of Amazon accounting
The Amazon landscape is always changing. So, how can you keep your online accounting in rhythm?
- Embrace automation. Manual calculations? That’s so last decade. Modern accounting tools got your back, updating all those numbers in real-time.
- Stay updated. Amazon's fee structures can change based on category, season, or seller status. Regularly review the breakdowns to ensure you're not caught off guard.
- Review your finances monthly or quarterly. Keeping your financial performance in check helps you spot the hits and misses.
Drowning in all of these numbers? Don’t fret. Dive into the deep end with some accounting expert guidance. Book a 30-minute discovery call now!
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Truth Bombs: Tips on how to turn selling tides in your favor.
- Webinars: Were you able to attend these Amazon Webinars? Worry not, there's more.
- Seller Credit: Eligible sellers can now apply for a credit line from SellerFi.
- Seller Alert: Effective February 1, late FBA shipments will be automatically CLOSED.
AMAZON NEWS
Amazon launched “theme targeting” option in Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands now have theme targeting capabilities, according to an Amazon Ads announcement. This feature is available to vendors and registered sellers through the Advertising console or Amazon Ads API.
What does it do?
Leveraging Amazon’s machine learning capabilities and shopping insights, Sponsored Brands theme targeting will be able to:
- Bundle and continuously optimize keywords. Related keywords are bundled into groups. This set of keywords is regularly updated. You can choose between two “targeting groups”. These are keywords related to your brand and keywords related to your landing pages.
- Simplify campaign creation and management. No need to adjust your bids frequently! You can start with a single bid for at least one targeting group.
- Improve campaign performance. The right keywords drive campaign performance. Keywords under each group are updated to match your goal-based campaigns. It also helps show ads to relevant audiences.
SOCIAL PULSE
Valentine’s Day campaign stats you should know
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the next few weeks will be the perfect time to run marketing campaigns for it!
TikTok published a guide on how to prepare for campaigns for this day. Here are the key takeaways. Take note that you can also apply these tips in your Amazon campaigns and on other social media platforms, as well!
The gist
- There’s a lot of activity happening during that week (particularly on February 14). When we say a lot, we mean 3.9 billion video views and 12.5% engagement rate in 2023. So if you’re spending money on ads in February, it’s best to boost your bids on the first two weeks of the month.
- The most used hashtags around the event are #valentineschallenge, #valentinesdayideas, #valentinesoutfits, #valetineshaul, #valetintinesfinds, #galentinesday, and #singleawarenessday to name a few. You can use these as your backend keywords or include them in your online posts.
- The most popular product categories are apparel, personal care, meal ingredients, alcoholic drinks, and fragrances. So if you’re selling products in these categories, then turn the ads up because it’s your time to shine!
The perfect time to prepare for Valentine’s Day is now. Start creating those Hallmark-inspired campaigns and see how it translates into sales!
