Amazon blames carrier glitch for overbilling

Hey, notice any weird charges or fee changes lately? 

Amazon’s in refund mode, it might be a good time to double-check your own numbers too. 💰

• Think you're making money on Walmart? 👀
• Amazon refunds "Other" fee fiasco 💸
• US And China's temporary tariff peace 🤝
• Fee relief for bulk sellers 🎯

CASH CORNER

Looks like Amazon’s dishing out refunds instead of candy this week. 

Sellers who spotted those mysterious “Other” fees on their August and September statements just got reimbursed, thanks to a carrier mix-up tied to Buy Shipping labels.

💸 Amazon's "oops" moment

Amazon owned up to the problem, saying a “carrier technical issue” caused double billing on certain shipping labels. 

• The phantom charges showed up as “Other” debits on August 22 and September 10.
• Impacted sellers are getting full refunds, including taxes and extra postage.
• Everyone affected has been notified via email.

🎃 Treats after tricks

According to EcommerceBytes, sellers first flagged the issue back in August, stressing that random “Other” transactions made bookkeeping a nightmare. 

Amazon says it’s tightening up carrier oversight to prevent a repeat, and will refund anyone else hit by the glitch.

So this time, “Other” doesn’t mean mystery fees. It means money back. 💰

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Beat the FBA Clock: Sellers, mark October 30! Amazon’s FBA cutoff looms, stock up, ship smart, and prep for peak sales.
• Projected Parcel Profits: UPS earned $21.4B in Q3; real estate gains lifted profits despite lower domestic volumes.
• Expected from Amazon: Analysts expect Amazon’s Q3 revenue to hit $177.9B, driven by AWS and ad growth momentum.
• Variation Evolution: Amazon phases out old variation themes by November to streamline listings and reduce catalog chaos.

HOT TOPIC

US and China call a one-year tariff war truce

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Busan and agreed to cut tariffs on China-based imports from 20% to 10% for one year, with an option to extend.

A little early holiday relief for importers? Maybe. But don’t stash those spreadsheets just yet.

💰 What’s the deal

In exchange for the tariff cut, China pledged to:

• Tighten control over fentanyl trafficking
• Postpone restrictions on rare earth exports
• Resume U.S. soybean purchases, easing pressure on American farmers

The average tariff on China goods now sits around 47%, roughly 10% lower than before, not exactly free trade, but a notable cool-down.

⚖️ The balance act continues

China still controls 70% of rare earth mining and 90% of processing. With these minerals powering everything from EVs to fighter jets, the export pause gives U.S. manufacturers a brief breather.

Just weeks ago, Trump floated 100% tariffs. Now both sides are easing off, for 12 months, at least. Keep those contingency plans handy… calm never lasts long in a trade war.

SELLER REFRESHER

Referral fees drop for Amazon B2B orders

Amazon just dropped a Q4 surprise: lower referral fees on bulk Amazon Business orders. A small win, but the timing is perfect, extra margin right when holiday pressure peaks.

📊 Quick breakdown

Starting October 1, 2025, Amazon rolled out referral fee cuts for sellers moving high-volume orders through Amazon Business. The rules are simple:

• Your business price or quantity discount must be 3%+ lower than your standard price
• Each order must hit $1,000+ per SKU
• The larger the order, the lower the referral fee, potentially dropping to as low as 5% on big buys

🎁 Bulk benefits

The discount applies to both FBA and FBM, giving sellers more room to compete on bulk pricing. With 8M+ business customers on Amazon, this could be a solid win for brands selling wholesale or high-volume SKUs.

If you offer multi-unit or case packs, revisit your pricing and let the discounts do the heavy lifting.

Tip: Check your All Statements Report to confirm that your fee reductions are being applied correctly, no surprises later.