Remember Inspire? It was Amazonâs TikTok-like feature launched in late 2022. Well, itâs bidding goodbye this year as it reportedly failed to inspire consumers (and probably influencers).
You can never really have it all, right? Except for juicy ecommerce news we aim to serve you fresh and complete.
- The real reason behind rejected seller documents đŠ
- Non-Amazon ads on Amazon đď¸
- Solutions to Amazon listing errors đĄ
- Amazon is still more trustworthy đŻ
HOT TOPIC
Ever felt like Amazon Seller Support is just spinning you in circles? Well, you might not just be imagining it.
Jon Elder posted a screenshot of a now-deleted post from a seller forum that may have just revealed why so many legitimate sellers struggle with account verification and document approvals. đ
And trust usâitâs frustrating.
đ Everything went down
In the post, a former employee from a âbig online marketplaceâ (hint: most probably Amazon) admitted to marking every single seller document as fake for months. Why? Because of a broken system!
- The employee worked in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) as a verifier of seller documents.
- One day, they approved a document that turned out to be fake. However, the system didnât flag it as fake at the time.
- They were reprimanded for the mistake even though the fraud detection rule wasnât in place when they approved it.
- Out of frustration, they realized a loophole:
- Approving a fake document = punishment
- Rejecting a real document = no consequences
- So, for the next 9 months, they marked every single document as fake, forcing sellers into unnecessary delays.
- Since rejected documents are reviewed later by someone else, they were never caught. In fact, they were praised for their âaccuracy.â đ
- The result? Sellers lost millions of dollars due to unnecessary account freezes!
đ§ Amazon NEEDS to fix this
Sellers rely on a fair process. When internal loopholes lead to unnecessary account freezes, itâs more than just an inconvenienceâitâs lost revenue, missed opportunities, and business disruption
If Amazon wants to maintain seller trust, it needs better oversight of document verification. Until then, you need to be your best advocate.
AMAZON NEWS
Amazon Ads now features non-Amazon ads
An article by PCWorld reported that Amazon has introduced lead generation ads, allowing brands to advertise products that arenât even sold in the marketplace.
That means the already crowded search resultsâpacked with sponsored listingsâare about to get even busier.
𤯠So, non-Amazon ads are on Amazon?
Yep, thatâs exactly whatâs happening.
- Instead of keeping shoppers within its ecosystem, Amazon is now willing to send them directly to other websites.
- Prime members might even get perks like faster shipping when buying from these non-Amazon retailers.
Why?
Simple: Ad money. Amazon may be known as a shopping platform, but at its core, itâs a tech giant with a powerhouse advertising business. Last year alone, Amazon Ads pulled in nearly $12 billion! This new feature seems like just another way to squeeze out even more revenue.
𧚠More ads = more clutter
Some say this is just another step in Amazon’s decline from a customer-first shopping experience to an ad-filled mess. And with Prime’s shipping speeds no longer as fast as they used to be, this move raises even more questions.
For now, the feature is being beta-tested on Amazonâs mobile apps. Guess weâll have to wait and see what changes will be on the horizon.
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Certified Donations: Donation certificates from Good 360 can be generated yearly for all those who donated inventory via the FBA Donations program.
- Delayed Alexa: Alexa’s update has been postponed again to March 31 (or later).
- Seller Webinars: Amazon seller webinars are back with more tax tips and seller tool tutorials.
SOCIAL PULSE
Shoppers love Temu’s steals, but Amazon still seals the deal
According to a new Omnisend survey reported by Chain Store Age, shoppers are flocking to Temu for its deep discounts. But when it comes to trust, Amazon still reigns supreme.
âď¸ The price war continues
Temuâs entire business model is built around jaw-dropping discounts. And itâs workingâat least for now.
- Shoppers save 40% per product on Temu, with some categories offering discounts as high as 98%!
- Amazonâs discounts are more modest, maxing out at 67%.
- New U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports could mean higher prices on Temuâs budget-friendly products. This can make those too-good-to-be-true deals a little less sweet.
- Despite the difference in popularity, only 5% of shoppers trust Temu, compared to 87% for Amazon. âď¸
- Many Temu listings appear to be knockoffs, and some reviews may be manipulated, making shoppers think twice.
- Amazonâs products average 50,000 reviews per listing, while Temuâs has about 1,500 reviews per listingâa big credibility gap.
Scoring a deal is great, but only if customers can trust what theyâre buying. And thatâs where Amazon still has the edge.
đˇď¸ Will tariffs change the game?
Amazon rarely rushes to respond to competition, but Temu and Shein have pushed the ecommerce giant into the budget battlefield. With new tariffs looming, shoppers are rethinking their bargain-hunting habits, with 56% worrying that tariffs will drive up prices on the latter. If that happens, 29% say theyâd cut back or stop buying from Temu altogether.
At the end of the day, one thingâs clear: Temu wins on price, but Amazon wins on trust. đ¤ˇââď¸
SELLER REFRESHER
3 common Amazon listing errors and how to fix them
Nothing kills momentum faster than hitting a listing error just as youâre about to launch a new product. One minute youâre ready to sell, the next, youâre stuck deciphering cryptic error codes.
𧰠But Amazon doesnât want you to worry. Most issues have quick fixes.
- Product matching errors. Amazon automatically links new listings to existing products. However, things sometimes donât match up.
- Wrong product ID: Double-check the GTIN or ASIN to ensure accuracy.
- Attribute conflicts: Use the Fix Your Products tool in Seller Central to correct mismatched details.
- SKU issues: If your SKU is already in use, delete and recreate the listing with a unique one.
- Brand name errors. Brand-related errors usually come down to Amazonâs policies.
- Error code 5461: You need brand approval to create a listing. In this case, you must verify your Brand Registry connection.
- Error code 5664: If you’re listing a generic product, make sure you’re using “Generic” as the brand name. Otherwise, follow the link in the error message and apply for approval.
- Error code 5665: Amazon hasnât approved your brand name yet. Youâll need to enroll in Brand Registry or request special approval.
- Generic product errors. If youâre selling a generic item, Amazon has policies in place to prevent unauthorized changes. đ
- Error code 5882: This refers to a possible intellectual property issue. Review Amazonâs policies and ensure youâre compliant.
- Error code 5885: You might be trying to edit a generic product listing that belongs to another seller.
- Error codes 5886-5887: These mean you donât have permission to modify a generic productâs existing detail page. These errors canât be appealed, so youâd need to create a brand-new product detail page.
đĄ Don’t let listing errors ruin the mood, they’re usually fixable with a little patience and the right approach. The key is to stay proactiveâand follow Amazonâs guidelines.
And when all else fails, Seller Support is just a click away.