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• Reporting mishap on Black Friday sale lead sellers to buy their ads blindly

• Is Amazon Clinic a help or a threat?

• Get ahead of your competitors without spending on ads

• Amazon seller claims they lost a whole truck of FBA shipment for over 8 months

ECOMMERCE NEWSReporting mishap on Black Friday leads to uninformed ad spending

ModernRetail reported this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday event as Amazon's "biggest ever" in a recent article. However, although they claimed the event was a success, Amazon didn't have everyone convinced.

During their most significant sales to date, the advertising platform "allegedly" experienced a reporting outage the Thanksgiving weekend.

What happened?

• Sellers (and their media buyers) rely on Amazon ads reports to see how well they bid off their campaigns. They can adjust it if they see ads or keywords not translating into sales as it's updated in real-time.

• Amazon reported delays for sponsored ad metrics over the weekend that had already addressed this. However, they didn't say how long the downtime stood and how severely it impacted brands.

• This outage prompted sellers to go in "blind" as they couldn't adjust their bids up or down. Some went way above their budget, while others went under, missing out on opportunities for lucrative sales.

A spokesperson said they would work with their advertisers to ensure they have the best experience with all Amazon Ads products. This is a promise they should emphasize since accurate real-time data on campaigns during the most critical sales periods isn't a nice thing to have; it's a necessity.

HOT TOPICIs Amazon Clinic a help or a threat?

The need to keep one's health in check amidst a global pandemic pushed the boom of telehealth services. WIRED reported how Amazon's entrance to the healthcare scene with its telehealth platform "Amazon Clinic" poses privacy risks to its users. This service is aimed to launch in 32 US states to link users to healthcare services to help treat more than 20 common conditions.

Amazon aims to make it "dramatically easier for people to get and stay healthy." After indicating their condition and completing a questionnaire, the patient will connect to a doctor through this platform. Sounds quick and easy, right?

☠️ Amazon's bad rep?

It's no secret that Amazon has its fair share of problems in handling its customers' privacy and data. If they can't handle this information properly, who else would be willing to hand their private health information over to them? Although Amazon Clinic will be bound to HIPAA, which protects a patient's record when connected to a healthcare provider, this doesn't cover the data before the patient-doctor connection.

In an email to WIRED, Christina Smith of Amazon denied all assumptions saying they will treat all health information as confidential and be secure in compliance with federal law. However, a University of Oxford professor, Sandra Wachter, said, "we must be skeptical whenever health data is on the line."

Convenience and accessibility come with a cost. Wachter added that Amazon may not have risks associated with accessing your data, but who knows what may change?

BITES OF THE WEEK

• Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says cost-cutting review revealed the economy is ‘more uncertain’ than previously thought" - CNBC

• 5 tech predictions for 2023 and beyond, according to Amazon CTO Dr. Werner Vogels - About Amazon

• Bermuda Triangle at Amazon Fulfillment Centers? - Ecommercebytes

• How much is your data worth to Amazon? - GovTech

• Amazon media chief Jeff Blackburn retires from the company for the second time - CNBC

SELLER REFRESHERGet ahead of your competitors without spending on ads

When selling on Amazon, standing out from competitors becomes a priority. Of course, you can achieve this through listing optimization or PPC, but that's not the only way.

Amazon Brand Store allows sellers to set up an online storefront for free, taking shoppers directly to their product pages, as explained in an Awesome Dynamic article.

🛒 Here's a quick run-through of this feature:

1. Log into your professional seller account.

2. Apply for Amazon Brand Registry.

3. Assign ASIN or UPCs.

4. Create an Easy-to-Navigate Plan.

5. Create your Store.

6. Check your work before submitting it for review.

🛍️ What makes this a helpful tool for you?

• Go into detail about other product information, making it easier for your customers to make an informed decision.

• Personalize your store to match your branding, increasing brand recognition and attracting shoppers.

• Add social media links here to connect with your customers better.

Feeling overwhelmed by competition is common, but don't get too caught up! Your brand on Amazon can stand out in many ways; you have to find which works best for you!

BLACK MARKETAmazon seller claims they lost a whole truck of FBA shipment for over 8 months

Losing your inventory could be the worst thing ever. It's every seller's nightmare. Unfortunately, this happened to someone, who aired their concerns on the Amazon seller forums.

🚚 Here's what happened:

• The FBA shipment was shipped out on March 2022 by the carrier arranged by Amazon. This shipment has over 400 sets of items, totaling over $60,000.

• The shipping company changed the appointment many times, and the seller waited a month before they picked it up.

• After it was picked up, the shipment was automatically closed after 90 days. During this period, the seller opened many cases with all information and documents Amazon required.

• Amazon compared the information the seller sent to them with the pickup and delivery date and the parcel counts, but they didn't see any units described in their network.

• They don't have any records of these units being received at, or present, in any of their facilities.

Since the seller's claim did not meet one or more of the eligibility requirements for replacements or reimbursements, they are not eligible for compensation.

Other sellers weighed into the conversation. One reiterated that three parties are involved: the seller, the carrier, and Amazon. So if Amazon claimed they didn't receive any shipments, the problem's with the carrier.

Although the case is still not closed, other sellers are warning they should never give a product to a carrier without a signed bill of lading (BOL). A BOL is a legal document issued by a carrier that states they have received the shipment. As a seller (or the shipper), this is your assurance that someone received your shipment.