Didn’t I tell you Trump was going to extend the TikTok deadline?

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That’s not a “told you so.” It’s a reminder: in this business, if you’re not tracking the weird intersection of politics, policy, and platforms… you’re missing half the playbook.

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This week’s issue of Just a Seller is packed:

• What Chase is (laughably) celebrating
• A new Amazon policy that could crush resellers
• My 9-year experiment with Walmart (spoiler: still not profitable)
• And what I think of masterminds like MDS, even when I don’t join

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As always—no fluff, no pitch, no affiliate play in disguise. Just real insight from someone still breaking down pallets and answering Seller Performance emails at 2AM.

🧠 Conferences, Masterminds & That Internal Tug-of-War

Last week, I was lucky enough to be a guest at the MDS (Million Dollar Sellers) Day event in NYC. Not a member—just someone with a deep appreciation for how tight-knit, value-first, and operator-focused that crew really is.

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And it got me thinking…

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I’ve come close—really close—to joining one of these mastermind groups. Titan, MDS, ECF. I get the appeal. I respect the insight. And I’ve got nothing but admiration for the way they run their communities.

But every time I inch toward the finish line, something holds me back.
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Maybe I think I’ll eventually pick up the same tactics via osmosis from my network.

Maybe I just don’t want to write the check.
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Or maybe I’m being honest with myself about bandwidth.

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Whatever it is—it’s a "Not yet.”

Here’s the punchline:

• Events like this are a reminder that this game—eCommerce, Amazon, whatever you want to call it—isn’t played alone.
• It’s not enough to have SKUs and systems.
• You need community.
• You need perspective.
• And you need to be in rooms where the ceiling’s way higher than your current floor.

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That’s part of why this newsletter exists.

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Because even if you’re not flying to NYC, or writing 5-figure mastermind checks, you should still be in the loop on what’s changing—and how real operators are navigating it.

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So whether you're a proud member of a group or just lurking at the edges like me, remember this:

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Sometimes the best insight doesn’t come from the stage...
It comes from the seat next to you.

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Until I see you at the next event (or you see me in your inbox) — Keep learning. Keep optimizing. Keep showing up.

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P.S. Shoutout to Morris for the invite, and to the MDS crew for the incredible hospitality. And yeah… Neil Patel and I are practically on a speaking tour together at this point. Still not joining. Yet.

🏦 Chase Thinks This Is News?

So Chase just emailed to let me know they’re doing me a huge favor…

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They’ve extended their same-day wire cutoff from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

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Cue the confetti, right?

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Except… no. If you read my welcome sequence, you already know that platforms like Ramp offer unlimited wires (domestic AND international) with no fees, pays you interest on your money (now 4%) and already have cutoff times around 6–7 p.m. ET.

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So what are we really celebrating here? A two-hour extension on something you still pay for?

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Don’t get me wrong — I love Chase branches on every corner — but if you’re not maximizing your yield or simplifying your financial stack, you’re banking like it’s 2010.

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If you’re using Chase, fine. But if you’re not also leveraging a modern tool like Ramp to move money smarter (and later in the day), you’re leaving flexibility — and cash — on the table.

🧾 Amazon's Violation Form Makes No Sense

This form is classic Amazon vagueness:

• Are you a reseller, not a dropshipper? Too bad — Amazon lumps both into one checkbox. If you’re a reseller (but not dropshipping), you still have to check “I am a reseller or drop-shipper.” There’s no separate option.
• No matter what you do, do not sacrifice efficiency for inaccuracy. If an answer is not 100% accurate, never check it in and submit it. Amazon can hold this against you forever.
• Amazon Order ID field? They don’t say what they want. Is it:
  • The customer order ID tied to the inauthentic complaint? (If so, why not tell us which one?)
  • Or the Amazon order IDyou used if you sourced from Amazon Retail?

Here’s what I recommend:

• If you're submitting a wholesale invoice, leave the order ID blank.
• If you're submitting an Amazon Retail invoice, enter the Amazon order ID you purchased it with.

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✅ Always include a short statement explaining: “I am a reseller, not a dropshipper.”

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This whole process is built to confuse and frustrate. So don't overthink it — just be direct, accurate, and cover your bases.

🛒 Walmart: Break-Even, Barely Breathing, But Still in My Rotation

This week I saw two totally opposite takes on Walmart Marketplace right here on LinkedIn.

One said “Don’t touch Walmart — it’s a logistical sinkhole.”
The other? “Now’s the perfect time to double down!”

Here’s my two cents — from someone who’s been actually selling on Walmart since 2016.

Want to know how many profitable years I’ve had?

Zero.

One year I even let an “amazing” agency (heavy sarcasm) take over my Walmart operation — a decision that cost me thousands and probably a few hair follicles. The whole thing ran on autopilot straight into the wall. But hey, learning hurts.

These days, I’ve wised up. I treat Walmart as what it really is:

An insurance policy — not a revenue stream.

I spend about 30 minutes a week checking in. A solid agency handles the grunt work. Why bother, you ask?

Because Walmart is the only real 3P seller competitor that has a shot at unseating Amazon.

They’ve got physical infrastructure Amazon would kill for — 4,600+ stores across the U.S., many within 10 miles of most Americans. The moment they stop dragging their feet and actually pull the trigger on their logistics potential? Watch out.

And that’s why I’m not putting it in reverse just yet.

Also — a quick flashback:

I was at my first Prosper Show, maybe 2022 or 2023. Midway through a session, I get a performance notification from Walmart threatening to terminate my account.

Why?

Because apparently I didn’t ship an FBM order on time. Except — plot twist — I did.

Walmart’s system just failed to pick up the USPS tracking in real-time.

That’s when I made myself a promise:

WFS or nothing.

No more trusting their glitchy FBM syncs or praying their system “catches up.”

Now? 1000% WFS. No regrets.

So yeah, I still don’t think Walmart’s worth chasing for profit — yet. But if they ever turn the corner, I’ll already be geared up and aged-in.

If you're banking on Walmart to be your next breakout profit channel, good luck.

For me, it’s a well-insulated Plan B with break-even economics and just enough upside to keep me from quitting entirely.

🛑 Stolen Goods Policy — A New Excuse to Reject Your Paperwork?

Shout out to Ina Steiner, Amazon just announced a standalone "Stolen Goods" policy, and if you’re a seller — whether you’re flipping Nike socks or pushing your own private label — this is not good news.

Let’s call it what it is: another tool for Seller Performance to reject your documentation and make your life hell. This isn’t about theft prevention — it’s about paperwork perfection. Amazon already had these rules baked into Responsible Sourcing, but now it’s being wrapped in scarier packaging with stricter language.

And for resellers? This smells a lot like a crackdown. The policy still says you need traceability to the manufacturer — not just a receipt from Target. So unless you’ve got bulletproof invoices, expect more friction.

This is just the latest move in Amazon’s slow war on arbitrage, gray market sourcing, and sellers they can’t fully control. And it’s going to hit legit operators right in the appeals process.

Watch this space. Because what starts as “compliance” quickly becomes chaos for the rest of us.

I was featured in Kevin King's BDSN newsletter!

If you made it this far, thanks for giving me a few minutes in your inbox.

Whether you’re flying to masterminds or just flying solo, remember this: success in eComm doesn’t come from being everywhere—it comes from being informed and intentional.

And that’s the entire reason Just a Seller exists.

See you in 7–10 days, unless something breaks first. (And if it does, you know I won’t wait to cover it.)

Until then—optimize your listings, defend your margins, and don’t forget who actually runs your business: you.

👊
Charles
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