[JAS] Amazon’s Sales Strategy: Let Unqualified Strangers Rewrite Your Listings

Here we go, eCommercers — and I mean the ones who still touch inventory.

I read 30+ eCom and Amazon newsletters a week so you don’t have to. This first edition of Just a Seller pulls out the recurring themes that I saw in most of them: AI shifts, policy pivots, and platform contradictions.

I filter them through my lens as an operator, not a service provider. No pitch. No angle. Just what I think is going on in our world.

I swear you'll want to see what Prof G said at the bottom of this email.

🧾 ERC: Extended Risk Credit?

So I was watching my favorite weekend news show — Smerconish on CNN — and Shark Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful) casually dropped a bombshell most sellers probably missed.

Buried in the draft of the “Big Beautiful Bill” (yes, that’s really what it’s called) is a quiet little change that directly affects every eCommerce business that took the Employee Retention Credit (ERC):

👉 The IRS now gets up to six years to audit your ERC claim.

Before this bill, the statute of limitations was typically 3–5 years.
Now? They want to look back as far as 6. So if you took the credit — even properly — keep your paperwork tidy. The window for them to come knocking just got a whole lot bigger.

Here’s the kicker:

While the IRS gets more time to come after you, you don’t get more time to file.

The cutoff for you to file or amend an ERC claim was retroactively set to January 31, 2024. So if you didn’t file by then — tough luck.

This is the classic D.C. double standard:

✅ They get more time
❌ You get less flexibility

Now I know what you’re thinking — wasn’t Trump’s camp all about shrinking the IRS and reversing Biden’s 80,000 hires? Sure.

But he’s still supporting this part of the bill. Because enforcement =

money. And apparently ERC audits are low-hanging fruit.

What Should Sellers Do?

If you took the ERC:

Keep all supporting documentation locked and ready
Stay alert for audit notices (especially as the IRS ramps up post-2025)
Watch for shady ERC promoters still trying to sell you on this

We’re in an environment where the IRS is going to say, “We’ll take a look... just not now. But maybe in 2029.”

This isn’t tax advice. It’s ops advice. Protect your margin.

And never assume just because you filed, you’re in the clear.

More on this bill making its way through congress later..

🎭 Chargeback Theater

Amazon asked me to provide a full breakdown of order details because a customer initiated a chargeback. Here's what they "needed" from me:

In response to this email, provide the following information:

– Confirmation that the order was shipped.

– Date the order was shipped.

– The name of the carrier used.

– Link of the shipper.

– Delivery confirmation or tracking number along with signed proof of delivery, if available.

– Return and refund policy, as well as the cancellation policy.

– The return shipping address that your customer should use in order to return the merchandise in exchange for credit

Like are you kidding me? Amazon the big and beautiful needs me to tell them what we all know they track well on their end?! For god's sake, we saw the invasion of tracking data they'll be looking at in their Premium Shipping policy updates.

I followed the instructions, replied with everything (even the carrier’s URL)… and got this in response:

You’ve reached a no-reply inbox. No one will read this. Have a great day.

Now here’s the kicker:

I went to Seller Central to check the chargeback status myself… and Amazon had already ruled me not responsible.

So they asked me to do 15 minutes of admin work for a case they already closed. They had every piece of data they asked for — shipping date, tracking, delivery — in their system. But they still made me fetch it like it was 2012.

So for you guys still doing FBM, check the status on seller central before you waste you, or your VAs time.

This is why I still talk about FBM headaches:
It’s not just the logistics. It’s the logic. Or lack of it.

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🧠 Insight: No-Code Feels Lovable — Until It Breaks

There's one thing I like more than green bell peppers (seriously, I love 'em), it's conflicting viewpoints. Everyone’s chasing no-code. Nik Sharma plugs Loveable. Superblocks throws shade.

No-code is popular because it’s easy - not because it lasts.

If you’re a seller trying to move fast, tools like Loveable feel like magic. But when your 17th zap breaks, your Make.com flow doesn't fire, and the “AI-built” landing page stops syncing with Klaviyo on Friday after 5, who’s fixing it?

Use no-code for speed, not stability. Validate with it. But if your stack DIY-mania, know that you could be over leveraged in potential tech trouble.

Your move: Launch light. Scale smart. Don't build your business on a drag-and-drop house of cards. This week I got two newsletters that seemed to be WAY at odds.

Amazon has over 9.7 million total sellers, how many are actively selling?

Answer at the bottom of the email

I'm sure you haven't heard😒: Walmart Now Allows MCF — But I’m Still Not Betting on It

I was clueless in 2016. I was one of the first sellers on Walmart Marketplace. And I learned quickly: if you fulfilled Walmart orders using Amazon MCF — even with neutral boxes and non-Amazon carriers — you’d get suspended faster than an FBA shipment misses a check-in.

Now, for the first time, Walmart’s own FAQ confirms it:

You can use Amazon MCF — as long as you block Amazon Logistics, use USPS/FedEx/UPS, and strip out any Amazon branding or inserts.

That policy shift finally makes this plausible. But not profitable.

Here’s why:
Walmart’s integration with carriers is terrible. USPS, FedEx, and UPS tracking often fails to sync properly, even when you’re fully compliant. That’s why I scrapped my merchant-fulfilled setup entirely and went all-in on WFS (Walmart Fulfillment Services).

And I’ll be honest — my Walmart operation still hasn’t turned a profit. The only reason I’m there is in case the platform eventually catches fire. Think of it as a long-term insurance policy. If Walmart ever delivers Amazon-level volume, I’ll be glad I stayed plugged in.

Until then?

Proceed with caution. This new MCF policy could vanish just as fast as it appeared. Walmart is trying to grow their catalog, not protect your margins.

Your move: Try it, but don’t build your ops around it. Backup plans are cheap. Suspensions are not.

I swear I got this customer message this week.

🏛️I Don’t Talk Politics… Here...

I usually keep politics out of this newsletter, although DM me.. I'll let you know what I really think. I’ve got enough to deal with inside Seller Central. But this? This is as close as I’ll ever get to crossing the streams.

The U.S. House just passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” And buried in its thousand-page ego parade is a gift to eCommerce sellers:
👉 A rollback of the dreaded $600 1099-K threshold.

👉 Abolishing de minimis across ALL countries.

1099-K first. If this becomes law, the IRS would restore the old rule — no 1099-Ks unless you hit $20,000 AND 200 transactions.

So if you have any small gross sales accounts, that's one less tax form you'd need to keep track of.

📉 Elimination of the de minimis exemption for ALL countries
If this passes, starting July 1, 2027, you’ll no longer be able to import goods under $800 duty-free — from any country. Penalties? $5,000 for your first offense, $10,000 after that.

If that line made you nervous — good. Because I hosted a full webinar when tariffs were peaking at 145% (yes, really), and the workarounds we discussed then? This bill directly undermines them.

Pam from RPC Logistics laid it out clearly in that session:

“De minimis and PFS (Section 321) are really only relevant for imports from China — and Canadian-based FTZs.”

That means the drip-drop bonded warehouse play — and those supplier promises of “DDP, don’t worry” — are now on a very visible clock.

But this bill:

It still has to pass the Senate
Then it has to go back to the House
And even then, it has to be signed into law

So yeah, it’s not law yet. But if you rely on splitting shipments, cross-border fulfillment, or "invoice magic," you need to rethink your compliance strategy now — not in 2027.

Credit to Ed Rosenberg and Marianne Rowden for this great tip. The value of network!

⚖️ Tariff Ruling: Of course I'm giving my 2¢

Yes, the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down most of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Yes, they ruled them unconstitutional.

No, that doesn’t mean it’s time to pop champagne.

Here’s what’s actually happening right now — and why sellers should stay alert:

🧾 You still have to pay the tariffs.
U.S. Customs has said importers must continue to pay the duties for now, while the Trump admin has 10 days to complete the process of officially suspending enforcement.
And since the DOJ has already appealed the decision, enforcement will likely continue until a higher court steps in — if it does at all.
- If you're actually of a political mind check out Former SDNY Prosecutor, and a great legal mind, Elie Honig said it best (watch here).
The order was already stayed. Potential circuit/SCOTUS appeals don't favor clarity or consistency for importers like us.

Pundits are saying the invalidation of the tariffs are a gift to Trump given how unfavorable they are to Americans. He may just take that favor up.

🧩 Chris Cillizza's take? It’s political insulation.

“This gives Trump a political out — he can say ‘I tried, but the courts tied my hands.’”

Which means if he's later allowed, these tariffs could resurface (or morph) with a new legal structure.

Keeping my eyes on that Big Beautiful Bill Act AND the debt ceiling bill expected to be rammed through Congress in August. That may have some "fixes" attached to re-empower the President.

🔍 What Should Sellers Actually Do?

✅ Don't assume a refund is coming.
It’s not guaranteed, and it likely won’t happen soon. If all courts uphold the ruling, businesses that paid the now-invalid tariffs may get a refund + interest. But we’re nowhere near that. (We can dream right?)
📁 Do audit your records and flag impacted imports.
Your broker may eventually file a refund claim if the ruling holds. But if you're missing documentation, you're out of luck.
⚖️ Stay nimble, not naive.
The legal process is far from over. The administration is fighting this, and higher courts (including SCOTUS) still have their say.

Bottom line: This isn’t a seller win — yet.
It’s just a brief pause in an incredibly expensive legal ping-pong match.

I’ll be tracking this closely — not from a law firm, but from the inventory side of the table.

🤖AI ... AI ... AI...

Let’s talk AI, cuz why not these days: Google dropped Veo at I/O, Amazon is adding audio summaries, and everyone’s panicking about Rufus and Cosmo flipping the seller playbook.

I don’t buy the hype — but I’m not ignoring it either.

🎥 Google Veo Feels Way Too Real

That tweet showing an AI-generated “street interview” hit hard — because it looked exactly like the kind of content I already watch.

That’s how good the training base is.

For Amazon and DTC brands? This is a gift. You no longer need to ship a product, cross your fingers on a freelance video editor, or pray they understand the problem your product solves. AI video lets you create visually engaging content without gatekeepers.

It's not a threat. It’s an accelerant. Unless you don’t learn how to use it — then it's absolutely a threat.

Min Choi

@minchoi

Google Veo 3 realism just broke the Internet yesterday.
This is 100% AI
10 wild examples:
1. Street interview that never happened

11:4 PM • May 21, 2025

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Read 1287 replies

🗣️ Amazon’s Audio Summaries? Dangerous Territory

I’m not excited about letting AI summarize my listings — especially when those summaries are based on Amazon reviews.

Let’s be real: a good chunk of Amazon customers are either refund fishing or unqualified to write a review that reflects what the product actually does.

Would you let a random buyer run your customer support desk? No? Then why let them influence how your listing gets summarized?

That said, this is also a wake-up call: start writing your bullets for bots, not browsers. If you’re not optimizing for how Rufus reads your PDP, someone else is.

📉 Rufus & Cosmo: Big Talk, No Traffic Dip (Yet)

I haven’t seen a seismic drop in traffic or conversions from these AI enhancements — but I want to know if you have. Seriously, has Rufus clipped your impressions? Hit reply or post it somewhere sellers can see it.

Most sellers haven’t changed a thing. Not until agencies start selling a “Rufus optimization report.”

Until there’s a real KPI or tool that tracks Rufus/Cosmo influence, I’m watching — not overhauling.

🔍 Keywordless Is Coming — But Not Here Yet

Amazon shifting toward interest-based and AI-driven targeting is real… but customers still type. They still want keywords. They’re not ready for “just vibes” shopping.

I got a seller feedback recently literally cursing Rufus because it couldn’t understand their frustration. That said, functionally reformatted listings are the future, even if I feel for sellers who earned their keyword ranks the hard way.

Auto campaigns are my bet — they’re agile enough to adapt to this AI weirdness in real time.

🧠 Big Picture: Not a Revolution — Just a Reroute

This isn’t a full rewrite of eCommerce. It’s a rerouting.

Everything we did before isn’t wrong — it’s just getting repackaged for a new layer of tech between us and the customer.

I’ll integrate AI summaries and tools like Rufus eventually — but not until I get a measurable KPI that proves it’s worth overhauling my listings.

Until then?

I’m just a seller, watching the bots fight it out while I focus on conversions.

I wrote this heavily based on this week's Norm Farrar and Ritu Java's newsletters. Give 'em a sub. I like Ritu more though.