ICYMI: Amazon Seller News, Updates, Events, Resources, and More to Help You Sell Better

Every week we round up the most-important, most-interesting, most-relevant, and sometimes most-bizarre news for and about Amazon sellers. Check in each Friday afternoon to catch up on what’s making news this week. Amazon policy changes, FBA, logistics, fees, expansions, counterfeits, advertising and PPC, black-hat tactics, law and government involvement, warehouses and workers, privacy and data usage, intellectual property, seller liability, Prime Day, Q4 prep . . . if it’s news that affects Amazon sellers, you’ll find it here.

This Week’s Big Story

2020 Extended Holiday Returns Policy

From Amazon: “In anticipation of customers shopping early for the holidays, we have temporarily extended the return window of our returns policy. The Amazon Extended Holiday Return Policy for 2020 requires that most orders delivered between October 1 and December 31 be returnable through January 31, 2021. This policy includes orders that are shipped by you and orders that are shipped by Amazon. Although the return window for most orders is extended, it can vary by category. You can see the return deadline in each category on our Returns Help page.You can learn how to update the Returns & Refunds section of your seller detail page to advise customers of the extended holiday return policy here. To learn more about our return policy, visit Amazon’s Return and Refunds policy page.”

More News from Amazon

• Effective September 30, 2002: Policy Update: Updates to the Seller-Fulfilled Returns Refund Workflow

COVID and Consumerism

• Price Gouging and Defective Products Rampant on Amazon, Reports Find 
• Amazon Accused of Price Gouging Throughout the Pandemic 
• Amazon Continues Hiring Spree to Meet Demand from Pandemic

A Week of Woes for Amazon

• Amazon’s Product Quality Woes Extend Beyond Its Marketplace 
• Three Senators Urge Amazon to Stop Selling Products Alleged to Be Fire Hazards 
• Amazon Sued by ProHitter Maker Over Alleged Counterfeit Sales  
• Amazon Reportedly Sold Drugs Used for Doping Months After Promising to Crack Down

Antitrust and Monopoly

• Why This Author Is Taking a Stand Against Amazon’s Audiobook Monopoly 
• Why Retailers Can’t Count on Antitrust Action Slowing Down Amazon
• Amazon Japan Will Repay Sellers Nearly $19 Million, Ending an Antitrust Investigation into Unfair Vendor Charges

Amazon Growth and Expansion

• 9% of Amazon’s Sales in Clothing Are From Its Private Label Brands 
• Amazon Is Looking to Build a Grocery Empire to Rival Walmart 
• Amazon Launches Luxury Stores to Separate the Hoi Polloi from the Haute Couture

Fresh Content from Seller Labs

• The Amazon Buy Box (and How to Win It) Explained