November 11, 2024 Newsletter

[SFTB] 🧪 Manage Your Experiments is Actually Good Now

Let’s be real—competition is fierce. Amazon marketing can be cost-prohibitive, and ranking can feel impossible in a saturated marketplace.

With Levanta you can:

Meet with an Amazon Affiliate Marketing Expert ->

✅The Instant Value Section (IVS)✅

While we love using services to work our accounts for reimbursements, there are two other types of damages that they are not able to help with, which are

1) When you physically get the items back and 2) they are damaged.

It is pretty widely known that Amazon will not reimburse for what they call “customer damage”.  Yes, thats right! The customer can take your item, use it, destroy it, return it and amazon will give them a refund and take it out of your funds.

Not fair right? No way! But we aren’t going to take it lying down. Here’s how to get your money back.

First, we don’t want to say customer damaged.  What we need to show is that the customer returned a different item and we used the term “pulled a switch-a-roo” and sent back something different.

We can also say that the item is missing a significant portion of the product therefore it is useless.  I feel like there needs to be about 50% of the item missing.

Example: Nespresso Coffee Machine

If they don’t return the milk frother, then you probably only get $25 reimbursed.  But if they didn’t return the frother, the coffee that was included, the tank cover and the pot, then you would probably get the full reimbursement.  It is important to show that the items that are missing are of great significance.  Another example: A LEGO set that contains 10 bags, and there are 6 missing.

Spell it out to the rep so it is easy for them to mentally get over the 50% mark.

Anything where they returned a different color or a different used shoe, make sure you say its not the same that you sent in.

The second is for removals from Amazon when we receive the item and it is damaged from their care or bad packaging.

The points to use on these cases are that the items were damaged while in the custody of Amazon.  The item was sent and checked in as “new” when received by amazon and what we have back is not “new” condition.

Here’s what you need to write in the case. Adding photos of the return labels and slip will also help.

When we sold our place in Costa Rica, part of our agreement with the new owner was that we’d move out for the Christmas and New Year holidays so they could rent it out.

These are peak times to rent here in Reserva Conchal, with demand coming from both locals in the “big city” of San Jose and many North Americans. There’s a huge New Year’s Eve party, and plenty of people want to be here for the holidays.

In our old house, we’d done this too: Move out, store most of our stuff, lock off a couple of closets, and rent the place out. The rental income during these weeks makes it worthwhile—a unit that usually rents for $400-$500 a night on Airbnb can go for $1500-$2000, depending on how many people it can accommodate.

So, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been packing and putting things in storage. Then we’ll head to Orlando for December, where the boys can keep up with school online.

If you’re ever thinking about buying an investment property in Costa Rica and renting it out, definitely check the Christmas and New Year rates!

Okay, maybe it’s not your absolute favorite subject, regardless – we’re here to make it a bit better.

Dive into our top-rated course on mastering GST/HST returns for Amazon sellers. Constantly updated to reflect Amazon’s evolving reports and tax collections, it’s perfect for DIY enthusiasts.

Packed with videos, screenshots, and detailed guides on GST/HST, tax invoices, and more, it’s your shield against costly GST mistakes that many sellers fall into yearly.

Facing an audit? We’ve got you covered with a dedicated section for smooth sailing through audits. Plus, don’t forget about our our 1-hour expert calls for a deep dive.

Here’s a totally free quality of life improvement to Manage Your Experiments (Chrome Extension)

(Developed by the brilliant Matt Warren)

MYE allow you to A/B test images, titles, bullets, and more. You should at the very least be using it or one of the other ones (Pickfu, Productpinion, Intellivy, etc.)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀:

• At-a-glance view of all active experiments by simply navigating to the Manage Inventory page. So you don’t need to go to the MYE page and see what’s going on.

• A progress bar for to show how far along the experiment is

• Direct links to the experiments in question

• Past experiments you’ve run on the ASIN.

It is of course completely free to you as a Newsletter subscriber.

Credit @Jon Derkits – who says “DON’T do this.”

Probably not.

Starting Nov last week, Amazon says they will automatically reimburse sellers for lost items in their FC’s.

It will still be important to use a GOOD reimbursement service. One that lines your pockets instead of theirs. Why?

(and you’ll still need to file anything else you’re owed).

Unfortunately, now the claims windows have been significantly shrunk and again, I repeat even with these proactive measures, sellers still need a dialed-in and quick reimbursement process. 

If Amazon doesn’t catch a loss at the fulfillment center, you could lose money if you don’t act fast.

Stay on top of your reimbursements and protect your business!

If you’re planning a big trip, here’s something to chew on.

Western Europe & Scandanavia are have culture and infrastructure that are similar to North America. You’ll probably recognize and understand a lot of what’s going on. But they’re also much more expensive.

It’s interesting there but not where the real surprises are. The further East you go, the more your perspective stretches. Istanbul hits like a revelation and Kuala Lumpur flips the whole concept of “normal” on its head.

Also the further East you go, the cheaper things get.

So… what kind of trip do you want to have?

Years ago, when we first visited Costa Rica, we took photos of Arenal Volcano at night, watching lava flow down its slopes. It was incredible! We’d even back our cars in wherever we parked, ready for a quick getaway in case of an eruption.

But by the time we actually moved here, we heard the volcano had stopped. Just like that. Costa Rica’s most active volcano since 1968, with lava flowing daily, suddenly went quiet in 2010. Wild, right?

But Arenal is still an amazing spot to visit. The area is full of wildlife and stunning sights and should be on your must-see list. The nearby town of La Fortuna is pretty touristy, but it’s surrounded by some incredible resorts and hotels with hot springs. These springs are heated by the volcano itself, so there are natural hot pools and spa experiences all around the base of the mountain. You can even find places where you can pull over, jump out of the car, and slip into a natural hot spring!

For a resort experience, some of the popular ones are Tabacón Hot Springs, Baldi Hot Springs, and Arenal Springs (where we stayed last time). Arenal Springs is more affordable, and you can also get a day pass to experience the luxurious Tabacón.

If you didn’t reject Amazon’s “Recommendations” in their “Review Listing Updates” section, they automatically applied yesterday (Nov 10)

This will show you what changes they’ve made. If you don’t agree with them, make sure to reverse their actions.

(I hope you can 😰)

I like to set a calendar reminder to check this a couple times a month and make sure nothing sh*tty is happening.

Speak Up! Community Comments & Questions:

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If you liked this newsletter, here’s where we share more stuff like it:

1. 🤓Just getting started? Check out the Free Amazon FBA Course

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5. 📧 Want some 1-on-1 time? Rob & Max

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All the best,

Rob & Max