The Amazon Fix That Fueled Brand Growth
Acosta Group Helped a Tea Brand Scale Big with Persistence, Problem-Solving, and a Friendly Email to the Corner Office
How We Did It
A rising U.S. tea brand had all the right ingredients: a robust selection of products, premium positioning, and a growing fan base on Amazon. But behind the scenes, something was brewing—and not in a good way.
Despite strong sales, the brand was hemorrhaging money from Amazon operational chargebacks. These are financial penalties for things like late shipments, non-compliant labels, and PO violations. Some were valid. Some weren’t. All were eating into otherwise healthy margins.
That’s Where Acosta Group Came In
Our full-service Amazon team didn’t just diagnose the problem, we rolled up our sleeves and went looking for answers by:
- Conducting a full operational audit to uncover the real cause of chargebacks.
- Visiting the brand’s 3PL warehouse to oversee shipping and packaging workflows.
- Manually processing orders to keep business moving while rooting out technical roadblocks.
- Building a solid case file to challenge fees, even those initially deemed valid.
- Meeting with the brand’s IT team to map data flows and find the culprit: a packaging snafu responsible for nearly half of all chargebacks.
Data in hand, we pressed forward, but Amazon’s response times were painfully slow. Some replies took up to 50 days.
So, we leaned into our relationships with vendor managers, had honest conversations, and backed every claim with clear documentation. We even looped in top leadership—a bold move, perhaps, but the stakes were high.
The result?
An amazing $239K in chargeback refunds—virtually unheard of in the industry—plus long-term fixes to prevent future errors.
Fulfillment got faster. Communication improved. And the brand could finally see what a great partnership with Amazon can deliver. We didn’t just optimize product listings or adjust ad spend. We fought to restore profitability and won.
Let’s Make Amazon Work for You
Acosta Group goes beyond what’s expected. Whether it’s strategy, execution, or operational recovery, we help brands of all sizes scale big on Amazon.
