Old World Product Review Dispute — Shipping Damage (2026-01-07)

Overview

During the ^[1] weekly review on 2026-01-07, Gilbert flagged that the "Old World" product listing had dropped from a 4.2–4.3 star rating to 4.0. The likely cause is a prominent customer review video showing the product arriving with shipping damage — the bag was placed in a box with no padding or protective material. Mark and Gilbert agreed to dispute the review with Amazon and noted that new packaging is already in the pipeline.

Issue Details

• Product: Old World (cornmeal product line)
• Rating drop: 4.2–4.3 → 4.0
• Root cause: A customer-submitted review video showing shipping damage caused by inadequate protective packaging (no bubble wrap, paper, or padding inside the shipping box)
• Attribution: Damage is attributable to the shipping/fulfillment process, not the product itself — making it a valid dispute candidate under Amazon's review policies

Dispute Rationale

Amazon allows sellers to request removal of reviews where the negative experience is caused by fulfillment or shipping rather than the product. Key arguments for the dispute:

1. The video clearly shows the product was placed in a box without any cushioning material
2. The product itself was undamaged — the complaint is about packaging, not quality
3. FBA fulfillment is Amazon's responsibility; if Amazon packed the shipment, liability may rest with them

Action assigned to: Gilbert Barrongo — submit dispute to Amazon with the review video as evidence, citing shipping damage as the cause.

Packaging Improvement

Mark confirmed that new packaging is already in development:

• A larger bag format has been sourced
• The current damaged-prone packaging will be phased out as existing inventory sells through
• No immediate repackaging of current FBA stock is planned

"When this inventory that we have is gone, we will never use this packaging again. We've already changed packaging. We got a bigger bag, everything. It'll be much better." — Mark Hope

Related Issues

This review drop compounds existing performance pressure on Doodla:

• ROAS has declined from ~3.8 to 3.29
• Sales are stalled at September levels due to the ^[2] on yellow cornmeal
• The combination of inventory shortfall and a weakened listing rating creates compounding headwinds for recovery

Action Items

• [ ] Gilbert: Dispute the Old World review with Amazon — submit evidence (the review video) citing shipping damage as the cause, not product defect
• [ ] Mark/Carly: Confirm timeline for new packaging to reach FBA and replace current stock

See Also

• ^[3]
• ^[4]
• ^[5]