Official Statement

We would like to address concerns regarding Amazon orders placed between January 1st and October 1st, 2024, both dates inclusive (“Applicable Orders”). Please note that this statement does NOT apply to orders placed on:

• popur.com;
• walmart.com;
• kickstarter.com;
• Amazon marketplaces on or before December 31st, 2023, and on or after October 2nd, 2024.

About Popur and Amazon Store

The operating company for the Popur brand is Popur International Limited, as disclosed in Our Story. Our official Amazon store, operated by the same entity (as reflected in our Seller Profile), was recently closed by Amazon. Unfortunately, Amazon has the sole discretion on this matter, and despite our efforts over several months, appeals were submitted to no avail.

Amazon’s Selling Policies and Seller Code of Conduct state that "All communications to customers must be sent through Buyer-Seller Messaging and be necessary for fulfilling the order or providing customer services." Unfortunately, we were accused of violating these policies because many of Amazon customers chose to communicate with us via email or Facebook instead. Despite our best efforts to support Amazon customers, some individuals with malicious intent reported these interactions to Amazon.

This situation placed us in a difficult position: if we did not reply, we risked being blamed by customers for poor service; if we did reply, we were clearly breaching Amazon's policies. In the final review after an in-person video assessment, Amazon went even further, levying unfounded and absurd allegations of money laundering against us. 

The combination of accusations and unsubstantiated claims highlights the challenges small and medium enterprises face when navigating Amazon’s stringent and often inconsistent enforcement of its policies. While legal recourse remains an option, pursuing a lawsuit would involve a prolonged process and significant financial and operational resources, potentially detracting from our ability to serve our customers and innovate further.

Impact of Amazon’s Actions

Amazon has detained all of our sales proceeds to which we are legally entitled, effectively rendering the transactions incomplete. However, we are still doing the best we could to provide all necessary technical assistance. Furthermore, Amazon has restricted us from directly communicating with buyers. As a result, while we continue to respond to every message within the promised 24-hour timeframe, buyers are unable to receive our replies on the Amazon platform. This situation not only undermines us as a business but also directly harms our buyers, leaving them without the proper after-sales support they deserve for their purchases.

For Applicable Orders

If you encounter any issues with the Applicable Orders, our official support channels are still available for troubleshooting and technical assistance but not transaction-related matters. For warranty claims, returns requests and refunds related to the Applicable Orders, we kindly ask you to contact us on Amazon directly for assistance. As the transactions were made on Amazon, it is primarily Amazon's policies that govern the transactions. Being the original seller, we must comply with those policies to honor warranties, facilitate returns and issue funds exclusively on Amazon.

Additionally, if you have requested a refund in the past, we encourage you to double-check with us. However, it will be challenging to initiate a new return because it is out-of-policy. Please call Amazon, and explain that since the seller is no longer active on Amazon, product return is the only solution.

Once we actually receive your return ticket, we will issue the refund promptly on Amazon. Some customers have reported submitting return requests through their Amazon account, but our store never received these requests or any related communications. As these requests typically fall outside of Amazon's return policy, we are deeply concerned about potential discrepancies in how such cases are handled by Amazon, which could adversely impact both buyers and sellers.

Support for Orders After October 2nd, 2024

Orders placed on Amazon on or after October 2nd, 2024, belong to our officially authorized resellers. We are committed to providing full technical support for these orders. You are encouraged to always contact the respective sellers on Amazon first, whose support specialists are officially trained and work closely with our team, and which is perfectly compliant with Amazon marketplace policies.

Moving Forward

We operate on slim margins, and this situation has significantly impacted our cash flows. Nevertheless, we remain determined to overcome this challenge. Your continued support means the world to us as we navigate through this difficult period. Stay tuned—new and exciting products will be unveiled later this year! Thank you for your understanding and support.