For the second month in a row, a significant group of Amazon influencers experienced a devastating loss of all their carousel placements. This is not normal placement movement. We are talking about influencers with thousands of pieces of content losing every single placement within 48 hours. In this article, we break down what happened, who was affected, what the potential outcomes are, and what you can do if this happens to you.
Table of Contents
- What Happened in November 2025
- The Ideal List Clue
- How November Placements Returned
- December 2025: It Happened Again
- Three Possible Scenarios
- The October Warning Sign
- What to Watch For
- What You Can Do
- Watch the Full Video
What Happened in November 2025
On November 4th, 2025, a significant number of Amazon influencers started losing their placements on carousels. Their numbers dwindled slowly and within about 48 hours, they essentially had no placements left on any carousel for any of their videos. This was not normal carousel movement. These were influencers with 5,000, 10,000, even 15,000 pieces of content that all disappeared within two days.
The accounts impacted were diverse. Some had been in the program for years, others for six months. Some had large content libraries, others had around 500 pieces. Extensive investigation found no common thread between the affected accounts in terms of posting behavior, content types, video orientation, tagging strategies, software used, browsers, or computers. The situation appeared completely random.
The Ideal List Clue
The first correlation discovered was related to ideal lists. On the fourth or fifth day after placements disappeared, all affected accounts that had ideal lists on their storefronts saw those lists randomly update and shuffle to the top of their storefront page. They all showed as updated even though the account owners had not made any changes.
Importantly, this did not mean ideal lists caused the problem. Some affected accounts had no ideal lists at all. The ideal list behavior simply made it easy to visually confirm whether a storefront had been impacted. It became a telltale sign for identifying affected accounts and took the guesswork out of determining if you were hit.
How November Placements Returned
After about four to five days, on Monday November 10th, the ideal lists re-updated on their own. Slowly, people started reporting that they were seeing placements return. Over the next 48 hours, placements came back gradually, in the same slow manner they had disappeared. Everyone was thrilled because Black Friday was approaching and many influencers had put significant work into preparing.
However, recovering accounts did not automatically get their placements back in the same positions. They essentially had to re-earn their spots. Some never fully returned to where they were before, though most got close over the following month. Upper carousel placements in particular required working their way back in.
December 2025: It Happened Again
On December 4th, 2025, almost exactly 30 days later and on nearly the same date, the same reports started coming in. Ideal lists had all updated again, and within 48 hours, the same group of people had lost all their placements once more. This was particularly devastating because it was the second week of December, right in the heart of the holiday shopping season.
The core group affected was the same people from November, but there were also new accounts swept up in this round that had not been affected before. This expanded the concern beyond the original group and served as a warning that anyone could potentially be impacted.
Three Possible Scenarios
Based on the available evidence, there were three possible outcomes. The first scenario was a Monday return. Last time, placements came back on a Monday, so the first day to watch was the following Monday. The second scenario was that the four-to-five day timeline was more accurate regardless of the day of the week, which would put the return around Tuesday or Wednesday.
The third and most concerning scenario was that placements would not come back at all. While the November group did recover, there was no clear explanation for why they lost placements or why they returned. Without understanding the root cause, nothing could be guaranteed about a repeat recovery.
The October Warning Sign
Adding to the concern was a smaller group that had been hit in October 2025. They experienced the exact same symptoms: ideal lists updated, placements disappeared. But unlike the November group, their placements never came back. Their storefronts still existed and still said “earns commissions,” but months later, every single placement remained gone with no explanation from Amazon.
This October precedent meant there was a real sample of both outcomes: one group that recovered and one that did not. While the December situation more closely mirrored November based on the dates, the same group being affected, and the same behaviors, the possibility of a permanent loss could not be ruled out.
What to Watch For
If placements are going to return, the likely sequence based on the November recovery would be the ideal lists updating again and getting pushed back to the top of the storefront showing as updated that day. This would be the first indicator that something is moving. Then over the following 48 hours, placements would slowly start returning.
Amazon customer support was largely unhelpful during both events. Representatives would say that carousel placement is never guaranteed and that things move around, without understanding the actual scope of the problem. The accounts looked fine on the surface, still showing “earns commissions,” which made it difficult for support to recognize the severity of the issue.
What You Can Do
If you are impacted, the honest truth is that options are limited. Amazon is not obligated to do anything, and getting someone at Amazon to listen has proven extremely difficult. However, community advocacy efforts can help. Connecting with other affected influencers through groups like the Oink Facebook group and participating in organized calls and discussions can amplify the collective voice.
Even if you are not currently impacted, it is important to understand what is happening. The line between being affected and not being affected appears to be nothing more than luck. No specific behaviors, content types, or account characteristics have been identified as triggers. Staying informed and monitoring your own placements regularly is the best way to catch any issues early.
Watch the Full Video
Watch the original video from Oink for Influencers on YouTube:
