When Amazon first announced Rufus — its ambitious new AI tool aimed at making selling easier — sellers were excited.
An AI assistant inside Seller Central that could answer questions, suggest optimizations, and save time? It sounded like a dream come true, especially as the marketplace became more complex in 2025.
But fast forward a few months, and the verdict is in: for most Amazon sellers, Rufus has been a massive disappointment.
In this post, we’ll break down exactly why Amazon AI Rufus is useless for sellers, what sellers are saying about it, and where you should actually focus your time and energy to grow your Amazon business.
What Was Amazon Rufus Supposed to Do?
According to Amazon’s own pitch, Rufus was designed to:
- Help sellers research products faster
- Give smart listing optimization tips
- Offer competitive pricing suggestions
- Assist with advertising and promotions
- Automate customer service questions
- Provide instant answers to marketplace rules and policies
Essentially, Rufus was supposed to be a one-stop AI advisor for Amazon sellers — streamlining operations and providing insights that would make selling easier.
But like many new tech rollouts, the promise didn’t match the reality.
Why Rufus Is Failing Sellers in 2025
After months of real-world use, here are the biggest complaints from sellers about Amazon Rufus:
1. Generic, Unhelpful Advice
Instead of offering deep, tailored insights, Rufus usually gives vague, cookie-cutter answers.
Ask it how to optimize a listing for a competitive niche, and you might get a generic “use relevant keywords and high-quality images” response — something any beginner blog post would tell you.
Sellers looking for category-specific strategies or real data-driven recommendations are left empty-handed.
2. Limited Understanding of Marketplace Nuances
Rufus often struggles with questions that require understanding marketplace differences (e.g., between Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk).
Things like compliance rules, pricing norms, or advertising best practices can vary widely across marketplaces — but Rufus treats every market as if it’s identical.
This is a critical flaw for sellers trying to expand internationally or adjust to shifting regional trends.
3. Slow, Buggy Performance
Early feedback shows Rufus often:
- Freezes or times out when processing complex queries
- Produces contradictory answers depending on how a question is worded
- Fails to load entirely during peak traffic times
Sellers trying to work quickly inside Seller Central are finding Rufus to be more of a frustration than a help.
4. No Strategic Guidance
Most critically, Rufus doesn’t help you build a real strategy.
It doesn’t teach you how to:
- Build a brand
- Understand customer lifetime value
- Leverage multi-channel selling (Amazon + Walmart + Shopify)
- Protect your profit margins
At best, Rufus is a glorified FAQ chatbot.
It cannot replace seller experience, market research, or business instincts.
5. Bias Toward Amazon’s Interests, Not Yours
Let’s be honest: Amazon’s goal isn’t just to help sellers succeed.
It’s to maximize Amazon’s revenue.
Rufus recommendations often encourage:
- Lowering prices aggressively
- Increasing ad spend without necessarily improving conversion rates
- Joining programs (like Amazon Vine or Transparency) that primarily benefit Amazon
Sellers relying on Rufus could end up making moves that hurt their margins — while helping Amazon’s bottom line.
Why Amazon Launched Rufus Anyway
If Rufus isn’t very helpful for sellers, why did Amazon invest so heavily in it?
Here’s the real reason:
✅ Reduce support costs — Rufus replaces human account managers for many sellers.
✅ Keep sellers engaged — A flashy AI tool keeps sellers inside Seller Central longer, instead of seeking outside help.
✅ Collect more seller data — Every query you make to Rufus is another insight Amazon can mine to refine its marketplace.
✅ Public relations optics — It makes Amazon look “innovative” at a time when AI is the hottest tech trend.
In other words, Rufus wasn’t built primarily for sellers. It was built for Amazon.
Real Seller Feedback on Rufus
Here’s what sellers across forums like Reddit, Seller Forums, and LinkedIn are saying:
🗣️ “I asked Rufus about ad optimization and it told me to ‘try adjusting my bids.’ That’s it. No analysis, no insight, nothing I couldn’t Google in two minutes.”
🗣️ “Feels like a minimum viable product just to check a box for Amazon’s shareholders.”
🗣️ “We needed a Ferrari, they gave us a tricycle.”
🗣️ “I’d rather pay $100/month for a real tool like Helium 10 than waste another minute with Rufus.”
Clearly, sellers aren’t impressed — and they’re moving on.
What You Should Focus on Instead
Since Rufus isn’t the solution, here’s where smart sellers are putting their energy in 2025:
1. Doubling Down on the Fundamentals
There’s no shortcut: the basics still win.
- Building optimized listings
- Running profitable PPC campaigns
- Managing inventory smartly
- Keeping customer satisfaction high
- Expanding into new marketplaces carefully
Sellers who master the boring fundamentals outlast everyone chasing shiny new tools.
2. Investing in Reliable, Seller-Centric Tools
Rather than relying on Rufus, sellers are turning to proven tools like:
- Helium 10 for keyword research and listing optimization
- Jungle Scout for market analysis
- ManageByStats for profit tracking
- Sellerboard for true PPC profitability calculations
These tools were built for sellers, not to just make Amazon’s life easier.
3. Creating Multi-Channel Businesses
The smartest sellers in 2025 aren’t Amazon-only.
They’re using Amazon as a launchpad, but they’re also building:
- Shopify stores
- Walmart Marketplace listings
- eBay storefronts
- TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping integrations
Diversification is the ultimate insurance policy.
4. Focusing on Brand Building, Not Just Selling
Long-term winners aren’t just moving products — they’re building brands.
That means:
- Collecting emails
- Running social media campaigns
- Creating brand loyalty programs
- Controlling the customer experience
No AI (including Rufus) can build your brand for you.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Get Distracted
In 2025, it’s easy to get distracted by every new Amazon tool, policy change, or headline-grabbing AI rollout.
But here’s the truth:
🚫 Amazon AI Rufus isn’t going to build your business.
✅ You are.
Stay focused. Master the fundamentals. Leverage the right tools. Build real assets.
Let everyone else waste time waiting for Rufus to “get better” — you’ll already be miles ahead.
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