# ART-01 — Competitor Undercut Response Protocol

**Seller:** DoggyBagg LLC  
**Product:** Price Drop Alerts — ART-01 Response Protocol Pack  
**SKU:** Solo **$49** · Agency 10 **$490** (≤10 client engagements)  
**Fulfillment:** This `.md` is the deliverable (Lemon Files). Any license key = purchase/entitlement proof only — not a login. Agency and Solo share this protocol; $490 buys license scope across ≤10 client engagements, not a longer file.  
**Deliverable:** Instant digital download (this file)  
**Not included:** Live monitoring · Keepa / Helium / SentryKit / Aura replacement · scrapes · dashboards · custom setup

**Category (locked):** This is a **response protocol** — the written 24h default after a competitor undercut.  
It is **not** a tracker, alert inbox, or repricer.

**Stack position:** Keepa / Helium / SellerSonar / SentryKit / Slack screenshot → **ART-01 decides** → pricing + PPC execute.

---

## Why this exists (July 2026)

Amazon is removing the standalone Featured Offer eligibility gate (EU/UK from ~20 Jul 2026; global through year-end).  
More offers enter the Buy Box pool. Trackers fire more. Teams still freeze on **match vs hold+cut ads vs promo**.

Alert SaaS (SentryKit, SellerSonar) ships event tips inside *their* login.  
Repricers (Aura, BQool, Informed) move price on rules — not the full pricing+PPC+promo org default.  
**ART-01** is the portable Slack-pin / client-handoff sheet that works after *any* tool fires.

---

## Decision matrix (print / pin in Slack)

| Undercut size | Margin after match | Ads still live? | Default 24h move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <5% | Still healthy | Yes | Hold price; watch 24h |
| 5–12% | Thin but ≥ floor | Yes | Match **or** cut bids 20–40% |
| 5–12% | Below floor | Yes | Hold price; pause SKU ads |
| ≥15% | Any | Yes | Match to floor **or** pause ads same day |
| Any | Any | No | Price decision only; no ad waste |

**Floor** = your policy minimum (MAP / contribution margin). Write it before the next alert: `$________`

**Agency note:** Fill one floor per client ASIN cluster. Do not invent a new matrix per Slack thread.

---

## Classify any ping in 60 seconds

When Keepa / Helium / Sonar / SentryKit / a screenshot lands:

1. **Verify** — real offer? (rating, stock, ship speed, MAP). If junk → Alert 5.  
2. **Type** — Buy Box risk · DTC gap · promo · erosion · new Featured Offer entrant · false alarm.  
3. **Matrix row** — undercut % × margin × ads live.  
4. **One 24h move** — write owner + review time. No second options in the same thread.

---

## Worked alert 1 — Marketplace Buy Box risk

```
ALERT: PRICE_DROP
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-14-A
Watched SKU: Acme Widget Pro · WIDGET-PRO-BLK-01
Competitor: RivalStore · offer RS-88421
Event: $79.00 → $67.15 (−15.0%) @ 2026-07-14 09:12 UTC
Context: Your offer was Buy Box eligible at $79; ads still bidding

WHY IT MATTERS
15% undercut in-window usually compresses conversion and ROAS
while you keep paying for clicks at the old margin.

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Match to $67.15 or policy floor; re-check ROAS in 24h
2. Hold price; pause or cut SKU bids until margin math clears
3. Promo counter only if MAP/brand rules allow

Owner: Pricing + PPC jointly
Ignore cost: react after Buy Box / customers already moved
```

---

## Worked alert 2 — DTC site vs marketplace gap

```
ALERT: PRICE_GAP
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-14-B
Your DTC: $89 · Competitor Amazon offer: $74 (−17%)
SKU map: WIDGET-PRO-BLK-01

WHY IT MATTERS
Shoppers price-compare. DTC conversion drops while Amazon
ads may still target the brand keyword.

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Align DTC to within 5% of marketplace (or explain premium)
2. Hold DTC; shift paid to non-brand / retargeting only
3. Bundle on DTC (ship + accessory) to defend ASP without naked cut

Owner: Ecommerce + growth
```

---

## Worked alert 3 — Competitor coupon / lightning-style cut

```
ALERT: PROMO_UNDERCUT
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-14-C
List still $79; effective with code/coupon $64 (−19%)
Duration: unknown (treat as ≤48h until proven)

WHY IT MATTERS
Matching a temporary promo permanently trains the market
to wait. Wrong default is “always match.”

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Do not match list; run time-boxed promo with hard end
2. Cut bids on that ASIN/SKU cluster for promo window only
3. If MAP blocks match: document and hold; notify brand desk

Owner: Pricing + brand compliance
```

---

## Worked alert 4 — Slow bleed (repeated 3–7% cuts)

```
ALERT: PRICE_EROSION
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-14-D
Trail: $82 → $79 → $76 → $74 over 11 days (−9.8% cumulative)
No single dramatic drop

WHY IT MATTERS
Ops teams miss erosion because no single alert looks “urgent.”
Margin and rank erode quietly.

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Set weekly floor review; match to current competitive set
2. Kill unprofitable SKU ads; keep organic only
3. Reposition (bundle / variant) if race-to-bottom

Owner: Category manager
```

---

## Worked alert 5 — False alarm (stock / map noise)

```
ALERT: VERIFY_FIRST
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-14-E
Reported drop: $99 → $49 (−50%)
Check: 3P seller, 1 unit, ships from remote region, or MAP violation

WHY IT MATTERS
Blind matching a phantom offer destroys category pricing.

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Verify offer quality (seller rating, stock, ship speed) before any match
2. If junk offer: ignore; log; do not cut
3. If real: use matrix row for ≥15%

Owner: Ops — never auto-match on magnitude alone
```

---

## Worked alert 6 — New Featured Offer entrant (gate removed)

```
ALERT: NEW_OFFER_ENTRANT
Sample ID: PDA-ART01-2026-07-26-F
ASIN was quiet for 60+ days; new seller appears on offer list
Price gap: −8% vs your offer; FBA; unknown account age
Context: Jul 2026 Featured Offer pool widened — more faces, more pings

WHY IT MATTERS
Gate removal ≠ “match everyone.” New entrants spike alert volume.
Defaulting to race-to-floor burns margin after fee pressure.

24H ACTIONS (pick one)
1. Verify quality; if weak seller → hold + watch 48h (no match)
2. If real + ads live + margin after match ≥ floor → match or cut bids 20–40%
3. If below floor → hold price; pause SKU ads; notify brand

Owner: Pricing + PPC · Agency: same language in client Slack
```

---

## Slack pin (copy once)

```
UNDERCUT PROTOCOL (ART-01)
Floor: $____
On any undercut ping:
1) Verify offer  2) Classify type  3) One matrix move in 24h
No second debate in-thread. Owner + review time required.
```

---

## Client email (Agency 10 — optional template)

Subject: `24h response on [ASIN] undercut`

```
We saw a competitor move on [ASIN].
Using our pinned response protocol:
- Classification: [Buy Box / promo / erosion / new entrant / false alarm]
- Default 24h move: [match / hold+cut ads / promo / ignore]
- Owner: [name] · Review: [time]

This avoids ad-hoc Slack judgment per ASIN.
```

---

## How to use this pack today

1. Fill your **floor** in the matrix (per client if Agency).  
2. When any tracker fires, **classify** into alert type 1–6.  
3. Pick **one** 24h action; assign an owner; set a 24h review.  
4. Pin the Slack blurb. Agencies: paste client email template into your SOP folder.  
5. Optional: email `hello@doggybagg.cc` with the action you chose (validation signal).

---

## License

| SKU | Rights |
|---|---|
| **Solo $49** | Purchasing operator / their employer. Do not resell. |
| **Agency 10 $490** | Use across ≤10 client engagements. Client-facing handoff OK. Do not resell the file as a product. |

**Honesty:** Worked examples are format samples, not live scrapes of your catalog.  
**Refunds:** https://price-drop-alerts.vercel.app/refund  
**Compare (not a tracker):** https://price-drop-alerts.vercel.app/keepa-vs