Topic Wiki

    Selling On Amazon
    When signing up for an account there are two options. If you're just starting out, get the Individual Plan, you can upgrade the account whenever you want.

    Individual Selling PlanProfessional Selling Plan
    $0.99 fee for each item sold. If you sell 40+ items/month, you will need the Professional plan.  Flat fee of $39.99/month and more powerful and flexible tools to manage inventory, reports, feeds and access to web services.

    Amazon is an amazing platform that offers great opportunities for starting a business and making money. However when starting out, take it slow.
    There is much to learn and get used to. Before investing all your savings on a product you hope will quickly turn a profit take the time to familiarize yourself with the system.
    Perhaps start out with a smaller investment just to get your feet wet. Go through the basic guidelines offered by Amazon here.

    Below are tips, clarifications and insights from members of this forum. Feel free to pitch in or ask you questions.

    Some factors to consider before investing in a product to sell:

    1) Price: How much did the item cost you? Have you taken into account shipping costs (both to you and to the customer)? Will you have to pay taxes? Amazon keeps a percentage of every sale (including shipping fees). It’s 15% for most product categories besides a few like electronics that are 8%. You can see the full schedule of fees here. There are several online tools to help you price your products including an FBA Revenue Calculator here and an Amazon built iOS app. A quick way to figure out how much you’d need to charge just to break even after amazon fees is to take the total product cost and then multiply it by 1.1766 (for 15% fees) or 1.087 (for 8% fees).

    2) Velocity:  How fast will the item sell? It's nice to find a product for $10 that you can flip for $100.  But if you’ll only sell 1 a year, it won’t be a very good investment. The best way to determine the velocity of an item is to check the sales rank. Sales rank indicates the popularity of a product compared to other products in its category. The lower the ranking the more popular it is. The iOS app has sales rank baked in too. To get a proper feel for the turnaround time of an item, you'll need to dip your toes in slowly. Note: An item may have a great sales rank due to a recent sale, make sure to check price history on camelcamelcamel.com or keepa.com to get a better picture of the real price and rank of an item.

    3) Return Rate: Even after you sold a few laptops and tablets profitably, you'll have to take into account that a buyer may want to return the item. Certain items have higher rates of return, so make sure to take that into account when deciding whether it's profitable/worth your effort to sell the item.


    Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA):
    The seller sends the items to Amazon warehouse. Amazon takes care of fulfilling the order, and customer service related to the order.

    Pro's Of FBA
    Con's Of FBA
    • Easier to get in the Buy Box
    • You're able to offer Prime shipping
    • For anything above $300, Amazon only charges the standard referral fee. This actually makes FBA cheaper when you take the discounted shipping to Amazon into account.
    • If you have a large or heavy item, shipping the item to the customer can be expensive especially if it is going to a residential address. If you send that item to amazon FBA charges will be much lower than your shipping would have cost. (Including shipping it to FBA)

    • Returns (See this post for a more detailed explanation)
      • Returns are accepted without any restocking fee.
      • Items that are Damaged/missing parts are taken back.
      • Since Amazons is super lax on returns, your return rate will be significantly higher.
      • Refunds may harm your cash flow. When a buyer selects "Return" on his order history, often Amazon will immediately issue him a refund, and debit your account.
    • If the item is not a fast selling item, it will sit in their warehouse. Amazon charges a fee for every 30 Days an item remains their warehouse, it is usually a tiny fee, but it adds up.


    Q: How can I move inventory from one ASIN to another ASIN without having them returned on FBA listings?
    A:
    Before I Teach you guys the method you must keep 2 things in mind:
    1) This Method isn't guaranteed! As we all know how seller support is operating, Since this processes involves them its only about %95 accurate but its still a YMMV!
    2) This is kind of grey whether its in violation of Amazon's policy so i do not take responsibility if you get hit!
    Its a 4 step process make sure to follow them properly! Follow this link

    Q: If I have 3 items to send into FBA and they are splitting me to 3 different locations. Can I ship all 3 items to one location?
    A:
    Yes, you can choose "Inventory Placement Service" in FBA settings to send all your inventory to one nearby warehouse. Amazon charges an additional fee ($.30, CMIIW) per item.
    Note: That even once your inventory reaches Amazon, if Amazon is moving it to a different warehouse, the item will be "back-ordered"

    Q: I'm having a hard time finding a box for a large product, can I just ship with the box the way it came from the store?
    A:
    There might not be a clear cut answer for every scenario. But, some have sold many large printers through FBA, by just putting the shipping label directly on the box and not having an issue.

    Q: What is considered case pack when sending in items to Amazon FBA?
    A:
    Case pack is when all the items in the box are from the same ASIN.

    Q: I'm doing FBA shipping for the first time. and it says "prep required". What does that mean?
    A:
    Prep Required means there is some preparation for the products that will need to be done before it could be added the the Amazon inventory. Typically, it is either labeling the items, taping the boxes shut, or poly bagging. If you do not prepare the items yourself, Amazon can/will do it for a charge.
    Q: What is the buy box? How do I win the buy box?
    A:
    The Buy Box is the box on a product detail page where customers can begin the purchasing process by adding items to their shopping carts.
    To give customers the best possible shopping experience, Sellers must meet performance-based requirements to be eligible to compete for Buy Box placement. All Buy Box eligible offers are then further evaluated to determine the Buy Box winning offer. One "New" and one "Used" condition offer, as applicable, will receive Buy Box placement.

    Q: What is an A-Z claim?
    A:
    When you buy from third-party sellers on Amazon.com, the condition of the item and its timely delivery are guaranteed under the A-to-z Guarantee.
    Therefore, a buyer may open a claim if the above is not met to his expectations.

    Q: I have an item that is handmade how do I go about selling it on?
    A:
    Create your own listing and buy a UPC code.

    Q: Any advice on packaging and shipping?
    Check the Shipping Master Thread

    Q: Why are some items on Amazon missing the Amazon sales rank number?
    A:
    Go to add a product > sell yours  it should be in the top right corner. If it's not there usually it means no one bought yet.

    Q: How do you compare Ebay/paypal fees to Amazon fees?
    A:
    Depends on the category. For a lot of categories,Please Update Categories it may be cheaper, as with Amazon there is just one fee, but for eBay sales there also is a Paypal fee.

    Does the Amazon sales rank mean a lot when researching a product to sell?
    A:
    Yes





    Q: How do I get customers to leave feedback (I tried emails)? I sold multiple items
    recently and no feedback yet
    Please Update

    Q: I Got an email from a buyer where's my stuff? I have a Fedex/UPS delivery confirmation signature. How should I go about this?
    A:
    Firstly, tell the buyer that UPS/Fedex shows that it was signed for, and they should check if the item was delivered to a neighbor, from desk of building ect... Next open an investigation from your end with UPS/Fedex to have them do research and contact their driver of what may have happened to this item. It all depends on how co-operative the buyer is, on exactly how to precede. If they are trying to scam you, then there is not much as a seller you could do. They may open an A-Z claim (you would have to weigh your options if it is worth having a claim) Amazon may or may not grant it in your favor. I have never had this with Amazon. Such a claim is not typical.
    What is more common is if there was no signature, and tracking shows it was delivered, and the buyer is claiming they have not received it.
    For myself - Fedex has reimbursed me multiple times with such instances

    Scams
    Q: I posted an expensive item on Amazon. Somebody sent me a message, asking to clarify the condition of the item is (it was clearly stated in the description), along with a request to reply to his own email, and he'll pay through PayPal. Is there anything this buyer can so to screw me over, after I send him the item? Anything else I should know?

    A: SCAM SCAM SCAM. There is NO reason you should EVER do this. There is a reason why Amazon has this policy. This is how the scams works.
    The guy sends a FAKE email from an email account such as paypal1@realpaypal.com. In reality no money was sent to your account and its bogus. The scammers are hoping that you will think that you got the money and will send the item.
    You should report it to paypal each time. beware! always check your paypal account if the money came.
    Another reason not do this-you will get kicked off amazon for good,sometimes competitors set this up.[/list]



    Commonly used resources

    A List of lots of links to resources commonly used in Amazon selling
    http://www.asgtg.com/amazon-services/


    « Last edited by mgarfin on January 02, 2018, 09:07:51 PM »

    Author Topic: Selling on Amazon Master Thread  (Read 1001082 times)

    Offline yuneeq

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2240 on: December 16, 2015, 10:23:29 AM »
    So how do people who sell on both ebay and amazon keep track of their bookkeeping? Quickbooks?

    Anyone?

    Quickbooks.
    It's not automated like inventory lab, but if you're running a business that's what you use.
    Visibly Jewish

    Offline lunatic

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    Offline Hamavin

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2242 on: December 16, 2015, 07:22:41 PM »
    Made 30 orders of $60  amazon gc with au's.....Got email that account is suspended cuz they couldnt verify billing address on one cc. They want amex to fax over verification of billing adrress wich amex says they wont do....What should I do?

    Offline incendia

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2243 on: December 16, 2015, 08:57:35 PM »
    Is there away to split my buyer and seller accounts?

    Offline avrumy22

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2244 on: December 16, 2015, 09:13:23 PM »
    So how do people who sell on both ebay and amazon keep track of their bookkeeping? Quickbooks?

    Anyone?

    check out seller cloud. works with ebay, amazon, sears, etc all together.

    Offline yuneeq

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2245 on: December 16, 2015, 09:34:59 PM »
    check out seller cloud. works with ebay, amazon, sears, etc all together.

    Cheaper to get a book keeper.
    Visibly Jewish

    Offline lunatic

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2246 on: December 16, 2015, 11:30:32 PM »
    Would this preclude an item from being sold as new?  Rest of the package is perfect. Would this be cause for bad feedback?


    « Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 11:47:28 PM by lunatic »

    Offline yudamaan

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2247 on: December 16, 2015, 11:39:27 PM »
    I got a review for only 4 out of 5, because the buyer stated that since she bought the item as a gift so she doesn't know how the item works. If I open a case with amazon about this review as there is no valid reason for the 4 star, would they adjust it or am I wasting my time, or should I just contact the buyer.
    Thank you.

    Offline yuneeq

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2248 on: December 17, 2015, 12:10:08 AM »
    I got a review for only 4 out of 5, because the buyer stated that since she bought the item as a gift so she doesn't know how the item works. If I open a case with amazon about this review as there is no valid reason for the 4 star, would they adjust it or am I wasting my time, or should I just contact the buyer.
    Thank you.

    Go to seller support to remove it.
    If it's FBA just select that option.
    Otherwise select that it's a product review.
    Visibly Jewish

    Offline afro

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2249 on: December 17, 2015, 01:43:55 PM »
    Would this preclude an item from being sold as new?  Rest of the package is perfect. Would this be cause for bad feedback?



    If you want send it in FBA commingled
    I will not respond to PM about the UPS method.

    I will not respond to PM about the BBLD method.

    Offline lunatic

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2250 on: December 17, 2015, 01:45:17 PM »
    If you want send it in FBA commingled
    Thanks.  In order to be comingled,  doesn't Amazon have to sell themselves? Amazon does not sell this

    Offline David Smith

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2251 on: December 17, 2015, 01:50:13 PM »
    Thanks.  In order to be comingled,  doesn't Amazon have to sell themselves? Amazon does not sell this
    I thought they commingle from other marketplace sellers also.
    Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
    JTZ

    Offline incendia

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2252 on: December 17, 2015, 01:50:40 PM »
    Thanks.  In order to be comingled,  doesn't Amazon have to sell themselves? Amazon does not sell this

    it can mix with other fba sellers

    but you can still get dinged when the item gets checked in

    Offline lunatic

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2253 on: December 17, 2015, 01:53:12 PM »
    it can mix with other fba sellers

    but you can still get dinged when the item gets checked in
    Hmmm,  didn't realize that. Is that a setting? How do I tell them it's OK to comingle

    Offline incendia

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2254 on: December 17, 2015, 02:07:02 PM »
    Hmmm,  didn't realize that. Is that a setting? How do I tell them it's OK to comingle

    it automatic unless the item is labeled

    Offline ezmk

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2255 on: December 17, 2015, 02:18:59 PM »
    You have to enable it in the fba settings

    Offline incendia

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2256 on: December 17, 2015, 02:30:17 PM »
    You have to enable it in the fba settings

    You are correct you have to enable sticker-less inventory, I thought that it was default. 

    you can still put on stickers on all or some of our items if you do have commingle enabled, and some items require labeling no matter what.

    Quote
    All products that enter Amazon fulfillment centers require a means of identifying the product and its ownership. A product is identified with either a UPC or EAN barcode or an FBA label you print from your Seller Central Account. For some products sold by multiple sellers, you can select to "commingle" your inventory by enabling the Stickerless, Commingled Inventory setting. When you choose to commingle inventory, your products become interchangeable with the same products from other sellers for both order fulfillment and removals.

    To summarize the differences:

        Labeled Inventory: (default setting): With this setting, an FBA label you print from Seller Central must be applied to each unit you ship to our fulfillment centers, which designates that the product belongs to you. You can either print these labels when creating a shipment or enroll in the FBA Label Service for a per-unit fee. For more details, please review the Labeled Inventory page.
        Stickerless, Commingled Inventory: With this setting, your eligible units will not require FBA labels. For the purposes of order fulfillment and removals, eligible units are treated as identical to units of the same product from other sellers who have also enabled Stickerless, Commingled Inventory. When a customer orders one of these products from you, you are the seller of record, but the unit used to fulfill the order may have been originally sourced from another seller's (or Amazon's own) inventory. When you choose Stickerless, Commingled Inventory, eligible units will be commingled, but ineligible units will still require FBA labels.

    Note: All products require a scannable barcode to be received at Amazon's fulfillment centers.
    Why Choose to Enable Stickerless, Commingled Inventory?

    Stickerless, Commingled Inventory eliminates the need for you to place FBA labels on your eligible products. It also helps Amazon place units closer to customers, which helps to get your orders to customers faster.
    How Amazon Tracks Stickerless, Commingled Inventory

    Although products sent to Amazon as commingled inventory may be virtually pooled with those of other sellers, we track which seller shipped the units to our fulfillment centers from the time they enter our warehouse until they are shipped to the customer. This allows us to know who sourced the item that the customer received.
    Enabling the Stickerless, Commingled Inventory Setting

    Before you make your first shipment to Amazon fulfillment centers, we will ask you if you want to enable Stickerless, Commingled Inventory.

    Note: You can enable or disable the Stickerless, Commingled Inventory setting at any time.

    To enable Stickerless, Commingled Inventory (if you chose not to enable the feature with your first shipment):

        Go to Settings > Fulfillment by Amazon > Inventory Settings (Stickerless, Commingled Inventory)
        Click the 'Edit' button
        Select 'Enable' and click 'Save'

    Once you have completed configuring your account, you will be able to ship newly eligible units without individual FBA labels in 24 hours. After you have chosen the Stickerless, Commingled Inventory option, newly eligible items or new product listings that you create in eligible categories will be automatically eligible for shipment to Amazon without individual FBA labels. If you want stickerless commingling to apply to your existing inventory, you have two options. Items in these categories must be sold through with existing labels or removed and inbounded as new items and listings.

    Here is how to enable stickerless commingling for existing units:

        Cancel any current shipments that you have not sent.
        Create new MSKUs for the items that you would like to ship as stickerless (the current SKUs are configured for stickered inventory) and replenish using those SKUs.

    Requirements for Stickerless, Commingled Inventory

    Not all products are eligible for Stickerless Commingled Inventory. Notably grocery and health and beauty products must always have FBA labels. Amazon is always evaluating categories and products and may change the eligibility for products at any time.
    Technical Requirements for Stickerless, Commingled Inventory

        Some media products cannot be commingled. You cannot send in CDs, VHS tapes, or DVDs without FBA labels.
        Eligible books in new condition without UPC or EAN barcodes must have FBA labels.
        The condition of the product must be new.
        The item must have a UPC or EAN in a barcode form for our fulfillment centers to scan when they receive the product.
        The UPC or EAN must be for a single ASIN. If it applies to more than one ASIN, you will need to label the product, even if it could be previously sent in as stickerless.
        In order to prevent delays in processing your inventory, certain other products may not be eligible for Stickerless, Commingled Inventory.
        Barcodes must be easily scannable.
        The product must not have an expiration date.

    Note: Amazon reserves the right to change the qualifications for Stickerless, Commingled Inventory at any time.

    Brand Registry

    If the products you sell are registered through the Amazon Brand Registry, and they meet the above requirements you may request an exemption from labeling requirements for units for which you are the brand owner by contacting Seller Support.

    Note: All products require a scannable barcode to be received at Amazon's fulfillment centers.
    Receiving Problems and Other Common Errors
    IMPORTANT: Failure to comply with FBA product preparation requirements, packaging requirements, and product restrictions may result in the refusal of inventory at the Amazon fulfillment center, disposal or return of inventory, blocking of future shipments to the fulfillment center, or charging for preparation or for noncompliance at the fulfillment center. An Unplanned Service Fee will be charged for units requiring labels that are received with barcode labels missing. Visit Unplanned Service Fees for more information.

    The following receiving problems will slow down the process by which Amazon can receive your inventory and make it available for sale. Amazon may temporarily suspend your shipment creation privileges if the following problems are found:

        Barcode label missing: Your product did not have a physical barcode for our associates to scan; they had to label it. If your product does not have a physical barcode, you will need to label it with an FBA label, even if the Amazon ASIN qualifies for commingling.
        Unit mislabeled: Your product's physical barcode did not match the ASIN listed on the shipment. Make sure that your product's UPC, EAN, or JAN is linked to the ASIN that you are listing on your FBA shipment.
        Barcode cannot be scanned: Your product's physical barcode could not be scanned for one or more of the following reasons:
            The barcode was smudged, which could be caused by low ink/toner in your printer or dirty printer heads.
            The barcode was around a corner or curve, which can make it unscannable.
            The barcode was not linked to the ASIN listed on your FBA shipment.

    See Inbound Performance Feedback for more information about receiving problems.

    Below are other common errors that will delay the receipt of your shipment:

        Product not listed on your shipment
        More units shipped than expected
        Product substitutions (similar products shipped)
        Scannable barcodes not covered or removed from the exterior of case-packed item cartons

    How Removals Work for Stickerless, Commingled Inventory

    When you enable Stickerless, Commingled inventory, your eligible units will be treated as commingled for customer order fulfillment and removals. If you choose to remove a commingled unit, the unit you receive may be sourced from another seller's (or Amazon's own) inventory.

    Offline lunatic

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2257 on: December 17, 2015, 03:04:58 PM »
    You are correct you have to enable sticker-less inventory, I thought that it was default. 

    you can still put on stickers on all or some of our items if you do have commingle enabled, and some items require labeling no matter what.
    Any downside to comingled

    Offline yuneeq

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2258 on: December 17, 2015, 03:22:48 PM »
    Any downside to comingled

    Getting stuck with some other seller's garbage.
    Visibly Jewish

    Offline David Smith

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #2259 on: December 17, 2015, 03:23:10 PM »
    Any downside to comingled
    Someone else may be selling bad products, and you get the bad reviews and returns.
    Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
    JTZ