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 975441 times)

    Offline Freddie

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #340 on: November 26, 2013, 11:24:50 PM »
    Just look at this thread for a "hachnosa l'cheder" on selling on Amazon.

    http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=34839.0

    Offline lifetimedeals

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #341 on: November 27, 2013, 11:10:09 AM »
    not always does amazon drop price if you compete, I have tried it on something and they are not budging their price.

    Offline metziah

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #342 on: November 27, 2013, 11:52:58 AM »

    not always does amazon drop price if you compete, I have tried it on something and they are not budging their price.
    Especially if they know you have limited stock....
    (I think)

    Offline lifetimedeals

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #343 on: November 27, 2013, 12:00:03 PM »
    on some products amazon.com has very fast repricers few minutes after I chabge they also change wow

    Offline ya

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #344 on: November 27, 2013, 12:13:02 PM »
    And what do they do with it? Post it as Used?
    Depends on the condition of the return. If it looks brand new never used they will put it back in stock and re sell. Otherwise they will put it in unfulfillable inventory and it will sit there  until you ask for it back.

    Offline aj26

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #345 on: November 27, 2013, 01:41:42 PM »
    Any recommendations for amazon pricing program.
    I saw feedvisor.Com but they don't really respond, not sure if they're still open
    Any others?

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #346 on: November 27, 2013, 03:50:12 PM »

    Depends on the condition of the return. If it looks brand new never used they will put it back in stock and re sell. Otherwise they will put it in unfulfillable inventory and it will sit there  until you ask for it back.
    Resell as brand new?

    Offline ilherman

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #347 on: November 27, 2013, 07:34:46 PM »
    You can say what you think when you think what you say.

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #348 on: November 28, 2013, 11:34:12 AM »

    Yes.
    How will I know where they put it?

    Offline ya

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #349 on: November 28, 2013, 03:29:32 PM »
    How will I know where they put it?
    How will I know where they put it?
    check your fba inventory

    Offline nocknock

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #350 on: November 29, 2013, 08:59:32 AM »
    Any recommendations to ship stuff to UK fulfillment center?

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #351 on: December 01, 2013, 01:12:26 AM »

    check your fba inventory
    I checked and it says unfulfillable. Now how do I go about having them ship it back to me?

    Offline @jack123

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #352 on: December 03, 2013, 12:10:51 PM »
    Sorry if this has been discussed in this thread but couldn't find it...

    I'm trying to sell some bose headphones and it won't let me list them as new (in condition tab there is no "new" option). is it possible to find out whether this is only temporary, or if some products they just don't let regular marketplace sellers compete with them?
    There seem to only be big retailers/ authorized dealers selling them new on amazon.  TIA

    its a pair of QC15, new, sealed in box. willing to sell for 240 if anyone here wants them..

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #353 on: December 03, 2013, 10:23:08 PM »
    I just sold something FBA and now the buyer wants to return the item so they took the whole amount out of my account instead of taking part from me and returning their fee is that the way it's done?

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #354 on: December 03, 2013, 10:43:52 PM »
    I just sold something FBA and now the buyer wants to return the item so they took the whole amount out of my account instead of taking part from me and returning their fee is that the way it's done?
    Your account should only be deducted sale price less the fees

    Offline M

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #355 on: December 03, 2013, 11:21:13 PM »
    What is the seller protection amazon?

    Meaning ebay offers feedback on buyers and you can look up a person's history but on Amazon you can not. So how do you protect yourself besides for shipping with tracking and insurance?

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #356 on: December 03, 2013, 11:28:38 PM »

    Your account should only be deducted sale price less the fees
    For example the item cost $349 I received $270. $30 went to regular Amazon commission and $50 for FBA fees. Now a return was initiated so they gave back $325 from my account which mean they only returned their regular amazon commission not their FBA commission. Is that the way they always do it?

    Offline metziah

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #357 on: December 04, 2013, 01:06:23 AM »

    Sorry if this has been discussed in this thread but couldn't find it...

    I'm trying to sell some bose headphones and it won't let me list them as new (in condition tab there is no "new" option). is it possible to find out whether this is only temporary, or if some products they just don't let regular marketplace sellers compete with them?
    There seem to only be big retailers/ authorized dealers selling them new on amazon.  TIA

    its a pair of QC15, new, sealed in box. willing to sell for 240 if anyone here wants them..
    For some items you need special permission from the company ie. Bose. At this point you probably won't be able to get authorization to sell it on amazon. However, amazon doesn't have these restrictions for refurb or used items. So if you can list your item as refurb even though it's new and still make a nice profit it's basically your only option.

    Offline ilherman

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #358 on: December 04, 2013, 09:09:37 AM »
    For some items you need special permission from the company ie. Bose. At this point you probably won't be able to get authorization to sell it on amazon. However, amazon doesn't have these restrictions for refurb or used items. So if you can list your item as refurb even though it's new and still make a nice profit it's basically your only option.
    And you can add a comment that its actually brand new, and you can't list it as brand new because of Amazon's restriction.   (though you have to be cheaper then other sellers, if you want to get someone to buy it)
    You can say what you think when you think what you say.

    Offline ilherman

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #359 on: December 04, 2013, 11:16:22 AM »
    For example the item cost $349 I received $270. $30 went to regular Amazon commission and $50 for FBA fees. Now a return was initiated so they gave back $325 from my account which mean they only returned their regular amazon commission not their FBA commission. Is that the way they always do it?
    I never had a return b"h, but I would think that they would refund you the referral fee, but why should they refund you the FBA fee, why should they take the loss of the shipping etc.... FBA fees are not really commision they are just charging you for being your warehouse, someone actually haves to take off your product from the shelf pack it etc.. so they charge you for that. (if so SS, the cheshbon is right...) @NameChanged, is this what you meant to say?
    You can say what you think when you think what you say.