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 971083 times)

    Offline ueaiouioei

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #920 on: June 29, 2014, 03:31:34 PM »
    Just wondering if any of these sellers follow this thread?
    satisfaction4u
    harmony direct
    bluespring
    global supplies
    galactic deals, llc
    the fleafighters
    price cellar
    Jax Liquidators
    Live life to the fullest

    Offline Zevwolf

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #921 on: June 30, 2014, 05:13:23 PM »
    How long does it take to become a featured merchand? Is there any way to speed up the process?

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #922 on: June 30, 2014, 11:29:13 PM »
    How long does it take to become a featured merchand? Is there any way to speed up the process?
    Takes time, transaction volume, low defect rate.

    Amazon does not say what the requirements are, but just keep up sales, and low defect rate, in a matter of time you'll come featured.

    Offline Newcc

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #923 on: July 01, 2014, 11:15:50 PM »
    Once your banned its really hard to get them to reconsider but its strange that they banned you. They are usually very lenient on orders that have commingled products.
    Yup, their pretty tough.

    Offline MenachemS

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #924 on: July 02, 2014, 07:32:05 PM »
    Public Service Announcement:

    I developed a program to retrieve product information (including their prices, rank and amount of sellers) from Amazon.

    I can retrieve all products that meet any specific criteria. That could include any specific search term or criteria (like all products from a specific manufacturer).

    PM me for more details.

    Offline MenachemS

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #925 on: July 02, 2014, 07:52:47 PM »
    If you want you can give me a list of inventory from the wholesaler and I can filter based on information retrieved from amazon. E.X. All products that you will be making 20% margin.

    Offline lifetimedeals

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #926 on: July 03, 2014, 12:17:34 PM »
    Anybody know of a program I can buy that will pull the orders from Amazon and invoice it into Quick Books Automatically ?

    Offline pear

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #927 on: July 04, 2014, 10:09:52 AM »
    I made a couple of returns this month on amazon , And got an email that my acct was closed due to terms and conditions ,Any way I can reopen the acct.?

    Offline ueaiouioei

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #928 on: July 04, 2014, 11:11:57 AM »
    I made a couple of returns this month on amazon , And got an email that my acct was closed due to terms and conditions ,Any way I can reopen the acct.?

    Are you referring to a seller account or your regular amazon purchasing account?
    Live life to the fullest

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #929 on: July 04, 2014, 11:42:05 AM »
    I made a couple of returns this month on amazon , And got an email that my acct was closed due to terms and conditions ,Any way I can reopen the acct.?
    If you were a buyer, I am happy to hear that Amazon is cracking down on returns. Us sellers (in this thread) get killed from returns.

    Offline Jkhein

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #930 on: July 04, 2014, 02:04:34 PM »
    If you were a buyer, I am happy to hear that Amazon is cracking down on returns. Us sellers (in this thread) get killed from returns.
    it's not different then any other store though. Returns are never good for sellers.

    Offline ueaiouioei

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #931 on: July 04, 2014, 03:20:56 PM »
    it's not different then any other store though. Returns are never good for sellers.

    True.  But since Amazon is so customer centric people tend to take advantage and feel like ordering and returning without a second thought. I'm glad Amazon does some things to protect their sellers. Now if someone would just open 2-3 A-Z's in a month and then get shut down I'd be really happy.
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    Offline mlomni

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #932 on: July 08, 2014, 09:24:05 AM »
    Amazon is introducing "Amazon Pages, It is a new program that enables you to create your own branded page at amazon.com"
    You can win a Fire TV when you create your free page.

    This is for sellers using the Amazon Vendor Central platform. I do not know if this offer is for retailers. 

    Offline Zevwolf

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #933 on: July 08, 2014, 09:25:38 AM »
    Anywhere to see the the history of the rank of a item on amazon?

    Offline mayhemmoney

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #934 on: July 08, 2014, 05:49:24 PM »
    Yes, selling in amazon would totally bring you a good money but it depends on how you put your store.

    Offline Newcc

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #935 on: July 08, 2014, 10:07:30 PM »
    This is done on a lot of forum so I figure maybe we can do it here and everyone can gain to get product reviews.

    If you can review items or if you need your items reviews please PM me, we can all gain from this if done right.

    Offline Tzadik Nistar

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #936 on: July 08, 2014, 10:46:01 PM »
    I tried doing it here on the forums in the favor's thread,  sent some people samples a while ago but never got the reviews.

    Offline Newcc

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #937 on: July 08, 2014, 10:55:09 PM »
    Shame.  I'm in if you need pm me.

    Offline MenachemS

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #938 on: July 09, 2014, 12:18:38 AM »
    I'm a developer and I'm working on a comprehensive <i>product</i> that will do the research and report which products are most worthwhile to invest in.

    My question to you sellers is: how do you usually go about purchasing wholesale and what features would you suggest for this product.

    I will offer free use of the program to those that suggest useful features.

    Offline Newcc

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #939 on: July 09, 2014, 12:35:59 AM »
    I'm a developer and I'm working on a comprehensive <i>product</i> that will do the research and report which products are most worthwhile to invest in.

    My question to you sellers is: how do you usually go about purchasing wholesale and what features would you suggest for this product.

    I will offer free use of the program to those that suggest useful features.
    Depends on a lot of things. But I find in most cases Good direct supply Connections are most important, I wonder if that's something you can include.