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 976009 times)

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3220 on: February 01, 2017, 01:40:21 PM »
    I got a A-Z claim where I'm 100% right and Amazon is 1M% wrong, which I've yet to clear up. It's keeping my account's ODR over 1%. Would buying 100 pieces of a super popular low cost ($1) item and then selling it for half price improve my ODR? Anything to be careful about?
    I think that's what's recommended when that happens

    Offline theblakdavid

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3221 on: February 01, 2017, 02:43:07 PM »
    I think that's what's recommended when that happens
    +1

    Offline Avs175

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    Help me with my Amazon product launch
    « Reply #3222 on: February 10, 2017, 11:29:53 AM »

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    Help me with my Amazon product launch
    « on: Today at 11:27:00 AM »
    QuoteModifyRemove
    I recently started a new line of wallets, and just started selling it on Amazon. Wondering if anybody has any ideas and tips how to get product launched. Its an incredibly sleek wallet, extremely thin, and your pockets will forever thank you for buying it. I think if people see it, they will buy it, but the problem is that it only comes up on page 300 or something like that...

    If anyone has tips on how to launch it, or if anyone has tips on improving my product page and description, or if anybody wants to purchase it and leave me a review (Use code "ralphlon" to get 25% off to knock it down to just $10.46 with free amazon prime shipping), would be really grateful for any of it.

    Thanks

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU112GO

    Offline mendy from lakewood

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    Re: Help me with my Amazon product launch
    « Reply #3223 on: February 10, 2017, 11:50:02 AM »
    welcome to the forums!

    This thread may be helpful

    http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=10448.0
    "Respect is earned, Honesty is appreciated, Trust is gained, Loyalty is returned"

    Offline Avs175

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    Re: Help me with my Amazon product launch
    « Reply #3224 on: February 10, 2017, 11:53:04 AM »
    great forum, thank you!

    Offline ya

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    Offline theblakdavid

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3226 on: February 10, 2017, 02:48:12 PM »

    Offline mendy from lakewood

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3227 on: February 10, 2017, 02:52:28 PM »
    "Respect is earned, Honesty is appreciated, Trust is gained, Loyalty is returned"

    Offline Zevwolf

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3228 on: February 12, 2017, 08:09:28 PM »
    Anyone realized lately that Amazon gets the buy box even if they are much more expensive.
    Example https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BHKEC7O/

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3229 on: February 13, 2017, 12:30:42 AM »
    I've seen that as well as them taking it when same price but they have 1-2 month shipping time frame

    Offline Hjay

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3230 on: February 15, 2017, 09:58:12 AM »
    Anybody have experience with brand registry? My guess for the reason I'm not getting approved is because my tax info is under the parent company & the site I link to - which is the product I'm selling & my Amazon store name - has nothing to do with it. Any tips? TIA
    « Last Edit: February 15, 2017, 10:08:50 AM by Hjay »

    Offline hocker

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3231 on: February 15, 2017, 10:07:39 AM »
    Just reading this in another tab.  Also touches on reviews by buyers who bought with a coupon.

    http://egrowthpartners.com/7-ways-product-review-manipulation-brings-amazon-sellers-down/

    Offline Marko Rubio

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3232 on: February 16, 2017, 01:22:28 PM »
    hi f anyone can help with this i would really appreciate it,

    im selling on amazon and as everyone knows amazon can shut u down if u logged in from same ip address to 2 seller accounts

    now my question is that im having a laptop that was used with same internet connection with someone else thats selling on amazon but that laptp was never ever logged in to amazon was just used to browse around on amazon looking at products and reviews etc. and for other things, but was never logged in even to a personal amazon account, now is it safe to take that laptop now to my office to connect to my internet connection and log in to my seller account and its not a problem at all cause i never logged in before to amazon with that laptop?
    or it may be a problem cause i browsed around on amazon while it was connected to same optimum internet connection then someone else selling on amazon uses?

    hope someone can clerifiy this for me thanks loads
    « Last Edit: February 16, 2017, 01:25:37 PM by Marko Rubio »
    Do u have any different idea for a signature?

    Offline shulem92

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3233 on: February 16, 2017, 01:24:59 PM »
    hi f anyone can help with this i would really appreciate it,

    im selling on amazon and as everyone knows amazon can shut u down if u logged in from same ip address to 2 seller accounts

    now my question is that im having a laptop that was used with same internet connection with someone else thats selling on amazon but that laptp was never ever logged in to amazon was just used to browse around on amazon looking at products and reviews etc. and for other things, but was never logged in even to a personal amazon account, now is it safe to take that laptop now to my office to connect to my internet connection and log in to my seller account and its not a problem at all cause i never logged in before to amazon with that laptop?
    or it may be a problem cause i browsed around on amazon while it was connected to same optimum ip address with someone else's seller account?

    hope someone can clerifiy this for me thanks loads
    Just to be safe why don't you delete the cookies and the cache

    Offline Marko Rubio

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3234 on: February 16, 2017, 01:27:18 PM »
    Just to be safe why don't you delete the cookies and the cache
    tnx for your reply
    does deleting the cookies help for this? cant they link the laptop ip address to both accounts?
    Do u have any different idea for a signature?

    Offline shulem92

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3235 on: February 16, 2017, 01:30:44 PM »
    tnx for your reply
    does deleting the cookies help for this? cant they link the laptop ip address to both accounts?
    They haven't been known to link Mac address as of yet. IP address is based on your source of internet, not your laptop

    Offline mmgfarb

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3236 on: February 16, 2017, 01:31:38 PM »
    They haven't been known to link Mac address as of yet. IP address is based on your source of internet, not your laptop
    He said "same Internet connection"
    "JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

    Offline Marko Rubio

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3237 on: February 16, 2017, 01:36:52 PM »
    They haven't been known to link Mac address as of yet. IP address is based on your source of internet, not your laptop
    so based on that even if someone is logged in to a seller account with one internet connection he can delete his cookies cache and log in to a diiferent seller account with a different internet connection?

    i have always heard  they look on both on your ip internet address and on the mac address, and that once u logged in your laptop/desktop with one seller account u cant use it anymore wih a different seller account even with a new internet connection, is that wrong?
    Do u have any different idea for a signature?

    Offline shulem92

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3238 on: February 16, 2017, 01:38:20 PM »
    so based on that even if someone is logged in to a seller account with one internet connection he can delete his cookies cache and log in to a diiferent seller account with a different internet connection?

    i have always heard that once u logged in your laptop/desktop with one seller account u cant use it anymore wih a different sellr account even with a new internet connection is that wrong?
    Yes. Although if your account is valuable enough I wouldn't risk it. But I have done it in the past

    Offline shulem92

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3239 on: February 16, 2017, 01:39:57 PM »
    He said "same Internet connection"
    To take to his office? Same connection?