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 975336 times)

    Offline Z56

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3920 on: March 01, 2019, 12:05:26 PM »
    DO if i end up going? I'm down for Shallots :)

    Sure! Hit me up
    “I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work

    Offline Moshke

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3921 on: March 01, 2019, 03:18:47 PM »
    What about the Prosper show?

    Offline Luvisrael

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3922 on: March 04, 2019, 07:24:59 AM »
    What happens if a buyer refuses delivery on an order?  I’m asking because I’m currently getting the “brushing “scam and want to know if refusing the deliveries will help stop it...Google it if U don’t know what it is...

    Offline ADG

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3923 on: March 04, 2019, 11:26:05 AM »
    Question: How does a small-mid size ecommerce company usually do their books? Do they outsource the job or do it themselves? Does the accountant take care of it at the end of the year? Hoping to get different answers. TIA

     

    Offline yuneeq

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3924 on: March 04, 2019, 12:23:05 PM »
    Question: How does a small-mid size ecommerce company usually do their books? Do they outsource the job or do it themselves? Does the accountant take care of it at the end of the year? Hoping to get different answers. TIA

    We use a freelance bookkeeper that takes care of our books on a monthly basis and sends us reports.
    Visibly Jewish

    Offline lunatic

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3925 on: March 04, 2019, 12:45:55 PM »
    Question: How does a small-mid size ecommerce company usually do their books? Do they outsource the job or do it themselves? Does the accountant take care of it at the end of the year? Hoping to get different answers. TIA

     

    Define small mid-size

    Offline ADG

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3926 on: March 04, 2019, 01:14:55 PM »
    I guess I want to know if outsource or not, and how much you pay. My assumption was if you do it inhouse your big but that may be inaccurate.

    How much do you pay for such a service and are you satisfied? Would you critique their service in any way?

    Offline hocker

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3927 on: March 04, 2019, 03:13:56 PM »
    I guess I want to know if outsource or not, and how much you pay. My assumption was if you do it inhouse your big but that may be inaccurate.

    How much do you pay for such a service and are you satisfied? Would you critique their service in any way?
    I'm using Connectbooks which is a software that integrates directly with Amazon.com and calculates everything for you in Quickbooks.

    https://connectbooks.com/

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3928 on: March 06, 2019, 09:12:52 AM »
    hi, i will need a little help for preparing my first shipment to FBA.

    i have 1 sku that will be in a pallet by itself, and 3 other sku in a second pallet.
    all my sku are boxes that will be sold as a box.

    how exactly do i prepare the shipping on Amazon ? how could i tell them that 1 pallet is the same product?

    do i really need to put a sticker on each box ? and figure my shipment as boxes?

    thanks in advance!

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3929 on: March 06, 2019, 11:37:51 AM »
    Welcome to the club ;)

    what i do with a boxes that are sold as is, ill wrap it it 1st with clear make a single box label and then warp it again and put on the pallet labels, this way i dont have to label each individual box and the costumer wont get a box with fba label on it.

    Im not sure what u mean by   "how exactly do i prepare the shipping on Amazon" do you know how to create a shipment?

    Yes you need to label every box although u can choose to skip it and amazon will charge X amount per box.

    please elaborate a bit more and the other 2 questions and ill try to answer to them best of my ability
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3930 on: March 06, 2019, 03:24:09 PM »
    Welcome to the club ;)

    what i do with a boxes that are sold as is, ill wrap it it 1st with clear make a single box label and then warp it again and put on the pallet labels, this way i dont have to label each individual box and the costumer wont get a box with fba label on it.

    Im not sure what u mean by   "how exactly do i prepare the shipping on Amazon" do you know how to create a shipment?

    Yes you need to label every box although u can choose to skip it and amazon will charge X amount per box.

    please elaborate a bit more and the other 2 questions and ill try to answer to them best of my ability

    lol thanks, basically i have 4 different "SKU(products)". all of them are boxes(=unite) that sell as is (aka a box of diapers)
    1 - 80/box - that it's a pallet.
    2 - 48/e, 3 - 12/e, 4, 24/e - that fill a second pallet.

    now when i creat my shipment on Amazon to send it to fba, i did as a pallet, but its still showing me 165 labels, meaning that i will need to put on every single box.

    the question is, can i create a "box"(pallet) that will have 80 unite of the same sku inside?
    and a second "box"(pallet) that will have 3 different sku inside ?

    or a pallet can't be called a "box" ?

    *of course i will arrange and ship with mine carrier to them ..

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3931 on: March 06, 2019, 03:40:53 PM »
    lol thanks, basically i have 4 different "SKU(products)". all of them are boxes(=unite) that sell as is (aka a box of diapers)
    1 - 80/box - that it's a pallet.
    2 - 48/e, 3 - 12/e, 4, 24/e - that fill a second pallet.

    now when i creat my shipment on Amazon to send it to fba, i did as a pallet, but its still showing me 165 labels, meaning that i will need to put on every single box.

    the question is, can i create a "box"(pallet) that will have 80 unite of the same sku inside?
    and a second "box"(pallet) that will have 3 different sku inside ?

    or a pallet can't be called a "box" ?

    *of course i will arrange and ship with mine carrier to them ..

    so lets say u make 2 separate shipments (its the same if u make 1) the 1st (lets call it  FBA80) should go as 1 box so you sending in 80 unites of diapers and at the Box content information u will put in 80 unites in 1 box, now the same goes for (2nd pallet FBAmix) u put in 48 in 1 box 12 in 1 box etc...  u will end up with 4 box labels  and u can also choose "one sku per box"
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    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3932 on: March 06, 2019, 03:47:25 PM »
    so lets say u make 2 separate shipments (its the same if u make 1) the 1st (lets call it  FBA80) should go as 1 box so you sending in 80 unites of diapers and at the Box content information u will put in 80 unites in 1 box, now the same goes for (2nd pallet FBAmix) u put in 48 in 1 box 12 in 1 box etc...  u will end up with 4 box labels  and u can also choose "one sku per box"

    so if i understand correctly, for shipment 1 it will be 1 box of 80unite (but in reality its 1 pallet of 80 box).
    it's not an issue with them? that it will not be a physical box ?

    and for the second shipment, i can't find 1 box that will fit 48 boxes inside etc ...
    so if i put them all together, (meaning 3 rows from the bottom, separate with a carton, and then 2 rows for a second sku, and again a carton to separate) this will be fine ? and count as 3 boxes ? 

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3933 on: March 06, 2019, 03:50:31 PM »
    so if i understand correctly, for shipment 1 it will be 1 box of 80unite (but in reality its 1 pallet of 80 box).
    it's not an issue with them? that it will not be a physical box ?
    being that the actual box is going to the customer u don't want to put a box label on it this is the best way IMO and it saves u from having to label 80 boxes
    I have been doing it ever since they implemented this stupid system never had any issues...

    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3934 on: March 06, 2019, 03:56:50 PM »
    and for the second shipment, i can't find 1 box that will fit 48 boxes inside etc ...
    so if i put them all together, (meaning 3 rows from the bottom, separate with a carton, and then 2 rows for a second sku, and again a carton to separate) this will be fine ? and count as 3 boxes ?
    Are these boxes sold as is? if yes then do as u said i do this with pallets of 10 15 diff skus any item that is going to the customer the same way im sending it in (meaning amazon wont repack it) it gets done this way i do separately wrap them and put the box label an the wrap.
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3935 on: March 06, 2019, 04:20:19 PM »
    being that the actual box is going to the customer u don't want to put a box label on it this is the best way IMO and it saves u from having to label 80 boxes
    I have been doing it ever since they implemented this stupid system never had any issues...

    correct, ok will report back

    Are these boxes sold as is? if yes then do as u said i do this with pallets of 10 15 diff skus any item that is going to the customer the same way im sending it in (meaning amazon wont repack it) it gets done this way i do separately wrap them and put the box label an the wrap.

    yes, they are sold as is as well, will do that. thanks very much!

    other question, how do i know if i need to add an asin on each box, or the original IBAN/EAN etc is fine ?


    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3936 on: March 06, 2019, 04:33:15 PM »


    other question, how do i know if i need to add an asin on each box, or the original IBAN/EAN etc is fine ?

    Easiest way to tell is if the FNsku matches the ASIN u can also choose to use the manufacturer bar code, now if when y try to replenish a item and there is a error u know they wont allow it
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3937 on: March 06, 2019, 04:36:57 PM »
    Easiest way to tell is if the FNsku matches the ASIN u can also choose to use the manufacturer bar code, now if when y try to replenish a item and there is a error u know they wont allow it

    thanks again for all your help!

    btw witch software do you use/recommend for a new seller like me.

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3938 on: March 06, 2019, 04:38:45 PM »
    thanks again for all your help!
    anytime!

    btw witch software do you use/recommend for a new seller like me.
    [/quote]
    Seller central!! ;) ;D, to do what?
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3939 on: March 06, 2019, 07:18:58 PM »
    anytime!

    btw witch software do you use/recommend for a new seller like me.

    Seller central!! ;) ;D, to do what?

    ALOL

    Was referring to all ''extention on chrome" do you use any ? If yes witch one ?