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 975710 times)

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3940 on: March 06, 2019, 07:30:10 PM »
    ALOL

    Was referring to all ''extention on chrome" do you use any ? If yes witch one ?
    Alot, i dont remember all of the mames off hand but here are some...
    Keepa for listing history
    A few different fba calculators (ill try to send links)
    Note they dont calculate S&L prices
    And 1 that shows u all listening info without needing to go into it (forgot the name)
    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 #3941 on: March 06, 2019, 07:50:02 PM »
    Alot, i dont remember all of the mames off hand but here are some...
    Keepa for listing history
    A few different fba calculators (ill try to send links)
    Note they dont calculate S&L prices
    And 1 that shows u all listening info without needing to go into it (forgot the name)

    Yup send over whatever you think that could be useful. I appreciat3

    Offline RavChik

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3942 on: March 07, 2019, 09:55:49 AM »
    I have issues with my Amazon customer feedbacks. It seems that just a few happy customers leave positive feedback and most of unhappy ones (that relatively small number compared to all customers) leave poor review. Is there any solution to improve the feedback? Thank you

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3943 on: March 07, 2019, 10:00:16 AM »
    I have issues with my Amazon customer feedbacks. It seems that just a few happy customers leave positive feedback and most of unhappy ones (that relatively small number compared to all customers) leave poor review. Is there any solution to improve the feedback? Thank you
    What kind of complaints? Most of them can be removed if its thru FBA, there are companies that claim they get more feedback from customers by sending out emails everytime someone orders Something
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline RavChik

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3944 on: March 07, 2019, 10:31:36 AM »
    What kind of complaints? Most of them can be removed if its thru FBA, there are companies that claim they get more feedback from customers by sending out emails everytime someone orders Something

    I mostly do not use FBA and mail directly. Most of the negative feedback are due to non-receipt and damaged items (I sell some glass items). I was considering getting software that automatically send feedback requests, but I heard it does not do much.

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3945 on: March 07, 2019, 10:39:28 AM »
    I mostly do not use FBA and mail directly. Most of the negative feedback are due to non-receipt and damaged items (I sell some glass items). I was considering getting software that automatically send feedback requests, but I heard it does not do much.
    FBM is a whole diff ballgame and almost impossible to take off and it goes against your ODR, do u get alot of A-Z claims?
    i used a few different software didn't see much difference but friends of mine have seen great results.
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline RavChik

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3946 on: March 07, 2019, 11:02:18 AM »
    FBM is a whole diff ballgame and almost impossible to take off and it goes against your ODR, do u get alot of A-Z claims?
    i used a few different software didn't see much difference but friends of mine have seen great results.

    Not that many A-Z claims, as I usually refund before claims in case of any issues, but I can't keep my feedback up...

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3947 on: March 07, 2019, 11:09:12 AM »
    Not that many A-Z claims, as I usually refund before claims in case of any issues, but I can't keep my feedback up...
    u have to find the write wording but u can tell customers that you will ship out a new, refund etc... and they should please reconsider their feedback.
    im not sure how long ur doing this or what % of ur sales are negative but amazon dosnt think twice before shutting down someone for what they consider high ODR.
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline RavChik

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3948 on: March 07, 2019, 01:43:13 PM »
    u have to find the write wording but u can tell customers that you will ship out a new, refund etc... and they should please reconsider their feedback.
    im not sure how long ur doing this or what % of ur sales are negative but amazon dosnt think twice before shutting down someone for what they consider high ODR.

    Thank you! I you or anyone else have more suggestions, please share

    Offline ADG

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3949 on: March 11, 2019, 01:15:53 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?

    Offline Bukboy

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3950 on: March 11, 2019, 01:50:51 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?
    I'm sure it does. Be prepared though that at some point you might loss all your reviews! Even the legit ones. + a ban/hold on your product for customers to post reviews.

    Offline Naftuli19

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3951 on: March 11, 2019, 02:06:21 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?
    There are private FB and whatsapp groups that do it, but its very very risky amazon has some really good algorithms to detect these kind of reviews.
    Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of A Moment Until It's Become A Memory...

    Offline 4yourinfo

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3952 on: March 11, 2019, 03:42:22 PM »
    Thank you! I you or anyone else have more suggestions, please share
    Buyers have to be really happy to leave feedback - buyers leave feedback when the transaction went better than expected - ship out immediately, pack the item well, answer questions problems right away, make sure the products/packaging looks clean not dusty, don't pump up the item too much in the listing - and Finally maybe don't sell fragile items..(btw I don't sell on Amazon Just ebay but customers love fast shipping...)


    Offline ~King Lake~

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3953 on: March 18, 2019, 04:40:46 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?
    there is a website called "rebate key" there you could sell your stuff from amazon for cheaper or offer it for free, it works that you post your item with a link to amazon and that buyer buys it from amazon and gets payed back after 30 days when there is no longer a return option but rebate key takes the money right away to secure that the customer will get back the money.
    but there is no obligation for the buyer to leave a review or feedback you could email them through there website but no guaranties.
    i did it right after i put up my things on amazon just to get sales and i did NOT get any reviews
    I’m in shape, round is a shape…

    Offline Pad18

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3954 on: March 18, 2019, 05:09:06 PM »
    there is a website called "rebate key" there you could sell your stuff from amazon for cheaper or offer it for free, it works that you post your item with a link to amazon and that buyer buys it from amazon and gets payed back after 30 days when there is no longer a return option but rebate key takes the money right away to secure that the customer will get back the money.
    but there is no obligation for the buyer to leave a review or feedback you could email them through there website but no guaranties.
    i did it right after i put up my things on amazon just to get sales and i did NOT get any reviews

    i am confused, why promote services that didn't work well for you? especially if this is not a service that could help him. (as you said, that "there is no obligation for the buyer to leave a review or feedback")

    Offline ~King Lake~

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3955 on: March 18, 2019, 05:33:06 PM »
    i am confused, why promote services that didn't work well for you? especially if this is not a service that could help him. (as you said, that "there is no obligation for the buyer to leave a review or feedback")
    i did it because my item was a brand new listing and to bring it some what up the page on amazon i needed sales!
    I’m in shape, round is a shape…

    Offline ~King Lake~

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3956 on: March 18, 2019, 05:37:46 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?
    and there is one on amazon as well it's called "early review program" amazon charges $60 for it and it's guaranteed 5 reviews.
    if you sign up for this amazon starts to offer for customers who bought your item a amazon gift card of 2 or 3 dollars in exchange of a review, and on top of the review next to "verified purchase" it says "early review program"
    I’m in shape, round is a shape…

    Offline ~King Lake~

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3957 on: March 18, 2019, 05:41:19 PM »
    i did this early review program on amazon and because of that i'm the first on the page now on amazon on the hardest keyword for my product
    I’m in shape, round is a shape…

    Offline Sammyonetwo

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3958 on: March 18, 2019, 05:53:41 PM »
    I am looking for a service, that will buy and review my products on Amazon. Do these still exist and do they work?

    Friends and family is the simplest, there are people sell reviews for 10 to 15 bucks each plus product cost.

    rebate key is not meant for reviews its intended to rank

     

    Offline Sammyonetwo

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    Re: Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « Reply #3959 on: March 18, 2019, 05:56:19 PM »
    i did this early review program on amazon and because of that i'm the first on the page now on amazon on the hardest keyword for my product

    LOL you can be on the first page, but i guarantee its x because of any reviews or programs its your sessions and sales.