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 975226 times)

    Offline efyrcks

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    Selling on Amazon Master Thread
    « on: October 03, 2011, 03:15:09 PM »
    Does anyone here have any experience selling on amazon as a side profit?

    I was wondering if it is worthwhile getting a wholesalers license in order to get wholesale prices and then reselling on amazon? or is there just too much competition that the profit margin is not worth it?

    Also maybe you know of other places to get things to sell that you don't mind telling?

    I am in yeshiva and need to make some money on the side and I thought this might be a good idea.

    Thanks

    P.S. I am open to any suggestions of sources of income that wouldn't compromise my yeshiva/college schedule.
    « Last Edit: September 17, 2014, 03:26:07 PM by jj1000 »

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #1 on: October 03, 2011, 03:41:13 PM »
    Just a small suggestion -
    I have sold a lot of items on amazon.... There is tonz of competition and there could be little profit

    I mostly sold hot items, cuz the turn over time is much quicker.

    There are dropship companies that you could sign up with and if the item sells you dropship it (DOBA.COM) - I never did this cuz the profit line is really slim... only worth it if you spend a lot of time listing a lot of items.

    If this is something you are serious about doing - Deff go into it. I have made a lot of money selling things on amazon. Now I just sell on ebay.


    Offline Saver2000

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #2 on: October 03, 2011, 07:30:33 PM »
    Just a small suggestion -
    I have sold a lot of items on amazon.... There is tonz of competition and there could be little profit

     Now I just sell on ebay

    Ebay/paypal fees are less than Amazon fees? Is that why u only sell on ebay now?


    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #3 on: October 03, 2011, 08:24:59 PM »
    Ebay/paypal fees are less than Amazon fees? Is that why u only sell on ebay now?

    Not the only reason... The fees are less for me cuz I have a ebay store and am a power seller so that give me discount

    But I like ebay more cuz there is more exposure, and I ship internationally... Also items sell quicker on ebay

    Offline Tzadik Nistar

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #4 on: February 20, 2013, 12:07:57 PM »
    Is there a way to find out how many of a specific item (not sold by me) was sold on amazon?

    Offline Yeki89

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #5 on: February 20, 2013, 01:08:58 PM »
    Not the only reason... The fees are less for me cuz I have a ebay store and am a power seller so that give me discount

    But I like ebay more cuz there is more exposure, and I ship internationally... Also items sell quicker on ebay
    that won't do anything, ypou need to be top rated

    Offline RoboJam

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #6 on: February 20, 2013, 03:06:31 PM »
    Does anyone here have any experience selling on amazon as a side profit?

    I was wondering if it is worthwhile getting a wholesalers license in order to get wholesale prices and then reselling on amazon? or is there just too much competition that the profit margin is not worth it?

    Also maybe you know of other places to get things to sell that you don't mind telling?

    I am in yeshiva and need to make some money on the side and I thought this might be a good idea.

    Thanks

    P.S. I am open to any suggestions of sources of income that wouldn't compromise my yeshiva/college schedule.
    I cant see how running a capital guzzling merchandise business would be a good idea for you. You need a ton of cash flow for inventory, plus the listing/packaging/shipping takes up lots of time. You also have to be really on top of your orders if your selling on Amazon or eBay they really got strict about communication and dispatch time. No copping out for a day of hooky...
    Only option I see fit for you with Amazon would be FBA on non expensive items, where you just do the shipping once a week or so. look into that.

    The best option for you would be if you can get ppl paying you for a service you can provide. Anything your good at, computers, writing, handy work, etc. Maybe listing items online for someone looking for an extra hand.
    just M2C
    It may be that my sole purpose in life is to serve as a bad example

    Offline Shmelly

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #7 on: February 20, 2013, 03:35:59 PM »
    You're responding to a post from 1.5 years ago to a guy who hasn't been on DDF in 6 months.
    You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. - Dr. Seuss

    Offline RoboJam

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #8 on: February 20, 2013, 03:45:26 PM »
    You're responding to a post from 1.5 years ago to a guy who hasn't been on DDF in 6 months.
    hahah Jokes on me. Really missed that.
    Good advice though for anyone not aware the ramifications of selling on eBay Amazon and merchandising in general.
    It may be that my sole purpose in life is to serve as a bad example

    Offline sky121

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #9 on: April 09, 2013, 11:19:52 AM »
    Didn't want to start a new thread-

    q- When something is fulfilled through Amazon does it have Amazons return policy?
    "Not all who wander are lost"

    Offline Ergel

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #10 on: April 09, 2013, 11:23:01 AM »
    Yup
    Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #11 on: April 09, 2013, 11:23:13 AM »
    Didn't want to start a new thread-

    q- When something is fulfilled through Amazon does it have Amazons return policy?
    Yes it does.

    It sucks, but that's how it is.
    (I don't know if you asking from the buying or selling point of view)

    On the flip side FBA items sell much better

    Offline sky121

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #12 on: April 09, 2013, 11:24:04 AM »
    Yes it does.

    It sucks, but that's how it is.

    On the flip side FBA items sell much better

    I was asking because of something I am purchasing so in this case its a good thing. But I hear the other side.
    "Not all who wander are lost"

    Offline Name Changed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #13 on: April 09, 2013, 11:25:25 AM »
    I was asking because of something I am purchasing so in this case its a good thing. But I hear the other side.
    I actually edited my post, after I realized that you are more likely are coming from the buying point. The title of "Selling on Amazon" threw me off.


    Offline sky121

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #14 on: April 09, 2013, 11:25:53 AM »
    I actually edited my post, after I realized that you are more likely are coming from the buying point. The title of "Selling on Amazon" threw me off.

    Yup, just didn't want to start a new thread.

    Thanks!
    "Not all who wander are lost"

    Offline Solomon

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #15 on: August 06, 2013, 11:46:56 AM »
    Amazon seller central down already since the morning 

    Offline Zalmy2

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #16 on: August 06, 2013, 12:16:03 PM »
    Amazon seller central down already since the morning
    I can't remember it ever being down for such a long time

    Offline Solomon

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #17 on: August 06, 2013, 12:19:49 PM »
    I can't remember it ever being down for such a long time
    It's crazy how they won't send out a email or inform sellers to update on what's going on

    Offline Yeki89

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #18 on: August 06, 2013, 12:22:39 PM »
    +1 I tried login in all morning....

    Offline Moshe123

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #19 on: August 06, 2013, 03:56:32 PM »
    This is nuts!