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 975621 times)

    Offline notanonymous

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #280 on: November 21, 2013, 10:32:42 PM »

    Offline meshugener

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #281 on: November 21, 2013, 10:36:44 PM »
    I have no problem with that, just don't come with BS about securing customers experience etc.
    Love me or hate me. I still love you.

    Offline Super Speed

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #282 on: November 22, 2013, 12:34:50 AM »
    I have no problem with that, just don't come with BS about securing customers experience etc.
    Couldn't agree more.


    Offline Dave321

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #283 on: November 22, 2013, 12:38:35 AM »
    Lets get something clear. Amazon does NOT care about you. PERIOD. If you like your account, u may not be able to keep it. Ive seen them do some pretty outrageous stuff to seller accounts (companies that do more then 50 million a year in sales) and they still treat them like garbage. They can make any rule they want regardless of how ridiculous it may seem to you.

    Wishing you all tons of luck!

    (oh and btw, they do sell some products for below cost. Its called gaining market share).

    Offline Myccrabbi

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #284 on: November 22, 2013, 12:41:38 AM »
    If u work for a living, why kill urself working?

    Offline yitzf

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #285 on: November 22, 2013, 12:52:08 AM »
    I have no problem with that, just don't come with BS about securing customers experience etc.
    I'm not sure if it applies directly to your item, but it's out there in the rules that many categories are closed to outside sellers unless you are approved. I think watches and shoes are an example.

    Offline Yeki89

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #286 on: November 22, 2013, 02:09:09 AM »
    Correct, jewlery, clothing , watches are all restricted.

    Offline joe

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #287 on: November 22, 2013, 04:05:26 AM »
    WTH
    I listed something which is competing with an item Amazon sells, and here's what I got:

    Hello from Amazon,

    Customers trust that they can always buy with confidence when they make purchases on Amazon.com. In order to preserve customer trust, we have implemented listing restrictions on Cell Phones and Accessories, MP3 Players and Accessories, Car Electronics and GPS items that are considered to be at risk of being counterfeited.

    Your listings for Samsung ASINs are among those that have been removed as a result of this policy.  Effective immediately, your listings are removed for those ASINs. There is no penalty for this removal, but we ask that you refrain from relisting removed products.

    Certain sellers may be allowed to sell these products.  If you are interested in seeking pre-approval to sell these products, please send the following information to pq-preapprovals@amazon.com:


    •Your store name
    •Information about your suppliers, including name, address and contact information
    •Invoices, purchase orders or other documents showing that you obtain your inventory from trustworthy sources

    You may obscure pricing information on any purchase orders, receipts, or invoices you send. We ask that you do not obscure any other portion of these documents.

    If you have more questions, please contact Seller Support. We appreciate your cooperation in this important matter.

    Regards,
    Amazon Services
    (c) 2013 Amazon.com Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

    FYI,

    I received a few of these emails today, all of them were for samsung items in the cell phone department. Seems to me like they are blocking off all samsung cell phones and accessories.

    Offline tzeekee123

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #288 on: November 22, 2013, 05:13:36 AM »
    Wow, I just caught up a little on this thread, some really great info on here (where was I until now? ::)). There should definitely be a wiki for all this!

    Anyone know how/what's needed to get approved to sell clothing on Amazon?


    Offline Bh101

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #289 on: November 22, 2013, 05:15:58 AM »
    why should there be a wiki?

    Offline tzeekee123

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #290 on: November 22, 2013, 05:21:02 AM »
    why should there be a wiki?
    Maybe to simplify all fba and buy box details for starters...

    Offline Bh101

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #291 on: November 22, 2013, 05:27:36 AM »
    not much to it, not worth a wiki.

    Offline ya

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #292 on: November 22, 2013, 09:06:31 AM »
    Wow, I just caught up a little on this thread, some really great info on here (where was I until now? ::)). There should definitely be a wiki for all this!

    Anyone know how/what's needed to get approved to sell clothing on Amazon?


    http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14113001 after you log in to your seller account click apply...

    Offline ya

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #293 on: November 22, 2013, 10:24:44 AM »
    Anyone know if its possible to archive an item with inventory?

    Offline Ergel

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #294 on: November 22, 2013, 12:14:24 PM »
    Anyone know if its possible to archive an item with inventory?
    Without requesting shipment back to you?
    Just raise price to $10k
    Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

    Offline tzeekee123

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #295 on: November 22, 2013, 12:32:58 PM »
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14113001 after you log in to your seller account click apply...
    Thanks, I actually knew that. What I meant to ask is, what is the best way to actually get approved, since I hear that it's very difficult to get approved with them to be a new merchant in the clothing category, especially if I don't have any feedback or an actual retail store. Any tips regarding this matter? Because I'm worried about applying and getting rejected, and then having that rejection on my account...

    Also, I wanted to contact them to speak to a seller representative but it seems like you can only call once you have a selling account (which ends up taking me to the application page). Is there a number I can call without associating my account?

    Thanks for all the help!

    Offline ilherman

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #296 on: November 22, 2013, 12:56:22 PM »
    Without requesting shipment back to you?
    Just raise price to $10k
    Yup. This what I'm doing ערב שבת....
    You can say what you think when you think what you say.

    Offline ilherman

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #297 on: November 22, 2013, 01:12:38 PM »
    As of now Amazon is loosing hundreds of dollars a day because of me: 

    I sent in one of the hottest items FBA, Amazon got them in the same day that mine came in, of course they slashed the price right away from $22.99 to $17.99 , so I put mine on $16.71, I got the buy box for a minute, sold one piece, then Amazon quickly matched my price, now they are loosing $1 on each sale, just brcause they don't want me to sell my 4 items.

    They sell a few hundred pieces of them a day.
    You can say what you think when you think what you say.

    Offline ya

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #298 on: November 22, 2013, 02:19:03 PM »
    Anyone know if its possible to archive an item with inventory?
    Without requesting shipment back to you?
    Just raise price to $10k
    won't work. I have 2 listing tied to 1 batch of inventory. I just want to archive one of the listings.

    Offline Bh101

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    Re: selling on amazon
    « Reply #299 on: November 22, 2013, 03:06:51 PM »
    u cant u have to wait till all inventory is sold with that listing and then get rid of it, meanwhile make sure that u have the same price on both listings.