Selling Lego on Amazon.com

[smittypop2]

I just wanted to offer a heads up that Amazon is probably not going to let us resellers sell anything episode 7 related on Amazon for the time being. They sent out an email that said they were gating Ep 7 merchandise and my application for it was denied today. I do have a wholesale account with a distributor and sent in actual invoices and they basically told me I needed a letter from the manufacturer stating that I was allowed to resell episode 7 merchandise in order to be approved. I was also told the decision was final and too bad. I think they are going to be doing more things like this going forward.

[comicblast]

Newbie selling on Amazon here. Listed my first couple items yesterday, and no sales so far, but I do have a question in regards to shipping. The shipping for this set is $8.49 (default on Amazon), and the shipping credit is the same amount. For this item, using either UPS or USPS will be at least $40, calculated using their shipping calculators, so how is Amazon getting $8.49?? They must know that shipping will be more expensive than that for a heavier and larger item. Does Amazon have agreements with shipping carriers to discount overall shipping costs? Or are we expected to "build in" the difference? Or both?

Thanks for the answers, guys! 

Edited August 19, 2015 by comicblast

[asharerin]

You will have to build the difference into your price. Amazon is well aware what the retail rate for shipping is. Amazon does not want its (not yours) customers exposed to high shipping costs. You have to remember most people who shop on amazon are used to paying zero for 2 day shipping. Amazon is all about promoting perceived value to its (not yours) well heeled customers, not price.

[comicblast]

You will have to build the difference into your price. Amazon is well aware what the retail rate for shipping is. Amazon does not want its (not yours) customers exposed to high shipping costs. You have to remember most people who shop on amazon are used to paying zero for 2 day shipping. Amazon is all about promoting perceived value to its (not yours) well heeled customers, not price.

Thanks for the clarification, asharerin. Do FBA sellers end up paying the entire shipping cost, since they don't get a shipping credit?

[asharerin]

Yes but FBA sellers only get charged a very cheap subsidized rate. Check this calculator for comparison between merchant fulfilled and FBA:

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/hz/fba/profitabilitycalculator/index?lang=en_US

The actual shipping cost is under "weight handling". FBA sellers will also have to pay the warehouse worker to pick and pack the order.

 

Edited August 19, 2015 by asharerin

[LJD1019]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

[Sandwraith]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

 

Not an Amazon seller myself, but maybe minifigs? Or just parting sets out altogether (not piece by piece like bricklink, but keeping bigger stuff together like vehicles etc). 

[jaylay]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

 

just go and sell on the bay ...

[justapilgrim]

Or do FBA

[zskid00]

I have started to sell a few things on Amazon the last couple months and this drives me nuts.  My profit is all over the place because of the low flat rate shipping that cannot be adjusted.  I've had to ship items to HI, CA, and WA from OH that cost me $20+ for Parcel Post that would have been $7 by Priority Mail if they were in the Midwest or East Coast region.   At the end of the day I would have had the same profit selling on eBay or even come out ahead with these items even though Amazon prices were significantly higher.  This isn't to say I won't keep using Amazon, but I would prefer to do more of my selling on eBay where I can properly calculate my fees and profit prior to the sale.

[jbacunn]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

Polybags, minifigs, non Lego items like Funkos. Even if you break even or take a small loss it is worth it if you plan on ramping up at Christmas and quick flipping.

[cladner]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

 

got any Research Institutes?

Edited August 20, 2015 by cladner

[asharerin]

I am a small time seller, but I would like to sell on amazon during the holiday season. I meet all the requirement except for the 25 sales between sept 1^st and oct 31^st (I usually have 5  sales a month). I am looking for something inexpensive to sell to meet the requirements. any one have some ideas? 

 

The sales do not need to be in the toy category, and the 25 sales can be all FBA. Look for cheap, small, well ranked items and send those in for FBA. Hit up your local walgreens with your smartphone and amazon seller app ready to go and you should find plenty of candidates that will sell quickly and make good money as well.

[brickinfinite]

Just keep in mind that you'll have to be approved to sell in certain product categories and/or be on the Professional Selling plan.

Edited August 20, 2015 by brickinfinite

[Guest]

Can someone explain what I should do in this situation?

A buyer ordered an item from me and then immediately sent a message saying he wanted it shipped to a different address across the country. I responded that I can't do that, but that he can change the shipping address in the order himself, contact amazon customer support or cancel the order and re-order it with the new address. So of course this buyer did not respond to anything else after that so I sent a message to Seller Support asking them what to do. Seller support told me to cancel the order myself then contact the Performance team to get the cancel taken off my account because it wasn't my fault. So I did. And Performance team tells me, no that csr told you the wrong thing and this will effect your account. Now because of this one single cancel my cancel rate is over the 1.75% for holiday selling and now I will not be able to sell during xmas this year. That is my punishment for essentially doing exactly what they told me to do. So I asked over and over what I SHOULD have done in that situation. And the answer I got was to either cancel the order or not fulfill it and let amazon cancel it. Won't both of those choices damage my rating? Yes, they said. So basically in that situation there is nothing I can do that won't hurt me according to Amazon. I asked what is to stop sellers from placing a bunch of orders against their competition and doing the same thing to them? Nothing they said. Wow. Just wow.

 

So anyone have any idea how I should have handled a situation that was completely not my fault but every option for me has a punishment attached?

 

So glad I sold all those items at a loss or break even to get to my 25 sales for no reason. I am definitely not fulfilling any of my 3 open orders. Why bother? What are they going to do, not let me sell during the only time it's worth selling on amazon? Yeah they are doing that already, so no more break even orders are going out.

Edited October 9, 2015 by MarxMarvelous

[LegoEdison]

Can someone explain what I should do in this situation?

A buyer ordered an item from me and then immediately sent a message saying he wanted it shipped to a different address across the country. I responded that I can't do that, but that he can change the shipping address in the order himself, contact amazon customer support or cancel the order and re-order it with the new address. So of course this buyer did not respond to anything else after that so I sent a message to Seller Support asking them what to do. Seller support told me to cancel the order myself then contact the Performance team to get the cancel taken off my account because it wasn't my fault. So I did. And Performance team tells me, no that csr told you the wrong thing and this will effect your account. Now because of this one single cancel my cancel rate is over the 1.75% for holiday selling and now I will not be able to sell during xmas this year. That is my punishment for essentially doing exactly what they told me to do. So I asked over and over what I SHOULD have done in that situation. And the answer I got was to either cancel the order or not fulfill it and let amazon cancel it. Won't both of those choices damage my rating? Yes, they said. So basically in that situation there is nothing I can do that won't hurt me according to Amazon. I asked what is to stop sellers from placing a bunch of orders against their competition and doing the same thing to them? Nothing they said. Wow. Just wow.

 

So anyone have any idea how I should have handled a situation that was completely not my fault but every option for me has a punishment attached?

 

So glad I sold all those items at a loss or break even to get to my 25 sales for no reason. I am definitely not fulfilling any of my 3 open orders. Why bother? What are they going to do, not let me sell during the only time it's worth selling on amazon? Yeah they are doing that already, so no more break even orders are going out.

i guess we need to ship the item to the address listed on the order and let Amazon figure out. More important is now we know how to kick out the under cut seller from the winter season. 

 

[Guest]

More important is now we know how to kick out the under cut seller from the winter season. 

 

I know right? Just place a bunch of orders, demand the seller ship it to Alaska or something and then never respond ever again and let the seller get punished in his lose lose situation. That's a great way to eliminate holiday competition.

[LegoEdison]

I know right? Just place a bunch of orders, demand the seller ship it to Alaska or something and then never respond ever again and let the seller get punished in his lose lose situation. That's a great way to eliminate holiday competition.

Did you try to call  Performance team again? Try to find other people willing to help. the tone "we cannot do anything" is just BS to me. 

[Guest]

Did you try to call  Performance team again? Try to find other people willing to help. the tone "we cannot do anything" is just BS to me. 

I have talked to performance team twice, seller support 4 times and talked to a supervisor from each. They both said there is no way to remove the cancellation from my metrics and I am just basically screwed. Well it was interesting, but I am just going to stick with ebay and bricklink. I don't need the headache of amazon. Ebay would never do this to me. If something they told me to do effected me negatively, they would remove it. Because it the non-scumbag thing to do.

[Guest]

Gave up on amazon. Canceled my 3 open orders, deleted my inventory and moving on and never looking back. Also since I am not worried about suspension anymore, Amazon is going to get A LOOOOOOOT of returns from me. If a set isn't mint, it's going right back. Hope this is all worth it to them.

 

Should have listened to all the people that told me avoid Amazon like the plague, your profits will shrink, your stress will rise and one bad customer is going to ruin you forever. Well they were correct, correct and correct. Lesson learned.

Edited October 9, 2015 by MarxMarvelous

[LegoEdison]

I got 2 BB-8 return due to defective (out of 4 I sold). Both return is after 2 weeks of delivery. 

Never get any return from eBay out of 8. eBay price is even higher than Amazon. 

The return process from Amazon is just too easy for the customer.

[meowingthings]

Gave up on amazon. Canceled my 3 open orders, deleted my inventory and moving on and never looking back. Also since I am not worried about suspension anymore, Amazon is going to get A LOOOOOOOT of returns from me. If a set isn't mint, it's going right back. Hope this is all worth it to them.

 

Should have listened to all the people that told me avoid Amazon like the plague, your profits will shrink, your stress will rise and one bad customer is going to ruin you forever. Well they were correct, correct and correct. Lesson learned.

Just so you are aware, there is a return limit to Amazon before you get banned. The exact number is unknown but I have heard it is around 50.

I sell exclusively on Amazon and have a problem about 2/100 sales. When I sold on eBay it was 1/100. Double the problems but overall a very acceptable rate. The problem is because Amazon sales are generally much less frequent than eBay. If you don't sell 25 or more items a month there is a good chance you will have bad metrics.

I don't sell anything on Amazon unless I am tripling my my investment. One third cost, another for Amazon fees, and the last for profit. That makes eating the occasional loss feasible.

[LegoEdison]

Is the 50 return life time? 

[KShine]

I have talked to performance team twice, seller support 4 times and talked to a supervisor from each. They both said there is no way to remove the cancellation from my metrics and I am just basically screwed. Well it was interesting, but I am just going to stick with ebay and bricklink. I don't need the headache of amazon. Ebay would never do this to me. If something they told me to do effected me negatively, they would remove it. Because it the non-scumbag thing to do.

Keep believing that for as long as you can.

[Bold-Arrow]

To each his own, but FBA was a game changer for men. It has plenty of headaches and stress ( what doesn't at a high volume ) but it is worth it .