Selling through Amazon FBA

[gmpirate]

I haven't received any of the notices but I just noticed Sesame Street just became stranded.  The listing is gone.

[redcell]

Remember those CPC / CPSIA requests from a month ago?  I ignored them since I was OOS.  Amazon closed down some of those listings after the request deadlines passed. ie. the item pages are gone from Amzn
TLDR: If you get the requests and you want to continue selling those items on Amzn, you may want to give them the requested CPC / CPSIA documents

These are turning out to be a real PIA. There are only a few manufacturers that I've found that disclose exactly what Amazon wants to see. Some give the testing reports, but no CPC, others give CPC, but no testing reports. If they ever start doing this broadly on Lego, it will be lights out on those listings.

[redcell]

58 minutes ago, gmpirate said:

I haven't received any of the notices but I just noticed Sesame Street just became stranded.  The listing is gone.

They didn't send notices for all of the listings that they are requiring documents on.  You have to go to Account Health in the Performance section of Seller Central and scroll down to Document Requests to see what they're actually asking for.

[cladner]

5 hours ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Remember those CPC / CPSIA requests from a month ago?  I ignored them since I was OOS.  Amazon closed down some of those listings after the request deadlines passed. ie. the item pages are gone from Amzn

TLDR: If you get the requests and you want to continue selling those items on Amzn, you may want to give them the requested CPC / CPSIA documents

my approach has been to delete targeted sku from my store wait a couple of months and relist.  have never had any issues with this approach.  knock knock knock.  have never had a relisted sku that was targeted either taken down or retargeted.

Edited February 14, 2021 by cladner

[cladner]

also amazon has removed the price cap on nebulon b - used to be ur listing would be removed if ur price was higher than $114-115 for pricing error - now u can list much higher.  sub $100 seller PFT is also oos so hopefully catches up to bespin.

Edited February 14, 2021 by cladner

[Darth_Raichu]

20 minutes ago, cladner said:

my approach has been to delete targeted sku from my store wait a couple of months and relist.  have never had any issues with this approach.  knock knock knock.  have never had a relisted sku that was targeted either taken down or retargeted.

Did you re-create the listing page under new ASIN?  The pages are gone in my case, 0 seller, and when I clicked the link it brought me to the page with a random dog

14 minutes ago, cladner said:

also amazon has removed the price cap on nebulon b - used to be ur listing would be removed if ur price was higher than $114-115 for pricing error - now u can list much higher.  sub $100 seller PFT is also oos so hopefully catches up to bespin.

Price cap is still there.  It is around $150 now.

[cladner]

35 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Did you re-create the listing page under new ASIN?  The pages are gone in my case, 0 seller, and when I clicked the link it brought me to the page with a random dog

 

there are still other sellers on the listing.  not everyone gets flagged.  one listing i got flagged on is yellow hot wheels lamboghini- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07438KCX1 - so i deleted the sku from my store.  in 2-3 months, i will try and relist.

 

35 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

 

Price cap is still there.  It is around $150 now.

i can list up to $170 -  i haven't tried pushing it over that point.  i'm not greedy.

Edited February 14, 2021 by cladner

[AWES22]

Is it just me or are there a lot more Legos that are restricted than before?

[brickolodon]

Nope for me mostly jurassic world and Pokémon

[redcell]

20 hours ago, AWES22 said:

Is it just me or are there a lot more Legos that are restricted than before?

This started about a year ago, but is inconsistent across accounts. 

[AWES22]

51 minutes ago, redcell said:

This started about a year ago, but is inconsistent across accounts. 

Is there a way I can circumnavigate it or are the Legos that are restricted  for me just gonna stay restricted?

Edited February 15, 2021 by AWES22

[redcell]

27 minutes ago, AWES22 said:

Is there a way I can circumnavigate it or are the Legos that are restricted  for me just gonna stay restricted?

It's not clear whether the gates will be lifted at some point or stay in place.  Historically, these kinds of gates fell around the holidays and lifted right after, but there are a handful that have proven persistent for some over the last year (e.g., Mia's Tree House, Bash!).  I've raised this issue with Seller Support, but haven't gotten anywhere.  I'm expecting them to stay in place, but hoping that they don't.

[cladner]

34 minutes ago, AWES22 said:

Is there a way I can circumnavigate it or are the Legos that are restricted  for me just gonna stay restricted?

they may or may not.  nobody knows. 

my strategy to avoid investing in sets i am blocked on is to add the sets u think u want to sell as early as it lets u add them to inventory.  when i go out clearance shopping and i come across sets that weren't on that list on deep discount, i use the seller app to scan the upc and see if the set is restricted.  if it is restricted i leave it behind , even when its 75% off.  maybe if i had a bricklink store i would grab them.  many friends sets this last clearance round i could have gotten for 75% off left behind.

if ur stuck with restricted listing sets - look for alternative listings.  gingerbread house is restricted for many under main listing but there is an alternative listing with a decent sales rank.  same thing with downtown diner.

 i am not picking up the retiring fishing city set because i am restricted on it.  if found this out right before i arm swept them into cart by checking app first.

Edited February 15, 2021 by cladner

[Mark Twain]

It looks like there's a solid correlation between gated sets and high sales ranks, at least on my end. There's a few outliers, but the higher sales rank skus look like they're the ones gated most often. 

[skinsfan0521]

Can you guys provide some examples of restricted sets? I have yet to come across one (knock on wood!) and I just checked the two that @redcell mentioned above and neither Mia's Tree House or Bash! are restricted for me either. I sold over 100 Bash! in q4 and just sent in my last Mia's Tree House in a shipment last week. I also checked Gingerbred House that @cladner mentioned too and not restricted on that one either. I sold Gingerbread House on the main listing in q4 as well.

Also, this isn't the original intent of my reply at all, but if anybody has a bunch of sets that they're restricted in that they're looking to unload, I'd be interested in buying if the price is right. Feel free to PM me.

I'm really curious and trying to figure out if there's a rhyme or reason to the restrictions because I don't want to end up with a bunch of sets that I can't sell on Amazon!

[odysea11]

I am also restricted on Bash!, Mia's Tree House, Friend's Hair Salon, City Diving Yacht, City Fire Station, City Garbage Truck, Architecture New York, Satellite Service Mission, City Street Sweeper, City Police Patrol Car, Friends Cupcake Cafe, Nature Glamping, Apollo Lunar Lander...just to name a few....pain in the ass!

[skinsfan0521]

4 minutes ago, odysea11 said:

I am also restricted on Bash!, Mia's Tree House, Friend's Hair Salon, City Diving Yacht, City Fire Station, City Garbage Truck, Architecture New York, Satellite Service Mission, City Street Sweeper, City Police Patrol Car, Friends Cupcake Cafe, Nature Glamping, Apollo Lunar Lander...just to name a few....pain in the ass!

Just checked all of those (except glamping, I couldn't find that one quickly) and I am able to sell all of them. This is confusing...

[Bricklectic]

Any risks to listing on alternative listings like cladner suggested? Seems like it should be okay but just wondering if anyone has any negative experience.

Interestingly some of these alternative listings have surpassed the official listing in terms of sales rank and review count.

[legorunner]

11 minutes ago, odysea11 said:

I am also restricted on Bash!, Mia's Tree House, Friend's Hair Salon, City Diving Yacht, City Fire Station, City Garbage Truck, Architecture New York, Satellite Service Mission, City Street Sweeper, City Police Patrol Car, Friends Cupcake Cafe, Nature Glamping, Apollo Lunar Lander...just to name a few....pain in the ass!

A good example of the randomness: I am restricted on all of those EXCEPT NYC...

[Mark Twain]

Restricted on the following to name a few:

• Diving Yatch
• Monster Truck
• Garbage Truck
• Space Satellite Service Mission
• Frozen Jewelry Box
• War Machine Buster
• Nearly all speed champion sets
• HP Night Bus
• HP Hagrid's Hut

Additional issues

• Crocodile locomotive restricted for me as FBA only on both main and alternate listing
• Getting two warning high price errors for MC Skeleton Attack polybag and Death Star trench cannon. Regardless of how low I drop the price the warning doesn't go away and the listing remains locked. Do I delete and relist? 

[odysea11]

53 minutes ago, Mark Twain said:

Getting two warning high price errors for MC Skeleton Attack polybag and Death Star trench cannon. Regardless of how low I drop the price the warning doesn't go away and the listing remains locked. Do I delete and relist? 

I was getting the same thing for 60182 Pickup & Caravan...I closed the listing and waited for a couple of months, and now I can list at whatever price. So it seems that the pricing errors drop off after a certain amount of time.

Also, the Tumbler was restricted for many of us for a long time, but then finally opened back up. Maybe the same will happen with some of these currently restricted sets....who knows?!

[gmpirate]

4 hours ago, cladner said:

my strategy to avoid investing in sets i am blocked on is to add the sets u think u want to sell as early as it lets u add them to inventory.  when i go out clearance shopping and i come across sets that weren't on that list on deep discount, i use the seller app to scan the upc and see if the set is restricted.  if it is restricted i leave it behind , even when its 75% off.  maybe if i had a bricklink store i would grab them.  many friends sets this last clearance round i could have gotten for 75% off left behind.

I buy them anyway.  It appears the listings eventually open up or alternate ones are created.  And if the discount is 75% there's a good chance I can unload them somewhere else.

 

4 hours ago, redcell said:

I've raised this issue with Seller Support, but haven't gotten anywhere.  I'm expecting them to stay in place, but hoping that they don't.

I take it they would not address the issue?  That's been my experience anyway.  Whenever I've tried to contact them about a listing issue they will not look into it unless I have sent inventory in.  They are fun discussions that go round and round.

[exciter1]

1 hour ago, odysea11 said:

I was getting the same thing for 60182 Pickup & Caravan...I closed the listing and waited for a couple of months, and now I can list at whatever price. So it seems that the pricing errors drop off after a certain amount of time.

Also, the Tumbler was restricted for many of us for a long time, but then finally opened back up. Maybe the same will happen with some of these currently restricted sets....who knows?!

Sandcrawler opened back up too for most I think

Another fun email from Amazon.  Of course, nowhere in there does it say if you use Amazon Shipping Services to purchase shipping, you are covered.

Hello,

To improve the delivery experience of seller-fulfilled orders for our customers, we want to ensure customers can see detailed shipment tracking information wherever possible. We have found that this also reduces customer contacts, order-related defects, and lost-shipment costs, while improving seller feedback ratings.

What is the new requirement?

Today, for seller-fulfilled orders, you are required to provide the carrier name when you confirm shipment through the Manage Orders page on Seller Central. We are making the following changes to the shipment confirmation process:

• Beginning April 5, 2021, you will be required to provide the carrier name (that is, the carrier-code field) when you confirm shipments via bulk feeds, APIs, or integrators. Some of the commonly used carrier names are USPS, UPS, and FedEx.

• Beginning May 3, 2021, Amazon will validate tracking details (including carrier name and tracking ID) for all seller-fulfilled orders, and show warnings for invalid tracking details.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I enter the carrier name?

In order to provide the carrier name during shipment confirmation, do the following:

• When using Manage Orders on Seller Central (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/orders-v3), select the carrier name from the drop-down list. If you don’t see your carrier listed in the drop-down list, select ‘Other’ and input the carrier name in the text field. We will add more carriers over time.

• When using bulk feeds or APIs, provide the carrier-code (‘CarrierCode’ for APIs) during shipment confirmation for each order. If you are using an unlisted carrier, set the carrier code as ‘Other’ and then provide the carrier name in the carrier-name field (‘CarrierName’ for APIs). To learn more about the carrier-code and carrier-name fields, visit https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G641. Note: If you are using an integrator, work with your integrator to ensure the carrier details are provided to us when confirming a shipment.

• When using Buy Shipping, there is no action required. We automatically collect data on carriers and ship methods used through Buy Shipping.

2. What happens if I provide an incorrect tracking ID during shipment confirmation?

During the shipment confirmation process, you will receive a warning message “Please enter a valid tracking ID to confirm shipment.” Once you have entered a valid tracking ID, you will be able to confirm your shipment.

3. Do I need to provide shipping service (or ship method) details during the shipment confirmation process?

Shipping service (or ship method) details are not required to confirm a shipment, but we highly recommend that you provide these details. This helps Amazon to provide accurate shipment tracking information to customers.

 

[skinsfan0521]

2 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

Sandcrawler opened back up too for most I think

Another fun email from Amazon.  Of course, nowhere in there does it say if you use Amazon Shipping Services to purchase shipping, you are covered.

Hello,

 

 

To improve the delivery experience of seller-fulfilled orders for our customers, we want to ensure customers can see detailed shipment tracking information wherever possible. We have found that this also reduces customer contacts, order-related defects, and lost-shipment costs, while improving seller feedback ratings.

 

 

What is the new requirement?

 

 

Today, for seller-fulfilled orders, you are required to provide the carrier name when you confirm shipment through the Manage Orders page on Seller Central. We are making the following changes to the shipment confirmation process:

 

 

• Beginning April 5, 2021, you will be required to provide the carrier name (that is, the carrier-code field) when you confirm shipments via bulk feeds, APIs, or integrators. Some of the commonly used carrier names are USPS, UPS, and FedEx.

 

 

• Beginning May 3, 2021, Amazon will validate tracking details (including carrier name and tracking ID) for all seller-fulfilled orders, and show warnings for invalid tracking details.

 

 

Frequently asked questions

 

 

1. How do I enter the carrier name?

 

 

In order to provide the carrier name during shipment confirmation, do the following:

 

 

• When using Manage Orders on Seller Central (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/orders-v3), select the carrier name from the drop-down list. If you don’t see your carrier listed in the drop-down list, select ‘Other’ and input the carrier name in the text field. We will add more carriers over time.

 

 

• When using bulk feeds or APIs, provide the carrier-code (‘CarrierCode’ for APIs) during shipment confirmation for each order. If you are using an unlisted carrier, set the carrier code as ‘Other’ and then provide the carrier name in the carrier-name field (‘CarrierName’ for APIs). To learn more about the carrier-code and carrier-name fields, visit https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G641. Note: If you are using an integrator, work with your integrator to ensure the carrier details are provided to us when confirming a shipment.

 

 

• When using Buy Shipping, there is no action required. We automatically collect data on carriers and ship methods used through Buy Shipping.

 

 

2. What happens if I provide an incorrect tracking ID during shipment confirmation?

 

 

During the shipment confirmation process, you will receive a warning message “Please enter a valid tracking ID to confirm shipment.” Once you have entered a valid tracking ID, you will be able to confirm your shipment.

 

 

3. Do I need to provide shipping service (or ship method) details during the shipment confirmation process?

 

 

Shipping service (or ship method) details are not required to confirm a shipment, but we highly recommend that you provide these details. This helps Amazon to provide accurate shipment tracking information to customers.

 

I'm annoyed at Amazon as the next guy, but that email does actually say that you're all set if you buy shipping directly from Amazon. Sure, when I got the email initially, I did have to read it twice to see it mentioned (which I shouldn't have to do!!), but it is there (highlighted in my quote of your post).

[skinsfan0521]

2 hours ago, Mark Twain said:

Restricted on the following to name a few:

• Diving Yatch
• Monster Truck
• Garbage Truck
• Space Satellite Service Mission
• Frozen Jewelry Box
• War Machine Buster
• Nearly all speed champion sets
• HP Night Bus
• HP Hagrid's Hut

Additional issues

• Crocodile locomotive restricted for me as FBA only on both main and alternate listing
• Getting two warning high price errors for MC Skeleton Attack polybag and Death Star trench cannon. Regardless of how low I drop the price the warning doesn't go away and the listing remains locked. Do I delete and relist? 

Interesting... again, I'm not restricted from any of those items that you listed.

As for pricing errors - I'm not sure that it matters that you delete a listing and open it back up again. I've noticed that eventually the acceptable price rises to where I want to sell it at and then I go edit the price and save it and then it becomes unlocked. You may be right that deleting helps, but I've found that just playing the waiting game usually sorts itself out due to the price rising.