Selling through Amazon FBA

[My_own_2_bricks]

A 10211 search shows the set, though the description goes on to say Grand "department" 

How does that get fixed?

[Lego_Monsters]

How do you guys package FBA sets? I printed the labels but not sure if I should stick it on to the box or should I bubble wrap the sets first...kind of lazy to wrap each and every set. If on the box, do you cover it over the UPC barcode?

Edited August 15, 2017 by Lego_Monsters

[redcell]

3 hours ago, Lego_Monsters said:

How do you guys package FBA sets? I printed the labels but not sure if I should stick it on to the box or should I bubble wrap the sets first...kind of lazy to wrap each and every set. If on the box, do you cover it over the UPC barcode?

I pack them in double-walled boxes without any extra padding in the bottom or around the sides.  If there is a big void at the top, I'll fill that sometimes, but not always.  I've never had a problem doing this.  Bubble wrapping each set is complete overkill.

[Bold-Arrow]

meesa only bubble back highly collectible items or sets that either require bubble wrapping by amazon or are over $300 in value. 

i use the single walled home depot boxes  with padding that would only go on the top . haven't had any distributor damaged items in over 2 years ( i realize i just jinxed my self ) 

[Phil B]

FBA rules dictate that you should cover the original barcode, either with a blank sticker or, more conveniently, with your custom barcode sticker. That's of course unless you go for the commingled inventory route.

[redcell]

29 minutes ago, Bold-Arrow said:

meesa only bubble back highly collectible items or sets that either require bubble wrapping by amazon or are over $300 in value. 

i use the single walled home depot boxes  with padding that would only go on the top . haven't had any distributor damaged items in over 2 years ( i realize i just jinxed my self ) 

Dude...talking like Jar Jar...that's a double jinx on that post.

[Lego_Monsters]

At what sales rank do you guys typically send in for FBA? I'm seeing some sets in the 5000 range, and other sets in the 40,000 - 100,000 rank range...What's good, what's bad?

Edited August 18, 2017 by Lego_Monsters

[Kenxxx]

4 hours ago, Lego_Monsters said:

At what sales rank do you guys typically send in for FBA? ...What's good, what's bad?

My policy: if the buy-box price (or a little less) looks satisfactory to me, send it in.  I don't worry much about sales rank, unless I have a lot to sell (I usually send in 1 of this, 3 of that... sometimes 5 or 6 of an item, but rarely more). If you match the buy-box price for sales rank 20,000 or less (and some d-bag doesn't have his software set to automatically undercut you)  items usually sell within the first few hours. Sales rank 40,000 or 70,000 may take a few days. Sales rank 150,000 may take a few weeks (or may sell quickly... you never know).  I am only  wary of slower selling items (sales rank > 100,000 ) in that I won't send in multiples of those items... no need to send in 4 or 6 of those... they may be in storage a month or two, and I don't like storage fees.  If the one you send in sells quickly, send in another.

[4cs]

When you send in sets to be sold FBA, are you generating a new bar code to cover the UPC on the LEGO box, or using the existing bar code? If you use the existing bar codes, is that where "co-mingled" inventory comes into play?

[justapilgrim]

When you send in sets to be sold FBA, are you generating a new bar code to cover the UPC on the LEGO box, or using the existing bar code? If you use the existing bar codes, is that where "co-mingled" inventory comes into play?

Generate new code (it is generated when doing shipment). Existing bar code is for comingled

[redcell]

Have any of the Amazon pros here had their selling privileges suspended or been targeted for an authenticity review by Amazon?  I know that there is a lot of anxiety about this and I have certainly read anecdotes about it, but I have never been clear about the specific circumstances that individual sellers have faced on this front.  I was talking with one of my contacts at Amazon yesterday and what he said led me to believe that the risk may be lower than it might seem. 

[Bold-Arrow]

57 minutes ago, redcell said:

Have any of the Amazon pros here had their selling privileges suspended or been targeted for an authenticity review by Amazon?  I know that there is a lot of anxiety about this and I have certainly read anecdotes about it, but I have never been clear about the specific circumstances that individual sellers have faced on this front.  I was talking with one of my contacts at Amazon yesterday and what he said led me to believe that the risk may be lower than it might seem. 

i know someone that was suspended based on customer feedback 

[asharerin]

2 hours ago, redcell said:

Have any of the Amazon pros here had their selling privileges suspended or been targeted for an authenticity review by Amazon?  I know that there is a lot of anxiety about this and I have certainly read anecdotes about it, but I have never been clear about the specific circumstances that individual sellers have faced on this front.  I was talking with one of my contacts at Amazon yesterday and what he said led me to believe that the risk may be lower than it might seem. 

We personally have not had any reviews or suspensions on any of our amazon accounts but we know plenty who have. Amazon is very strict with their policies and they tighten up all of the time. Manufacturers are also getting alot more involved with making test puchases from Amazon and reporting unauthorised/counterfeit goods and are now also suing sellers directly who are not authorsed resellers. Sounding like a broken record but diversify across categories and across selling platforms. Big changes happen at Amazon all of the time and clearly the pattern is them moving toward cutting down/out 3P sellers. It may happen slowly, they may pull the plug ovenight, but it will happen eventually. They are moving toward a model of Amazon, actual manufacturers, and a handful of the bigger manufacturer authorized resellers being present on the platform. It would be smart to start transitioning out of the Amazon platform and begin building up on other platforms or creating/marketing your own website if you haven't already.

[Robb]

Getting rid of 3PSs would hurt this stat:

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-vs-google-online-shopping-product-starting-point-2017-7

They like being the place that sells the biggest variety of stuff. 3PSs help them offer tons of stuff that other methods don't or take too much effort. I think as manufactures obligate to offer most of their catalog on Amazon we will be kicked off that product. Where it gets interesting is the former products that the manufactures no longer offer. Amazon wants these items to keep people away from Google or competitors sites.

[redcell]

We personally have not had any reviews or suspensions on any of our amazon accounts but we know plenty who have. Amazon is very strict with their policies and they tighten up all of the time. Manufacturers are also getting alot more involved with making test puchases from Amazon and reporting unauthorised/counterfeit goods and are now also suing sellers directly who are not authorsed resellers. Sounding like a broken record but diversify across categories and across selling platforms. Big changes happen at Amazon all of the time and clearly the pattern is them moving toward cutting down/out 3P sellers. It may happen slowly, they may pull the plug ovenight, but it will happen eventually. They are moving toward a model of Amazon, actual manufacturers, and a handful of the bigger manufacturer authorized resellers being present on the platform. It would be smart to start transitioning out of the Amazon platform and begin building up on other platforms or creating/marketing your own website if you haven't already.

I'm not so sure that getting rid of 3PS is Amazon's plan. I think they want to control the quality of the merchandise they're selling and only deal with high quality sellers, but they are making a lot of money off of FBA and am not sure why they would want to kill it.

[thedingman5]

26 minutes ago, redcell said:

 

I'm not so sure that getting rid of 3PS is Amazon's plan. I think they want to control the quality of the merchandise they're selling and only deal with high quality sellers, but they are making a lot of money off of FBA and am not sure why they would want to kill it.

 

I've been of the mind that Amazon is using the FBA business to fund the creation of the physical distribution centers, logistics, etc. (while still making modest margins)...once established, there will be a rotation out of 3PS-sourced goods in favor of direct-from-manufacturer goods.  Essentially financing the physical network via FBA.  Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Tgnmonster]

If you sell through Amazon, and ship your product in by directly affixing your shipping labels to the product itself, and think this is ok, you need punched in the face.

This is the second time my wife and I ordered a large kit from FBA and it arrived in a perfect shipping box, but destroyed inside. And not destroyed by Amazon themselves, but by the seller who though the product would survive being sent through the mail without a packing box.

This was Destiny's Bounty for my son's birthday tomorrow, and upon opening the outer box, I see no less than 3 different shipping labels affixed to it, it was crushed, and damp/wet.

Even worse, the packager at Amazon thought "hmmm, brand new and good to go!" when they received it, and then packaged it.

Apologies, just wanted to vent.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Tgnmonster

[Bold-Arrow]

1 hour ago, Tgnmonster said:

If you sell through Amazon, and ship your product in by directly affixing your shipping labels to the product itself, and think this is ok, you need punched in the face.

This is the second time my wife and I ordered a large kit from FBA and it arrived in a perfect shipping box, but destroyed inside. And not destroyed by Amazon themselves, but by the seller who though the product would survive being sent through the mail without a packing box.

This was Destiny's Bounty for my son's birthday tomorrow, and upon opening the outer box, I see no less than 3 different shipping labels affixed to it, it was crushed, and damp/wet.

Even worse, the packager at Amazon thought "hmmm, brand new and good to go!" when they received it, and then packaged it.

Apologies, just wanted to vent.

Highly doubt that a 3P did that . Amazon would have rejected it when it arrived to their FC. 

[river41]

1 hour ago, Bold-Arrow said:

Highly doubt that a 3P did that . Amazon would have rejected it when it arrived to their FC. 

well what were the shipping labels.Were they a  fba label or was it a regular  return label  to amazon (that they should have rejected and marked unfulfillable )

[Tgnmonster]

FBA label by the looks of it.

[zskid00]

Is anyone else experiencing listing merging or removal?  I always try to add my FBA inventory to the main listing for sets, but have had a couple disappear just in the last week.  This is becoming a real pain since I will have to recall the inventory, relabel it, then reship it.  Are competitors doing this to sabotage other sellers or is Amazon the culprit?  I can't understand why they would kill the main listing.

[Bold-Arrow]

On 8/27/2017 at 0:27 PM, Tgnmonster said:

FBA label by the looks of it.

Wow ... ?

[Migration]

The label that says 1194 is from target. That item spent some time at a Target in Rochester NY.

 

[Kenxxx]

Following the advice I've gotten here, I keep deleting my old FBA listings if I no longer sell that item. After I sell the last one, I usually delete the listing within a few days.  So now, I was just notified one of these items was refunded.  As always, there's no other explanation... no reason why... no indication if the item was returned... if it is resellable... etc.  Do I need to "relist the item" again?  What if it is returned, and is resellable?  If I have no active listing, I'll never see it?  How will I know?

[Achilles]

2 hours ago, Kenxxx said:

Following the advice I've gotten here, I keep deleting my old FBA listings if I no longer sell that item. After I sell the last one, I usually delete the listing within a few days. 

I haven't read it, but why do people suggest that? I've never deleted any of my listings. I like to follow up and compare prices and aging and such like that.

***

ALSO - For any of you long time pros, I know the tons of stuff being gated thing is relatively new - Once an item is no longer available from retailers, does it automatically ungate? How does all that work? I've seen gating for things that are not available (Not LEGO) - So therefore providing invoices and such is impossible. Any way around this?