Amazon Marketplace cutting off low-volume sellers

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by cartologist, May 9, 2017.

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  1. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    A real paradox why they'd do this, surely they are making more in fees from individual sellers than they would them self selling low overhead items like CDs? I've been a shareholder for nearly a decade and in that time have come to understand that they're an extremely well run company, and one of the few I tell people I have an unequivocal long position in without blinking. This is one of the moves that makes little sense business wise to me.

    edit: I did a search on this, and so far this thread is the only information I could find discussing this.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  2. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    I just received the same email tonight.
     
  3. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
  4. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Any thoughts on what you're going to do? How much and what do you usually sell, if you don't mind my asking?
     
  5. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    I have only a few CD's up right now. I usually sell more Blu-ray/DVD's than CD's. But this year it seems I have sold more CD's for whatever reason? who knows why?
    I will just post Books & Movies from now on. The email doesn't make clear whether it is all or nothing? does it? I mean it doesn't say you can't post Music Cds, only certain popular products
    in Music. Usually when I post CD's they sit there forever, probably because most of my collection is not that mainstream.
     
    SBurke likes this.
  6. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    I think that's right -- I suspect we're going to be barred from listing "popular" CDs, in other words, CDs that sell in high volumes, because those are the CDs that are being counterfeited, or whose sales are being challenged by major labels. We'll have to see. The e-mail does not make clear what's covered.

    Are you a business seller for DVDs, or do you just sell under the $25 retail threshold?
     
  7. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    By the way, the Amazon seller forums are rather nasty. I've been reading through some threads there and its evident there are two camps, the "professional" marketplace sellers and part-timers/hobbyists. There are some folks there who make their living selling on Amazon, apparently, so I understand the strong feelings, but some of them are quite nasty at times to other sellers who are just doing it intermittently.
     
    jsayers likes this.
  8. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    Not a business seller. It's funny, sometimes they will not allow me to list a Criterion dvd/blu. But there are some Criterions I can list. Sometimes sellers will make a new listing of a product and you
    can get around the rules. I sold a dvd box set this way, bypassing the regular Amazon listing.


    .
     
  9. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Yes, that can work. But if Amazon figures out what you've done--and they often do--you can get your seller account banned for life. So tread very carefully.
     
  10. ivan_wemple

    ivan_wemple Senior Member

    Amazon "cracking down" again ...

    Here's the text of a letter I received (as a "small-time" Marketplace seller) in today's email:

    Hello,

    Please read this email carefully. The listing information described below may affect your ability to sell certain products on Amazon.com.

    As part of our ongoing efforts to provide a great customer experience, we are implementing additional selling qualifications for certain popular products in the Music category.

    In order to apply to sell these types of products, please reply to this email within 30 days with the following:
    -- Copies of at least 3 invoices or receipts from your primary supplier(s) issued in the last 180 days for your most popular products (covering at least 20 units).
    -- Contact information for your supplier, including name, phone number, address, and website.

    You can send .pdf, .jpg, .png, or .gif files. These documents must be authentic and unaltered. You may remove pricing information, but the rest of the document must be visible.

    If we do not hear from you within 30 days, or we are unable to confirm the information you provide, we will remove your listings for certain popular products in the Music category.

    To learn more about our policies, search for these topics in Seller Central Help:
    -- Prohibited Seller Activities and Actions
    -- Product Detail Page Rules
    -- Condition Guidelines

    Sincerely,

    Seller Performance Team
    Amazon.com
     
    Dave, PhantomStranger and melstapler like this.
  11. ivan_wemple

    ivan_wemple Senior Member

    I cannot comply with this request for three reasons (none of which point to me as an "illegitimate" seller)...

    1. I sell one-off collectibles, and don't procure my items in "units" exceeding 20 copies.
    2. I don't typically sell an item less than 180 days after I obtain it.
    3. I don't have any "primary" suppliers for the items I sell.

    There is little I can do if they seek to chase me out because I'm not a valued participant in the Marketplace. But this request seems misguided. And it will hurt Amazon as a potential marketplace for collectible music CDs.
     
    Dave, George P, melstapler and 2 others like this.
  12. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    Got the same email.

    Off to eBay then.
     
  13. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    This looks to me like a "we MAY delete your listings IF you are selling certain prohibited music products.

    I searched the help categories listed at the bottom of that email and they don't affect anything that I do, so I'm not worried. They really aren't very clear about WHAT exactly they are wanting to prohibit us selling, but I guess we'll find out.
     
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  14. I got the same email. Can't comply so won't try. Guess we'll see ...

    Ironically, a healthy number of titles I've listed were things I bought off Amazon back in the day! :rolleyes:

    Update: sorry Matthew if your like no longer applies, it happened between edits.

    -s1m0n-
     
    melstapler and Matthew Tate like this.
  15. LaserKen

    LaserKen Senior Member

    Location:
    Avon, Indiana
    Got it today, too. Makes no sense, but we'll see....
     
  16. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I got the letter as well. I have CDs as 5% of total inventory, so it would be easy enough to just delete those few items and be done with it. But are they after my vinyl LPs as well?

    They don't want to be too clear on this do they.
     
  17. ivan_wemple

    ivan_wemple Senior Member

    I agree. And they haven't de-activated any of my current listings ... so there's hope.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  18. It doesn't help that Half.com is shutting down. Healthy marketplaces for used CDs on the net are getting more and more scarce.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  19. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    Definitely. Hopefully most of the sellers on Half.com will make the decision to sell on eBay, as some have already been doing. It makes me wonder, when Half.com closes, will a seller be given an option to automatically carry their listings over to eBay or will they be responsible for re-listing each individual item?
     
  20. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Got that email, too.

    I had seven CDs left in my inventory that I had deactivated prior to going on vacation. Hadn't even reactivated them yet.

    Now I don't have to bother.
     
  21. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Got the same email tonight. I have no acceptable invoices. But I also mostly sell out of print long tail stuff with good margins--not my definition of "popular". So we'll see if those items get resticted...
     
  22. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    When I read the seller policies noted in this recent Amazon email, THIS is one of the things that will get your product "unlisted". :tsk:
     
  23. Whoopycat

    Whoopycat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines
    Funny thing is I bought Radiohead Kid A directly from Amazon LLC last week and I'd be shocked if it was a legit copy. It had no top spine sticker, a sticker over the bar code on the shrink wrap, and a cheap black tray covering the inside of the full color tray insert. So Amazon needs to take a look in the mirror if they think 3rd party sellers are selling pirated copies.
     
    Matthew Tate and Dave like this.
  24. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    That sounds like a resealed used copy that had the jewel box replaced with the wrong type to me. The sticker over the bar code was a new bar code, right? That happens all the time.
     
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  25. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    When I did this there were other sellers who also listed the same DVD. I'm not saying it is right. BUT it's Amazon site and I feel they are responsible. They should police their own site for multiple listings.
    In fact just searching for product has become a pain in the butt on their site. Most times I have to search using the UPC code, otherwise I can never find the product I'm searching.

    None of my CD's have been removed since the notice they sent me expired. I think this new rule could be challenged by an Attorney General. Would not be surprised if many AG's were contacted and are
    looking into it.
     
    melstapler likes this.
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