Amazon Handmade Please Listen
Dear Amazon "Handmade"
We are worked hard to grow our handmade business on your selling platform since 2016. I used trial and error plus many nighttime hours at the start to figure it all out because at that time your reps were not even aware of handmade sellers. Over the next few years we started to grow and get recognized for being a handmade seller on Amazon. We were even featured in your Amazon Handmade Ornament Truck in Rockefeller Center. We were so proud and felt like we were a team!
The past several years, the fees have increased, excessive shipping requirements, excessive returns (more fees). FBA is not working (excessive fees, always losing or miscounting our handmade products), SFP not working (I do not know how we can meet your metrics even shipping all orders that day, excessive shipping fees, return issues), the worst part is when I share my concerns with your reps, I always get this same response "maybe this program is not a good fit for your business if you can not follow our policies". We lost SFP again. At this point, it is almost a sign to focus our energy on other platforms.
I write this with hopes that someone in Amazon will hear and care what I am saying. Your AI robotic ran platform is losing it's human touch and it is so frustrating! Handmade sellers deserve more respect and personalization to our specific selling issues.
2 replies
Seller_mlV9hk5A1YthG
It has been a steady march toward AI Bot Dystopia, year after year getting worse. As it stands, those Bots aren't so smart, but I doubt Amazon (or others) will reverse the trend and pay humans instead. So dumb bots it is going to be, I think :-/
I've stayed well away from FBA and SFP. Simply too many ways for that to eat you alive. Though depending on ones product and its assorted details, perhaps this works out better for some than others. Just saying, it is possible to sell on Zon without FBA or SFP. Likely that would reduce your sales, but it would also reduce (not eliminate) the things that can go wrong.
As an FBM seller, the threat of Automated Handling Time was the latest bullet to dodge, and I have. But eventually they are going to add the last straw, and I'll take my toys and go home (well, stay on the other platforms I've been on for years, until they get too bad too).
I've nothing useful to suggest other than not letting this big black box of bots dehumanize the work that you love to do. Push comes to shove, I take happiness over $. That's why I'm doing this sort of thing in the first place. Else I wouldn't have walked away from the corporate life a dozen years ago :-)
Best wishes
Joey_Amazon
Hi there @Seller_k9UYLNO6gvmY4,
I appreciate you being a part of this community and bringing this matter to our attention.
I would like to let you know that I have shared this post with the Handmade team.
Thanks,
Joey
