Reading thru the Discussions - are there any happy sellers?
Hello all,
I am a new seller on Amazon. I have a fairly successful Etsy store and decided to expand to Amazon. I have been reading thru many of the discussion threads and I see a LOT of complaints, but not many (if any) positive discussions about the Amazon seller experience.
I've decided to use FBA to simplify the experience and have left my account at the INDIVIDUAL level for the time being. I'd really like to hear some positive stories from new sellers.
Thanks!
Reading thru the Discussions - are there any happy sellers?
Hello all,
I am a new seller on Amazon. I have a fairly successful Etsy store and decided to expand to Amazon. I have been reading thru many of the discussion threads and I see a LOT of complaints, but not many (if any) positive discussions about the Amazon seller experience.
I've decided to use FBA to simplify the experience and have left my account at the INDIVIDUAL level for the time being. I'd really like to hear some positive stories from new sellers.
Thanks!
13 replies
Seller_OvL8C4BJWiuS9
Please do your due diligence when it comes to selling on Amazon. The stories are mostly negative because many new sellers do not take the time to learn (although, it's ever changing, so keeping up to date here on the forums is always good). Amazon offers Seller University-do that, multiple times. Don't watch the YouTube videos, total scam.
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
The reason for the negativity is that Amazon (even when you do your due diligence) is a very tough marketplace. Amazon has many policies that are very vague; even seasoned sellers find it hard to manage and make $$ anymore.
IMHO, if I was a new seller the $$ and time to start selling here (especially a new to Amazon product) is not worth it anymore; other marketplaces are better investments.
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
Said the fox to the hen.
You know there are systemic issues with this website that even with extensive research you can not possibly navigate without problems. Shame on you downplaying the real dangers that exist here.
Seller_rGcQW1yb6ZWbC
You are right. There are very few threads that say, "My business is doing fine and I have no problems." Not too many people have to ask, "What should I do? There isn't anything wrong with the account or sales."
If you think about it, there are thousands, if not millions of sellers, yet there is a small percentage of people who post and/or respond.
In general, many forums don't talk about the status quo or even successes. It is the nature of support boards.
And to answer your question, I am relatively happy. Once in a while, I'll hit an unexpected bump in the road, but basically, everything is good over here. Know and follow the rules. Keep your nose clean. And you'll do fine.
Seller_s7F7fMBDtix0d
Happy sellers don't come to the forums to post, only sellers having problems looking for advice. There are tens of millions of Amazon 3rd party sellers and I would guess 99% of them are happy. I have sold on here since 2006 and am very happy. I get higher prices on Amazon than other sites and have generally a low number of issues just like on any other site.
Seller_CW0P5hgbsiqWX
The threads are for seeking solutions to problems sellers have, not for publicly boasting about success stories.
Never jump right in feet first to FBA selling. Always test sell your products FBM for at least a month. That way you will know the salability of the product and how much profit you will make. Then determine if there is enough profit in the product to pay all the fees Amazon will deduct and still have any profit remaining for you.
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
They rarely ever come to the forum until SHTF...and that is exactly the problem.
And of those that do come, many get advise they don't like and down vote, and argue about, with sellers that have been here 10 or 20 years. But they still know better.
They sometimes come asking one silly question, and someone tries to warn them that they are doing something (unrelated to that question maybe) that will get their account suspended and funds frozen and they get mad as hell calling you all sorts of things.
They don't want to learn, they want to roll down a ready paved road to riches.
Those few that start an actual business (not drop shipping, retail arbitrage and pallet liquidation buyers, (90% violating policy) you wont likely find here. At least not asking questions. They have done their research, read policies every time they do something new, checked, double checked, build relationships with brands....and they DO make money. (And I suspect are happy about that, though it may slowly suck the soul out of their bodies)
Seller_CW0P5hgbsiqWX
It costs no more to succeed in online sales as it costs to fail in online sales. The difference is the amount of Knowledge you have to put forth in your endeavors at hand.
Although Amazon owns Etsy, there is a big difference. Amazon selling is kin to the used auto salesman. They make their largest profit off sellers and will get every cent they can in chargeable fees.
OP: "I've decided to use FBA to simplify the experience"
Biggest mistake you can make.
Before venturing into FBA sales, make sure you test your product using FBM first. Selling the product for a month or so yourself first will give you an idea of the sales volume. Based on that data and the desired profit that must be made, you can determine if the product is a good fit for FBA sales, and if you will be able to afford all the fees Amazon is going to assess.
Amazon is a for-profit company and makes the profit from what fees it charges sellers. New sellers who blindly use FBA often find the fees eat all of the product's profit Leaving none remaining for you. You don’t want to fall into that trap.
If you decide that FBA is the right fit, after you test sell the product, make sure you hold back another month’s supply of inventory to keep on selling while waiting for the FBA inventory to be processes. That way, your profit can still be earned.
