There was a post here suggesting to use amazon with a dropshipper (sorry, I can't seem to find it). I gave it a go with perfume/colognes. Here are my results:
50 dollars a month + 15% 'finders fee' per sale.
1800 items listed at 35% markup
3 sales made, total profits from sales: 15 dollars.
2 months to make sales = 100 dollars.
Two months later: -$85
No big deal, just didn't work for me. So I cancel the account.
Then I get an email from a customer for an item:
"Picture does not match the item I received. Send the other two items shown in the picture" (in less than polite words)
So I check my upload script, and it uploaded a correct picture for the item. Then I check Amazon, and it lists an incorrect image! I call seller support at Amazon, and they say the following;
"Yes, Amazon used the incorrect image. Yes, we received your correct image. No, we didn't use it. Someone else uploaded that picture. So it's not Amazon's fault, it's the other seller. You need to pay the customer back."
I didn't quite understand how it was my fault, so I pressed for about 45 minutes.
Amazon does NOT use a separate ID for each item uploaded (they say they don't have the bandwidth). So if someone else uploads an item with the same SKU, Amazon will use their data. Meaning one could upload a CSV from popular dropshippers, randomize data on it, and ruin sales for everyone, costing unknown amounts of money to the sellers. I confirmed this vulnerability with tech support. They said, "the account will eventually be banned".
He suggested that I manually review each of the 1800 items that I uploaded, and that I review them daily. Because the images or information could change at any time. He did say that he understood it was not feasable.
I could go on and on about it, but the important stuff that you need to know if you're considering using Amazon:
*Your uploaded items MAY change at any time when someone else uploads a similar item with different information.
*If they do, and if a sale is generated, you will have to refund the customer, or face negative feedback and a reversal of commissions.
*Amazon owns your item detail page.
*Amazon is not at fault when they use incorrect data or images on your items, even if you uploaded the correct ones. You are at fault. You must pay for it.
So the point of this post isn't really just to complain, it's a real warning about using Amazon. They may change your item details with no notification shown to you. And if that's done, and you make a sale, you will have to pay for the item. Even if you choose not to refund the customer, the customer can go through Amazon and get his money from you, without sending back the product. This happened to me within my first 3 sales.
50 dollars a month + 15% 'finders fee' per sale.
1800 items listed at 35% markup
3 sales made, total profits from sales: 15 dollars.
2 months to make sales = 100 dollars.
Two months later: -$85
No big deal, just didn't work for me. So I cancel the account.
Then I get an email from a customer for an item:
"Picture does not match the item I received. Send the other two items shown in the picture" (in less than polite words)
So I check my upload script, and it uploaded a correct picture for the item. Then I check Amazon, and it lists an incorrect image! I call seller support at Amazon, and they say the following;
"Yes, Amazon used the incorrect image. Yes, we received your correct image. No, we didn't use it. Someone else uploaded that picture. So it's not Amazon's fault, it's the other seller. You need to pay the customer back."
I didn't quite understand how it was my fault, so I pressed for about 45 minutes.
Amazon does NOT use a separate ID for each item uploaded (they say they don't have the bandwidth). So if someone else uploads an item with the same SKU, Amazon will use their data. Meaning one could upload a CSV from popular dropshippers, randomize data on it, and ruin sales for everyone, costing unknown amounts of money to the sellers. I confirmed this vulnerability with tech support. They said, "the account will eventually be banned".
He suggested that I manually review each of the 1800 items that I uploaded, and that I review them daily. Because the images or information could change at any time. He did say that he understood it was not feasable.
I could go on and on about it, but the important stuff that you need to know if you're considering using Amazon:
*Your uploaded items MAY change at any time when someone else uploads a similar item with different information.
*If they do, and if a sale is generated, you will have to refund the customer, or face negative feedback and a reversal of commissions.
*Amazon owns your item detail page.
*Amazon is not at fault when they use incorrect data or images on your items, even if you uploaded the correct ones. You are at fault. You must pay for it.
So the point of this post isn't really just to complain, it's a real warning about using Amazon. They may change your item details with no notification shown to you. And if that's done, and you make a sale, you will have to pay for the item. Even if you choose not to refund the customer, the customer can go through Amazon and get his money from you, without sending back the product. This happened to me within my first 3 sales.
