Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Just got this email - when I read it (and stopped fuming) - its just another way for Amazon to support the scammers and rip off 3P sellers. Read on and I will give my understanding of what this means (and costs).
Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Hello,
You are invited to join Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA). CSBA is a paid service where Amazon takes care of customer service on your behalf for your self-fulfillment orders. We will direct customer inquiries for these orders to Amazon Customer Service so that you do not need to handle them.
To join CSBA now and utilize Amazon’s expertise to provide your customers a delightful post-order customer experience, sign up here –
CSBA Benefits
- CSBA improves customer experience by providing a 24-hour, high-quality customer service throughout the year.
- CSBA supports customers in the marketplace-supported language via phone, instant message, and email.
- CSBA’s high-quality customer service can help you reduce A-to-z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews.
- CSBA can help you remove your customer service burdens by managing customer service in response to changing demands (for example, during the holiday period).
- CSBA saves time and reduces customer service cost.
For more information about CSBA, go to CSBA help page.
CSBA Fees
You will enjoy 30 days of free trial period when you join CSBA first time. After your free trial, you will be charged CSBA fee per self-fulfilled shipped unit based on your customer service performance. You can opt-out of CSBA at any time. For more information, go to CSBA Fees page.
We’re here to help.
The Amazon Services team
Here is my take on this:
This is a paid service designed to take more money from us with the illusion that it is saving us time and effort while reducing A to Z Claims, Order Defect Rates and negative reviews by “handling” communications with buyers, etc. Its like when you buy a car and see a line under “fees” titled “ADP”. They tell you is a fee to process the necessary documents. It means “Additional Dealer Profit.”
Looking at the fee schedule, its a sliding scale based on the percentage of “customer contacts”. So the more “customer contacts” you have the more money you pay - but NOT per contact but per sale during the 3-month or 1-month period you fall into. As an example - if you have 100 sales per day and have 1 “customer contact” per week you would fall into the lowest fee range of 10-cents. But that is not 40-cents for the month (4 customer contacts in a 28-day period) but $280.00 because although there were only 4-contacts you made 2800 sales (10-cents per sale translating into $70.00 per contact), With more contacts (using my 2800 sales per 28 days as the constant example) your new “fee” could be as high as 70-cents per sale or $1960.00 per month or roughly $23.500 per year assuming no sales growth.
And does anyone really expect Amazon’s “team” to be on YOUR side?
And if you are in the 70-cents range you stay there for a minimum of 3-months before reevaluation (in the 10-cents range you are reevaluated every month so Amazon can jump up the fees as soon as possible).
Right now this is voluntary. How long before it becomes mandatory?
32 replies
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
I think it’s going to be like transparency or any other service that most people don’t use. We will ignore it and it will linger, who knows how. (Nothing against people who use transparency. They lost me when they told me that I had to have it in my sales outside of Amazon).
But why would anybody care for Amazon’s “excellent” service? Some of their associates may know the inner workings of Amazon better than some sellers, but they don’t know my products better than I do. Why would I want to delegate the “customer service”? Maybe if you’re getting hundreds of messages a day, but I doubt that’s the case for the majority of us. And if you’re, there’s something awfully wrong.
Hopefully we can simply ignore it and sweep it under the rug. If not, Amazon will become even more expensive.
Seller_3N7yVnTXPzLkL
Sounds like a great program for sellers who do not need it. Not all sellers have returns, or customer contact.
Perhaps perfect for the seller who uses a drop shipper, who doesn’t really intend to do any work as part of running his business
Seller_gme6aq8vLWpK4
Oh boy, delegating customer service to Amazon… how many ways can this go wrong:
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for in transit items not even due to arrive
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for a customer claiming INR even though item shows delivered and used Buy Shipping on Amazon
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for items not returned or returned 3 years after the purchase
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for any order for any reason
It would be like giving them a license to Spend Your Hard Earned Money… even if they did not have the ability to issue a refund, what would one do after Amazon Rep wholeheartedly assured the customer that a refund is on the way…
Seller_U3288bpDyMtbp
Pass. Most of my products are essentially 2 pieces of wood that attach together, but I could see Amazon making it 4 pieces of wood that are impossible to attach together.
Seller_spBEmM4GC9jW1
When the item you are selling is cheaper than the value of the time spent answering stupid questions about it, this program can be beneficial.
Seller_24FzucbyGtgZS
Something I forgot to add (still fuming at the audacity of Amazon and there never ending search to take more money from 3P sellers).
If by some chance you actually fall for this scheme and “hire” Amazon to handle your “customer service” inquiries, whose interest will Amazon actually represent and advocate for. If you hire an attorney, an account, a financial adviser, even a real estate agent (or similar professional) they are contractually bound (and usually insured) to be a fiduciary to you, representing YOUR interests before their own. As we know by experience that is a rare occasion with Amazon (especially with last year’s Covid Christmas season and Amazon immediate granting of A to Z Claims and denial of all appeals even though you as the 3P seller completely complied with Amazon’s written policy and used Amazon shipping).
Seller_RxTyqBmpWLFi1
Hope they don’t use their “seller support” personnel for this. Another way to lose more customers.
Seller_LvikvLIShLw0U
“they “ r going 2 change all the crying alice’s 4 not going 2 amazon college
Seller_uiMFtmMr4raHO
I read the forums almost every day to see what’s new. I try to stay optimistic and/or helpful. NO Longer!
Amazon must not have been paying attention to our disconcerts over our OWN customer service. If they have the wherewithal to support this program, why isn’t it aimed at us?! Why aren’t they helping us before any issues may even happen?
Also, if I sell a customized blanket and the print turns out incorrect, I don’t see that until the customer lets me know. And of course, I know how to fix it. How in the world would Amazon know how to fix it?
What to say to the buyer? Who to call to have it redone? Jeff Bezos may be a billionaire and on an extended vacation, but that doesn’t count for street smarts or selling smarts. He and the gang need to take care of us! I bet the 80/20 isn’t anywhere near the 80/20 anymore.
Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Just got this email - when I read it (and stopped fuming) - its just another way for Amazon to support the scammers and rip off 3P sellers. Read on and I will give my understanding of what this means (and costs).
Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Hello,
You are invited to join Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA). CSBA is a paid service where Amazon takes care of customer service on your behalf for your self-fulfillment orders. We will direct customer inquiries for these orders to Amazon Customer Service so that you do not need to handle them.
To join CSBA now and utilize Amazon’s expertise to provide your customers a delightful post-order customer experience, sign up here –
CSBA Benefits
- CSBA improves customer experience by providing a 24-hour, high-quality customer service throughout the year.
- CSBA supports customers in the marketplace-supported language via phone, instant message, and email.
- CSBA’s high-quality customer service can help you reduce A-to-z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews.
- CSBA can help you remove your customer service burdens by managing customer service in response to changing demands (for example, during the holiday period).
- CSBA saves time and reduces customer service cost.
For more information about CSBA, go to CSBA help page.
CSBA Fees
You will enjoy 30 days of free trial period when you join CSBA first time. After your free trial, you will be charged CSBA fee per self-fulfilled shipped unit based on your customer service performance. You can opt-out of CSBA at any time. For more information, go to CSBA Fees page.
We’re here to help.
The Amazon Services team
Here is my take on this:
This is a paid service designed to take more money from us with the illusion that it is saving us time and effort while reducing A to Z Claims, Order Defect Rates and negative reviews by “handling” communications with buyers, etc. Its like when you buy a car and see a line under “fees” titled “ADP”. They tell you is a fee to process the necessary documents. It means “Additional Dealer Profit.”
Looking at the fee schedule, its a sliding scale based on the percentage of “customer contacts”. So the more “customer contacts” you have the more money you pay - but NOT per contact but per sale during the 3-month or 1-month period you fall into. As an example - if you have 100 sales per day and have 1 “customer contact” per week you would fall into the lowest fee range of 10-cents. But that is not 40-cents for the month (4 customer contacts in a 28-day period) but $280.00 because although there were only 4-contacts you made 2800 sales (10-cents per sale translating into $70.00 per contact), With more contacts (using my 2800 sales per 28 days as the constant example) your new “fee” could be as high as 70-cents per sale or $1960.00 per month or roughly $23.500 per year assuming no sales growth.
And does anyone really expect Amazon’s “team” to be on YOUR side?
And if you are in the 70-cents range you stay there for a minimum of 3-months before reevaluation (in the 10-cents range you are reevaluated every month so Amazon can jump up the fees as soon as possible).
Right now this is voluntary. How long before it becomes mandatory?
Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Just got this email - when I read it (and stopped fuming) - its just another way for Amazon to support the scammers and rip off 3P sellers. Read on and I will give my understanding of what this means (and costs).
Customer Service by Amazon: Delegate customer service for your self-fulfillment orders to Amazon
Hello,
You are invited to join Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA). CSBA is a paid service where Amazon takes care of customer service on your behalf for your self-fulfillment orders. We will direct customer inquiries for these orders to Amazon Customer Service so that you do not need to handle them.
To join CSBA now and utilize Amazon’s expertise to provide your customers a delightful post-order customer experience, sign up here –
CSBA Benefits
- CSBA improves customer experience by providing a 24-hour, high-quality customer service throughout the year.
- CSBA supports customers in the marketplace-supported language via phone, instant message, and email.
- CSBA’s high-quality customer service can help you reduce A-to-z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews.
- CSBA can help you remove your customer service burdens by managing customer service in response to changing demands (for example, during the holiday period).
- CSBA saves time and reduces customer service cost.
For more information about CSBA, go to CSBA help page.
CSBA Fees
You will enjoy 30 days of free trial period when you join CSBA first time. After your free trial, you will be charged CSBA fee per self-fulfilled shipped unit based on your customer service performance. You can opt-out of CSBA at any time. For more information, go to CSBA Fees page.
We’re here to help.
The Amazon Services team
Here is my take on this:
This is a paid service designed to take more money from us with the illusion that it is saving us time and effort while reducing A to Z Claims, Order Defect Rates and negative reviews by “handling” communications with buyers, etc. Its like when you buy a car and see a line under “fees” titled “ADP”. They tell you is a fee to process the necessary documents. It means “Additional Dealer Profit.”
Looking at the fee schedule, its a sliding scale based on the percentage of “customer contacts”. So the more “customer contacts” you have the more money you pay - but NOT per contact but per sale during the 3-month or 1-month period you fall into. As an example - if you have 100 sales per day and have 1 “customer contact” per week you would fall into the lowest fee range of 10-cents. But that is not 40-cents for the month (4 customer contacts in a 28-day period) but $280.00 because although there were only 4-contacts you made 2800 sales (10-cents per sale translating into $70.00 per contact), With more contacts (using my 2800 sales per 28 days as the constant example) your new “fee” could be as high as 70-cents per sale or $1960.00 per month or roughly $23.500 per year assuming no sales growth.
And does anyone really expect Amazon’s “team” to be on YOUR side?
And if you are in the 70-cents range you stay there for a minimum of 3-months before reevaluation (in the 10-cents range you are reevaluated every month so Amazon can jump up the fees as soon as possible).
Right now this is voluntary. How long before it becomes mandatory?
32 replies
32 replies
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
I think it’s going to be like transparency or any other service that most people don’t use. We will ignore it and it will linger, who knows how. (Nothing against people who use transparency. They lost me when they told me that I had to have it in my sales outside of Amazon).
But why would anybody care for Amazon’s “excellent” service? Some of their associates may know the inner workings of Amazon better than some sellers, but they don’t know my products better than I do. Why would I want to delegate the “customer service”? Maybe if you’re getting hundreds of messages a day, but I doubt that’s the case for the majority of us. And if you’re, there’s something awfully wrong.
Hopefully we can simply ignore it and sweep it under the rug. If not, Amazon will become even more expensive.
Seller_3N7yVnTXPzLkL
Sounds like a great program for sellers who do not need it. Not all sellers have returns, or customer contact.
Perhaps perfect for the seller who uses a drop shipper, who doesn’t really intend to do any work as part of running his business
Seller_gme6aq8vLWpK4
Oh boy, delegating customer service to Amazon… how many ways can this go wrong:
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for in transit items not even due to arrive
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for a customer claiming INR even though item shows delivered and used Buy Shipping on Amazon
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for items not returned or returned 3 years after the purchase
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for any order for any reason
It would be like giving them a license to Spend Your Hard Earned Money… even if they did not have the ability to issue a refund, what would one do after Amazon Rep wholeheartedly assured the customer that a refund is on the way…
Seller_U3288bpDyMtbp
Pass. Most of my products are essentially 2 pieces of wood that attach together, but I could see Amazon making it 4 pieces of wood that are impossible to attach together.
Seller_spBEmM4GC9jW1
When the item you are selling is cheaper than the value of the time spent answering stupid questions about it, this program can be beneficial.
Seller_24FzucbyGtgZS
Something I forgot to add (still fuming at the audacity of Amazon and there never ending search to take more money from 3P sellers).
If by some chance you actually fall for this scheme and “hire” Amazon to handle your “customer service” inquiries, whose interest will Amazon actually represent and advocate for. If you hire an attorney, an account, a financial adviser, even a real estate agent (or similar professional) they are contractually bound (and usually insured) to be a fiduciary to you, representing YOUR interests before their own. As we know by experience that is a rare occasion with Amazon (especially with last year’s Covid Christmas season and Amazon immediate granting of A to Z Claims and denial of all appeals even though you as the 3P seller completely complied with Amazon’s written policy and used Amazon shipping).
Seller_RxTyqBmpWLFi1
Hope they don’t use their “seller support” personnel for this. Another way to lose more customers.
Seller_LvikvLIShLw0U
“they “ r going 2 change all the crying alice’s 4 not going 2 amazon college
Seller_uiMFtmMr4raHO
I read the forums almost every day to see what’s new. I try to stay optimistic and/or helpful. NO Longer!
Amazon must not have been paying attention to our disconcerts over our OWN customer service. If they have the wherewithal to support this program, why isn’t it aimed at us?! Why aren’t they helping us before any issues may even happen?
Also, if I sell a customized blanket and the print turns out incorrect, I don’t see that until the customer lets me know. And of course, I know how to fix it. How in the world would Amazon know how to fix it?
What to say to the buyer? Who to call to have it redone? Jeff Bezos may be a billionaire and on an extended vacation, but that doesn’t count for street smarts or selling smarts. He and the gang need to take care of us! I bet the 80/20 isn’t anywhere near the 80/20 anymore.
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
I think it’s going to be like transparency or any other service that most people don’t use. We will ignore it and it will linger, who knows how. (Nothing against people who use transparency. They lost me when they told me that I had to have it in my sales outside of Amazon).
But why would anybody care for Amazon’s “excellent” service? Some of their associates may know the inner workings of Amazon better than some sellers, but they don’t know my products better than I do. Why would I want to delegate the “customer service”? Maybe if you’re getting hundreds of messages a day, but I doubt that’s the case for the majority of us. And if you’re, there’s something awfully wrong.
Hopefully we can simply ignore it and sweep it under the rug. If not, Amazon will become even more expensive.
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
I think it’s going to be like transparency or any other service that most people don’t use. We will ignore it and it will linger, who knows how. (Nothing against people who use transparency. They lost me when they told me that I had to have it in my sales outside of Amazon).
But why would anybody care for Amazon’s “excellent” service? Some of their associates may know the inner workings of Amazon better than some sellers, but they don’t know my products better than I do. Why would I want to delegate the “customer service”? Maybe if you’re getting hundreds of messages a day, but I doubt that’s the case for the majority of us. And if you’re, there’s something awfully wrong.
Hopefully we can simply ignore it and sweep it under the rug. If not, Amazon will become even more expensive.
Seller_3N7yVnTXPzLkL
Sounds like a great program for sellers who do not need it. Not all sellers have returns, or customer contact.
Perhaps perfect for the seller who uses a drop shipper, who doesn’t really intend to do any work as part of running his business
Seller_3N7yVnTXPzLkL
Sounds like a great program for sellers who do not need it. Not all sellers have returns, or customer contact.
Perhaps perfect for the seller who uses a drop shipper, who doesn’t really intend to do any work as part of running his business
Seller_gme6aq8vLWpK4
Oh boy, delegating customer service to Amazon… how many ways can this go wrong:
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for in transit items not even due to arrive
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for a customer claiming INR even though item shows delivered and used Buy Shipping on Amazon
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for items not returned or returned 3 years after the purchase
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for any order for any reason
It would be like giving them a license to Spend Your Hard Earned Money… even if they did not have the ability to issue a refund, what would one do after Amazon Rep wholeheartedly assured the customer that a refund is on the way…
Seller_gme6aq8vLWpK4
Oh boy, delegating customer service to Amazon… how many ways can this go wrong:
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for in transit items not even due to arrive
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for a customer claiming INR even though item shows delivered and used Buy Shipping on Amazon
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for items not returned or returned 3 years after the purchase
- Immediate Seller Funded refunds for any order for any reason
It would be like giving them a license to Spend Your Hard Earned Money… even if they did not have the ability to issue a refund, what would one do after Amazon Rep wholeheartedly assured the customer that a refund is on the way…
Seller_U3288bpDyMtbp
Pass. Most of my products are essentially 2 pieces of wood that attach together, but I could see Amazon making it 4 pieces of wood that are impossible to attach together.
Seller_U3288bpDyMtbp
Pass. Most of my products are essentially 2 pieces of wood that attach together, but I could see Amazon making it 4 pieces of wood that are impossible to attach together.
Seller_spBEmM4GC9jW1
When the item you are selling is cheaper than the value of the time spent answering stupid questions about it, this program can be beneficial.
Seller_spBEmM4GC9jW1
When the item you are selling is cheaper than the value of the time spent answering stupid questions about it, this program can be beneficial.
Seller_24FzucbyGtgZS
Something I forgot to add (still fuming at the audacity of Amazon and there never ending search to take more money from 3P sellers).
If by some chance you actually fall for this scheme and “hire” Amazon to handle your “customer service” inquiries, whose interest will Amazon actually represent and advocate for. If you hire an attorney, an account, a financial adviser, even a real estate agent (or similar professional) they are contractually bound (and usually insured) to be a fiduciary to you, representing YOUR interests before their own. As we know by experience that is a rare occasion with Amazon (especially with last year’s Covid Christmas season and Amazon immediate granting of A to Z Claims and denial of all appeals even though you as the 3P seller completely complied with Amazon’s written policy and used Amazon shipping).
Seller_24FzucbyGtgZS
Something I forgot to add (still fuming at the audacity of Amazon and there never ending search to take more money from 3P sellers).
If by some chance you actually fall for this scheme and “hire” Amazon to handle your “customer service” inquiries, whose interest will Amazon actually represent and advocate for. If you hire an attorney, an account, a financial adviser, even a real estate agent (or similar professional) they are contractually bound (and usually insured) to be a fiduciary to you, representing YOUR interests before their own. As we know by experience that is a rare occasion with Amazon (especially with last year’s Covid Christmas season and Amazon immediate granting of A to Z Claims and denial of all appeals even though you as the 3P seller completely complied with Amazon’s written policy and used Amazon shipping).
Seller_RxTyqBmpWLFi1
Hope they don’t use their “seller support” personnel for this. Another way to lose more customers.
Seller_RxTyqBmpWLFi1
Hope they don’t use their “seller support” personnel for this. Another way to lose more customers.
Seller_LvikvLIShLw0U
“they “ r going 2 change all the crying alice’s 4 not going 2 amazon college
Seller_LvikvLIShLw0U
“they “ r going 2 change all the crying alice’s 4 not going 2 amazon college
Seller_uiMFtmMr4raHO
I read the forums almost every day to see what’s new. I try to stay optimistic and/or helpful. NO Longer!
Amazon must not have been paying attention to our disconcerts over our OWN customer service. If they have the wherewithal to support this program, why isn’t it aimed at us?! Why aren’t they helping us before any issues may even happen?
Also, if I sell a customized blanket and the print turns out incorrect, I don’t see that until the customer lets me know. And of course, I know how to fix it. How in the world would Amazon know how to fix it?
What to say to the buyer? Who to call to have it redone? Jeff Bezos may be a billionaire and on an extended vacation, but that doesn’t count for street smarts or selling smarts. He and the gang need to take care of us! I bet the 80/20 isn’t anywhere near the 80/20 anymore.
Seller_uiMFtmMr4raHO
I read the forums almost every day to see what’s new. I try to stay optimistic and/or helpful. NO Longer!
Amazon must not have been paying attention to our disconcerts over our OWN customer service. If they have the wherewithal to support this program, why isn’t it aimed at us?! Why aren’t they helping us before any issues may even happen?
Also, if I sell a customized blanket and the print turns out incorrect, I don’t see that until the customer lets me know. And of course, I know how to fix it. How in the world would Amazon know how to fix it?
What to say to the buyer? Who to call to have it redone? Jeff Bezos may be a billionaire and on an extended vacation, but that doesn’t count for street smarts or selling smarts. He and the gang need to take care of us! I bet the 80/20 isn’t anywhere near the 80/20 anymore.
