The Challenges of Selling on Amazon: A Beginner’s Tale
How difficult is it to sell something on Amazon these days? After weeks of struggling, I still haven’t found a definitive answer to this question.
Selling a product on Amazon is incredibly challenging. As a beginner, I decided to start with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). I plan to transition to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) later, once I feel more confident.
Here’s how my journey began: I listed a product on the European markets. This product, a dietary supplement, was manufactured in India. Had I known how difficult it is to list a dietary supplement on Amazon, I might not have started this venture and would not be sitting on products worth €10,000. For a fledgling sole proprietorship with a lot of enthusiasm, this is a significant investment.
After a few hours of successfully listing the product, I encountered an account health issue. Amazon required certificates; otherwise, the product would be removed. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained the necessary HACCP and GMP certificates, which I then uploaded. In the span of a month, I received 15 orders. That felt great, and I was happy. However, as I checked my listing daily, I noticed something strange last week: a one-star review. I quickly investigated, but the name didn’t match any of my orders. It wasn’t a verified purchase, strange... After some research, I realized it was a fake review from a competitor. This person had left one-star reviews for 15 other (same category) products but not for one, the competitor. This person left every product of the competitor is selling a 5 star review in different languages. I contacted Amazon and provided evidence to have the review removed, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Despite the one-star review, I received two orders yesterday and today. I’m still happy because this is my dream. I love selling things and making people happy.
Two days ago, while scrolling through my spam box, I saw a threatening email from Amazon. My account would soon be suspended due to policy violations. With a pale face, I logged into my seller account to find that someone had reported my product as fake and not authentic. I thought to myself, how can this be? This product is definitely real. What could be fake about it? I didn’t have to look far and immediately linked it to the one-star review. I was under attack from a competitor again. The competitor’s review claimed the product was fake and posed health risks. Amazon threatened to suspend my account unless I quickly provided a purchase invoice proving the product’s authenticity. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained a signed purchase invoice. My account health was restored to 200.
Yesterday, I received another threatening email from Amazon. On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible. As usual, I contacted the manufacturer and explained the situation. They were like whut... In consultation, I took photos of the box with all the ingredients and uploaded them to the case. This wasn’t accepted. I decided to remove the product from the Swedish market. However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health. It is mandatory to resolve the case. I have now stated three times that the product is not a Kamagra product and have already provided an ingredient list. I don’t even know what Kamagra is. After looking it up, I find it absurd that Amazon would link my product to a Kamagra product. This is downright rude and unprofessional. The product is far from such categories.
Overall, my experience with Amazon has been poor. You start selling on Amazon with a 10-0 disadvantage, surrounded by competitors who can easily bring you down.
The Challenges of Selling on Amazon: A Beginner’s Tale
How difficult is it to sell something on Amazon these days? After weeks of struggling, I still haven’t found a definitive answer to this question.
Selling a product on Amazon is incredibly challenging. As a beginner, I decided to start with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). I plan to transition to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) later, once I feel more confident.
Here’s how my journey began: I listed a product on the European markets. This product, a dietary supplement, was manufactured in India. Had I known how difficult it is to list a dietary supplement on Amazon, I might not have started this venture and would not be sitting on products worth €10,000. For a fledgling sole proprietorship with a lot of enthusiasm, this is a significant investment.
After a few hours of successfully listing the product, I encountered an account health issue. Amazon required certificates; otherwise, the product would be removed. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained the necessary HACCP and GMP certificates, which I then uploaded. In the span of a month, I received 15 orders. That felt great, and I was happy. However, as I checked my listing daily, I noticed something strange last week: a one-star review. I quickly investigated, but the name didn’t match any of my orders. It wasn’t a verified purchase, strange... After some research, I realized it was a fake review from a competitor. This person had left one-star reviews for 15 other (same category) products but not for one, the competitor. This person left every product of the competitor is selling a 5 star review in different languages. I contacted Amazon and provided evidence to have the review removed, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Despite the one-star review, I received two orders yesterday and today. I’m still happy because this is my dream. I love selling things and making people happy.
Two days ago, while scrolling through my spam box, I saw a threatening email from Amazon. My account would soon be suspended due to policy violations. With a pale face, I logged into my seller account to find that someone had reported my product as fake and not authentic. I thought to myself, how can this be? This product is definitely real. What could be fake about it? I didn’t have to look far and immediately linked it to the one-star review. I was under attack from a competitor again. The competitor’s review claimed the product was fake and posed health risks. Amazon threatened to suspend my account unless I quickly provided a purchase invoice proving the product’s authenticity. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained a signed purchase invoice. My account health was restored to 200.
Yesterday, I received another threatening email from Amazon. On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible. As usual, I contacted the manufacturer and explained the situation. They were like whut... In consultation, I took photos of the box with all the ingredients and uploaded them to the case. This wasn’t accepted. I decided to remove the product from the Swedish market. However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health. It is mandatory to resolve the case. I have now stated three times that the product is not a Kamagra product and have already provided an ingredient list. I don’t even know what Kamagra is. After looking it up, I find it absurd that Amazon would link my product to a Kamagra product. This is downright rude and unprofessional. The product is far from such categories.
Overall, my experience with Amazon has been poor. You start selling on Amazon with a 10-0 disadvantage, surrounded by competitors who can easily bring you down.
1 reply
Atlas_Amazon
Hello @Seller_EduGiskBgWX4T
Thank you for the information provided regarding the issues you have been experiencing with your products.
"On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible."
If the product does not clearly state the ingredients within the product, our team will be obligated to pull down the listing and request additional information. The request for information is so they can clearly see that your product is within compliance. Would you be able to share the case information you have been attempting to appeal this on?
"However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health."
Deleting a listing that has a violation associated does not always guarantee a resolution for the concern. The issue may still require documents or details for a resolution. Otherwise, you will need to wait the 180 days for the violation to no longer reflect on the account health page. This does also mean that you cannot relist the product.
We do encourage you to continue to provide any details that you have relating to this issue so we may further understand.
Best,
Atlas
The Challenges of Selling on Amazon: A Beginner’s Tale
How difficult is it to sell something on Amazon these days? After weeks of struggling, I still haven’t found a definitive answer to this question.
Selling a product on Amazon is incredibly challenging. As a beginner, I decided to start with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). I plan to transition to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) later, once I feel more confident.
Here’s how my journey began: I listed a product on the European markets. This product, a dietary supplement, was manufactured in India. Had I known how difficult it is to list a dietary supplement on Amazon, I might not have started this venture and would not be sitting on products worth €10,000. For a fledgling sole proprietorship with a lot of enthusiasm, this is a significant investment.
After a few hours of successfully listing the product, I encountered an account health issue. Amazon required certificates; otherwise, the product would be removed. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained the necessary HACCP and GMP certificates, which I then uploaded. In the span of a month, I received 15 orders. That felt great, and I was happy. However, as I checked my listing daily, I noticed something strange last week: a one-star review. I quickly investigated, but the name didn’t match any of my orders. It wasn’t a verified purchase, strange... After some research, I realized it was a fake review from a competitor. This person had left one-star reviews for 15 other (same category) products but not for one, the competitor. This person left every product of the competitor is selling a 5 star review in different languages. I contacted Amazon and provided evidence to have the review removed, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Despite the one-star review, I received two orders yesterday and today. I’m still happy because this is my dream. I love selling things and making people happy.
Two days ago, while scrolling through my spam box, I saw a threatening email from Amazon. My account would soon be suspended due to policy violations. With a pale face, I logged into my seller account to find that someone had reported my product as fake and not authentic. I thought to myself, how can this be? This product is definitely real. What could be fake about it? I didn’t have to look far and immediately linked it to the one-star review. I was under attack from a competitor again. The competitor’s review claimed the product was fake and posed health risks. Amazon threatened to suspend my account unless I quickly provided a purchase invoice proving the product’s authenticity. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained a signed purchase invoice. My account health was restored to 200.
Yesterday, I received another threatening email from Amazon. On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible. As usual, I contacted the manufacturer and explained the situation. They were like whut... In consultation, I took photos of the box with all the ingredients and uploaded them to the case. This wasn’t accepted. I decided to remove the product from the Swedish market. However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health. It is mandatory to resolve the case. I have now stated three times that the product is not a Kamagra product and have already provided an ingredient list. I don’t even know what Kamagra is. After looking it up, I find it absurd that Amazon would link my product to a Kamagra product. This is downright rude and unprofessional. The product is far from such categories.
Overall, my experience with Amazon has been poor. You start selling on Amazon with a 10-0 disadvantage, surrounded by competitors who can easily bring you down.
The Challenges of Selling on Amazon: A Beginner’s Tale
How difficult is it to sell something on Amazon these days? After weeks of struggling, I still haven’t found a definitive answer to this question.
Selling a product on Amazon is incredibly challenging. As a beginner, I decided to start with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). I plan to transition to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) later, once I feel more confident.
Here’s how my journey began: I listed a product on the European markets. This product, a dietary supplement, was manufactured in India. Had I known how difficult it is to list a dietary supplement on Amazon, I might not have started this venture and would not be sitting on products worth €10,000. For a fledgling sole proprietorship with a lot of enthusiasm, this is a significant investment.
After a few hours of successfully listing the product, I encountered an account health issue. Amazon required certificates; otherwise, the product would be removed. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained the necessary HACCP and GMP certificates, which I then uploaded. In the span of a month, I received 15 orders. That felt great, and I was happy. However, as I checked my listing daily, I noticed something strange last week: a one-star review. I quickly investigated, but the name didn’t match any of my orders. It wasn’t a verified purchase, strange... After some research, I realized it was a fake review from a competitor. This person had left one-star reviews for 15 other (same category) products but not for one, the competitor. This person left every product of the competitor is selling a 5 star review in different languages. I contacted Amazon and provided evidence to have the review removed, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Despite the one-star review, I received two orders yesterday and today. I’m still happy because this is my dream. I love selling things and making people happy.
Two days ago, while scrolling through my spam box, I saw a threatening email from Amazon. My account would soon be suspended due to policy violations. With a pale face, I logged into my seller account to find that someone had reported my product as fake and not authentic. I thought to myself, how can this be? This product is definitely real. What could be fake about it? I didn’t have to look far and immediately linked it to the one-star review. I was under attack from a competitor again. The competitor’s review claimed the product was fake and posed health risks. Amazon threatened to suspend my account unless I quickly provided a purchase invoice proving the product’s authenticity. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained a signed purchase invoice. My account health was restored to 200.
Yesterday, I received another threatening email from Amazon. On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible. As usual, I contacted the manufacturer and explained the situation. They were like whut... In consultation, I took photos of the box with all the ingredients and uploaded them to the case. This wasn’t accepted. I decided to remove the product from the Swedish market. However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health. It is mandatory to resolve the case. I have now stated three times that the product is not a Kamagra product and have already provided an ingredient list. I don’t even know what Kamagra is. After looking it up, I find it absurd that Amazon would link my product to a Kamagra product. This is downright rude and unprofessional. The product is far from such categories.
Overall, my experience with Amazon has been poor. You start selling on Amazon with a 10-0 disadvantage, surrounded by competitors who can easily bring you down.
The Challenges of Selling on Amazon: A Beginner’s Tale
How difficult is it to sell something on Amazon these days? After weeks of struggling, I still haven’t found a definitive answer to this question.
Selling a product on Amazon is incredibly challenging. As a beginner, I decided to start with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). I plan to transition to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) later, once I feel more confident.
Here’s how my journey began: I listed a product on the European markets. This product, a dietary supplement, was manufactured in India. Had I known how difficult it is to list a dietary supplement on Amazon, I might not have started this venture and would not be sitting on products worth €10,000. For a fledgling sole proprietorship with a lot of enthusiasm, this is a significant investment.
After a few hours of successfully listing the product, I encountered an account health issue. Amazon required certificates; otherwise, the product would be removed. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained the necessary HACCP and GMP certificates, which I then uploaded. In the span of a month, I received 15 orders. That felt great, and I was happy. However, as I checked my listing daily, I noticed something strange last week: a one-star review. I quickly investigated, but the name didn’t match any of my orders. It wasn’t a verified purchase, strange... After some research, I realized it was a fake review from a competitor. This person had left one-star reviews for 15 other (same category) products but not for one, the competitor. This person left every product of the competitor is selling a 5 star review in different languages. I contacted Amazon and provided evidence to have the review removed, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Despite the one-star review, I received two orders yesterday and today. I’m still happy because this is my dream. I love selling things and making people happy.
Two days ago, while scrolling through my spam box, I saw a threatening email from Amazon. My account would soon be suspended due to policy violations. With a pale face, I logged into my seller account to find that someone had reported my product as fake and not authentic. I thought to myself, how can this be? This product is definitely real. What could be fake about it? I didn’t have to look far and immediately linked it to the one-star review. I was under attack from a competitor again. The competitor’s review claimed the product was fake and posed health risks. Amazon threatened to suspend my account unless I quickly provided a purchase invoice proving the product’s authenticity. I quickly contacted the manufacturer and obtained a signed purchase invoice. My account health was restored to 200.
Yesterday, I received another threatening email from Amazon. On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible. As usual, I contacted the manufacturer and explained the situation. They were like whut... In consultation, I took photos of the box with all the ingredients and uploaded them to the case. This wasn’t accepted. I decided to remove the product from the Swedish market. However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health. It is mandatory to resolve the case. I have now stated three times that the product is not a Kamagra product and have already provided an ingredient list. I don’t even know what Kamagra is. After looking it up, I find it absurd that Amazon would link my product to a Kamagra product. This is downright rude and unprofessional. The product is far from such categories.
Overall, my experience with Amazon has been poor. You start selling on Amazon with a 10-0 disadvantage, surrounded by competitors who can easily bring you down.
1 reply
1 reply
Atlas_Amazon
Hello @Seller_EduGiskBgWX4T
Thank you for the information provided regarding the issues you have been experiencing with your products.
"On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible."
If the product does not clearly state the ingredients within the product, our team will be obligated to pull down the listing and request additional information. The request for information is so they can clearly see that your product is within compliance. Would you be able to share the case information you have been attempting to appeal this on?
"However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health."
Deleting a listing that has a violation associated does not always guarantee a resolution for the concern. The issue may still require documents or details for a resolution. Otherwise, you will need to wait the 180 days for the violation to no longer reflect on the account health page. This does also mean that you cannot relist the product.
We do encourage you to continue to provide any details that you have relating to this issue so we may further understand.
Best,
Atlas
Atlas_Amazon
Hello @Seller_EduGiskBgWX4T
Thank you for the information provided regarding the issues you have been experiencing with your products.
"On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible."
If the product does not clearly state the ingredients within the product, our team will be obligated to pull down the listing and request additional information. The request for information is so they can clearly see that your product is within compliance. Would you be able to share the case information you have been attempting to appeal this on?
"However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health."
Deleting a listing that has a violation associated does not always guarantee a resolution for the concern. The issue may still require documents or details for a resolution. Otherwise, you will need to wait the 180 days for the violation to no longer reflect on the account health page. This does also mean that you cannot relist the product.
We do encourage you to continue to provide any details that you have relating to this issue so we may further understand.
Best,
Atlas
Atlas_Amazon
Hello @Seller_EduGiskBgWX4T
Thank you for the information provided regarding the issues you have been experiencing with your products.
"On the Swedish market, my product was flagged as a Kamagra product, and I was required to provide an ingredient list as soon as possible."
If the product does not clearly state the ingredients within the product, our team will be obligated to pull down the listing and request additional information. The request for information is so they can clearly see that your product is within compliance. Would you be able to share the case information you have been attempting to appeal this on?
"However, removing a product doesn’t immediately restore account health."
Deleting a listing that has a violation associated does not always guarantee a resolution for the concern. The issue may still require documents or details for a resolution. Otherwise, you will need to wait the 180 days for the violation to no longer reflect on the account health page. This does also mean that you cannot relist the product.
We do encourage you to continue to provide any details that you have relating to this issue so we may further understand.
Best,
Atlas
