The Amazon Seller's Playbook: 5 Must-Know Guidelines for Sourcing and Selling Products!
Leave a thumbs up or a thumbs down to let me know if you find this helpful (or not)!
As an Amazon seller, it's crucial to understand the platform's policies and requirements when it comes to sourcing and selling products. Whether you're selling branded products from a third party or your own private label items, there are several guidelines you need to be aware of.
1. Validate Your Suppliers: Ensure that the suppliers you purchase from are legitimate and authorized to sell the branded products you intend to offer. This may involve checking their business licenses, brand authorization letters, business bureau ratings, and other credibility indicators.
2. Build Relationships with Brands: For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon. Take the time to establish a relationship with relevant brands and understand their specific requirements.
3. Retain Business Invoices: Amazon may request documentation to prove the authenticity of your products. Maintain invoices from your suppliers that include details like their contact information, an itemized list of products, and the purchase dates.
4. Understand Amazon's Dropshipping Policy: If you plan to use a dropshipping model, make sure you comply with Amazon's dropshipping policy. This includes validating your dropshipping suppliers, formalizing the relationship with a service level agreement, and properly identifying yourself as the seller on all customer-facing materials.
5. Auctions: Auctions or auction style environments are not considered valid sources of supply. Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable by the manufacturer, supplier, vendor, or retailer is strictly prohibited on Amazon.
Ultimately, it's your responsibility as an Amazon seller to ensure that the products you offer comply with all applicable laws and regulations, are authorized for sale or resale, and do not infringe on intellectual property rights. By following these guidelines, you can help protect your business and maintain a successful presence on the Amazon marketplace.
Let me know in the comments how you source your inventory!
35 replies
Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx
How do we turn this on for our branded products?
Seller_9EkhEioO4C8FK
"For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon"
Hey Bryce, what determines the need for direct brand authorization to list on amazon? vs validating the supplier is authorized to sell and the goods are authentic
After reading the policies, guidelines and asking a lawyer, this is my understanding of the rules as they are written.
As a non brand owner I am allowed to sell branded goods without needing authorization if the invoices are from an authorized distributor with a traceable relationship to the brand, the manufacturers warranty is tied directly to the product and transferable to the end user, and the pictures supplied at the time of listing are not owned by the brand. Is this correct?
Amazon says it does not enforce exclusive distribution agreements or MAP agreements, but it seems like IP is used as a workaround to enforce these agreements at a detriment to the consumer leading to higher prices.
I'm going to be actively building relationships with more brand direct accounts to avoid the headache, but there are lots of other third party sellers who would benefit from some clarification.
It wouldn't let me edit my previous reply, so here is a corrected version
Seller_flXNiJRw0gh3z
you must have Posted this because amazon has suddenly started punishing people for this. Without any option to appeal.
Seller_W6vNnb9Dv4v3c
I source my inventory of used books any way I can. Let me remind you that there would be NO Amazon if not for small to medium sized third party book and vhs tape sellers back in the good old days. The fact that the lawyers at Amazon no longer desire our business, is just plain Pathetic on their part. They should all be fired.
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
This seems like awful information, designed to get sellers banned:
1. A valid supplier/reseller of a brand won't do nothin' for you if the brand says you aren't authorized to sell directly. The supplier can be entirely credible and authorized to sell, but not resell. [This didn't stop Amazon from buying from one of our resellers, in violation of our reseller agreement, in order to get their hands on our products; unfortunately, Amazon's rules don't apply to Amazon.]
3. This is an incomplete description of the invoice requirement. One could follow all these rules, and still get nuked.
5. "Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable": how many FBA sellers here have lost inventory -- which they are not allowed to list for sale -- show up on Amazon warehouse?
Finally, none of these rules mean anything if Amazon (or more specifically their sketchy bots) decide you are an Unclean.
We are certainly not telling our primary existential threat how we source our inventory.
get a clue, please
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
OK, this post is a great example of the mods glossing over a very complicated issue and ultimately posting misleading or outright incorrect information. Let me just elaborate on a few points that are really not accurate:
1. Validate your Suppliers- you can do this but it does not mean Amazon will accept their invoices. The criteria for what Amazon feels is an acceptable supplier is not clear; we have had many invoices rejected from suppliers we have used for over 10 years (even though the invoice is proper with all information Amazon wanted).
2. Build a Relationship with a Brand- Great idea but for really large brands (for example with toys Lego, Mattel, Hasbro, ...) they are too big and would rather you deal with their distributors or wholesalers. See point number 1 for why this might be an issue.
3. Retain Business Invoices- Just because you have them does not mean Amazon will accept them. We have given Amazon contact information for invoices of suppliers that Amazon rejected and asked them to call to verify information and business relationship; again, never happened.
4. Dropshipping- Good advice, I would add avoiding this business model unless you are a very seasoned seller and have deep knowledge of how Amazon works
5. Auctions- OK, but there are many items for sale on Amazon that have come through this route.
I have to add that Amazon's invoicing policy completely does not work for used products and anything that is out of print and over 2 years old. How do you have a valid invoice for a 15 years old Lego set or a used book, yet they are for sale on Amazon. Literally 90% of the items for sale on Amazon can not have an invoice dated within the last 6 months from an authorized distributor/supplier yet they are all here for sale.
The Amazon Seller's Playbook: 5 Must-Know Guidelines for Sourcing and Selling Products!
Leave a thumbs up or a thumbs down to let me know if you find this helpful (or not)!
As an Amazon seller, it's crucial to understand the platform's policies and requirements when it comes to sourcing and selling products. Whether you're selling branded products from a third party or your own private label items, there are several guidelines you need to be aware of.
1. Validate Your Suppliers: Ensure that the suppliers you purchase from are legitimate and authorized to sell the branded products you intend to offer. This may involve checking their business licenses, brand authorization letters, business bureau ratings, and other credibility indicators.
2. Build Relationships with Brands: For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon. Take the time to establish a relationship with relevant brands and understand their specific requirements.
3. Retain Business Invoices: Amazon may request documentation to prove the authenticity of your products. Maintain invoices from your suppliers that include details like their contact information, an itemized list of products, and the purchase dates.
4. Understand Amazon's Dropshipping Policy: If you plan to use a dropshipping model, make sure you comply with Amazon's dropshipping policy. This includes validating your dropshipping suppliers, formalizing the relationship with a service level agreement, and properly identifying yourself as the seller on all customer-facing materials.
5. Auctions: Auctions or auction style environments are not considered valid sources of supply. Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable by the manufacturer, supplier, vendor, or retailer is strictly prohibited on Amazon.
Ultimately, it's your responsibility as an Amazon seller to ensure that the products you offer comply with all applicable laws and regulations, are authorized for sale or resale, and do not infringe on intellectual property rights. By following these guidelines, you can help protect your business and maintain a successful presence on the Amazon marketplace.
Let me know in the comments how you source your inventory!
The Amazon Seller's Playbook: 5 Must-Know Guidelines for Sourcing and Selling Products!
Leave a thumbs up or a thumbs down to let me know if you find this helpful (or not)!
As an Amazon seller, it's crucial to understand the platform's policies and requirements when it comes to sourcing and selling products. Whether you're selling branded products from a third party or your own private label items, there are several guidelines you need to be aware of.
1. Validate Your Suppliers: Ensure that the suppliers you purchase from are legitimate and authorized to sell the branded products you intend to offer. This may involve checking their business licenses, brand authorization letters, business bureau ratings, and other credibility indicators.
2. Build Relationships with Brands: For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon. Take the time to establish a relationship with relevant brands and understand their specific requirements.
3. Retain Business Invoices: Amazon may request documentation to prove the authenticity of your products. Maintain invoices from your suppliers that include details like their contact information, an itemized list of products, and the purchase dates.
4. Understand Amazon's Dropshipping Policy: If you plan to use a dropshipping model, make sure you comply with Amazon's dropshipping policy. This includes validating your dropshipping suppliers, formalizing the relationship with a service level agreement, and properly identifying yourself as the seller on all customer-facing materials.
5. Auctions: Auctions or auction style environments are not considered valid sources of supply. Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable by the manufacturer, supplier, vendor, or retailer is strictly prohibited on Amazon.
Ultimately, it's your responsibility as an Amazon seller to ensure that the products you offer comply with all applicable laws and regulations, are authorized for sale or resale, and do not infringe on intellectual property rights. By following these guidelines, you can help protect your business and maintain a successful presence on the Amazon marketplace.
Let me know in the comments how you source your inventory!
35 replies
35 replies
Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx
How do we turn this on for our branded products?
Seller_9EkhEioO4C8FK
"For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon"
Hey Bryce, what determines the need for direct brand authorization to list on amazon? vs validating the supplier is authorized to sell and the goods are authentic
After reading the policies, guidelines and asking a lawyer, this is my understanding of the rules as they are written.
As a non brand owner I am allowed to sell branded goods without needing authorization if the invoices are from an authorized distributor with a traceable relationship to the brand, the manufacturers warranty is tied directly to the product and transferable to the end user, and the pictures supplied at the time of listing are not owned by the brand. Is this correct?
Amazon says it does not enforce exclusive distribution agreements or MAP agreements, but it seems like IP is used as a workaround to enforce these agreements at a detriment to the consumer leading to higher prices.
I'm going to be actively building relationships with more brand direct accounts to avoid the headache, but there are lots of other third party sellers who would benefit from some clarification.
It wouldn't let me edit my previous reply, so here is a corrected version
Seller_flXNiJRw0gh3z
you must have Posted this because amazon has suddenly started punishing people for this. Without any option to appeal.
Seller_W6vNnb9Dv4v3c
I source my inventory of used books any way I can. Let me remind you that there would be NO Amazon if not for small to medium sized third party book and vhs tape sellers back in the good old days. The fact that the lawyers at Amazon no longer desire our business, is just plain Pathetic on their part. They should all be fired.
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
This seems like awful information, designed to get sellers banned:
1. A valid supplier/reseller of a brand won't do nothin' for you if the brand says you aren't authorized to sell directly. The supplier can be entirely credible and authorized to sell, but not resell. [This didn't stop Amazon from buying from one of our resellers, in violation of our reseller agreement, in order to get their hands on our products; unfortunately, Amazon's rules don't apply to Amazon.]
3. This is an incomplete description of the invoice requirement. One could follow all these rules, and still get nuked.
5. "Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable": how many FBA sellers here have lost inventory -- which they are not allowed to list for sale -- show up on Amazon warehouse?
Finally, none of these rules mean anything if Amazon (or more specifically their sketchy bots) decide you are an Unclean.
We are certainly not telling our primary existential threat how we source our inventory.
get a clue, please
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
OK, this post is a great example of the mods glossing over a very complicated issue and ultimately posting misleading or outright incorrect information. Let me just elaborate on a few points that are really not accurate:
1. Validate your Suppliers- you can do this but it does not mean Amazon will accept their invoices. The criteria for what Amazon feels is an acceptable supplier is not clear; we have had many invoices rejected from suppliers we have used for over 10 years (even though the invoice is proper with all information Amazon wanted).
2. Build a Relationship with a Brand- Great idea but for really large brands (for example with toys Lego, Mattel, Hasbro, ...) they are too big and would rather you deal with their distributors or wholesalers. See point number 1 for why this might be an issue.
3. Retain Business Invoices- Just because you have them does not mean Amazon will accept them. We have given Amazon contact information for invoices of suppliers that Amazon rejected and asked them to call to verify information and business relationship; again, never happened.
4. Dropshipping- Good advice, I would add avoiding this business model unless you are a very seasoned seller and have deep knowledge of how Amazon works
5. Auctions- OK, but there are many items for sale on Amazon that have come through this route.
I have to add that Amazon's invoicing policy completely does not work for used products and anything that is out of print and over 2 years old. How do you have a valid invoice for a 15 years old Lego set or a used book, yet they are for sale on Amazon. Literally 90% of the items for sale on Amazon can not have an invoice dated within the last 6 months from an authorized distributor/supplier yet they are all here for sale.
Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx
How do we turn this on for our branded products?
Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx
How do we turn this on for our branded products?
Seller_9EkhEioO4C8FK
"For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon"
Hey Bryce, what determines the need for direct brand authorization to list on amazon? vs validating the supplier is authorized to sell and the goods are authentic
After reading the policies, guidelines and asking a lawyer, this is my understanding of the rules as they are written.
As a non brand owner I am allowed to sell branded goods without needing authorization if the invoices are from an authorized distributor with a traceable relationship to the brand, the manufacturers warranty is tied directly to the product and transferable to the end user, and the pictures supplied at the time of listing are not owned by the brand. Is this correct?
Amazon says it does not enforce exclusive distribution agreements or MAP agreements, but it seems like IP is used as a workaround to enforce these agreements at a detriment to the consumer leading to higher prices.
I'm going to be actively building relationships with more brand direct accounts to avoid the headache, but there are lots of other third party sellers who would benefit from some clarification.
It wouldn't let me edit my previous reply, so here is a corrected version
Seller_9EkhEioO4C8FK
"For certain branded products, you may need explicit permission from the brand owner to sell on Amazon"
Hey Bryce, what determines the need for direct brand authorization to list on amazon? vs validating the supplier is authorized to sell and the goods are authentic
After reading the policies, guidelines and asking a lawyer, this is my understanding of the rules as they are written.
As a non brand owner I am allowed to sell branded goods without needing authorization if the invoices are from an authorized distributor with a traceable relationship to the brand, the manufacturers warranty is tied directly to the product and transferable to the end user, and the pictures supplied at the time of listing are not owned by the brand. Is this correct?
Amazon says it does not enforce exclusive distribution agreements or MAP agreements, but it seems like IP is used as a workaround to enforce these agreements at a detriment to the consumer leading to higher prices.
I'm going to be actively building relationships with more brand direct accounts to avoid the headache, but there are lots of other third party sellers who would benefit from some clarification.
It wouldn't let me edit my previous reply, so here is a corrected version
Seller_flXNiJRw0gh3z
you must have Posted this because amazon has suddenly started punishing people for this. Without any option to appeal.
Seller_flXNiJRw0gh3z
you must have Posted this because amazon has suddenly started punishing people for this. Without any option to appeal.
Seller_W6vNnb9Dv4v3c
I source my inventory of used books any way I can. Let me remind you that there would be NO Amazon if not for small to medium sized third party book and vhs tape sellers back in the good old days. The fact that the lawyers at Amazon no longer desire our business, is just plain Pathetic on their part. They should all be fired.
Seller_W6vNnb9Dv4v3c
I source my inventory of used books any way I can. Let me remind you that there would be NO Amazon if not for small to medium sized third party book and vhs tape sellers back in the good old days. The fact that the lawyers at Amazon no longer desire our business, is just plain Pathetic on their part. They should all be fired.
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
This seems like awful information, designed to get sellers banned:
1. A valid supplier/reseller of a brand won't do nothin' for you if the brand says you aren't authorized to sell directly. The supplier can be entirely credible and authorized to sell, but not resell. [This didn't stop Amazon from buying from one of our resellers, in violation of our reseller agreement, in order to get their hands on our products; unfortunately, Amazon's rules don't apply to Amazon.]
3. This is an incomplete description of the invoice requirement. One could follow all these rules, and still get nuked.
5. "Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable": how many FBA sellers here have lost inventory -- which they are not allowed to list for sale -- show up on Amazon warehouse?
Finally, none of these rules mean anything if Amazon (or more specifically their sketchy bots) decide you are an Unclean.
We are certainly not telling our primary existential threat how we source our inventory.
get a clue, please
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
This seems like awful information, designed to get sellers banned:
1. A valid supplier/reseller of a brand won't do nothin' for you if the brand says you aren't authorized to sell directly. The supplier can be entirely credible and authorized to sell, but not resell. [This didn't stop Amazon from buying from one of our resellers, in violation of our reseller agreement, in order to get their hands on our products; unfortunately, Amazon's rules don't apply to Amazon.]
3. This is an incomplete description of the invoice requirement. One could follow all these rules, and still get nuked.
5. "Reselling products that are intended for destruction disposal or otherwise designated as unsellable": how many FBA sellers here have lost inventory -- which they are not allowed to list for sale -- show up on Amazon warehouse?
Finally, none of these rules mean anything if Amazon (or more specifically their sketchy bots) decide you are an Unclean.
We are certainly not telling our primary existential threat how we source our inventory.
get a clue, please
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
OK, this post is a great example of the mods glossing over a very complicated issue and ultimately posting misleading or outright incorrect information. Let me just elaborate on a few points that are really not accurate:
1. Validate your Suppliers- you can do this but it does not mean Amazon will accept their invoices. The criteria for what Amazon feels is an acceptable supplier is not clear; we have had many invoices rejected from suppliers we have used for over 10 years (even though the invoice is proper with all information Amazon wanted).
2. Build a Relationship with a Brand- Great idea but for really large brands (for example with toys Lego, Mattel, Hasbro, ...) they are too big and would rather you deal with their distributors or wholesalers. See point number 1 for why this might be an issue.
3. Retain Business Invoices- Just because you have them does not mean Amazon will accept them. We have given Amazon contact information for invoices of suppliers that Amazon rejected and asked them to call to verify information and business relationship; again, never happened.
4. Dropshipping- Good advice, I would add avoiding this business model unless you are a very seasoned seller and have deep knowledge of how Amazon works
5. Auctions- OK, but there are many items for sale on Amazon that have come through this route.
I have to add that Amazon's invoicing policy completely does not work for used products and anything that is out of print and over 2 years old. How do you have a valid invoice for a 15 years old Lego set or a used book, yet they are for sale on Amazon. Literally 90% of the items for sale on Amazon can not have an invoice dated within the last 6 months from an authorized distributor/supplier yet they are all here for sale.
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
OK, this post is a great example of the mods glossing over a very complicated issue and ultimately posting misleading or outright incorrect information. Let me just elaborate on a few points that are really not accurate:
1. Validate your Suppliers- you can do this but it does not mean Amazon will accept their invoices. The criteria for what Amazon feels is an acceptable supplier is not clear; we have had many invoices rejected from suppliers we have used for over 10 years (even though the invoice is proper with all information Amazon wanted).
2. Build a Relationship with a Brand- Great idea but for really large brands (for example with toys Lego, Mattel, Hasbro, ...) they are too big and would rather you deal with their distributors or wholesalers. See point number 1 for why this might be an issue.
3. Retain Business Invoices- Just because you have them does not mean Amazon will accept them. We have given Amazon contact information for invoices of suppliers that Amazon rejected and asked them to call to verify information and business relationship; again, never happened.
4. Dropshipping- Good advice, I would add avoiding this business model unless you are a very seasoned seller and have deep knowledge of how Amazon works
5. Auctions- OK, but there are many items for sale on Amazon that have come through this route.
I have to add that Amazon's invoicing policy completely does not work for used products and anything that is out of print and over 2 years old. How do you have a valid invoice for a 15 years old Lego set or a used book, yet they are for sale on Amazon. Literally 90% of the items for sale on Amazon can not have an invoice dated within the last 6 months from an authorized distributor/supplier yet they are all here for sale.
