Selling Lego on Amazon.com

[xeeeej]

Both businesses being based in Leander, TX would be an amazing coincidence if they're unrelated.

[Phil B]

59 minutes ago, Lego Lass said:

It would appear that the infamous Toycentric has rebranded himself…he's now listed under bird-eshop on ebay. This guy is a prolific drop shipper (and major d****e) who uses and abuses eBay to fulfill third party orders via Amazon. 

21 minutes ago, river41 said:

i actually do not think it is toycentric just someone with the same business model.

 

It is toycentric. I just went to my EBay Blocked Buyers list and out of nowhere bird-eshop was on the list where it used to say toycentric. So they didn't even use a new account, they just rebranded toycentric to bird-eshop.

The good news is that if you already blocked toycentric, you don't need to do anything to block bird-eshop.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Phil B

[gmpirate]

Prep Requirements:  Poly Bags

Heard it mentioned but first time for me.  Is this a 100%, have to do it thing?

[Mark Twain]

Prep Requirements:  Poly Bags
Heard it mentioned but first time for me.  Is this a 100%, have to do it thing?

Yes, if the item calls for it. You can always pay Amazon to prep for you if it isn’t something you’re currently set up for.


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[FM]

On 10/7/2021 at 8:36 AM, My_own_2_bricks said:

My StateFarm policy was rejected 3 times. Went with Amazon preferred provider Next and approved with no problems. Quotes from the other preferred  providers were not approved for underwriting if I said that I imported goods.  

FWIW on general liability insurance...

I was hoping to use Next and tried signing up online and was denied.  I went to chat and was told:

Yes, I apologize about that, our policy currently isn't intended to cover the sale of childrens products

And when I said I knew a fellow toy seller that used Next I got...

If there is a toy seller with one of our policies its possible they either do not have the appropriate coverage or misrepresented in their application

[smittypop2]

8 minutes ago, FM said:

FWIW on general liability insurance...

I was hoping to use Next and tried signing up online and was denied.  I went to chat and was told:

Yes, I apologize about that, our policy currently isn't intended to cover the sale of childrens products

And when I said I knew a fellow toy seller that used Next I got...

If there is a toy seller with one of our policies its possible they either do not have the appropriate coverage or misrepresented in their application

I definitely used Next and properly had it marked as a toy seller or whatever category they had it in as well as other products I sold. I had no problems at all. I was approved by many of the Amazon insurance agents, but they were the cheapest. My own Allstate agent never gave me a quote after 3 weeks of pestering him. Oh well. 

[jeff_14]

Following article appeared in Canada’s national Globe and Mail newspaper today. 

Amazon.com Inc.  has reinstated Canadian retailers that were abruptly suspended from its platform over a contentious new shipping policy, a situation that highlights growing tensions between the e-commerce giant and the small-business community.
In recent months, Amazon has sent notices to third-party merchants that they needed to maintain a “valid tracking rate (VTR)” of at least 95 per cent or risk being deactivated on the platform. That meant nearly all orders shipped by merchants that list products on Amazon – rather than orders handled by Amazon – needed a tracking number that customers could reference.
The policy went into effect Aug. 9, although as recently as September, Amazon said it was “not currently enforced” and there was “no direct penalty” for not meeting the standard.
Amazon to hire 15,000 employees across Canada this fall, increase wages
Retailers hope spirit of ‘buy local’ visits them again this holiday season
That’s why many retailers were blindsided last week, when they received e-mails that their stores were suspended, in part or fully. (The VTR rates apply to product categories, rather than all of a company’s merchandise.) A web forum for Amazon sellers, which is hosted by the company, was flooded with complaints from affected merchants.
Those retailers describe the policy change as poorly communicated. Among other things, a webpage explaining the VTR policy said it applied only to shipments from China.


The Globe and Mail on Tuesday asked Amazon about the webpage discrepancy. On Wednesday, the company acknowledged a shortfall in its communications and that it would reinstate the affected sellers to provide them with updated information and more time to comply with the policy.




“Our investigation has shown that the notification did not communicate that VTR applies to shipments both from China and from within Canada, as it should have. This experience is not consistent with our high standards for policy changes,” spokesperson Kristin Gable said in a statement.
The mass suspension wiped out days of sales for companies, sometimes with big repercussions. “I cannot pay employees at the end of the week, as I have lost a significant volume of sales in the last 24 to 48 hours,” one seller identified as JCA_Associates_Inc wrote Friday on the forum, which is restricted to posts by authorized sellers.
Despite the controversy, Amazon is pressing ahead with the shipping policy. The company says its customers expect to be able to track their orders and delivery times.

But the incoming rules are panned by many retailers, who accuse Amazon of hindering their competitiveness and putting pressure on them to hand over inventory to the company.
Chad Silva, the owner of Flashbacks in Hamilton, which largely sells music and movies, was suspended in the video game category last week, but was reinstated on Wednesday.
Next to each of his deactivated items was an icon that said “convert to FBA.” That stands for fulfilled by Amazon, which means the e-commerce giant would handle orders. But in choosing that option, sellers like Mr. Silva would have to send their inventory to Amazon. Some retailers bristle at doing that, because those items would then be available exclusively through Amazon, rather than multiple sales channels.
“I really don’t want to dilute my inventory to where I have half my good stuff in a warehouse with Amazon, and half my good stuff in my actual store,” Mr. Silva said.


A Purolator courier vehicle sits parked in Toronto on Oct. 20, 2011. Many shipping carriers, such as Canada Post and Purolator, are 'integrated' with Amazon – meaning, customers can track their orders from within the e-commerce site.
For many sellers, a big concern is pricing competitively under the new rules. Sellers of small, low-priced merchandise – say, $10 books – often ship items through letter mail, bypassing more expensive options that include tracking to keep costs low for customers.
Under the VTR policy, small orders of $10 or less are exempt from tracking. However, that pertains to the total value, shipping included. As an example, Mr. Silva said a $7 DVD could be shipped to Toronto from Hamilton – just a 45-minute drive – for $3.99 via letter mail. With tracking, the same parcel would cost $13, although the delivery would be expedited.


“I would say maybe one person, out of the hundreds and hundreds of orders I get a month, chooses to get it tracked when it doesn’t need to be,” he said.
Despite giving buyers a tracking code, a Montreal-based retailer was suspended last week. (The Globe is not identifying the company because it is concerned about straining its relationship with Amazon.)
Many shipping carriers, such as Canada Post and Purolator, are “integrated” with Amazon – meaning, customers can track their orders from within the e-commerce site.


An Amazon delivery worker pulls a cart full of packages during its annual Prime Day promotion in New York City on June 21. 
Many Canadian retailers were blindsided last week, when they received e-mails saying that their stores were suspended, in part or fully. A web forum for Amazon sellers, which is hosted by the company, was flooded with complaints from affected merchants.

But some carriers are not recognized. That includes Canpar Express, which the Montreal merchant uses for what it says are cheaper rates. So while its customers get a tracking code that’s usable on Canpar’s website, the company was still suspended for several days because Canpar is not an approved carrier.
The Montreal retailer sells its products through various channels, with Amazon accounting for a sizable portion, $100,000, in revenue in a typical month. (Amazon takes a 15-per-cent cut of the company’s total sales on the platform, taxes included.)
On the forum, Amazon encouraged companies to submit suggestions on which carriers to add.
 Mr. Silva is disappointed with how things are changing. He opened his store just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and selling through Amazon was the “greatest saving grace” to keep the business afloat through multiple lockdowns that shuttered retailers to walk-in buyers.
Still, he struggles to envision a viable future on Amazon as the tracking policy comes into effect.
“My plan right now is to stay on Amazon until they kick me off.”

[Bold-Arrow]

Long read but seller tried to get ungated for Lego via hiring a consultant and get shut down.

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/account-deactivated-for-altered-selling-application-6-month-seller-seeking-advice/926705

[Bricklectic]

28 minutes ago, Bold-Arrow said:

Long read but seller tried to get ungated for Lego via hiring a consultant and get shut down.

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/account-deactivated-for-altered-selling-application-6-month-seller-seeking-advice/926705

good read thanks. one of the posts summarized it there "For those who want the short version . The OP hired a consultant to get ungated in Legos . As has been posted in the past by others , the consultant sent in falsified documents . The OP is now suspended for sending in falsified documents .

Saying the consultant sent the documents without your knowledge will not work . Yeah we have heard that one before ,"

[chinothegeeko]

Long read but seller tried to get ungated for Lego via hiring a consultant and get shut down.
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/account-deactivated-for-altered-selling-application-6-month-seller-seeking-advice/926705

It is very easy to get ungated in lego anymore. People aren’t very smart. For insurance use Ashlin Hadden.


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[brickvoyeur]

1 minute ago, chinothegeeko said:

It is very easy to get ungated in lego anymore. People aren’t very smart. For insurance use Ashlin Hadden.

It's the exact reason why more recently retired sets are settling closer to eBay prices, and some old retired sets are finding more and more competition. At this point people are getting through using an email receipt direct from Lego.com. Just buy 10 polybags and submit the receipt, and you're in. 

[chinothegeeko]

It's the exact reason why more recently retired sets are settling closer to eBay prices, and some old retired sets are finding more and more competition. At this point people are getting through using an email receipt direct from Lego.com. Just buy 10 polybags and submit the receipt, and you're in. 

100%. The Lego game is way more crowded. If not already I’d suggest branching out to selling other items also as hold periods will take longer or take advantage of the sets that are restricted for a lot of sellers. That’s my new buying plan for sets.


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[Darth_Raichu]

51 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

100%. The Lego game is way more crowded. If not already I’d suggest branching out to selling other items also as hold periods will take longer or take advantage of the sets that are restricted for a lot of sellers. That’s my new buying plan for sets.


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Hmm, I thought this has been the trend from the past 2 years.  There are more and more people selling online in general for all toys categories

[chinothegeeko]

Hmm, I thought this has been the trend from the past 2 years.  There are more and more people selling online in general for all toys categories

It has been but I know of at least 100 new lego sellers across a few reseller discord’s I’m in.


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[Darth_Raichu]

5 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

It has been but I know of at least 100 new lego sellers across a few reseller discord’s I’m in.


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Are they brand new resellers or more experienced ones expanding their categories ?

[exciter1]

6 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

It has been but I know of at least 100 new lego sellers across a few reseller discord’s I’m in.


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I'm getting close to putting myself out to pasture and going the way of Emazers. I don't want to be doing this when I retire and I need to get rid of the stuff.

[TANV]

1 hour ago, brickvoyeur said:

It's the exact reason why more recently retired sets are settling closer to eBay prices, and some old retired sets are finding more and more competition. At this point people are getting through using an email receipt direct from Lego.com. Just buy 10 polybags and submit the receipt, and you're in. 

Whoa whoa whoa. Seriously? It's that easy now? Wow. I mean I thought there was a whole bunch of paperwork, receipts, insurance you had to submit. Granted, I don't have an Amazon selling account and I last looked into this about three years ago and decided it was a hassle...

[legorunner]

9 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

It has been but I know of at least 100 new lego sellers across a few reseller discord’s I’m in.

Good insight, thanks. It will be interesting to see how much prices rise (or remain stagnant) the rest of the year as Christmas approaches. I expect Q4 next year will be even more revealing. 

As others have alluded to, this is probably headed the way of the big, volume sellers content with small returns across 100s of each unit. There will be a lot less space for small timers like myself. 

I got past the gate with 2 FBM polybag sales right before the gate came down, so its not like I'm special. Still, the gate was nice while it lasted...

[Bold-Arrow]

6 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Are they brand new resellers or more experienced ones expanding their categories ?

It def ain’t @BrickLegacy, he only does small orders 

[chinothegeeko]

Are they brand new resellers or more experienced ones expanding their categories ?

Mostly brand new.


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Good insight, thanks. It will be interesting to see how much prices rise (or remain stagnant) the rest of the year as Christmas approaches. I expect Q4 next year will be even more revealing. 
As others have alluded to, this is probably headed the way of the big, volume sellers content with small returns across 100s of each unit. There will be a lot less space for small timers like myself. 
I got past the gate with 2 FBM polybag sales right before the gate came down, so its not like I'm special. Still, the gate was nice while it lasted...

The good part is majority of them don’t hold sets like majority do here.


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[exciter1]

13 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

Mostly brand new.


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The good part is majority of them don’t hold sets like majority do here.


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I see people in that FB reseller group asking for the best set recommendations to flip in 2 weeks. lol

[Darth_Raichu]

3 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

I see people in that FB reseller group asking for the best set recommendations to flip in 2 weeks. lol

Give them a list of retired sets and let them rent your time machine for $200 / hr

[Shortbus311]

I just was approved in Lego this year. It was super simple. So much so that I am a little disappointed that I didn't try to get ungated sooner.

I am still gated on several sets though and from my understanding so are pretty much every other recently ungated sellers. For all of you legacy guys that are completely ungated on every set, I would recommend finding out what these sets are that everyone else is gated on and concentrate your purchases there.

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[chinothegeeko]

I see people in that FB reseller group asking for the best set recommendations to flip in 2 weeks. lol

Yeah. So many lazy ass resellers out there. I hate when people give them the info anyways b


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[Darth_Raichu]

4 minutes ago, chinothegeeko said:

Yeah. So many lazy ass resellers out there. I hate when people give them the info anyways b


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I used to be bothered by that but now I think for every 100 who asked probably only 5 would move their butts and actually do something about the information.

I have that low expectation in humanity