Selling Lego on Amazon.com

[asharerin]

35 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Thanks - on a related note, how do you get a good idea of the Amazon charges before you ship in? Right now what I'm doing is creating my product listings as FBM with a high price, then select them all and convert them to FBA, adjust the price to what I want to charge to see how big the fees are and whether it's the right time to send things in, then start working on my shipments, and crank up the price before I send stuff in. Is this the easiest way or is there a simple FBA fee calculator somewhere that I'm missing?

Once you convert to FBA just go to the "manage inventory" option and you will see the "fee preview" for all of your listings. You may have to adjust your "preferences" if it is not showing by default. Your shipping cost to FBA should run around 30 cents per lb with SPD or 10 cents per lb using LTL.

[micbelt]

53 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Thanks - on a related note, how do you get a good idea of the Amazon charges before you ship in? Right now what I'm doing is creating my product listings as FBM with a high price, then select them all and convert them to FBA, adjust the price to what I want to charge to see how big the fees are and whether it's the right time to send things in, then start working on my shipments, and crank up the price before I send stuff in. Is this the easiest way or is there a simple FBA fee calculator somewhere that I'm missing?

google fba fee calculator

[Kenxxx]

So what's everyone's opinion these days on selling higher priced sets on Amazon?  I know many of us have been burned selling FBM... but what about FBA?  I'm worried it is still a danger zone for (bogus) counterfeit complaints. Especially for the small reseller like me, with no wholesale invoices.  Is it?

Example: I've got a couple 75055 ISD to sell.  I prefer eBay, but current prices are around $255 shipped (= about $207 for me, after fees, etc).  Amazon FBA at $350 should = about $280 for me... that's hard to ignore. But if there's a 10% chance an Amazon scammer will complain about "fake" merchandise, and I lose my money, and (potentially) get barred from Amazon... I guess I'll just stick to eBay. I'm I thinking this through correctly?

[exciter1]

13 minutes ago, Kenxxx said:

So what's everyone's opinion these days on selling higher priced sets on Amazon?  I know many of us have been burned selling FBM... but what about FBA?  I'm worried it is still a danger zone for (bogus) counterfeit complaints. Especially for the small reseller like me, with no wholesale invoices.  Is it?

Example: I've got a couple 75055 ISD to sell.  I prefer eBay, but current prices are around $255 shipped (= about $207 for me, after fees, etc).  Amazon FBA at $350 should = about $280 for me... that's hard to ignore. But if there's a 10% chance an Amazon scammer will complain about "fake" merchandise, and I lose my money, and (potentially) get barred from Amazon... I guess I'll just stick to eBay. I'm I thinking this through correctly?

I still think FBA is a pretty safe bet.  Isn't authenticity more guaranteed when Amazon checks the device in?  I'm not sure I'd send any $500+ items in, but you should be ok for 75055.

[micbelt]

1 hour ago, Kenxxx said:

So what's everyone's opinion these days on selling higher priced sets on Amazon?  I know many of us have been burned selling FBM... but what about FBA?  I'm worried it is still a danger zone for (bogus) counterfeit complaints. Especially for the small reseller like me, with no wholesale invoices.  Is it?

Example: I've got a couple 75055 ISD to sell.  I prefer eBay, but current prices are around $255 shipped (= about $207 for me, after fees, etc).  Amazon FBA at $350 should = about $280 for me... that's hard to ignore. But if there's a 10% chance an Amazon scammer will complain about "fake" merchandise, and I lose my money, and (potentially) get barred from Amazon... I guess I'll just stick to eBay. I'm I thinking this through correctly?

I have 4 75055 with FBA right now and have sold a few at roughly $356.99 with no issue so far. I would definitely be cautious about FBM and there is always the chance that FBA loses your inventory, but I feel safer with FBA.

[BrickLegacy]

My concern with FBA is if you get dinged and suspended they have all your inventory. So it's a calculated risk.

I would avoid FBM for anything over $150 since its an easy platform to scam right now.

[Bold-Arrow]

Customer returns would be my major concern with fba .. Losing a unit is heavenly on retired sets , u get paid and move on . 

[asharerin]

2 hours ago, Kenxxx said:

So what's everyone's opinion these days on selling higher priced sets on Amazon?  I know many of us have been burned selling FBM... but what about FBA?  I'm worried it is still a danger zone for (bogus) counterfeit complaints. Especially for the small reseller like me, with no wholesale invoices.  Is it?

Example: I've got a couple 75055 ISD to sell.  I prefer eBay, but current prices are around $255 shipped (= about $207 for me, after fees, etc).  Amazon FBA at $350 should = about $280 for me... that's hard to ignore. But if there's a 10% chance an Amazon scammer will complain about "fake" merchandise, and I lose my money, and (potentially) get barred from Amazon... I guess I'll just stick to eBay. I'm I thinking this through correctly?

FBA for us for all items as long as it remains the number one platform. We would never use FBM to sell Lego. We would go Shopify or ebay and use Amazon to fulfill.

[landphieran]

18 minutes ago, Bold-Arrow said:

Customer returns would be my major concern with fba .. Losing a unit is heavenly on retired sets , u get paid and move on . 

FBA inbound reconciliation has been terrible for me recently.

Sent in a box of 2x Sopwith, 2x Jokerland, 4x Bubble wrapped AT-AT. They apparently didn't receive any of the AT-AT's... Still have a case open trying to get it resolved.

Next shipment full of small items... They didn't receive any of one item i sent in, however they received 25 extra??? of another which I know for certain I don't own.

I've had about 5 sets returned to me by FBA with junk in the boxes... Haven't got around to reporting them, but loses are there regardless of the method of sales.

[exciter1]

1 hour ago, BrickLegacy said:

My concern with FBA is if you get dinged and suspended they have all your inventory. So it's a calculated risk.

Is this true? You can't recall inventory if you are suspended?

[BrickLegacy]

3 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

Is this true? You can't recall inventory if you are suspended?

Not sure, just remember reading that in the AMZ seller forums it can be a hassle.  

[Bold-Arrow]

Yes , true . They will hold your inventory hostage until they either clear you or  make sure u have enough funds in your account . If within 90 days you don't have enough $$  , they can sell of your inventory before u can recall . 

[exciter1]

15 minutes ago, Bold-Arrow said:

Yes , true . They will hold your inventory hostage until they either clear you or  make sure u have enough funds in your account . If within 90 days you don't have enough $$  , they can sell of your inventory before u can recall . 

Enough funds for what, to recall your stuff?

[KShine]

I suppose that you are all saying that they will hold your merch, only until you cover any required funds - correct?

They don't simply confiscate the merchandise of suspended members - do they? 

[Bold-Arrow]

1 minute ago, KShine said:

I suppose that you are all saying that they will hold your merch, only until you cover any required funds - correct?

They don't simply confiscate the merchandise of suspended members - do they? 

No regarding confiscation .

2 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

Enough funds for what, to recall your stuff?

Customer Returns , charge backs , misc fees.... 

[exciter1]

Just now, Bold-Arrow said:

Customer Returns , misc fees.... 

They have no problem charging my associated credit card accounts when they need funds.

[asharerin]

2 minutes ago, KShine said:

I suppose that you are all saying that they will hold your merch, only until you cover any required funds - correct?

They don't simply confiscate the merchandise of suspended members - do they? 

If you are suspended for inauthentic claims and cannot prove authenticity then they will "destroy" your items (i.e. they will take them and sell them on their own account as authentic lol).

Good rule of thumb for FBA do NOT use them as storage. Send in what you hope to sell through over 30 days. Increasing storage fees should be reason enough to do this let alone the threat of having Amazon "destroy" your items if you manage to get yourself in a pickle. That being said retail receipts are enough to prove authenticity in alot of cases if you have good metrics. If you are borderline then kiss your inventory goodbye.

[Bold-Arrow]

5 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

They have no problem charging my associated credit card accounts when they need funds.

Adding they will use inventory as collateral if you took a loan from Amazon Lending program . 

[exciter1]

Just now, Bold-Arrow said:

Adding they will use inventory as collateral if you took a loan from Amazon Lending program . 

OK, no worries there.

[exciter1]

6 minutes ago, asharerin said:

If you are suspended for inauthentic claims and cannot prove authenticity then they will "destroy" your items (i.e. they will take them and sell them on their own account as authentic lol).

Good rule of thumb for FBA do NOT use them as storage. Send in what you hope to sell through over 30 days. Increasing storage fees should be reason enough to do this let alone the threat of having Amazon "destroy" your items if you manage to get yourself in a pickle. That being said retail receipts are enough to prove authenticity in alot of cases if you have good metrics. If you are borderline then kiss your inventory goodbye.

If they check the items in and verify, is that not considered any type of "proof of authenticity"?

[asharerin]

16 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

If they check the items in and verify, is that not considered any type of "proof of authenticity"?

No. Invoices are your best bet although retail receipts may work if you have an established account with a built up track record.

Remember when they check items in all they are doing is scanning the FNSKU label or UPC. They are not verifying anything other than that.

Edited April 4, 2017 by asharerin

[BrickLegacy]

3 hours ago, asharerin said:

If you are suspended for inauthentic claims and cannot prove authenticity then they will "destroy" your items (i.e. they will take them and sell them on their own account as authentic lol).

Good rule of thumb for FBA do NOT use them as storage. Send in what you hope to sell through over 30 days. Increasing storage fees should be reason enough to do this let alone the threat of having Amazon "destroy" your items if you manage to get yourself in a pickle. That being said retail receipts are enough to prove authenticity in alot of cases if you have good metrics. If you are borderline then kiss your inventory goodbye.

I would not rely on retail receipts as a plan to prove authenticity to Amazon.  Those days are long gone.

[redcell]

9 hours ago, Kenxxx said:

So what's everyone's opinion these days on selling higher priced sets on Amazon?  I know many of us have been burned selling FBM... but what about FBA?  I'm worried it is still a danger zone for (bogus) counterfeit complaints. Especially for the small reseller like me, with no wholesale invoices.  Is it?

Example: I've got a couple 75055 ISD to sell.  I prefer eBay, but current prices are around $255 shipped (= about $207 for me, after fees, etc).  Amazon FBA at $350 should = about $280 for me... that's hard to ignore. But if there's a 10% chance an Amazon scammer will complain about "fake" merchandise, and I lose my money, and (potentially) get barred from Amazon... I guess I'll just stick to eBay. I'm I thinking this through correctly?

I wouldn't sweat it at all.  I sold a bunch of 75055s during the holiday season and had no problems.

[redcell]

2 hours ago, BrickLegacy said:

I would not rely on retail receipts as a plan to prove authenticity to Amazon.  Those days are long gone.

What Amazon will accept depends on what purpose they are requesting a receipt for.  If they're asking for a receipt as part of the ungating process, retail receipts won't work at all.  If they're asking for a receipt for proof that you actually bought a lost item that you're asking for reimbursement on, they will still accept retail receipts.

[exciter1]

41 minutes ago, redcell said:

I wouldn't sweat it at all.  I sold a bunch of 75055s during the holiday season and had no problems.

In fairness, Amazon was much different during the holidays than it is now, in regards to scams against sellers.