I received the email below from Amazon today. I'm sure those of you who sell on Amazon will also receive this email, but in case you somehow missed it, or were thinking about selling on Amazon, here it is. Bulletpoint #2 pretty much rules me out (I just don't sell that much), which is too bad, as I was planning on ramping up for the holidays on Amazon. I pretty much just have ebay and CL now.

 

Hello from Amazon Services,

 

To maintain a great customer experience this holiday season, we are announcing the holiday selling guidelines for the Toys & Games store.

 

Effective November 18, 2014, only sellers who meet the following criteria will be eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category from November 18, 2014 through the first week in January 2015.

• Your first sale on Amazon.com must be prior to September 18, 2014. The sale does not need to be specific to the Toys & Games store.
• You must have processed and shipped at least 25 orders from September 1 through October 31, 2014. The orders do not need to be specific to the Toys & Games store.
• Your pre-fulfillment cancel rate for the period from October 1 through October 31, 2014 must be no greater than 1.75%.
• Your late shipment rate for the period from October 1 through October 31, 2014 must be no greater than 4%.
• Your order defect rate must be no greater than 1% short term as of November 1, 2014.

 

Orders that use Fulfillment by Amazon will not be subject to the above criteria provided your account is in good standing.

Webstore 1.0 sellers are subject to these guidelines (if you do not have a drop down box with your Webstore name at the top right of the page in Seller Central, then you are a Webstore 1.0 seller).

 

You can find your cancel rate, late shipment rate, and order defect rate referred to above in the Performance section of your seller account. If your account does not meet the above criteria, we encourage you to take corrective action now so that you can participate in and have a successful holiday selling season.

 

Eligibility for selling in the Toys & Games store is determined separately for each country. If you sell in multiple marketplaces, your accounts will be evaluated for each country.

 

We will provide final notification about your eligibility to sell in the Toys & Games store by November 12, 2014. Beginning November 18, 2014, we will monitor the performance and listings of sellers who are approved to sell in Toys &

Games during the holiday season. Amazon Services reserves the right to cancel listings, remove selling privileges, and prohibit the sale of specific products to maintain a great customer shopping experience.

 

Here are some steps you can take to remain eligible to sell in Toys & Games throughout the holiday season:

• Monitor your metrics and take corrective action when necessary.
• Utilize Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ship products to customers.
• Check your orders frequently in the Manage Orders section of your account.
• Minimize order cancellations; only show inventory for sale that you have available to ship.
• Ship orders and confirm shipment in a timely manner.
• Ensure your seller policies are up to date.
• If you work with outside drop-shippers, solidify their SLA commitments for providing prompt shipping confirmation.

Thank you for selling on Amazon.

 

Regards,

Amazon Services

 

I received the email below from Amazon today. I'm sure those of you who sell on Amazon will also receive this email, but in case you somehow missed it, or were thinking about selling on Amazon, here it is. Bulletpoint #2 pretty much rules me out (I just don't sell that much), which is too bad, as I was planning on ramping up for the holidays on Amazon. I pretty much just have ebay and CL now.

 

Hello from Amazon Services,

 

To maintain a great customer experience this holiday season, we are announcing the holiday selling guidelines for the Toys & Games store.

 

Effective November 18, 2014, only sellers who meet the following criteria will be eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category from November 18, 2014 through the first week in January 2015.

• Your first sale on Amazon.com must be prior to September 18, 2014. The sale does not need to be specific to the Toys & Games store.
• You must have processed and shipped at least 25 orders from September 1 through October 31, 2014. The orders do not need to be specific to the Toys & Games store.
• Your pre-fulfillment cancel rate for the period from October 1 through October 31, 2014 must be no greater than 1.75%.
• Your late shipment rate for the period from October 1 through October 31, 2014 must be no greater than 4%.
• Your order defect rate must be no greater than 1% short term as of November 1, 2014.

 

Orders that use Fulfillment by Amazon will not be subject to the above criteria provided your account is in good standing.

Webstore 1.0 sellers are subject to these guidelines (if you do not have a drop down box with your Webstore name at the top right of the page in Seller Central, then you are a Webstore 1.0 seller).

 

You can find your cancel rate, late shipment rate, and order defect rate referred to above in the Performance section of your seller account. If your account does not meet the above criteria, we encourage you to take corrective action now so that you can participate in and have a successful holiday selling season.

 

Eligibility for selling in the Toys & Games store is determined separately for each country. If you sell in multiple marketplaces, your accounts will be evaluated for each country.

 

We will provide final notification about your eligibility to sell in the Toys & Games store by November 12, 2014. Beginning November 18, 2014, we will monitor the performance and listings of sellers who are approved to sell in Toys &

Games during the holiday season. Amazon Services reserves the right to cancel listings, remove selling privileges, and prohibit the sale of specific products to maintain a great customer shopping experience.

 

Here are some steps you can take to remain eligible to sell in Toys & Games throughout the holiday season:

• Monitor your metrics and take corrective action when necessary.
• Utilize Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ship products to customers.
• Check your orders frequently in the Manage Orders section of your account.
• Minimize order cancellations; only show inventory for sale that you have available to ship.
• Ship orders and confirm shipment in a timely manner.
• Ensure your seller policies are up to date.
• If you work with outside drop-shippers, solidify their SLA commitments for providing prompt shipping confirmation.

Thank you for selling on Amazon.

 

Regards,

Amazon Services

 

Buy a bunch of polys, preferrably at discount, preferably the ones for which there are not many FBA sellers on Amazon (or their prices are sufficiently high). Between Sep 1 and Oct 1, price them dirt cheap

Excellent suggestion

I am in the same boat. I have sold about 12-14 items on Amazon in the last 3-4 months. I was going to ramp up at Christmas also. This is total BS. Why are they picking on the little guys. We often provide the best service anyway.

I am in the same boat. I have sold about 12-14 items on Amazon in the last 3-4 months. I was going to ramp up at Christmas also. This is total BS. Why are they picking on the little guys. We often provide the best service anyway.

I'm guessing they want to make sure you can deliver so you don't get overwhelmed in the holiday rush and sully their name.

I'm guessing they want to make sure you can deliver so you don't get overwhelmed in the holiday rush and sully their name.

that's the idea. They want to see proven record that you can statistically be within your shipping deadlines. It is not about sullying the name - rather "their CS will be busy enough with more serious stuff"

This is always the case for the last three years I've sold on Amazon. Its aim is to prevent unhappy customers during the holiday season.

I don't see them mentioning whether or not digital content sales are part of evaluation. At least I don't see Amazon T&C excluding them in that letter. Wonder if one can write very, uhm, let's call it "romantic" short story and list it for free via kindle market place. It does not involve physical shipping, so i wonder why don't they spell it as exclusion...

Same in europe... IT ES CO.UK DE FR

You can always FBA with them and not be restricted.

Last year was my first as a seller, and I had no problem meeting the minimums. I think this year is actually better - if I recall, last year the 25 sales had to be between Sep 1 and Oct 31, and the restrictions started on Nov 1 - so you have more time this year. 

 

2 things - first, lots of people start buying Christmas gifts in September so demand is already picking up then. Second, as others have noted, it's pretty easy to get 25 sales if you're doing it just to get ratings/build your numbers. Just realize you aren't going to make huge (or any) profits - but once you're qualified, you will rake in big $$ in Nov-Dec. 

 

Wal-Mart has their clearance in July-August, so stock up on stuff at 40% off and get your money back selling in Sep-Oct, then bring out your big money-makers for Nov-Dec. No sweat. Good luck and have fun!

Buy a bunch of polys, preferrably at discount, preferably the ones for which there are not many FBA sellers on Amazon (or their prices are sufficiently high). Between Sep 1 and Oct 1, price them dirt cheap

Witch Head is probably not the one. Though it is going to be just before the Halloween... Just too much competition... 

Hm, good tips on getting the 25 transactions. A small timer like me is timid to intentionally lose money or break even on purpose, so I will have to think about this one carefully and watch for some good, cheap investments for this.

To anyone with actively selling eBay account(s). Do you plan to sell via both eBay and Amazon this Christmas? Wouldn't you be fullfiling twice as much orders (assuming business is booming on both sites) ? Or would you pick one over the other ?

ETA: Not to mention BrickClassified SO that would be 3 venues.

To anyone with actively selling eBay account(s). Do you plan to sell via both eBay and Amazon this Christmas? Wouldn't you be fullfiling twice as much orders (assuming business is booming on both sites) ? Or would you pick one over the other ?

ETA: Not to mention BrickClassified SO that would be 3 venues.

 

For the limited transactions I have done on Amazon so far I have picked the one that got the best prices. For example, I flipped 3 Ecto 1's on Amazon when they first came out and were sold out on Amazon whereas on Ebay the price was too low. I've done the same with some Disney Frozen dolls. This would be my first Christmas selling on Amazon so I don't know which one will be better. I assume it will be case by case just as it is now.

eBay and Amazon are both rocking during Christmas. If you have suitable inventory for both, and enough time and inventory for both, there's no reason not to sell on both.

eBay and Amazon are both rocking during Christmas. If you have suitable inventory for both, and enough time and inventory for both, there's no reason not to sell on both.

I am merely thinking about my sanity if I try to fulfill twice as many orders as I got last Christmas

ETA: I was/am doing this part time and it easily became a 2nd job during Christmas :)

I am merely thinking about my sanity if I try to fulfill twice as many orders as I got last Christmas

ETA: I was/am doing this part time and it easily became a 2nd job during Christmas

 

Aye, that's the brick wall all right. Christmas is just plain nutty on either venue if you have any significant inventory at all available. Fantastic, very lucrative, but pretty soon you're so crazy you're using your bubble wrap to pad a cell for yourself.

 

Or maybe that's just me.

Buy a bunch of polys, preferrably at discount, preferably the ones for which there are not many FBA sellers on Amazon (or their prices are sufficiently high). Between Sep 1 and Oct 1, price them dirt cheap

 

I've been thinking about this since your post. I have decided to give it a go on AZ for the holidays, which means meeting their minimums, and I like your polybag idea, or (similarly) minifigs. Having already gone through a round of quick flipping The Simpsons minifigs though, I'm ruling that out. Anyone care to speculate on which polys I should be looking at the hardest; Super Heroes, Friends, other? 

I've been thinking about this since your post. I have decided to give it a go on AZ for the holidays, which means meeting their minimums, and I like your polybag idea, or (similarly) minifigs. Having already gone through a round of quick flipping The Simpsons minifigs though, I'm ruling that out. Anyone care to speculate on which polys I should be looking at the hardest; Super Heroes, Friends, other?

Look for super heroes. Honestly anything you can get a discount on. $10 off $50 or so. Even if you break even on the poly bag it'll build your reputation. I found 30 friends poly bags on clearance. Bought them all and now I'm sitting at a top rated status on eBay

Do all amazon sellers get this letter? I don't think I received mine yet...

I got one the same time as the op. I haven't sold on Amazon since January though. I don't like their systems