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Fulfillment center

This simple hack can save your business

October 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

Prepping inventory for FBA means thinking the process through

By: Lesley Hensell

The Amazon seller was baffled. His account had been shut down for inauthentic goods. But he sourced all inventory direct from the manufacturer. How could this be?

He sold thousands of pairs of shoes every month. We discussed his business processes at length. How was he prepping inventory for FBA?

“Tell me about your boxes. Are they the original branded shoeboxes?” I asked.

“Yes, of course,” he said.

“And how are you keeping the boxes closed?” I asked.

Silence.

Turns out, the seller was not securing the shoeboxes.

How did I know? Complaint after complaint said that pairs of shoes did not match. They were two different sizes, brands or colors. It’s a perfect example of not thinking through how the FBA fulfillment center handles sellers’ inventory. Unsecured boxes may be spilled out of cartons or open in the warehouse. It’s unreasonable to expect that Amazon employees will carefully re-pair shoes that have become mixed up.

The solution? For this seller, I suggested plastic bands that could be used to secure the boxes without damaging the cardboard. Rubber bands will work for fast-moving items, but they should not be used if inventory will remain in the FC for long. Cold or heat could cause them to become brittle and break.

The rubberband hack for Amazon sellers.

Selling items as sets

Many sellers send ASINs to the fulfillment center bundled together as a set. Unfortunately, workers at the Amazon warehouse can make tremendous mistakes by separating items that are meant to be sold together.

For example:

  • One client sold a two-pack of a medicine that was shrink-wrapped together. Amazon workers broke the two-packs into singles, causing many complaints when buyers did not receive two items.
  • Another client sold a bundle with multiple components in a polybag. Amazon workers broke the bundles up, which caused havoc.

How can sellers prevent these problems? Add a prominent sticker that says: “Sold as a set. Do not separate.” This should stop the fulfillment center from making such egregious mistakes.

When in doubt, box, polybag or shrink-wrap

Amazon fulfillment centers are not sterile environments. Products are moved around multiple times. They become dusty and dirty. They are dropped on the floor. The best solution for most products? Keep them clean, safe and in brand-new condition by placing them into protective packaging. This could mean placing them in a box, a polybag, or shrink wrap. This is an extra step that takes time and costs a few pennies. But it will more than pay off with fewer buyer complaints.

Questions about how to keep your account safe? Ask us at Riverbend Consulting.


Lesley Hensell

Lesley is co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the firm’s client services team. She has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their accounts and ASINs back up and running. Lesley leverages two decades as a small business consultant to advise clients on profitability and operational performance. She has been an Amazon seller for almost a decade, thanks to her boys (18 and 13) who do most of the heavy lifting.

Filed Under: Account Health, Amazon, Amazon Appeal, Amazon seller, Amazon Seller Central, Customer Serivce, FBA, General, Seller Central, Seller Performance, Warehouse Tagged With: Amazon, Amazon account, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, Amazon Seller Central, FBA, Fulfillment center, Inventory, Inventory Prep

Why a suspension for “inauthentic” doesn’t mean fake

April 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

When Amazon takes down an ASIN or seller account for inauthentic, that’s not usually what they mean

By: Lesley Hensell

“Item is FAKE.”
It’s feedback that every Amazon seller dreads – and most long-time sellers have received at least once. Unfortunately, that one negative comment from a buyer can quickly transform into a notification from Seller Performance, demanding you disprove their accusation of “inauthentic.” Or, even worse, it can lead to an account suspension. Please know that “inauthentic” doesn’t mean fake.

For most sellers, accusations of inauthentic are downright confusing. And for good reason.

What does “inauthentic” really mean?

When Amazon suspends an ASIN – or a seller account – for accusations of inauthentic, Amazon itself is not saying, “You are selling fake stuff.” Rather, Seller Performance is expressing concern that a pattern of complaints, feedback, reviews and returns have indicated there could be problems with the authenticity of merchandise. 

Inauthentic doesn’t ALWAYS mean fake

This could mean any number of things.
  1. You could be selling fake stuff. It happens. We’ve worked with sellers who truly believed they were selling authentic goods – but were not. Buyers who are loyal customers to a brand can spot the inconsistencies and will point it out. This is where excellent sourcing relationships become key. If you purchase liquidation inventory or buy things that “fell off the back of a truck,” you cannot guarantee authenticity.
  2. You could be selling generic items on a branded ASIN. There are two flavors of this problem. In one instance, you could be listing your generic product against a recognizable, major brand – which is a major no-no. In other cases, the problem is more difficult to untangle. Sometimes, a “generic” listing will be modified by a competitor to show their brand. This can get you in trouble. Our best advice? Don’t list generic products. Always include a brand and manufacturer.
  3. You could be selling items in bad condition. Amazon buyers expect merchandise to be in perfect, gift-giving condition. This means the packaging – inside and outside – should be free of dings, creases and shelfwear. When applicable, seals should be present. When an Amazon buyer receives an item with box damage, they may (unfortunately) complain of inauthentic. To prevent these kinds of complaints, up your inspection game. Ensure that outer packaging is always perfect.
  4. You could have lousy prep and pack. Your items could be getting damaged in transport – whether you’re sending them to the Amazon FBA warehouse or direct to customers. When buyers receive broken cosmetics, leaking shampoos and bent posters, they complain. You cannot control what their complaint might be – and some assume that a broken or damaged item must be fake. Improve your shipping performance, from upgrading packaging to better prepping items.
  5. You could have an FBA problem. Let’s face it. Amazon does a poor job of receiving and grading returns. Sometimes, when opened and used items are put back into your fulfillable inventory, it can lead to authenticity complaints.
  6. You could be commingling inventory. Commingled inventory is a nightmare. Don’t be tempted to go down this road. With commingled inventory, another seller’s fake items could be used to fulfill your orders. Instead, take the time to sticker all of your inventory – or pay Amazon to do it for you.

If your ASINs or account are down for accusations of inauthentic, don’t struggle on alone. Let Riverbend Consulting help. We can assist you in pinpointing and solving the underlying problems. Then, we will help you work with Seller Performance. We are here for you and your business! Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.


Lesley HensellLesley is co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the firm’s client services team. She leverages two decades as a small business consultant to advise clients on profitability and operational performance. She has been an Amazon seller for almost a decade.

Filed Under: 3P, Account Health, Amazon, FBA, Fulfillment, General, Seller Fulfilled, SFP Tagged With: 3P, 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, Copyright, Coronavirus, Deactivation, Fake, FBA, Fulfillment center, Inauthentic, Inventory, Order Cancellation, Shipment, Suspension

When disaster strikes, Amazon sellers need to be ready

April 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

Every business – big and small – needs a disaster plan

By: Lesley Hensell

 

Don’t think it cannot happen to you. For small and mid-sized businesses, disasters can take many forms:

  • Fires that destroy your home, warehouse or office
  • Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and severe storms that damage office and home locations or take out power and communications
  • Power or internet outages – from a day to a week – that disrupt your ability to fill orders and communicate with customers
  • Personal illness or family emergencies that make owners, managers or key employees unable to fulfill their work responsibilities

Amazon seller disaster plan

So what’s a small business to do? Have a disaster plan in place – and train your entire team on the details. Think through these action steps:

  1. Make sure more than one person has the ability to put your Amazon seller account on vacation mode. If a fire, flood or something else strikes and you cannot fulfill orders, it’s critical to go on vacation ASAP while you sort out the details.
  2. Have more than one team member trained to answer customer service messages. Again, in the event orders cannot be filled or are filled late, you must be able to communicate this to customers as soon as possible. By being open and honest, you will avoid negative feedback and unwanted cancellations.
  3. Train your team to understand that going on vacation mode to protect your account is more important than ensuring a flow of new orders. Don’t let the panic of temporary lost revenue tempt you into making business-ending mistakes.
  4. Have a backup location for your inventory. Do you know of a storage space, warehouse, or other solution in case your current location is damaged or off the grid? How would you move your inventory there in a disaster?
  5. Create a virtual “fulfillment relocation kit.” Know which technology and tools would be needed to quickly and easily replicate your fulfillment operations in another location – such as a laptop, label printer, shrink wrap solution, boxes, labels, etc.
  6. If your business operates on platforms other than Amazon, be ready to leverage social media to communicate to your customers. Have canned graphics ready to go, and let your loyal customers know what’s going on, how they can help, and when they can expect you to be back in business.

Planning ahead can save you a lot of headaches in the end – and ensure your business is creating cash flow faster.

We are here for you and your business! Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.

Filed Under: 3P, Account Health, Amazon, FBA, Fulfillment, General, Seller Fulfilled, SFP Tagged With: 3P, 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, Copyright, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Deactivation, Disaster, Emergency, Essential, FBA, Fire, Flood, Fulfillment center, Illness, Inbound, Inventory, Merchant fulfilled, MFN, New York, Order Cancellation, Shipment, Warehouse

Amazon Suspension Types

April 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

Suspension Types.

It’s one of the most common questions we are asked: what are the primary suspension types you are seeing? Join Jack Mlabasati and Lesley Hensell on today’s Amazon Seller Happy Hour. Find out why accounts are being deactivated, and how sellers can get their accounts back quickly.

Follow us on Facebook for extensive content about the constant changes we are seeing. We are hosting Amazon Seller Happy Hour several times a week.

Amazon sellers, we are here for you and your business! Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.

Filed Under: 3P, Account Health, Amazon, FBA, Fulfillment, General, Seller Fulfilled, SFP Tagged With: 3P, 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, China, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Essential, FBA, Fulfillment, Fulfillment center, Inbound, Inventory, Manufacturing, Order Cancellation, Warehouse

Second Accounts. Don’t do it.

April 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

Second Accounts.

Join me, Lesley Hensell, and my awesome guest Kelly Johnston today on Amazon Seller Happy Hour. We will toast the new decision to allow second accounts on Amazon without asking permission. BUT, the rules still apply! We will explain. That and a few pieces of Amazon lock-down news. Bring your favorite drink and come as you are.

Follow us on Facebook for extensive content about the constant changes we are seeing. We are hosting Amazon Seller Happy Hour several times a week.

Amazon sellers, we are here for you and your business! Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.

Filed Under: 3P, Account Health, Amazon, FBA, Fulfillment, General, Seller Fulfilled, SFP Tagged With: 3P, 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, China, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Essential, FBA, Fulfillment, Fulfillment center, Inbound, Inventory, Manufacturing, Order Cancellation, Warehouse

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