Amazon.ca selling same products and stealing sales
I have high patience so It took me a long time to finally make this post. I have been selling on Amazon thru FBA program for almost half a year and I am starting to see Amazon's true nature.
Why is Amazon.ca trying to steal sales from its own FBA Sellers? Although i offer the same service since my products are FBA, I noticed "Amazon.ca" is hopping on some listings and taking all sales... I've even tried to lower my prices to make it a more affordable market, but they seem to have a software that quickly adjust their prices to keep them in buy box. Straight robbery. How am I supposed to make any profit or see a future in this business? Makes no sense to me.
The truth hurts to see that Amazon's business is willing to even wipe out its OWN FBA sellers that sell same products. I know for a fact im not the only who's experienced this by the other forums that have been posted on here. There is more bad to say than good by most others. I've even had to close a few listings due to "Amazon.ca" taking all my sales and gives me no breathing room to make any profit. I believe there should action against this. If there are 2 or more FBA sellers for a certain product, then there is no reason Amazon.ca should hop on and take sales from its own sellers that literally offer the same exact thing.
Kind of sad to see my sales decreasing heavily but I hope more people are becoming aware and decide to complain about this issue so they can understand the damage they are doing!
Regards,
AS
Amazon.ca selling same products and stealing sales
I have high patience so It took me a long time to finally make this post. I have been selling on Amazon thru FBA program for almost half a year and I am starting to see Amazon's true nature.
Why is Amazon.ca trying to steal sales from its own FBA Sellers? Although i offer the same service since my products are FBA, I noticed "Amazon.ca" is hopping on some listings and taking all sales... I've even tried to lower my prices to make it a more affordable market, but they seem to have a software that quickly adjust their prices to keep them in buy box. Straight robbery. How am I supposed to make any profit or see a future in this business? Makes no sense to me.
The truth hurts to see that Amazon's business is willing to even wipe out its OWN FBA sellers that sell same products. I know for a fact im not the only who's experienced this by the other forums that have been posted on here. There is more bad to say than good by most others. I've even had to close a few listings due to "Amazon.ca" taking all my sales and gives me no breathing room to make any profit. I believe there should action against this. If there are 2 or more FBA sellers for a certain product, then there is no reason Amazon.ca should hop on and take sales from its own sellers that literally offer the same exact thing.
Kind of sad to see my sales decreasing heavily but I hope more people are becoming aware and decide to complain about this issue so they can understand the damage they are doing!
Regards,
AS
14 replies
Seller_7LrAV0m5llaI7
It's your vendors and brand owners that you deal with selling direct to Amazon. Bring it up to your sales reps with the brands you deal with.
Seller_1idNlTUpfKbZW
Yep they've done the same to us. They request docs for "Authenticity" etc. when there were no complaints, then they reach out to our suppliers (I've heard from my suppliers and they shown me Amazon reaching out to them) in order to literally get the inventory from them and sell it directly. They've been doing it to all the items that sell well.
Can we do anything about it? Not really other than not put all our eggs in Amazon, and have private label brand. When we had our own private label, they did actually end up pressuring us into selling to them as a Vendor, and that was a terrible experience and didn't last long before we decided to cut them off, and has zero benefit over selling via FBA (they literally dictate how much they will pay for it, how many they want and you have a few days to confirm, with threats that if you don't fulfill their demands they can cut you off). Yea.
Not to mention during the busiest times they take off buy-box eligibility without warning or reason (everything in within specs), which leads to them getting the buy box and getting the sales during the busiest time of the year. They kept doing that to us which feels is to pressure to send to FBA.
Seller_rTAxflJvPFLKc
There are two types of accounts, SC and VC
Most people only have SC accounts, including myself. A VC account is a vendor account that can only be created by invitation
the product sold and shipped is provided by a VC account. When Amazon sees something they're interested in, Amazon will invite you to create a VC account, which sells products directly to Amazon. Then Amazon resells it (Sold and shipped by Amazon).
So blame the brand owner instead.
There are ways to avoid it
1. test Amazon's lower thresholds. They also have an upper price and lower price for auto pricing. Once the price is below their lower band, the price will jump back to the normal price, you can test it to see where the bottom line is and see if that price is still profitable. My experience is usually that only left 10-20% margin.
2. before listing your product, check if there are any Sold and Ship by Amazon; if so, do not source these products; you can simply add the product to your cart and see how many quantities Amazon has; you can still list your product if they don't have many left. It takes time for them to replenish inventory as well; you can benefit from that gap.
Just my two cents
Seller_LTv2zrpA8Qcn1
Amazon is not just a platform, but a seller as well. This is nothing new. FBA does not magically give you as much advantage as you might think or expect; especially if you've only been selling for 6 months. That's the harsh reality.
Don't keep lowering your prices -- that is futile, and only hurts you in the end. Just be patient until Amazon runs out of inventory. Having said that, I have gotten sales even though Amazon offers the same product -- not very often but it happens. I just match the price and wait. My theory is some buyers might think "well I don't have Prime and I don't want to subscribe" ...not sure though; but like I said it happens.
Seller_LropkjlZr1ytx
amazon will loose its credibility and diversity and soon other websites will takeover , if they keep stealing from other sellers . Due to this they already have paid huge fines . but they still doin it .
Seller_7LrAV0m5llaI7
Don't keep lowering your prices -- that is futile, and only hurts you in the end.
Hurts cash flow to wait when you gotta pay your vendors after 30 days to avoid interest at 60 days
Seller_tWGTopbulfE5Z
Wait for them to gate you off the listing and then see them sell the product with no competition.
They will destroy your business and simultaneously ruin your business and fill their pockets at the same time. And there is NOTHING you can do about it.
Seller_mSsmm1gOWMtAE
Do not low your pricing Amazon have automated pricing on every single produt to adjust the price to get buy box. We as a small business can never compete with that pricing unless you are willing to loose money. Its not fair but no amount of compaints going to put things in our favour. We cannot stop Vendors to sell directly to Amazon nor we can stop Amazon to list same products. Unless you are the brand owner and you restrict your own brand. But if you are sourcing products from elsewhere I believe there is nothing you can do. I have most of my listings with Amazon competing with me there is no way I can compete with Amazon without Prime.
