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How to open an Amazon Seller Account and the risks that come with it

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2023

If you plan to sell on Amazon, you probably already know that you have to set up an account first. However, what you might not know, is that opening a brand new Amazon seller account comes with risks. Why? Because if you’re not careful with where and on which device you open the account on, you’ll be hit with what we call an Amazon suspension. Let us explain why:

If you open your Amazon account in a public location, your Amazon account might get linked to the account of another seller (or even worse, more Amazon sellers!) who is located in the same place, and your accounts will be linked. Ouch!
If you open your new Amazon seller account on the same computer that another Amazon seller opened an account on, the same thing will happen. Amazon’s algorithm will link and suspend you. Why? Because Amazon does not like each seller to have multiple Amazon accounts on its platform.
If you’ve had another Amazon account previously, and use the same device to create a new one, we are getting redundant! Same thing will happen.
You will get your Amazon suspended if your information does not match, or is the same with someone else’s. Yes, even before you make a single sale!

But don’t get discouraged!

Even though creating a new Amazon seller account comes with its risks, it’s actually not that hard to create one if you know what you are doing. So, let’s get to the bottom of it, shall we?

Step 1: Pick A Selling Plan

There are two types of Amazon seller accounts, and the primary difference between them is the pricing, but let’s leave that for later.

Individual Account

First off, you’ve got the Individual seller account. This type of seller account is free. The individual seller account has some limitations (which is why it’s free!). For example, you can’t manage inventory using feeds, spreadsheets, or reports, and you can’t manage orders with order reports. Also, you can’t use Amazon Marketplace Web Services. Amazon sellers who up for the Individual Seller account are also not eligible to place their listings in the Buy Box, which is a big deal on Amazon.

The individual account is a great option for newcomers to the platform who will not start selling products left and right when they create the account. You’d better not! Because even though this type of seller account is free, Amazon will collect $0.99 from each item you sell, and that’s just one fee!

Professional Seller Account

On the other hand, we have the professional seller account, which, as the name suggests, is a more refined type of Amazon seller account. The pricing is also different. For the type of account, Amazon requires you to pay $39.99 a month selling through its platform, instead of charging the $0.99 fee it charges individual seller accounts.

Here are the perks of a professional seller account on Amazon:

You can manage orders using reports
You can manage inventory using feeds and spreadsheets
You can do promotions and gift services
You are eligible for having your products in the Buy Box
You can use Amazon’s automated tax calculation system
You can access user permissions, and you can allow others to access your account

As you can see, it has a lot of advantages. If you plan on having relatively high sales on Amazon and want to become a professional when you sell on the platform, the professional seller account is the best fit for you. If you have high sales, the monthly fee should not be that big of a problem.

The good news is that after you’re done with the registration process and the account is actually created, you can switch between a professional and an individual account at any time with the same information, depending on your needs.

Once the registration process is gone and done, it’s time to focus on the next issue:

Selling on Amazon as FBA, or FBM?

As you know, Amazon has two order fulfillment models. The FBM, or fulfillment by Merchant (a fancy name for an Amazon seller) and FBA (fulfillment by Amazon). You can easily find this option on Amazon seller central.

Let’s talk about the risks of FBA and FBM, shall we?

FBM: Everything’s on the Amazon Seller

And by everything, we do mean everything! In Amazon FBM, you are the one handling the product prepping, packing, and shipping processes. Even though FBM is more cost effective, it is still risky. The reason for that is because if something happens to the products, or if customers are not happy with their orders, you’ll be the one taking the heat.

When customers complain, Amazon acts! And that comes in form of Amazon account suspension. You don’t want to deal with that, especially if you are a new seller on the platform!

FBA: What the Pros Choose

Almost any professional seller you talk to will tell you that they are using fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to fulfill the products to sell on the platform. The reason for this is that Amazon FBA lets Amazon do the heavy lifting. The products go from your supplier either to an Amazon FBA prep center, or to Amazon’s warehouses, where Amazon takes care of the entire product packing and shipping process. Of course, all of this requires fees, but at least there is much less risk of suspension!

However, you can still run into trouble under Amazon FBA. For example, if you haven’t picked products which sell well, those products are going to sit in Amazon’s warehouses, and Amazon will charge fees and after fees for keeping them there. They might expire (if they are perishable products), which can be very financially draining for your business.

As you can see, there are various risks associated with Amazon businesses, from the type of seller account you pick, to choosing how to fulfill orders. However, this should not discourage you from selling on the platform. Even if you do het suspended, there are ways of getting your seller account reinstated. As for items that have been sitting in Amazon’s warehouses or are expired, there are solutions such as liquidation companies which are currently very popular among Amazon sellers. Like they say, if there’s a will, there’s a way! Amazon can be a very successful marketplace if everything is done by the book!

If you are experiencing issues with your Amazon Seller Account and your Seller Account already received a warning or is under a review, I can assist you and help you resolve the matter.

In order to receive a professional advice and get help with your Amazon issue, feel free to subscribe and reach out through my dedicated assistance help page at www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic, where I provide help with Amazon related matters in exchange for a small $24.99 fee.

I hope you found this article helpful. Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Regarding Amazon Seller Performance, you can always participate in our Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide group, where you will be very welcome.

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am presenting you several secret tips about appealing Amazon Seller Account suspensions (don’t be confused by the opening of the video, where I am enjoying a vacation – it’s a part of the story):

Kika Angelic

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My name is Kristina Hajdukova, but I am known as Kika Angelic. I have been selling online since high school and I dedicated my entire life to helping other Amazon Sellers and building the seller community Regarding Amazon Seller Performance, you can always participate in my Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide group, where you will be very welcome. If you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with any Amazon-related issues such as suspensions, listing blocks or is looking for professional assistance, please don’t hesitate to subscribe to my new OnlyFans page at: www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic

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Amazon is now giving sellers the exact reason for Restricted Products Removal

Published

4 days ago

May 31, 2023

Kika Angelic

If you are a third party seller doing business on Amazon’s platform, you might be already aware that they are rarely providing any clear reason at all for their enforcements. Amazon can remove your listings anytime and if you wish to have them reactivated, you will have to invest a significant amount of time and resources into appealing.

Recently, Amazon started briefly clarifying reasons for listing blocks in relevant notices, which includes those subject to Restricted Products Removal. If you carefully review the wording of e-mail received from Amazon, you will be able to detect, why they were removed.

By the way of example, a recent Restricted Products Removal notice states:

“Jewellery products cannot be described as “8 carat gold”, “10 carat gold” or similar as these are not recognised finesses of gold in the UK. For more info, please see the following; https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/external/help.html?itemID=201744030&language=en_GB&ref=efph_201744030_relt_201744010”

The text of your notice should address your listing’s specific reasons.

Here you can view an example full e-mail from Amazon regarding Restricted Products Removal:

Notification of Restricted Products Removal

Hello from Amazon,
We are writing to let you know that the following detail pages have been removed from our catalog:

ASIN: XXX, SKU: XXX, Title: XXX

Jewellery products cannot be described as “8 carat gold”, “10 carat gold” or similar as these are not recognised finesses of gold in the UK. For more info, please see the following; https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/external/help.html?itemID=201744030&language=en_GB&ref=efph_201744030_relt_201744010
Why is this happening?

We took this action because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.co.uk. It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies.

What actions do I need to take?

– If any of the above ASINs are Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) offers, please initiate a removal request for the ASIN(s) referenced above to have your inventory sent to a location of your choosing. If you fail to initiate a removal request within 30 days of this notification, we may dispose of it in accordance with the Amazon Services Europe Business Solutions Agreement and FBA policies. For more information on our FBA policies, please review https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/201030350 and https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/200140860.

– Within 48 hours of this warning, please review your listings and close, delete, or archive any listings that do not comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies, including the product(s) listed above.

Please note that moving a restricted product listing to Inactive (Out of Stock) does not make the listing compliant. If you think your product was incorrectly identified as a restricted product on Amazon, close the listing immediately to ensure compliance while you appeal the restriction with Seller Support.

What happens if I fail to follow the above instructions?

Failure to properly close or delete all restricted product listings from your inventory may result in the deactivation of your selling account, and funds may be permanently held.
We’re here to help:

If you have questions about our restricted products policy, please review:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/201743940

Have you received this notification in error?

– If you believe the product(s) listed above are permitted for sale on Amazon, please include evidence or documentation demonstrating that your account has not violated our restricted products policy and contact Seller Support: https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/cu/contact-us. We will investigate your concern.
– If you are unsure, please review: https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/201743940 before appealing the restriction with Seller Support.
You can view your account performance at https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/performance/dashboard?reftag=ah_em_rp or select Account Health on the home screen of the Amazon Seller app on your iOS or Android device. The Account Health dashboard shows how well your account is performing in light of the metrics and policy compliance standards required to sell on Amazon.
– Download iOS App at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/amazon-seller/id794141485?mt=8
– Download Android App at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.sellermobile.android&hl=en_GB
We appreciate your cooperation and thank you for selling on Amazon.co.uk.
Amazon Services Europe

Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.

Once you receive a warning like this, and you believe it to be justified, definitely review your listings within 48 hours of the warning and close, delete, or archive any listings that do not comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies, including the product(s) listed above.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are experiencing issues with your Amazon Seller Account and your Seller Account already received a warning or is under a review, I can assist you and help you resolve the matter.

If you have an Amazon-related issue, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

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How to recover your Amazon Seller Account when Two Step Verification Fails

Published

5 days ago

May 30, 2023

Kika Angelic

As you know, Amazon now requires all third party sellers to implement two step verification in order to access their Seller Accounts. Many sellers are reaching out to me and seeking help with regaining access to their accounts when they are unable to perform two step verification.

This may happen when a seller loses their phone, for example. In such case, they will be unable to receive the OTP text code. If Two-Step Verification fails and you can’t access your account, you can try to recover it using alternative means.

To regain access to your account, you’ll need to verify your identity by providing a scan or photo of a government-issued identity document to Amazon. To protect your account, Amazon won’t be able to make changes to your Two-Step Verification settings until your identity is successfully verified. If you are able to sign in to your account, you’ll have access to make changes to your account.

Before you begin account recovery, try to sign in with a registered backup method or from a trusted device.

If you still can’t sign in, to recover your account:

Go here.
Follow the on-screen instructions to upload your identity document. Make sure that your name and address, and the issuing authority (e.g., state or country) are visible. Cover, conceal, or remove sensitive information such as account numbers or identification numbers.

The verification process can take 1-2 days to complete. Amazon will e-mail you to confirm once Two-Step Verification has been disabled. You’ll then be able to access your account with only your password.

If you have an Amazon-related issue, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

In case you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with Seller Identity Verification on Amazon, please feel free to watch my most detailed video on the subject, addressing all common questions:

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New requirement for list prices on Amazon starts June 30

Published

6 days ago

May 29, 2023

Kika Angelic

If you are an Amazon Seller doing business on their US platform, you must have received Amazon’s warning e-mail entitled New requirement for list prices starts June 30 in your inbox. Starting that date, Amazon will require any newly created listings to contain the List Price.

If you are wondering why is setting a List Price so important for Amazon, in this article I will be addressing your concerns. Whilst it will only take you a few seconds to update any listing with a List Price, you may not be aware of its pros and cons.

Once you upload the List Price, Amazon will save this figure as the product’s RRP. When you try to decrease or increase the product price later, your listing will get automatically deactivated over a Potential high / low pricing error or you will lose the BuyBox.

This is why you should carefully rethink whether you will provide this attribute on your existing listings and what figure will be entered as the List Price.

On the other hand, List Price can be a good idea when you have an otherwise expensive product, which you intend to sell at a significant discount. It is then shown as a strike-through Recommended Retail Price making the savings visible on the product detail page. Displaying the RRP when you are offering a price that is below it, will help customers understand the value of your offer, which may help to increase conversion.

If you do not have a ready-to-provide list price, Amazon suggests that a possible value could be the first price at which you have offered or will be offering the product. You can also provide a value of 0 to indicate that you do not have a list price.

Here you can view a copy of the wording of Amazon’s e-mail regarding the matter:

New requirement for list prices starts June 30

Hello,

You are receiving this email because you have previously added offers for certain product types that commonly include list prices.

Beginning June 30, 2023, we will require the “List price” (also referred to as a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) attribute to be completed for these product types.

Your existing offers will not be affected by this change. Rather, when you create a new item listing, or when you edit an existing listing, you will see a prompt to fill out the “List price” attribute.

If you do not have a ready-to-provide list price, a possible value could be the first price at which you have offered or will be offering the product. You can also provide a value of 0 to indicate that you do not have a list price.

For more information, go to “Product type and attributes”:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/GYV2F6WS9N9FDYD9

You can download the full list of impacted product types from the following link:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/Product_Types_Requiring_List_Price/Product_Types_Required_List_Price.xlsx

For more information on how Amazon uses list prices, go to “Show a reference price on your products by providing a List Price”:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G27XM55CQM3SBMD2

The Amazon Services team

If you have an Amazon-related issue, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

In case you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with Seller Identity Verification on Amazon, please feel free to watch my most detailed video on the subject, addressing all common questions: