Note on Amazon listings to "Contact seller before buying"


mbhwhitney
Free Member
  • Posts: 2
  • Joined: 15 Nov 16
  • Karma:
18 Nov 16 06:01:28 pm
Hi,

I'm brand new to Amazon selling, considered FBA but thought I'd get my feet wet with drop shipping to start.

In the past few days, I've launched a few products. I'm feeling a bit nervous because the wholesaler has no notes on inventory. I tested out the cart on the wholesalers site and entered '1000' units as a test and there was no note indicating stock was limited, or the like.

I contacted the supplier and there is no way they can notify me of product volume, which makes it a bit of a gamble.

To this point, I've seen some sellers put a note in their listing similar to: "CONTACT!! ORDERS(at) [URL] ~~ WITH ASIN!!BEFORE ORDERING"

Would this be why? Is this a means for the reseller to check on stock before completing an order? If so, is this standard practice or does it adversely affect one's advertisement in any way?

Thanks in advance,
Mike


fudjj
Site Admin
  • Posts: 6496
  • Joined: 27 Jul 07
  • Karma:
18 Nov 16 10:31:01 pm
Hi Mike,

I'm not an expert on Amazon and can't with any certainty claim to know why that is in place, although it makes sense to me that your assumption would be quite correct. Stock control is one of those drawbacks with dropshipping, it can quite quickly bring you undone. The problem is, you could have dozens, hundreds or even thousands all selling the same item as you are across multiple platforms internationally and it's next to impossible for a supplier to keep up with the stock flow on a daily basis, especially if it's a fast moving item.

So if you are able top confirm a sale before processing a transaction, that has to be a good thing. Would it hurt the chances of a sale, I would say the chances of that would be very high in most cases, especially if someone else is offering the same item for purchase that the buyer can close the sale on straight away.

So that one has pros and cons to it.


Mark (fudjj)

Community Manager
SaleHoo.com

Link hidden: Login to view

mbhwhitney
Free Member
  • Posts: 2
  • Joined: 15 Nov 16
  • Karma:
19 Nov 16 03:14:21 am
Hi Mark -
Thanks for your quick reply.

What you say makes sense regarding one extra step potentially deterring a prospect. However, without this type of preliminary step, it's bit of a gamble that stock will be in place and that makes me uncomfortable. I suppose this is why FBA with white-labelled goods may be a better option and drop shipping more viable from an eCommerce site using a wholesaler who has a consistent supply of product.

So much to learn and weigh out.

Thanks again.
Mike


fudjj
Site Admin
  • Posts: 6496
  • Joined: 27 Jul 07
  • Karma:
19 Nov 16 05:13:42 am
Hi Mike,

Yes, there are all sorts of pros and cons with everything involved no matter what supply resource and market you use to sell, it's a matter or weighing everything up and going with the option that best suits, but there will always be some compromises you have to make along the way, just the way this type of business works unfortunately.

:)


Mark (fudjj)

Community Manager
SaleHoo.com

Link hidden: Login to view

karen_salehoo
Site Admin
  • Posts: 75
  • Joined: 27 Oct 16
  • Karma:
21 Nov 16 04:04:48 am
Hi Mike,

I am concerned on those sellers with notes on their listing saying to contact them first before ordering. Do they put a third party contact detail such as email address or contact number? If so, it seems like a red flag to me. Amazon does not allow their sellers to make contact with buyers directly outside their website. So, it might affect your listing if you put any third party contact details but if you intend to contact your buyers within the site then, it should be fine.

Be extra vigilant with these types of listings since the seller might be luring their buyers to make contact with them outside of Amazon. This is not a standard practice on Amazon since putting contact information on the listing would be a violation - And that is something I do not want you to do. The classic cliché still stands right -- If it is too good to be true, it probably is. You can try to validate their listing by checking on their offer if it seems too good of a bargain. And then, try to see if they would try to make contact outside Amazon. As for you as a seller, communicate with buyers via Amazon and not outside the site to protect yourself as a seller as well.

I'm not concluding if these sellers are really bogus but it pays to be extra wary these days. You can always contact Amazon support to double confirm on these matters. :)


Cheers,

Karen
Customer Support
SaleHoo Group Limited

Be a part of an informative and interactive directory of drop ship suppliers! Join us at SaleHoo via Link hidden: Login to view and reduce your risks in selling online!

_ollar_anatic
Free Member
  • Posts: 32
  • Joined: 14 Jan 16
  • Karma:
23 Jul 19 04:22:25 pm
Hi.

We've run an Online Seller Program for Amazon FBA Sellers for several years, and I will tell you anyway you sell on Amazon is tough nowadays, unless you use a service. As far as Dropshipping, BEWARE! You want to screw up on Amazon start dropshipping!

Dollar Fanatic
Link hidden: Login to view


Online Seller Package
Do you really want to make money on eBay? If so stop playing around and check out our Online Seller Package starting at only $100 today at Link hidden: Login to view

 

SaleHoo helps over 137,216 online business owners
find reliable low cost suppliers

Find out how
cron