Looks like I've reached the end of the road
Believe it or not, I've enjoyed my experience selling on Amazon. It's been challenging and painful at times, but the velocity of the platform is addictive. I've also been extremely lucky. I've never had a listing hijacked, a competitor submit bad reviews or tie up all my inventory, and for the most part, Amazon has been benevolent. But for me, from a business perspective, it doesn't make sense anymore.
My live fish sales dwindled to almost nothing when I reset my prices to factor in the cost of scams. And now the medications I sell have been delisted because they are not FDA approved.
They're correct, and I am in the wrong. That is an Amazon policy and the products I sell aren't FDA approved. I have no grounds for an appeal.
However, according to the FDA Green Book, which lists approved animal drugs. *none* of the mainstream consumer pond or aquarium treatments on the list. Nothing from API, Hikari, none of the big aquatic drug makers. None of those products are FDA approved. Zero. So, if life were fair, there would be no fish meds on Amazon today... but of course, they're all there. Except mine.
To me, that's the biggest problem on the platform: inconsistency of enforcement.
I'm not trying to make an argument that I'm right and Amazon is wrong, but... when you're looking at hundreds (or in some cases, thousands) of listings that are or might be non-compliant, and they've been on Amazon for more than 10 years, what is a seller supposed to think? "Oh, I shouldn't list this product because it's not FDA approved?" Because reality says there must be some kind of carve-out for all of these listing for all those years.
A more likely reaction is, "Huh, there are hundreds of listings for fish meds that have been on Amazon as long as I can remember. So maybe the rule doesn't apply to the type of drug I sell." And who do you go to for clarification?
Seller Support? [insert laughter here]
IMHO, this platform will always be a trap waiting to spring until Amazon can figure out how to:
- enforce its own rules
- enforce them at the right time (in this case, when a product is listed, not years later)
- provide advance notification of policy enforcement changes that will harm sellers
As of now, I have one viable product left on Amazon (that was already de-listed once for unspecified restrictions but then was magically okay a year later). It's too expensive, disruptive, and time-consuming to keep dealing with all the surprises.
Thank you for reading my rant. Who knows, maybe my lame appeal will be accepted. But otherwise, good luck to everyone who continues to soldier on.
Looks like I've reached the end of the road
Believe it or not, I've enjoyed my experience selling on Amazon. It's been challenging and painful at times, but the velocity of the platform is addictive. I've also been extremely lucky. I've never had a listing hijacked, a competitor submit bad reviews or tie up all my inventory, and for the most part, Amazon has been benevolent. But for me, from a business perspective, it doesn't make sense anymore.
My live fish sales dwindled to almost nothing when I reset my prices to factor in the cost of scams. And now the medications I sell have been delisted because they are not FDA approved.
They're correct, and I am in the wrong. That is an Amazon policy and the products I sell aren't FDA approved. I have no grounds for an appeal.
However, according to the FDA Green Book, which lists approved animal drugs. *none* of the mainstream consumer pond or aquarium treatments on the list. Nothing from API, Hikari, none of the big aquatic drug makers. None of those products are FDA approved. Zero. So, if life were fair, there would be no fish meds on Amazon today... but of course, they're all there. Except mine.
To me, that's the biggest problem on the platform: inconsistency of enforcement.
I'm not trying to make an argument that I'm right and Amazon is wrong, but... when you're looking at hundreds (or in some cases, thousands) of listings that are or might be non-compliant, and they've been on Amazon for more than 10 years, what is a seller supposed to think? "Oh, I shouldn't list this product because it's not FDA approved?" Because reality says there must be some kind of carve-out for all of these listing for all those years.
A more likely reaction is, "Huh, there are hundreds of listings for fish meds that have been on Amazon as long as I can remember. So maybe the rule doesn't apply to the type of drug I sell." And who do you go to for clarification?
Seller Support? [insert laughter here]
IMHO, this platform will always be a trap waiting to spring until Amazon can figure out how to:
- enforce its own rules
- enforce them at the right time (in this case, when a product is listed, not years later)
- provide advance notification of policy enforcement changes that will harm sellers
As of now, I have one viable product left on Amazon (that was already de-listed once for unspecified restrictions but then was magically okay a year later). It's too expensive, disruptive, and time-consuming to keep dealing with all the surprises.
Thank you for reading my rant. Who knows, maybe my lame appeal will be accepted. But otherwise, good luck to everyone who continues to soldier on.
0 replies
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
"To me, that's the biggest problem on the platform: inconsistency of enforcement. "
The ONLY consistency on Amazon is, in fact, inconsistency and it has been that way for years.
Their insistence on brain dead BOTS and people with limited understanding and workable fluency of American English only adds to the mess.
" when you're looking at hundreds (or in some cases, thousands) of listings that are or might be non-compliant, "
I think you grossly underestimate the problem on the site. You could probably find that many for just Nike and Adidas!
But Amazon has the nerve to brag about their Counterfeit Crimes Unit and what they do.
I can't decide if it is sheer hypocrisy or absolute incompetence that tops their list of problems.
Good luck!
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
I have actually looked for fishcillin and birdmoxy and so on several times on Amazon and it's never listed. No kind of antibiotic. I always have to purchase on Ebay or another pet store. Somewhere in the small language they state that it's not just about a product itself being forbidden or illegal, but if it COULD be used in a forbidden or illegal way it is also not allowed.
Since most pet-biotics are used by humans...I assume that is why they wont have it on the site. If it is only for pet consumption (such as a horse paste) then it seems to be ok....
Seller_m7QuKdvIgYoa8
Wanna get high sniffing NOS, Nitrous Oxide and don't know where to get some. AMAZON of course! Same with eBay, buy all you want.
BTW there are not enough coffee houses in the US to be buying all the little canisters of WHIP-IT that are supposed to be used in a device to whip the cream for beverages!
Seller_WtOwWhtSrFjva
It is a communications gap between American thinking and Indian thinking. There was not much of a gap when Amazon's workforce was from South American but since they went over to India, it has gotten worse. Not because they don't try. They are given American parameters and told to solve problems as if they are American Customer Service agents. This is the problem. I have worked with Indians in Kuwait, Dubai, Afghanistan and Iraq. I learned that after issuing directions that I would have to ask them to repeat them to me. What I usually got was the opposite of what I said. Partly because they are so eager to please that they have already determined what I wanted before I finished. This was not the case. I had to look at them and tell them to stop thinking and listen to what I was saying. Even head gestures are different. Nodding means no. Here it means yes. I think the same thing applies here.
Seller_qMgi7qxvEo7f1
I sold first aid cross embroidered patches. Then I got in trouble, for that, because it's "copyrighted". It's literally looks like Switzerland's flag. How is that copyrighted? Who knows... It's just a "+" sign. How can you trademark "+" ? How about "-"? How about "."? How about the number "7" ? I got the trademark violation removed, as I contacted the "Red Cross" and they approved to remove it.
Amazon and the Red Cross cannot tell me how hundreds of other people are ok to sell the same thing, without a permit from them, but I'm the only one who is not allowed. Who knows... I stopped looking for logic, and just didn't sell that symbol anymore. Others are selling all around Amazon, other marketplaces and individual websites too, without any problem. I'm not allowed. That's how it is. :-/
Seller_5xUDjRTyrAgVB
as a fellow pet supplies seller, I 100% feel you on this. Flea items and aquarium meds along with some bird vitamins were our best sellers. Now all of those are out and suppressed on this site. It’s rough because I see petco made some medication listings for just their products but small business like ours is blocked. Terrible system here and extremely unfair to the average company. Good luck to you in the future
Seller_nKofDgMZEAY1H
Hi,
The reality of selling on Amazon can be quite harsh. Even if your products have all the necessary certifications and comply with Amazon's policies, you may still face significant challenges, particularly if you are in direct competition with products sold by Amazon employees. Unfortunately, Amazon does not provide adequate protection for sellers and often puts small businesses at a disadvantage. It seems their priority is to profit from sellers for a few years before problems arise, leading to closed listings and locked accounts until sellers are forced to quit. I have come to understand this after three years of selling on the platform. Many will not believe it until they have the misfortune of competing with them.
Seller_KUqaczMDIm4RD
Maybe the makers of the other treatments have a higher up who's golf buddies with someone high up at amazon. These guys likely have a direct number to a single person who actually solves problems.
For the rest of us, we fall by the waist side.
Good luck in your future endeavors.
