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.
25 replies
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.
Seller_HRcJa1gdGHeov
Yeah, this is what gets we also. The glaring hypocrisy of requiring wholesale invoices dated within the last 180 days for all items is absurd; even when such an invoice is impossible (for almost anything out of print), Amazon still requires it. Literally 90%+ of the items for sale on Amazon can not meet the 180 day invoice rule, but they are all still for sale.
I guess that is life on the river, frustrating and very difficult.
Seller_4HsL3GZbyDLea
I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon worked with a large competitor of yours to have this to happen to you. Normally in years past I wouldn't have been so conspiratorial.. But our company and several other small sellers on Amazon were the victim of a shady collaboration by Ingersoll Rand and Amazon a few years back. It's a bit of a story, but to make a long story short, Ingersoll Rand and Amazon changed a generic aftermarket "compatible with" listing overnight which several small sellers like myself were selling. Amazon was not on the listing. Yet. The next day the listing was changed to "Ingersoll Rand" brand and Amazon was the only seller listed. And at the same time all the small sellers like me were hit with counterfeit violations.
Moral of my story, Amazon will stoop to extreme lows when it suits them. Including colluding with a large company to destroy your small business.
Seller_SwWZmVVRqnFVK
Tell amazon they are not FDA approved because they are not for human consumption, they are water additives for aquarium fish.
