Getting an Add to Basket to appear
I have an individual seller account (not professional) which I have had since 2018, although was inactive for a while and just started listing again. I have added the listing for a book, and there is no Add to Basket, only See all Buying Options.
No one else sells this book by the way, if that is relevant.
Can anyone recommend please the fastest most reliable way to get the Add to Basket to appear?
Do I need to do FBA? I don’t want a Professional account as I am likely to sell less than 40 per month at the beginning.
Getting an Add to Basket to appear
I have an individual seller account (not professional) which I have had since 2018, although was inactive for a while and just started listing again. I have added the listing for a book, and there is no Add to Basket, only See all Buying Options.
No one else sells this book by the way, if that is relevant.
Can anyone recommend please the fastest most reliable way to get the Add to Basket to appear?
Do I need to do FBA? I don’t want a Professional account as I am likely to sell less than 40 per month at the beginning.
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
Ok that’s good.
So to get back to the original question of the buybox your options are: pay for the professional plan, or do FBA
30 replies
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
I believe the buybox is only available to people on the professional selling plan.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
…and if they don’t sell, then you have long-term storage fees.
Do you actually mean Individual Seller Account, or Individual selling plan (ie. do not pay the monthly Professional plan fee) ?
As above - Professional is not the name of a seller account, only the name of the selling plan.
Are all the books you sell your own personal second-hand, used items ?, or are you buying items to sell on for profit ? - if so you need to have a Business Seller Account, not Individual Account.
Seller_FQHkqHJI5SqTh
Don’t know where you have got the idea that margins are small on books. The traditional used book trade is characterised by very high margins, but slow turnover. We aim for 500% gross on purchases.
This may be different for the outfits knocking out mass market dross for coppers and making their money on the postage.
Seller_LpjhinHAD7f55
Please can you tell me what your judging your quotes on low margins on books as I been selling books for 40years plus and this is not the case as Allen Williams books quotes
Maja_Amazon
Hey Toolbox_Trading! In case you have not seen it yet, there is a Help Page dedicated to Buy Box and Becoming Buy Box eligible.
Hope it is useful for you!
Maja
Seller_Cag7tt44VLqxQ
Thanks. I don’t actually understand the difference or know how to find out. When I log into the account it states “Selling on Amazon - Individual”. Why can an individual not sell for profit? Surely that would make the account pointless. My only reason for not wanting a business account/plan (is there a difference??) is to save the £25/month as I won’t be selling much initially.
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
Because an individual is someone selling off their 2nd hand goods, books that they have read etc.
Someone selling for profit is a business (sole trader, partnership, Limited company etc)
There is a difference, there is an account type which is your business standing (individual, or what type of business you have)
Then there is a selling plan (individual which has no monthly fee, but a per item fee, or professional which has no per item fee, but a monthly fee (and some other benefits)
Either account type can operate on either selling plan.
The fact that Amazon have Individual as a name for both of them, just makes everything more confusing.
Seller_Cag7tt44VLqxQ
Thanks. Well, I don’t know whether it is an individual or business account. Presumably the difference is just for tax/admin purposes and either would allow you to sell for a profit).
but I have just upgraded to a professional planat £25/m + vat in an attempt to get the buy box to appear! Does anyone know how long it should take to start showing ‘Add to Basket’? Hours/weeks/maybe never?
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
If Amazon thinks you are selling to make a profit on an Individual account, they will suspend you and demand you register as a business. While this is going on it is likely they will hold on to your money etc, as technically you are misleading buyers by not honouring the law regarding business sellers and not disclosing the relevant information etc. You can’t pretend to be an individual when you aren’t
At any stage during registration did you supply Amazon with your UTR?
Seller_Cag7tt44VLqxQ
I assume it’s a business account, I did it a few years ago.
Seller_Cag7tt44VLqxQ
Just checked and, yes, it’s down as privately owned business.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
As mentioned by Dedez - the problem lies with Amazon’s terminology and them using the same name for two entirely diffent things.
There are two types of Selller Account:
Business Seller Account - for selling (or making) items for profit. You can be an individual person ie. just on your own, but still must, by law, be registered with HMRC as self-employed sole-trader - many of us on here are.
Individual Seller Account - ONLY for selling off ones own personal, second-hand items such as used books, DVDs, CDs etc.
Then there are two selling plans:
Professional plan - where you pay the £30 month a fee (does have other benefits)
Individual Plan - where you pay an extra fee per sale, and ideal if you sell less than 33/34 items a month.
A Business Account seller can choose either plan - whatever is financially more sensible for your level of sales.
Oops, I’ve missed a few replies whilst i was typing! - hopefully it is now clearer.
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
I am not a book seller. But I have seen many threads on here with people complaining about how they can’t make money on books, so that is where my impression came from.
like I said originally “From what I understand the profit on books is tight enough as it is.”
I didn’t say that I was sure it was, or I had experience, I just quoted an opinion based on my understanding.
If that is incorrect then I stand corrected, obviously the many posts complaining about the profitability of books, the high fees, the low margins, the low sales volume and the mess of the catalogue have led me to the wrong conclusion.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
@Julia_Amazon @Jessica
Here we are again with sellers not understanding the difference of the two ‘Individuals’, and assuming that Individual Account is same as sole-trader - which it is NOT.
Surely the ‘higher-ups’ must realise that the use of the same name causes complete confusion.
