Switching from FBA to SFP - anyone done it?
We’ve been using FBA for a number of years and really started it as a way of keeping staff to a minimum and allowing orders to be processed faster than I could manage on my own.
As a business we’ve grown considerably since then and while FBA still sends majority of our orders, it also gives us the majority of our headaches.
As an example, we’ve had two instances that came to light this weekend where we’ve sent mixed sku shipments to Amazon and Amazon have taken it upon themselves to relabel our products with incorrect labels, so as an example we sent 12 units each of two products and Amazon ‘received’ 24 units of one and 0 of the other. When we requested pictures, you can see Amazon have added their own incorrect labels over our correct ones.
This has resulted in 8 orders being refunded in the past week alone, which is not only lost sales, but now stock that I’ve got to pay to have returned so I can repackage.
Anyway, I’ve been looking at whether we should ditch FBA (for the most part) and send everything from our own warehouse SFP instead. I’ve reached out to RM to see if we can get our postage rates low enough to make it viable but just wondered if anyone else has done similar?
Obviously the faster selling lines where we sell a couple hundred a month will remain FBA but the idea would be to cut the volume of products significantly but keep them in stock in our own warehouse.
Any thoughts/opinions would be hugely appreciated.
30 replies
Seller_7VbclcPFFRTnc
Have you got a rm collection after 4.30pm and can you ship 6 days a week ?
You may also need to on-board with evri as there are many instances of amazon only offering evri labels
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
Your only option for SFP is Tracked24 and you will sadly find that the rate they offer you is a lot more expensive than buying as a private customer (go figure!)
You will also have other hoops to jump through, you will need a collection after 4.30pm on the weekdays, and one after midday on Saturday, you will have to be in a position to post all SFP orders that come in before 4pm on that day
You will need to familiarise yourself with Buy Shipping and have your OBA connected as you will need to process your labels through there.
Seller_esvgLzKXw2YAl
The problem is, the rates for SFP are not that great, unless you are sending significant quantities.
The RM rates that you are able to get, have no bearing on the rates you will get for SFP.
So you may want to look at DPD as well, and if your eligible, Amazon logistics.
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
I switched from FBA to SFP but now do neither and just offer Premium shipping as I could not offer weekend shipment, a requirement for SFP.
When I was doing SFP (as others have noted) sometimes Amazon would refuse to let me buy a RM Tracked24 label (presumably they thought the EDD could not be met) and automatically allocate an Evri one. As I had no Evri collection and the nearest drop off was a 10 mile round trip I did not want any Evri label to ever be issued. It was a pain having to check each order to see what Amazon was going to issue before I purchased the labels.
I sometimes found moving the cut-off time to 6pm would let me buy a RM Tracked24 label. When this did not work, I would put the order through C&D manually. As long as 95% of the orders are processed via Buy Shipping you will be ok.
Seller_24Bec1n3QCVmi
I’ve just spoken to DPD and the best rates they can offer at the moment is £4.25 per express 1KG pack, plus 15% fuel charge and plus vat based on sending a minimum of 50 per week. Their website has a price of £3.99 plus vat (no fuel charge) if dropping off so have asked what volume I’d need to reach to match their drop off price.
I found the Evri email and the want you to book the collections and give an idea of volume, I need to check what happens if there’s nothing for them to collect as I know some couriers charge if there’s nothing for them.
Seller_24Bec1n3QCVmi
Might have to just stick with RM and negotiate the rates down, and get DPD configured for any orders of multiples.
Seller_24Bec1n3QCVmi
Thanks everyone.
Still pondering what to do. I love FBA and it’s a great time saver in terms of fulfilling orders as we can manufacture in bulk much quicker than we can manufacture individual orders, but I am getting so frustrated about the brick wall that is Amazon Seller noSupport.
Today for example, I discovered that an oversized product we sent in two weeks ago has been received - 13 units out of 30 have sold straight away and 17 units have been marked as defective. Seller noSupport are refusing to look into why the 17 units have been marked as defective and have instead told me I need to create a removal order. I’ve gone back to them saying this is not going to happen as it’ll cost me £1.32 per unit and because I know they are not defective unless the FC have damaged them, in which case they need to reimburse me for the units…awaiting their reply but this just adds to the reasons why I want to ditch FBA in the long term.
Why do Amazon have to take a good thing like FBA and make it frustrating?
