after 8 years on amazon its time to say goodbye!
Ive been waiting for this day for many years! Whilst I will say that amazon has allowed me to live quite comfortably of the sales i've made on here, Its just not worth the stress and the constant fear of waking up each morning and seeing that my account is at risk, or a customer has left a negative feedback which is untrue or incorrect, or some bogus A to Z claim where delivery has been confirmed but amazon still refund the customer and wont remove any poor feedback they leave out of spite!
Ive watched and witnesses so many overnight policy changes, new rules implemented that have left other business crippled seemingly out of nowhere and for no good reason, things like the VTR policy, the new 14 day money hold policy, VAT rules. Luckily i was quite adaptable as it was only me, however I cant imagine the stress it takes on some bigger companies or people who hire staff. I've managed to keep my account mostly in good standing however its absurd that out of every 100 orders, if you get 2 untruthful customers or issues with royal mail and get a negative or claim, then this means your account can be deactivated, I've always wondered what Amazons ODR rate would be if they adhered to the insane standards they expect sellers too.
I would advise anyone who thinks amazon can be a long term platform for you, that you're wrong and your entire business can be removed overnight and Ive seen it happen to so many sellers over the years on the forums. Im amazed ive managed to keep my heard above water for 8 years and im glad to say im finally out of amazons thumb! Good luck to everyone with your time here, it can be very profitable but is it worth all the stress?
after 8 years on amazon its time to say goodbye!
Ive been waiting for this day for many years! Whilst I will say that amazon has allowed me to live quite comfortably of the sales i've made on here, Its just not worth the stress and the constant fear of waking up each morning and seeing that my account is at risk, or a customer has left a negative feedback which is untrue or incorrect, or some bogus A to Z claim where delivery has been confirmed but amazon still refund the customer and wont remove any poor feedback they leave out of spite!
Ive watched and witnesses so many overnight policy changes, new rules implemented that have left other business crippled seemingly out of nowhere and for no good reason, things like the VTR policy, the new 14 day money hold policy, VAT rules. Luckily i was quite adaptable as it was only me, however I cant imagine the stress it takes on some bigger companies or people who hire staff. I've managed to keep my account mostly in good standing however its absurd that out of every 100 orders, if you get 2 untruthful customers or issues with royal mail and get a negative or claim, then this means your account can be deactivated, I've always wondered what Amazons ODR rate would be if they adhered to the insane standards they expect sellers too.
I would advise anyone who thinks amazon can be a long term platform for you, that you're wrong and your entire business can be removed overnight and Ive seen it happen to so many sellers over the years on the forums. Im amazed ive managed to keep my heard above water for 8 years and im glad to say im finally out of amazons thumb! Good luck to everyone with your time here, it can be very profitable but is it worth all the stress?
28 replies
Seller_EhDd9oRr5foZ9
Hi Allsorts,
Sorry to hear that you are leaving and I do agree with you on all your points. It is stressful selling on Amazon and I have to check daily on my account health to see if I have violated any little rules. Best of luck with whatever you are doing in the future. Hopefully I will be following your lead soon.
Best wishes,
James
Bullet Polish Europe Ltd
Seller_08BS5LN7BHyyq
Yes, all true. You tolerate all the issues, inconsistancies, and problematic one-sided policies while you are making a decent profit. Incredibly stressful though when your entire business is at the whim of amazon's automatic algorithms and support who barely listen sometimes and have no interest in doing anything but ticking boxes.
However as fees mount up and more stiflling policies and red tape are invented, you're on a slippery slope downwards.
It's all been said before tbh. Pity cos Amazon was great about 10 years ago before they started wringing every penny out of "partners".
One of the final straws for me was when they removed my product from the search because I wasn't using FBA (too expensive for a cheap product) even though it was a better product, higher rated, cheaper and more relevant to the search than most of the items ranked above it.
Maybe they will change, who knows.
Seller_40ozsHlGqPuEL
Good luck! Remember, it's better to bend like a willow in a gale than to topple like an uprooted oak.
We've been at this Amazon game for over 20 years now, and every week we wonder if it's the week they'll toss us out with the bath water.
Seller_hR3Ip6co3B4T7
we totally agree with you !!! - it’s a massive scam and issue going on - we are in the same boat as you ! - 180 AZ CLAIMS - 8 policy violations and we on the phone to management everyday - still no help and nothing after 2 years !
Seller_iSaQ1YZLh9y3p
Your right about Amazon won ODR rate...I buy regularly all the time and it rarely arrives on time. That said, when customer claim late FBA deliveries, Amazon refunds customer leaving seller short. I feel like a slave to Amazon now, the profit margins are so narrow due to Amazon's policy changes. I've launched into eBay and so far the experience is much better. Better customers without fraudulent claims, easier seller interface and more profit.
Good luck to you
Seller_3OYcS5tDpFVYN
For me, it's all of the above... plus, the ads are so very difficult to understand and very easy to over spend....we've nearly gone out of business a couple of times because of it.
For example -
Keep the ACOS below margin, and you don't rank high enough on the natural listings.
Going above margin, you rank on the natural listings, but every ad sale is a loss.
Which is right?
Add to this the Chinese factories keep joining the platform and undercutting.
It's very hard to keep going with this, if we didn't need the income I would jack it in. - although we also now have guarantor debt that we're having to service on top of this that we used to get through winter last year when our sales collapsed overnight, and acos went through the roof.
We're in such a bad position, we can't quit but I also don't know how long I can keep the business afloat.
Seller_CPJf22Oz1QB69
I wish you all the best your so right Amazon no matter what shut you down you appeal so much and there emails are most certainly automated nightmare
Seller_RguKGMHvWFmo3
Totally agree with all your points. I used to enjoy online selling but now I really don't, like many am considering my options.
Wishing you well with your future.
Seller_YpGZNzOJC6Bme
I totally agree with you! Its so stressful selling on Amazon! And the amount of YOUR money that Amazon holds is killing businesses cashflow! You have account reserves as well as being paid as and when they feel fit whilst taking their own fees instantly after a sale meaning it drives the disbursement amounts down! We are concentrating on other selling platforms at the minute and can see us not selling on Amazon in the next 12 months unless something changes!
Seller_X7WVpjMYa3uG5
Good luck with what comes next - and yes, it is wise advice for merchants to never base their business solely on Amazon.
I've been on Amazon for three years - and have now filed my third court action against them - so, I guess that's one per year!
You are right, the stress is exception and the weaponising of reviews against merchants is a scandal.
I have seen unwarranted negative reviews hit our average scoring and as a result, my cost of advertising per sale goes up - which only benefits, you know who...
So, the big question is, are you quitting ecommerce or are you moving to a different platform?
