EFN Problem
Serious problem with EFN, can anyone help? We are a UK own brand seller. We enrolled in the EFN program in the EU some time ago, and our products are stored in FBA warehousing in Spain. Because we are only VAT registered in Spain (not any other EU country), Amazon's rule is that products can only be stored in Spain. They are then distributed to customers both within Spain and in other EU countries. This works fine. However, the problem we are having is that when a customer returns a product that they bought in Germany (for example), this product is then sent back to FBA Germany. So far, also fine, because to abide by their own rules you would think Amazon would then forward the product back to FBA Spain (these are products in sellable condition). But they don't! Not only do they keep them in Germany (and other EU countries), they charge for storage there even though these products are not for sale because they are not in Spain. Also, because they are not in Spain when you go to Manage All Inventory and FBA Inventory, only the products in Spain FBA are listed. So we don't get proper visibility on those and these products outside Spain increase each time there is a return. And we are charged storage fees each month and now long term storage fees too, which are adding up. We have found out that only by doing a full Inventory Ledger report can these products be seen. We have contacted Seller Support and asked them these questions:
1. How do we stop returns being sent to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses?
2. How can we get the products that are already in non-Spain EU warehouse sent back to FBA Spain warehouses?
For number 1 we were initially told that the returns settings had been set up incorrectly but they were correct now, and that this would not happen again. However, it keeps happening.
For number 2 we were told that this is not possible, that they can only be sent to a third party address within the EU. We don't have such an address as we are UK based and rely on Amazon for warehousing.
We then contacted Seller Support again, and asked these questions:
A. Again, how do we stop returns being sent to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses?
B. As we did not request these products to be returned to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses (and this seems to be against Amazon's own policies), please can we be refunded the monies paid for non-Spain EU FBA storage fees?
C. As we don't have any address within the EU, if they cannot be sent back to Spain FBA our only option is to have these products destroyed (even though they are in sellable condition).
For A and B we received no response about this. For C we were sent information about how to send the products to a 3rd party address within the EU (which we don't have), and the question about destroying the products was ignored.
At this point we gave up with Seller Support and I contacted a third party Amazon service provider and asked them for a quote to get these products destroyed. They have now been looking into this for a week and they cannot yet find out how to do this.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Or if someone from Amazon would respond and help, even better. In all fairness we should really have the storage costs refunded, and be provided with a way to stop this happening again, otherwise it is a drain on our business and undermines the viability of the EFN program.
@Sakura_Amazon_
@Sarah_Amzn
@Winston_Amazon
@Simon_Amazon
@Julia_Amzn
@Ezra_Amazon
EFN Problem
Serious problem with EFN, can anyone help? We are a UK own brand seller. We enrolled in the EFN program in the EU some time ago, and our products are stored in FBA warehousing in Spain. Because we are only VAT registered in Spain (not any other EU country), Amazon's rule is that products can only be stored in Spain. They are then distributed to customers both within Spain and in other EU countries. This works fine. However, the problem we are having is that when a customer returns a product that they bought in Germany (for example), this product is then sent back to FBA Germany. So far, also fine, because to abide by their own rules you would think Amazon would then forward the product back to FBA Spain (these are products in sellable condition). But they don't! Not only do they keep them in Germany (and other EU countries), they charge for storage there even though these products are not for sale because they are not in Spain. Also, because they are not in Spain when you go to Manage All Inventory and FBA Inventory, only the products in Spain FBA are listed. So we don't get proper visibility on those and these products outside Spain increase each time there is a return. And we are charged storage fees each month and now long term storage fees too, which are adding up. We have found out that only by doing a full Inventory Ledger report can these products be seen. We have contacted Seller Support and asked them these questions:
1. How do we stop returns being sent to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses?
2. How can we get the products that are already in non-Spain EU warehouse sent back to FBA Spain warehouses?
For number 1 we were initially told that the returns settings had been set up incorrectly but they were correct now, and that this would not happen again. However, it keeps happening.
For number 2 we were told that this is not possible, that they can only be sent to a third party address within the EU. We don't have such an address as we are UK based and rely on Amazon for warehousing.
We then contacted Seller Support again, and asked these questions:
A. Again, how do we stop returns being sent to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses?
B. As we did not request these products to be returned to non-Spain EU FBA warehouses (and this seems to be against Amazon's own policies), please can we be refunded the monies paid for non-Spain EU FBA storage fees?
C. As we don't have any address within the EU, if they cannot be sent back to Spain FBA our only option is to have these products destroyed (even though they are in sellable condition).
For A and B we received no response about this. For C we were sent information about how to send the products to a 3rd party address within the EU (which we don't have), and the question about destroying the products was ignored.
At this point we gave up with Seller Support and I contacted a third party Amazon service provider and asked them for a quote to get these products destroyed. They have now been looking into this for a week and they cannot yet find out how to do this.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Or if someone from Amazon would respond and help, even better. In all fairness we should really have the storage costs refunded, and be provided with a way to stop this happening again, otherwise it is a drain on our business and undermines the viability of the EFN program.
@Sakura_Amazon_
@Sarah_Amzn
@Winston_Amazon
@Simon_Amazon
@Julia_Amzn
@Ezra_Amazon
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n,
What a situation, I am going to set up a meeting with my contact to find out exactly what is going on and how we can solve it.
I will let you know.
Regards, Spencer
133 replies
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n,
I am Spencer with Amazon.
Have you had a chance to contact seller support on this issue?
Let me know if you need additional help.
Regards, Spencer
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n,
I´m sorry you have not heard from me in a while, I was on a short break.
I am back and I have arranged a meeting with the team to work on this case. No worries about the closed cases, I will stay on top of this.
I will contact you as soon as possible.
Regards, Spencer
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Ok, thanks Spencer. I did manage to reopen the case and they told me a few days ago that it is now with an internal team. Presumably that's good news, let's hope they can sort everything out soon.
Spencer_Amazon
Indeed @Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n,
I have requested to meet sometime this week so hopefully we can solve this soon.
Regards, Spencer
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Thanks Spencer, yes, I really hope we can solve this soon. It's getting very frustrating to say the least!
I just did the inventory check again and still none of the products have been moved back to Spain FBA. All the products that were in the unauthorised warehouses when we opened this case 6 weeks ago are still where they were at that time.
We have not yet received any reimbursement for all the storage charges and long term storage fees for the more than 2 years that we have been charged these each month either. And we've been charged yet more storage fees.
Basically, everything that you and I have done so far with this case has produced no result and the EFN system still doesn't work properly for sellers. Plus the sellable products tied up in this still cannot be purchased by customers.
I hope your meeting goes well Spencer!
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Hi again Spencer,
Did you manage to have the meeting? Any news from your side please?
I just received this from Seller Support:
"My name is Jostin and I will be happy to assist you.
We are still waiting for our internal team to provide more information regarding your issue. We will contact you as soon as we have an update or if any further information is required from your side. I guarantee you that our team is giving the highest priority posible to your case.
We encourage you to wait for our response.
Thank you for your patience and understanding."
As they have already had 6 weeks (and still asking us to wait longer) and in that time have not been able to move any of the products from the unauthorised warehouses back to FBA warehouses in Spain (despite telling us on at least 3 occasions that this has already been arranged, and on one occasion that it had already been finalised), they are obviously having serious problems doing this. Is it therefore perhaps now time to draw a line under this and reimburse us for these products as lost, in addition to the reimbursement for the storage fees and long term storage fees?
By doing this at least ourselves and other sellers can use the EFN service with confidence knowing that if there is a problem on the Amazon side such as this then at least we will be correctly recompensed so that it doesn't adversely affect our businesses. If or when the products are moved back to FBA Spain the reimbursement for the lost products could then be reversed.
What do you think? Is this possible to arrange in the short term at least, while they look into a proper solution for the warehousing issue?
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n,
I have forwarded all the details to my contact at the other team and have requested a meeting.
I am hoping I will meet with them tonight, I certainly will remind them.
Please disregard the answers from Seller Support right now, I am working with a different team who will look into your case specifically.
I really hope this will be resolved soon.
Regards, Spencer
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Hi Spencer,
Now yet another reply from Seller Support. They have tried to close the case again too. This is their latest response:
"This is Jostin, an specialized seller agent support. It will be a pleasure assisting you today.
Thank you for contacting us Silk Bedding Direct team.
Based on the information provided you contacted us in regards of a reimbursement request for storage fees over the last 2 years.
As mentioned above, the refund cannot proceed since even if we request it, if this feature was activated, the system will automatically reject the approval.
It should be noted that you still have a unit pending removal, I recommend you to proceed before this affects your storage fees, as it is a defective unit.
Thank you for contacting us. "
The products in the unauthorised warehouses are not defective (only one is showing as defective, the others are all showing as in sellable condition). And even the one that is defective they should not keep it in an unauthorised warehouse for over 2 years and keep charging us fees every month for it. It's obviously a waste of time sending any reply to Seller Support other than to try to keep the case open (that's what I have done) as due to there numerous previous nonsensical and contradictory replies they have lost all credibility when it come to the issues of this case.
Please, please Spencer, is there something you can do in addition to, or instead of, what you have been doing already? This is a serious concern for any seller considering using the EFN system to sell into the EU, surely someone at Amazon is equally concerned about this and will want to do something about it.
Please can you dig deeper and try to find that person or persons so that this can be finally resolved for my sake, your sake, for the sake of other sellers, and for the sake of Amazon.
It is in the interest of all parties involved that this is properly resolved. There absolutely must be someone at Amazon who is able to do this. Please can you try your best to find them.
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Ok, thanks Spencer. I've just seen your latest reply (I hadn't seen it before I sent my most recent post)
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Hi Spencer, any update please?
I'm sure you're right about disregarding answers from Seller Support. I think they really don't know what to do with this situation now that nothing they have done so far has made any difference to anything. They seem to have totally given up with this now and are only interested in getting the case closed. If I open it again, they immediately close it, and it is closed now.
The other team you've contacted does seem more hopeful though, I hope they can get us properly reimbursed and the EFN system for selling into the EU working correctly for us and for everyone else who uses or may want to use it in the future. Thanks for your efforts so far.
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Hi Spencer,
I've just been hit with long term storage fees yet again for the unauthorised EU warehouses. This is getting insane. We've both been working this case for nearly 2 months now and nobody within Amazon has so far successfully cooperated with us.
There absolutely must be someone at Amazon who knows how to fix this and get the EFN system working properly.
Have you managed to speak with the other team yet? Any progress please?
Seller_DJqWlEby6fi8n
Note that in Seller Support's final message last week, before they closed down this case, they said, "you still have a unit pending removal, I recommend you to proceed before this affects your storage fees". So after nearly 2 months they don't even understand that this is what the case is about, getting the items removed!! (not to mention that they think there is only one item that needs removing, when actually none have been removed and more have been sent there since we opened the case). How can they be so unbelievably bad at this?!
Please, please, Spencer, money is draining from our account, we've asked for help to get it resolved but nothing has worked. Is there a higher management you can contact about this to get it finally resolved?
