Your Obligations When You Use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

As you have probably noticed, Amazon has been providing amazing sales and marketing platform for sellers around the world. The level of convenience it provides under its FBA platform for product storage, fulfillment, and logistics. This is the best thing for us sellers, isn’t it? Less hassle, hence we can focus on other things of our business.

Apart from all the benefits that Amazon provides, as a seller, you need to know what obligations you should adhere to when using FBA. This article will give you details on specific responsibilities you should know. This is an important aspect for a smooth-sailing seller- Amazon FBA process.

Looking and Choosing the Right Products to Market

Depending on your business niche, you can sell any product on Amazon. However, bear in mind that if you want to avoid storage fees, ensure the products you choose will sell fast.

Keep Track of Your Inventory Levels

Make sure to keep track of your inventory levels from time to time to ensure the consistent stock of your products.

Advertise and Sell Your Products

If this is your first time selling your own products, you will need to guarantee that people can locate and see your products on the search list. However, if you are selling well-known product brands, you may skip this part.

Know Specific Product Protocol

In case your product falls under the cosmetic category, these are the things you need to remember:

• If you are selling soaps, bath bombs, or scrubs that are all handmade, ensure your products adhere to Amazon’s product regulation. Whether you are selling on a small scale or large scale basis, make sure to comply he protocol.
• Make sure to contact your local trading standards in case you wish to sell cosmetics. This is for you to know how you can comply with product regulations.

Make Sure Your Contract is Legally Correct

As an online seller, it is important to ensure that the contract you will be providing contains legitimate details.

• Provide the details for delivery. In case your item will not be available for posting in 3 days then inform the public when it will be posted; make sure it includes the product description. All products must be delivered and received by the purchaser within 30 days unless agreed otherwise.
• Order cancellation. The purchaser must let you know if they want to cancel the order. Depending on Amazon’s protocol, let the purchaser email you for proper organization. Upon receipt of the products that were returned, Amazon will then provide the full refund of the product’s cost.

Moreover, you as the seller, have the right to deduct the amount from the refunds if the products show signs of unreasonable use. Generally, you cannot deduct the amount for packaging removal for product inspection, but you can deduct for a damaged item that has not been checked but used.

Customer Service Intended for Different Fulfillment Orders

As an Amazon seller, you are obliged to provide customer service for various fulfillment orders under various channels. This includes managing customer inquiries for delivery and requests for product returns, refunds, and replacements. You have the option to process the product returns independently or via Amazon seller account.

Inquiries for Product Delivery

Take note of these details when the customer asks about the order delivery:

• Click the order ID that is found on the Manage Orders page.
• Take note of the date given under the Estimated Delivery Date of a certain product.
• For the delivery date, you can check the carrier’s web page or provide the tracking number to the customer.
• In the event a tracking ID is not available, inform the customer to wait for 7 days.
• You may contact Seller Support in case shipment has not arrived within 7 days.

The Seller support will provide reimbursement for any lost item. The amount for reimbursement is calculated as per FBA Lost and Damaged Inventory Reimbursement Policy. Also, the reimbursement will be given to you by Amazon, not your customer. Moreover, it is your obligation to fix any problem with the customer.

Keep Track of Any Customer Inquiry

You can keep track of the customer orders through the Order Details page. Also, tracking detail is only available after the product has been shipped. You may contact Seller support if the order has not been shipped yet upon the estimated date of delivery.

• Allow at least 1-2 days for tracking detail to appear on the site since it may take a while for carriers to update it.
• Other carriers provide tracking details but not tracking numbers. Also, tracking numbers are not available for international shipments; whether shipping from China to USA, Africa, or any other countries.
• You have the option to provide Amazon the email address of your customer. They will send a notification via email when the order has been shipped. A link to an external web page will be included as well.

Conclusion

Considering that Amazon takes all of the hard work on your behalf, it is important you know what your obligations are as a seller. This will give you a better understanding of what you need to do if you registered on Amazon FBA. Remember, it pays to be aware of the things you should do when engaging in third-party companies as well as handling customers, products, and customer orders. May these pieces of information help you with your venture on becoming an Amazon FBA seller.