Amazon.com Marketplace Item Listing Basics: Is it really that easy?
The only setback is the high fee systems that Amazon.com implements. Unless you upgrade to their Pro Seller account, you generally pay $1 per item that sells plus a certain percentage of the sale value including the shipping credit they give you (you get a tiered shipping credit depending on if the buyer chooses Standard, Expedited, or International shipping). You may have noticed that many books on Amazon.com sell for $0.01 plus $3.99 shipping. As a casual seller, you cannot afford for your prices to be that low; you will actually lose money. Set your minimum price no lower than $1.00, or higher if the book is especially big. Being a casual seller, you have the unique advantage of being able to undersell anyone on books of any real value; with that being said, you can adjust your prices from time to time in order to make sure your listings have the lowest price.
Amazon.com Marketplace Fee Schedule (current as of 5/2009)
Variable Closing Fees Charged to Seller:
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Commission rates are as follows:
- Amazon Kindle = 15 percent
- Automotive parts and accessories = 12 percent
- Camera and photo = 8 percent
- Cell phones and accessories = 15 percent
- Computers = 6 percent
- Electronic items = 8 percent
- Items in the Everything Else store = 15 percent
- Musical instruments = 12 percent
- Watches = 13 percent
- All other product lines = 15 percent
Amazon.com Marketplace has some stringent rules that you should try to follow if you can. One has to do with packaging; you are required to put your seller name and the phrase ‘Your Amazon.com Marketplace Order’ on the front of the package. The second has to do with shipping time; they require you to send the item 2 days after the item sells. I have personally waited much longer to ship an item, but you should try to do this if you can.
Amazon.com packaging guidelines are specific, but you can easily write
on these requirements with a pen.
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Always use the cheapest shipping method - whether it be Media Mail or First Class. When a buyer chooses Expedited shipping, you can ship via First Class (if possible) and still maintain the shipping requirements. This will help pad your profits.
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Ship as soon as possible - Amazon.com requires you to ship within 2 days. If you don't, however, it might not be a big deal. The buyer doesn't know these requirements and might not notice. Try to anyway.
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Keep packaging simple - I package many books in just one or two sheets of printing paper. This keeps the packaging light, keeps your costs down, and is very durable once wrapped in tape. Padded envelopes and boxes are only necessary when the book is very big, heavy, or is collectible.
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Check your prices - Make sure to check your entire inventory ever week or more often. This will ensure that you still have competitive prices; many sellers check and change their prices everyday. If you have to lower your price by a few cents to maintain the lowest price, you should do it if you price will still remain $1 or more.
Use the Navigation bar on the right to view the other sections on the Amazon.com Marketplace.
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