FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answers to your questions about the book, FBA and common technical issues
Technical Issues
I keep getting an error message when I try to download the eBook file(s)
My system thinks you have already reached the download limit. This can happen accidentally with vigorous clicking on the link when you are trying to open it. Send me an email at cynthia@fbastepbystep.com and I will re-send the email to you with the links.
Or, you may have actually downloaded the file too many times. I strongly suggest that readers save the files to their hard drives first before reading or printing them. This way they can be opened, read and printed from your hard drive as many times as you need. Again, drop me an email and I’ll take care of you.
Can I get this in a Kindle version?
Yes! All eBook purchases now include a Kindle formatted file of my book.
How do I get the book on to my Kindle?
Just like with the PDF file, first download the file to your computer’s hard drive – somewhere easy to remember. Next, attach the file to a blank email that is sent to your special Kindle email address (will end in “@kindle.com”). Press send and turn on your Kindle. Make sure “wireless” is on. Amazon will charge you a small fee for this. Your file should download within a couple of minutes to your Kindle. Alternatively, you can plug your Kindle into your computer with the USB cord that came with it. When it is plugged in, a screen will come up with folders. You can then transfer the book file to your Kindle through the “Book” folder on the screen. This is a free transaction with no charge from Amazon.
Can I get Chris Green’s book Retail Arbitrage on my Kindle?
Yes. You’ll need to order it from Amazon.com. The version of the book that I previously offered in my bundle was a PDF.
I never got my eBooks
The eBooks are delivered by email at the same time as you get your credit card receipt by email. The two most common reasons for not receiving this email: 1) the email is in your spam filter (by far the most common); or 2) there is a typo/mistake in the email address you gave me. If you don’t find the email in your spam filter, send me an email from your preferred address and I’ll take care of it.
A less common reason you didn’t get your email was you paid with an e-check rather than a credit/debit card. In the case of an electronic check, the transaction won’t “fund” until the money is received from your bank – usually 3-5 business days. Once I get the funds, the email goes automatically. If you used an e-check, but would like to get your books sooner, let me know. I’ll cancel your current order and you can re-purchase using a credit or debit card.
The files won’t download/open
Each browser (FireFox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.) has its own way of handling downloads. There is usually a default folder for downloads. Often, you are given an option of where to save a file. If your file is not opening when you click on it, check your default download folder. You may be able to right-click on the link and choose “save file as” or “save page as” and then tell your system where you want to save the file. If you are not sure, you can save to your desktop and then move the file later.
The eBook pictures are low resolution
A few of my readers have told me that some of the screenshots were hard to see. There are many factors that determine picture resolution including your computer and printer settings.
In addition, I had to compress the file to 10MG for it to be delivered properly to my customers. For all these reasons, I “blew up” chapters 10-12 and offer them to my customers as separate files. The pictures are much bigger and clearer. When you are ready to sign up with Scan Power and Amazon’s Seller Central, print off these files and use them to follow the directions step-by-step.
My screen looks different from the book when signing up for AWS
Amazon has recently updated its screen layouts for AWS, which can be confusing. You are looking for the same things, but now they are in slightly different places. Go ahead and sign up (your name, email, etc.) at http://aws.amazon.com/fws/ as before. Once you are signed up, log out and go to: http://aws.amazon.com:
- Instead of signing up again, look under the “My Account/Console” drop-down menu.
- Select “My Account” and login with your email and password.
- Once logged in, look to the left and see the list of links. Click on “Security Credentials.”
- In the middle of the page you will now see “Access Credentials.” Click here to access the “Access Key” and “Secret Access Key” credentials you need to set up Scan Power. Be sure to cut and paste them into a document and save them for future access without clicking through all the screens.
I’m having trouble with Scan Power (Formerly FBA Power)/FBA Scout
If you have questions about Scan Power’s FBA Power or FBA Scout, please contact Scan Power directly at: info@scanpower.com and they’ll get back with you quickly, or you can call during business hours (East Coast Time) at: 855-322-7693. There is a lot of information on both products at: www.scanpower.com. In addition, you may find that others have asked your question before on the FBA Forum: http://bitly.com/fbaforum or on the Scan Power blog: http://www.fbablog.com
I keep getting a message from Amazon/Scan Power (formerly FBA Power) that I need to go back and re-do Step 4 of my set-up, but it doesn’t “take.”
This error message is an occasional glitch on Amazon.com’s end. Contact the guys at Scan Power info@scanpower.com and they’ll help you resolve it.
How can I save $137.29 on my Scanfob 2002 Bluetooth scanner for FBAScout?
Serialio.com has a special discount for FBAScout users who are using Make Thousands on Amazon in 10 Hours a Week! to get started with their FBA businesses!
- To buy your Scanfob 2002, click: Serialio Scanfob™ 2002 PLUS SerialMagic – Special Coupon. You MUST buy from this page.
- Buy as normal. During the check-out process, you will see the box for coupons. Cut and paste this code into the box: FBAPOW~BundSM-586a22cd7b and click on “Redeem.” It won’t work if you don’t redeem it.
- At that point, your discount will be applied and you’ll see the price change. Your cost – not including shipping and tax (for California residents only) is $282.61.
Normally $419.90 ($349.95 ScanFob + $69.95 SerialMagic software), you save $137.29!
What is SerialMagic? In addition to using your Scanfob™ 2002 to scan items with FBAScout, you can also use it as a data entry device to enter items into FBAPower in your PC. In addition, you can scan any barcode into any program such as Excel or Word. Assuming you have Bluetooth capabilities with your computer, there is no need to buy an extra USB scanner.
Is Scanfob 2002 available in the UK?
Yes! Serialio ships international and works with your Android phone in the UK. Follow the directions above to get your Scanfob and discount. You will pay more in shipping, of course. Typical express mail to the UK with insurance is $38-$40. UPS is roughly double. You can choose the best option for you during check-out.
What kind of phone/device do I need to use FBAScout?
Any Android-based smartphone that is running the latest version of Android will work. In addition, you can run FBAScout on your iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4.
How do I get SerialMagic Gears software on to my smartphone in order to make my Bluetooth scanner work with FBAScout?
SerialMagic Gears is required to use the Scanfob™ 2002 on Android devices. Download it by searching for SerialMagic in the Android Market.
I can’t get my ScanFob to connect with my Smartphone
The tech support guys at Serialio are terrific and will walk you all the way through set up if you get stuck. First, you may want to check out this information from their website:
- Scanfob™ 2002 support: http://serialio.com/support/Scanner/Scanfob_2002/index.php
- Scanfob™ 2002 iPhone and iPad setup: http://serialio.com/support/Scanner/Scanfob_2002/iPhone_Setup.php
- Scanfob™ 2002 Android setup: http://serialio.com/support/Scanner/Scanfob_2002/Android_Setup.php
http://serialio.com/contact.php
Tel: (805) 964 8883
Technical Support: support@serialio.com
I live in the UK – how can I get your blog on my Kindle?
The Amazon Kindle link on this blog won’t work for you because it takes you to the US store and you have to order from the UK store. If you search blogs on the Amazon.co.uk site in the “business and investing category,” you will find my blog FBA Step by Step. Or, simply follow this link: http://amzn.to/FBAblogUK.
I’m having trouble shipping my first box to Amazon
Review this document on “Your First Box to Amazon” that I wrote. If your answer isn’t there, check out these resources:
- Amazon.com’s seller support – absolutely fantastic people. I call them whenever I need help. You can find them under the “Help” link at the upper right-hand side of every page in SellerCentral. You have email and phone options. They are very responsive.
- FBA Forum – see the link on the “Helpful blogs and websites” page on this blog. Someone has probably had your question before. After you are accepted into the group, you can do a search by key words to find out.
- FBA Radio – twice a week you can join the chat room live and ask your burning questions. See the link on the “Helpful blogs and websites” page on this blog.
Questions About FBA and other topics
Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee on the book?
Absolutely! I want you to get value from my book and I realize that selling online with Amazon’s FBA program is not for everyone. If you buy the eBook package and are not happy, I will refund your cost up to 30 days after purchase. Send me an email with your request at: cynthia@fbastepbystep.com. You will need to delete all files from your hard drive. If you bought the paperback book from Amazon, you can arrange a return and refund at this link: http://amzn.to/returnsprocess.
Are Scan Power (formerly FBA Power) and Scan Power Scout available in the UK?
Yes! Sign up here for Scan Power’s UK version. It is £39.95 per month. If you also get Scan Power Scout, it is a total of £59.95 per month.
Once you are signed up, send an email to Scan Power (info@scanpower.com) and tell them that you signed up through me and would like a free month of FBA ScanListUK. They’ll reverse the charges for your first month.
In the UK, Scan Power Scout works on Android phones (only). You can download it from the Android App Store on your phone (or Amazon’s Android App Store).Scan Power Scout is smart and knows where in the world it is. It works the same way as in the U.S. You get 250 free scans before you have to register.
Is Scanfob available in the UK?
Yes! Serialio ships international. Follow the links and coupon directions given under the technical FAQs (above) to get your Scanfob and to save $137.29!
Do you have a UK-version of your book?
Not yet. I’m planning to have additional support for UK FBA sellers some time in 2013, but nothing is ready to talk about yet.
Does Amazon offer its FBA program in Canada?
No. Right now you can only merchant-fulfill your items in Canada.
I’m an FBA Seller. Where can I find more information about restrictions and rules around FBA?
If you printed your contract with Amazon.com, a lot of the information is there. You can find it by logging in to your SellerCentral and then clicking on “help” in the upper right-hand corner. There is a link for “Policies and Agreements” in the “shortcuts” box on the upper right-hand side of the page. This is what you agreed to when you signed up with Amazon’s FBA program so it is good to know what is in there.
In addition, Amazon provides an FBA manual through SellerCentral. Login and go to “help” at the upper right-hand corner of every page. Under “help” look for the FBA manual and the “Getting Started Guide.” Both are very helpful for new sellers.
I am already using Scan/FBA Power, can I still get a free month?
The offer of a free month is for new customers only. Scan Power offers free trials of varying lengths to all its customers. When you signed up, you received a free trial at that time.
I have a FBA question that is not about Scan Power (formerly FBA Power) or Scan Power Scout
Amazon.com has terrific support for its sellers. These folks are top in their class when it comes to customer service.
- Amazon.com’s seller support –You can find them under the “Help” link at the upper right-hand side of every page in SellerCentral. You have email and phone options. They are very responsive.
- FBA Forum – see the link on the “Helpful blogs and websites” page on this blog. Someone has probably had your question before. After you are accepted into the group, you can do a search by key words to find out
- FBA Radio – twice a week you can join the chat room live and ask your burning questions. See the link on the “Helpful blogs and websites” page of this blog
Have a question that’s not answered here? Post your question in the comments below and I’ll give my answer on the blog!
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{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
When are you coming out with you next book?
Lynn,
Thanks for your question. I realize that there will be a lot more questions for new sellers as they start selling in earnest and I plan to provide support for my readers. I’m not sure at this time what it will look like. It might be a book or perhaps videos or some other form of sharing. I’ll let everyone know!
Hello Cynthia- i love your passion about FBA. I too love to teach those to succeed. i am going on a first vacation in a very long time with my husband to Las Vegas. I really would just like to read my whole vacation and learn. I was wondering if you have a coupon to your book for a lesser price? Trust me I know how Hard you worked to create the book. I want to take your book with me and read it out loud to my husband on are 5 hour trip. I am not looking for a handout, just a coupons or if you have something out there that doesn’t cost so much… I am going to pay it forward and teach others as well. Please advise.
Thank you for your valuable time. I know time as I take care of my mom and help out with my grandkids.
Have a wonderful March
Mary Mickelson..
Mary,
Thank you for your comment on my blog and interest in my book! I offer the book in two formats – as a paperback from Amazon.com for $49.95 and as a bundled eBook for $47. The bundle is an “FBA Starter Kit” that comes with other eBooks and discounts on valuable services for sellers. In addition, I offer $50 off of future consulting/training with me. You can learn more here: http://www.fbastepbystep.com/book-information-page.html or by clicking the picture of my book on my blog home page (right-hand side).
Happy selling!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
My friends Carey and Debbie Dula (MIBOX) emailed me about your book. Debbie knew I was a deal-finder from way back, mostly with grocery shopping and coupons. I ordered your book and have read it cover to cover, and I also borrowed Retail Arbitrage for free from the Amazon Kindle library. I’ve never done any online selling (except for a few personal items on eBay), but I’m wanting to give it a try. I’m totally green at this and just starting to get my feet wet. I’m a stay-at-home homeschooler with 5 kids, so flexibility is #1 for me.
Let me get to my question: I’m getting ready to set up my DBA with Collin County online, and I’m not even sure whether I should choose sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, LLC, etc…I know almost nothing about the business end of things, as neither my husband nor I have ever been business owners. Do you have an opinion on this?
I would love to come to your Richardson Book Sale personal advising event, but I don’t think I’ll have purchased any scanning equipment by then. I’m probably going to start small with just some items from my personal library before I make any big equipment investments. Anyhow, if things progress as I’d like them to, I’d love to find out about additional opportunities to watch a scouting trip firsthand. It seems like it would help bring it all together for me.
If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to hear your take on the DBA classification. Thanks so much!
Lisa Darwin
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the fun world of selling on Amazon! You can get a DBA as a sole proprietor. If you incorporate later, then you can transfer the DBA to the new corporate entity. When the business takes off and you have profits to protect, you’ll want to incorporate, but you can wait. I have a link from my “helpful books” page to “Inc. and Grow Rich.” This is a clearly written book that helps non-CPAs like us understand how incorporating can save you money on your taxes and protect your profits. Put that on you list for reading later. First…make profits!
I will be offering regular scouting trips so you’ll have another opportunity if you can’t come this month. Down the road I also plan to create videos and the like for those who can’t come to Dallas to take a class.
Happy Selling!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi, Cynthia,
I just received your starter package and have already read about forty pages of the PDF. You have a great writing style and I love how you cover EVERY step along the way! But I am not sure what equipment/software to buy initially (I do have an iPhone).
I did buy a PDA & 7M scanner a few months ago (through ASelltool.com), but that technology seems almost obsolete! (Is my stuff even worth anything now?) I was about to get an FBAPower & FBAScout subscription ($60 per month), but then I noticed that ASellertool.com very recently came out with similar software for only $30 per month (the interface on the iPhone looks identical to FBAScout!)
What is your opinion on this recent development?
Sincerely,
Steve
Steve,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad the book is useful to you! Before FBA Scout, I had rented ASellerTool’s equipment and service and was able to return it to get my deposit back. I saw that ASellerTool is jumping on the bandwagon to offer FBA seller information – and yes, it is REMARKABLY similar – but I don’t know a lot about it. FBA Scout is created by an FBA Seller for FBA sellers which is why I like it so much. Chris knows what he needs/wants in a scouting tool. The guys at ASellerTool are newcomers to the FBA concept and aren’t Top FBA sellers on Amazon like Chris is, so I really didn’t look too closely at their offering. That being said, you have an investment in their technology already and I can understand why you would want to keep it. You may wish to compare them for yourself. FBA Scout offers 250 free scans before you have to sign up. You can use the camera in your phone to scan barcodes (so you don’t have to buy ScanFob until you are sure). I’m sure ASellerTool has a free trial as well, so why don’t you run a test? I’d be curious to know what you think. You can scan some toys or whatever and see what data comes up for each of them and decide what is helpful to you. It will be slower without the Bluetooth scanner, of course, but you’d probably only need a few scans to make up your mind. The price for both tools is the same, so it gets down to what you prefer.
Cheers,
Cynthia
Can I do this FBA business if I reside in Canada
Cat,
Canada does not have an FBA program at this time. You can participate in the US FBA program if you have a US-based bank account and if you have a way to deliver the goods to the FBA warehouses from a US address. If you are close to the border, for example, you might drop off boxes at a US UPS drop-off location. You’ll need a US address to go with that US bank account so a “mailboxes, etc.” might work for you.
Good luck!
Cynthia
I am new. I was reading your site yesterday and I found a place/link where you literally showed me step by step how to check my inventory for reserve etc. I need it now and I cannot find it again
I remeber you click on my inventory then click refresh then I forget!
help!
Patricia,
You were probably reading this blog post: http://www.fbastepbystep.com/repricing-part-i which tells folks how to manually reprice their inventory through Seller Central. Or perhaps my current post about fixing listings? http://www.fbastepbystep.com/sellingcoachreport
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia! I love your book and I am really beginning to put all of your teaching to work. Thank you for that:) My third box is over at Amazon for FBA, yay! My question is……I am new to the Amazon selling area, how do you ever build up your feedback? Do you find that buyers do not leave feedback as frequently as Ebay buyers? My seller profile says “Just Launched”….will it say that until I get feedback? Do you do anything to get feedback from your buyers, or just sell and hope for the best?
Thanks so much for all that you do….I wish I was closer to do a scouting class with you!!!
Lisa
Lisa,
Amazon buyers do not leave feedback as often as eBay. One way to encourage more feedback is to send your customers an email (through Amazon, of course) about two weeks after the product has been shipped to ask them for feedback. You have to be careful not to put links or anything in the email that would take the customer away from the Amazon site – they are still Amazon’s customer. Amazon will also be sending them feedback requests and eventually your numbers will grow. There is also a paid third-party online service that does this automatically for you. You set it up once. It is called FeedbackFive (www.feedbackfive.com). Thanks for reading the blog!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia:
I have been selling books on amazon off and on for 3 years. I am now going to go full force with fba. I recently sent 2 boxes to fba and that increased my sales. Like you I am starting with a small amount of funds, I have been unempoyed for over a year now and unable to find employment. However, I am not going to let that stop me. I am also going to start selling whatever I find that is profitable. I am going to purchase your book in the near future, do you talk about what constitute a good sale rank in the other categories? I know since there are less toys and beauty products you can’t use the same amazon rank guideline that you would use for books in all the other categories.
Thanks,
Ede
Ede,
Thank you for your question on my blog and your interest in my book! I do cover ranks for different categories in my book. What I’ve done since starting my business is experiment with ranks. In the book I share what I’ve learned. It is not definitive because I am still learning, but it tells you what has worked for me.
Good luck to you!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Cynthia…
I am a seventy year old disabled man and appreciate your blog and info very much…
- I’ve sent in about seven or eight shipments to FBA…
- I use their labeling and type in ISBN numbers…time consuming…
- my next purchase will be a scanner …
- looking at FBA scout scanner but have to look into purchasing scanner at Amazon…
that is a scanner that scans items to list on FBA
- I use Profit Bandit to scout for items at FOL etc…as PB was very economical and suits me…
- About to order your book
?Question…$50 towards future consultation… How does that work?…email, phone ?
Thanks Cynthia…
TonyA
Tony,
Thank you for your question! I apply the $50 to consulting and to classes I offer. Most people consult with me over the phone. Some have come to my live courses. My consulting is $150 an hour normally and my classes so far are $75.
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
I’ve been selling books and DVDs off and on through Amazon since 2007. I started doing this while I was still working and the most I ever made was about $300 month. When I retired I continued for a while, but I got so busy with other things that I had to put my account on vacation. Through the years I’ve heard of FBA but never thought seriously about it until I ran across and purchased your book. I’ve always handled everything manually (listing, packaging, mailing and repricing ), mainly because I enjoy it. But my question is this… Am I missing something by not using FBA… like more money? Are is this just more of a time saver? I have over 300 books and 100 DVDs and I would like to know before I take my account off vacation and start selling again.
Thanks so much,
Sandra
Sandra,
Selling FBA is a different sales model. I rarely compete with merchant sellers for example, and my customer is the impatient Amazon Prime Buyer who wants their products in 2 days. I can charge more for my books than a merchant seller and I don’t have to deal with shipping to individual customers. My business is a “set it and forget it” and I don’t have to suspend it when I take vacation. As far as making more money, I can’t say, but I have around 2500 items in inventory right now. I’d never be able to do that if I had to store stuff in my house. I’m able to scale and make money pretty easily. I run my business in only a few hours a week and I generally make $1500 and up a month. I’ll make a lot more at Christmas, of course.
I hope that answers your question!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Cynthia,
I am just getting ready to send my first shipment of books thru fba. I am sending books that I already have listed thru amazon and they do not give me the option of printing the labels onto my Dymo labelwriter. Does fbapower have the option of listing and sending books that I already have listed thru amazon so that I can use the labelwriter???
Joe,
As far as I know, when you convert merchant fulfilled to FBA, you have to use the label printing option that is part of the Shipping Queue which prints on sheets of labels. Amazon doesn’t have settings for you to print to a Dymo.
Alternatively, you can scan each item into Scan Power (formerly FBA Power) and use it to list, price and label your items for FBA. You would simply delete your current merchant-fulfilled listings from Amazon. It really depends on how many items you have as to which would be easier for you. If you convert and ship in, you’ll want to go back later with Scan Power’s Repricer and re-price your items as your FBA prices will be different than merchant-fulfilled on most items. If you use Scan Power to list and label your items, you’ll price correctly as you go.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hey Cynthia,
I purchased your ebook yesterday.
I was wondering, if I want to be able to buy the necessary inventory this holiday season to turn a profit, do you think it makes sense to use money from my credit line, say an additional $1000-$2000 to shop with and buy inventory that I’m confident will turn a profit?
I’m just trying to figure out if it’s realistic to use this and still be able to turn a profit. Meaning, I’ll have to pay the usual 15% or so annual interest rate on the extra money I take out, but if I’m turning the right profit with the Amazon FBA business, that I assume it’s still worth it?
I’m just wondering what was the average % profit that you turned on the money you spent for the Amazon business? For example if I want to be making an extra $1000/month with the business, does that mean that on average I have to be spending around $3000/month in inventory?
Thanks,
Eugene,
This is a tough one to answer. There is no formula and a lot depends on the type of inventory you have, how much you paid for it, how fast it is selling. The best way to insure that you have fast-selling inventory at a good margin is to make smart decisions at the point of purchase. That’s why I use FBA Scout (now called Scan Power). I can determine before I buy what my margin will be (I like to clear 2-3 times my purchase price after fees, shipping, etc.) and approximately how fast something is selling (rank). While rank is a snapshot in time and not a firm indicator of future sales, it does give me an idea whether or not a product has sold in the past and how recently.
My personal inventory is a mix of books (more than anything else in my inventory right now), toys, games, DVDs, CDs and household goods. Some items sell really fast, some slowly. Now that Xmas is coming, I’m stocking up on more toys, games and gift items.
While this doesn’t tell you how much to allocate for inventory acquisition, I would add the caveat to not take out credit more than you can afford. My business grew more slowly than others’ because I run it on a cash basis only, but it keeps me from making really big mistakes. It also means that my business MUST perform for me every month or else I have no $$ to put back into inventory.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi,
And thanks for all the great info. My question is: Items purchased new in stores, like target and kohl’s, and in original packaging which say (and this is the important part) “Exclusive from Kohl’s/Target”, can these be sold in Amazon as ‘New’? Also, what is, potentially, the customers view on that issue when they receive the item?
Reinaldo,
I sell plenty of “Target exclusive” toys on Amazon.com. From the customer’s point of view, this is the toy they want and now they don’t have to go to the store. Often it will say in the description of the toy “exclusive to Target” or Toys R Us or Wal-Mart or whatever so they know up front what they are getting. As long as the box is in new condition (instead of beat up by hoards of shoppers), you can sell it as new.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia!
Great site. I’ve been selling for a few months now and am wondering about sales tax issues. It is that time of the year. Since I live in a small state and only sell minimally (less than ten items) in that state a year, then submitting sales tax is no problem.
Now I understand that states want sellers to collect sales tax where sellers store their merchandise, or have a nexus, and since Amazon scatters my merchandise all through their distribution system, it seems I may have to remit sales tax to many states, states where tax never was collected by myself or Amazon. Honestly, the sales tax is confusing since the other states don’t necessarily want sales tax from where the distribution center is in the state, but to where in the state the merchandise is sent, so they also want local as well as the state tax.
I have also heard that even if I know where my shipments were initially sent, Amazon may have moved my products to other warehouses in different states, and sold them from this new site.
Rumor has it that Pennsylvania has been aggressive about contacting FBA sellers who have merchandise stored and shipped from the Amazon center in that state to Pennsylvania customers. Have you heard if any other states have started doing this?
It’s not that I begrudge the states their tax revenue. It’s just that i don’t know how to collect it, keep track of municipality and state taxes, and complete tax forms correctly since I don’t know towns in the different local counties.
What have you heard from other FBAers and what suggestions do you have to comply with the sales tax issues?
Thank you for your input!
Tom
PS – I find it interesting that Amazon seems to support states collecting the tax while few sellers know what to do. I wonder if Amazon will be offering a service in the near future to help us with the issue. Hmmm…
Tom,
I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Amazon offers a service where they collect your sales tax for you and put it in your account. They have wonderful reports that make it clear exactly where your merchandise was sold. The other good news is that you probably won’t owe as much tax as you think. I’ve been paying for Texas for about 18 months on a quarterly basis and my taxes are very small and they are paid for by my end customer. I only pay a small fee to Amazon for the record keeping which is well worth it. It generally takes me about 10 minutes to pay my taxes on a quarterly basis (for Texas). Going forward, it might take me half an hour to do all the states, but still not a huge burden.
Now for the bad news. Yes, you have to register with each state where Amazon has a warehouse and get a sales tax certificate. After that tedious process, then you have to put the sales tax numbers into Amazon and ask them to start tracking for you. Some states want monthly reports, most want quarterly, a few will accept annual reporting and payments. I have a spreadsheet to help me keep track. When I registered, I told each state that I was starting now, basically, so I only have to report going forward. I’m not a tax expert or a lawyer so please understand this is my opinion: It is unlikely that states will come after small fry like us who are voluntarily getting in line. Given that they just got Amazon in line, they can’t realistically expect to collect back taxes from us from previous years.
I base this opinion on my own experience with the state of Texas which has been very accommodating and helpful to me as I got in line over a year ago. I’m a small seller – less than $100K a year gross – so it is a waste of their resources to come after someone like me. Far better to help me get in line. Anyway, in the last 18 months or so that I’ve been paying Texas state taxes, my bills have been very small and I only pay quarterly.
I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Cynthia
I am new to selling on Amazon and I have never used FBA. I am planning to buy products in bulk and have them shipped directly to the Amazon Fulfillment Center. From what I’m reading I would have to scan the items and place a upc code one each item first and then send them to Amazon. If I send them direct from the supplier I won’t be able to do that. What am I missing or can this be done another way?
Thanks,
Jeff
Jeff,
You can arrange for packages to be sent to you and then you sticker them and forward to Amazon, or you can arrange for your wholesaler to mark the cases for you and send them in. I’ve done that with my wholesaler before. I sent them PDFs of the FBA labels and packing slips, they sent me the box dimensions and weights. I emailed back the shipping label PDFs. I went through Seller Central to do this so it is as if I was sending the packages from the warehouse to Amazon (I changed the “send” address and everything). In my case, my wholesaler applies stickers for a fee. I also had the option of doing case lots.
If you are, in fact, sending in case lots, Amazon will allow you to do that without individual labels. To get details on how to do it, I recommend you use the help section in Seller Central to either look up the steps or (my tendency) to call Amazon’s FBA seller support. Click on “help” and then “contact us.” You will be taken through an email form. Fill with as many details as possible. At the very end of the form, it will give you an option to send the email OR to have Amazon call you. Click on that option, key in your phone number and Amazon will call you immediately. It is a great system and FBA seller support is terrific. Your email is right in front of them while you talk which is why I recommend filling it out carefully – it helps speed the process.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Cynthia,
How can I add a picture of a book that I am sending to Amazon?
Thanks,
Ilene
Ilene,
Most items on the catalog have a picture so you don’t need to add one unless it really, really doesn’t have one. I find sometimes that a book will appear in Scan Power without a picture, but when I click through there is a picture. This is a glitch in how Amazon pulls information. If your book truly doesn’t have a picture and you want to add one, there are several criteria.
1) You have to be a Pro Seller on Amazon
2) You have to have previously purchased something from Amazon through your pro seller account (I used my personal/Prime account for most purchases and so this was a problem for me the first time. Now I’ve ordered several things through that account).
3) You have to add your picture to the catalog through Amazon Seller Central. Go to “manage inventory” and click on “Add a product.” Put your ISBN# in the box. It will bring up the item in the catalog and then you can edit/update it with a picture.
4) Your picture needs to be professional quality with a white background. Click here for Amazon’s requirements (at the bottom of the page): https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/help-page.html/ref=ag_200364740_cont_scsearch?ie=UTF8&itemID=200364740
5) In the case of a book, I am often able to find a nice quality picture from the publisher or elsewhere online so I don’t have to take my own picture.
It is not required to have a picture in the catalog and I rarely add one simply because of the time involved.
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi, Cynthia:
Thanks so much for your book, I am reading it and getting all the info to setup my account and get started. I have a question I hope you can help me with, and I wish the experienced sellers would share in more detail, and it is about insurance. I listened also to thatKat radio when Charlene Anderson was interviewed. In her case the items sold are crafts. The concern I have is about how amazon/ebay sellers (I want to get started with both) get the coverage for all the variety of products that can be sold? In a scouting trip it looks like we can go from baby items, to food, toys, books, maybe some jewelry, etc. When the insurance asks what do we sell, will they be open to cover all these items? Would it be possible for you to share what insurance company you use/plan? Would be so appreciated to hear other experts also share where exactly to get the insurance they purchased, like what company? Thanks again.
Nena,
Amazon requires proof of insurance once your sales get to a certain level. Below that is up to you whether you want to go uninsured or not. My advice for business insurance is go to the company that currently insures your house and vehicles. You will most likely get the best rates from them. If you don’t have a house, then start with the big names and start calling. Or you can find a local insurance broker who will call around for you. He’ll make a commission off of this which you pay for, basically. Amazon lists its requirements (what it needs to see from the insurance company including coverage levels) online. Search in Seller Central “Help” under “insurance.” Be sure your agent understands that you do NOT warehouse merchandise yourself and that you ship it to Amazon. This lowers the risk for them and the price for you. In reality, you are more likely to have a robbery claim than anything else. Also ask your agent about covering merchandise that is in transit for you. In other words, UPS will automatically cover you up to $100 for stuff that gets damaged in shipping, but what if your merchandise is worth $400? You will only get the $100.
If you plan to sell expensive jewelry or other high value items, you will need a rider which will cost more. Amazon is concerned about liability – what if one of your products hurts someone? The categories most at risk here are Baby and Toys – possibly food although you can’t sell fresh food online right now and that’s the most risky.
I hope this helps!
Cynthia
Yes, I just purchased your ebook. I was wondering what is the USB portable scanner used for that you have to plug it in your computer. Does it automatically scan your items in once you have logged into your amazon account? Thank you , Dionne
Dionne,
You can find the tools I recommend under the “My Tools for Success” tab on my blog. On the “Supplies for Your Business” page you can click through to the product information pages on Amazon. HOWEVER, feel free to go to Amazon and look around. I find that prices fluctuate from day to day and sometimes another scanner is cheaper. A simple USB scanner will read barcodes and plug them into any program on your computer including excel, word, etc. I use it with Scan Power to make listing faster. In this way there are no errors in keying in the ISBN or UPC codes. If you are using Amazon’s Seller Central to list your product instead of Scan Power, it will work there, also.
Congrats on starting your new online business!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
Just a quick question – and maybe I’m just being dense here – does the $47. special you are offering actually include the physical book as well as the digital versions? I work/read best with a physical book so this is why I ask.
I am quite intrigued by this whole FBA process, and alot of what you wrote about your situation that led you to it rings true with me, so thanks for giving me something of substance to investigate.
All the best, Dan W.
The $47 only includes the eBook and Kindle versions. There is a softcover version available from Amazon.com for $49.99. If you decide to buy from Amazon, please let me know so I can send you a PDF with some link changes. The eBooks are already updated.
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia! Absolutely LOVE your book!! I bought the soft cover version on Amazon and would like to get the new updates for it. How do I go about getting a password for the update section?
Thanks!
Sherry
Hi Sherry and anyone else who has bought the softcover version of my book from Amazon.com. Just send me an email and I will send you a PDF with all the link changes.
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi,
I have sold on Amazon in the past a bit and life got to busy and had to stop. I’m now getting back into it and I recently saw that there are a lot of scanners out there now as compared to when I was doing it a year ago. My questions is can you recomend a scanner and or service that you like or use? I have seen some that are small hand held and the data is down loaded to your iphone. Is that reliabable?
Thank you and I really have been enjoying you email.
Phil
Phil,
In my book I share the tools I use for my business including Scan Power’s Scout and Listing programs. Scan Power Scout pulls up real-time data from Amazon.com on my cell phone (we have both an iPhone and Android in our family). I’ve used it for over two years and really like it. Not only is the data comprehensive, but I can also keep track of purchases on the go and upload them seamlessly to the desktop listing program. I find there are a lot of imitators out there, but they are usually a step or two behind Scan Power.
Hope this helps!
Cynthia
Cynthia,
I am beginning my fourth month with the FBA program. I am to the point where I really need to analyze exactly what I have on inventory with Amazon and review all of my prices so that I can begin to make necessary adjustments? How would you suggest approaching this for the first time? Thank you, Dana
Dana,
I wrote two posts last year on repricing – one focuses on how to do it using Seller Central and the other focuses on Scan Power’s repricing tool that comes for free with the listing tool. If you use a different listing tool, most of them also come with repricers, I’m just not familiar with how they work. You can find the blog posts here: http://www.fbastepbystep.com/repricing-part-1/ and http://www.fbastepbystep.com/repricing-part-ii/.
Cheers,
Cynthia
I’m new to all of this and am trying to get started with FBA. I bought your book and it’s great! If the answer to my question is in your book but i missed it I apologize. Is there a way to find out if the business name I want to set up for my DBA is already taken for Amazon? I don’t want to get all set up with the state and find out that I can’t use that name on Amazon. Where do I find out? Thank you! Lee Ann
Lee Ann,
That’s a good question. My suggestion for you would be to search for your seller name on Amazon beforehand. You can do this at Amazon.com. Go to the search box and put in your desired name. Amazon will then bring up everything related to that name. IF it is the name of a seller, you’ll find that out by clicking on one of the products and looking at the FBA sellers for that item. For example, in looking at a product recently, I saw that one of the other sellers was “Iggy’s Toy Shoppe.” I typed that name into the search bar and a whole bunch of toys came up on the screen. I clicked on one of the toys and looked at all the new sellers and found Iggy’s Toy Shoppe. If I was really interested in Iggy, I could have clicked on his/her name and I would have been able to see the complete online catalog of Iggy’s inventory which is pretty cool. Anyway, that’s the only way I know to do it.
One thing to think about when choosing a name is to either choose a name that is very similar to other, big-name sellers or very different from everyone. If the name is similar, then you get some of their reflected glory when people shop because they might think you are someone else. If the name is very different, you stand out and people remember you. I knew my name was unique and didn’t even look on Amazon in advance because I had done a nationwide search for my name long before I sold on Amazon.
My other advice about choosing a name is not to incorporate your real name into it. While this is likely to make it more unique, you’ve now created a potential problem for yourself in that it is much easier for people (crazy people are the ones I’m worried about here) to find you outside of Amazon. You want all your correspondence with customers to go through the Amazon interface. So pick a name that is not easily traceable.
Lastly, there’s a really good chance that no one has your desired name. Amazon’s FBA program is still young, compared to eBay or other sites like that. There aren’t that many sellers and so a reasonable effort at a unique name is very likely to win the day. Good luck with your new business!
Cheers,
Cynthia
I am new to FBA sales. I bought FBA Scout but now it is saying that it won’t work unless I am an Amazon seller. But how can I be a seller until I buy the products to send to Amazon?
The other problem is that I frequently go shopping in areas that have no cell coverage. It is frustrating to be in front of a bundle of likely products but not be able to get comparison pricing information. I think I need to get a scanner and a downloadable program that I can take with me. But I cannot find any locations that list the different products available and what sites to go to to download them. All I can find are bloggers who say “I use this” and of course they have an affiliate arrangement so I cannot do any comparison shopping. Is there a resource for comparison shopping of scanner and software anywhere out there?
Thanks.
Ann,
To use Scan Power (FBA) Scout you need to be an Amazon Pro Seller first. When I signed up, Amazon was offering the first month free. In a recent blog post I listed other tools and how to contact them. You can do your research that way. These are not affiliate links. You can also go to Bob Willey’s Yahoo Group or Kat Simpson’s ThatKat facebook group and talk to other sellers. They are not selling anything and would be a good resource for you. http://www.fbastepbystep.com/fba-seller-tools/.
Good luck to you!
Cheers,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, Just finished reading your book. Thanks for all your hard work….
Question, I purchased the Pro Seller account before I stumbled across your book. My plan was to migrate my products from my wordpress ecommerce site to the site provided with my Amazon Pro Seller acct. This would allow my product to show up on Amazon and on my site. After reading your book I’m not so sure if that’s a solid business (having a website) anymore. Should I upload the products to my Amazon site or upload my products to FBA only? Not sure what direction I should take. I’ve looked hi and low for an answer to this question but it’s not addressed in your book, Amazon FAQ or in Chris Green’s book.
Hope this make sense…
Eric
Eric,
I teach people how to sell on Amazon the way I do which is through its FBA program.
What you are talking about is a bit different. What you may not know is that if you upload your products to Amazon through its FBA service, you actually have a seller website on Amazon that is constantly kept up to date for you. You can capture the link and embed it on your site. If you have products that you are actively promoting (I just list, I don’t promote the products I have on Amazon) – perhaps they are unique to you or you have a large quantity of them – then you can point people directly to that page to buy from you. In addition, your products will be listed on Amazon and sold through its FBA program. This is simply a page (or pages) of your listings. If you want a more robust website that really sells for you, not just shows your products, read on.
If you are a niche-oriented seller – I have a client that sells equine products for example like saddles and decorative accessories for horses – then you can pay Amazon to manage an extremely professional site for you very cheaply that pulls in all or some of your products as you wish. It is a beautiful template that you fill in and that is your brand, not Amazon’s. This saves you time, money and confusion as items are removed as they sell out, it is linked to Amazon with its payment system and you can include both merchant-fulfilled and FBA products.
This approach is recommended for people with related products under one brand. Think about “Sharper Image” or “Black & Decker.” I don’t sell that way. My focus is on anything with the right margin. I sell across many categories and my products are usually not related.
The simplest and cheapest way to sell on Amazon is FBA without a special website. If you want to continue to highlight special products through your blog you can. In fact, if you join Amazon’s affiliate program, you can earn an extra 5% by sending folks from a link on your site to the product on Amazon.
If you want to know more about Amazon’s web services, go to the very bottom of any Amazon page and you will see links to Amazon’s other services/ways to make money.
Good luck to you!
Cheers,
Cynthia