An amazon.com seller I know recently received this email. Looks like amazon is instituting tougher guidelines for sellers in the Toys & Games category, in gearing up for the 2008 Holiday season (which is evidently ramping up already -- yikes!):
Subject: Your Amazon.com Toys & Games Selling Account
Greetings from Amazon Services.
With December 25th looming on the horizon, this e-mail no doubt finds you well
into your preparations for holiday selling on Amazon.com. We know that you count
on us to maintain customer confidence in our Toys & Games category, and we want
our sellers in Toys & Games to provide a high-quality customer experience.
As part of our strategy to maintain buyer confidence on Amazon.com, we are
implementing Holiday Selling Guidelines for the Toys & Games category.
Effective September 12, 2008, we will stop accepting new sellers in the Toys &
Games category. Effective November 17, 2008, existing sellers who do not meet
the following performance criteria will not be able to sell products in the Toys
& Games category from November 17, 2008 through January 5, 2009:
- Seller's first sale on Amazon.com must be prior to 09/19/2008 (sale does not
need to be Toy-specific).
- Seller must have processed and shipped at least 25 orders by 10/18/2008
(orders do not need to be Toy-specific).
- Seller has no greater than 1% defect rate. Order defects will be evaluated for
orders placed between 07/06/08 and 10/04/08.
Starting on November 17, 2008, we will be monitoring the performance and
listings of all merchants who are approved to sell in the Toys & Games category.
Amazon Services reserves the right to cancel listings, suspend merchants or
prohibit the selling of specific products during the holiday season to maintain
a seller platform that is safe for buyers.
Here are some steps you can take to remain eligible to sell in this category
throughout the holiday season:
- Monitor your performance metrics and take corrective action if necessary.
- Check your orders frequently using the Manage Your Orders feature in Seller
Central
- Keep your storefront accurate; don?t show more stock for sale than you
actually have available.
- Update your product quantities regularly to reflect what you have on hand.
- Make sure your shipping lead times are accurate and take into account the time
it takes for you to package and transfer the package to your transport service.
- Send shipment confirmations and order cancellations/acknowledgements to Amazon
in a timely manner.
- Ensure your policies are up-to-date.
Starting in early August 2008, you will be able monitor your performance metrics
in your Seller Account. This will allow you to monitor your performance and take
corrective action if necessary. We will provide final notification if you are
eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category during the holiday season by the
middle of November.
These Holiday Selling Guidelines are only applicable to the Toys & Games
category. Sellers can continue to sell eligible non-toy or -game products in
other non-restricted categories. If you would like to learn more about
restricted products, visit our Product Guidelines in Marketplace Help:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Listing > Condition Guidelines
For tips on selling more effectively, check out our Marketplace Sellers Best
Practices page:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Seller Best Practices
If you have questions about our Holiday Selling Guidelines, please review the
FAQ below.
We are interested in your opinions, and encourage you to submit feedback to us
at holiday-toys-selling@amazon.com.
Thank you for selling at Amazon.com.
Regards,
Amazon Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there Holiday Selling Guidelines for the Toys & Games category?
Customers have high expectations for purchases during the holiday season. We
want to ensure that our sellers in Toys & Games provide high-quality customer
experience and that all orders are fulfilled and delivered in a manner that
meets or exceeds our customers? expectations.
When will you allow all merchants to list in the Toys & Games category again?
Sellers will be able to sell in this category as of January 5, 2009.
How do I know if I'm pre-approved to list product in the Toys & Games category?
Sellers will be notified in early to mid November if they are eligible to sell
in the Toys & Games category. Effective September 12, 2008, no new sellers will
be approved to sell in the Toys & Games category for the remainder of the year.
How can I strengthen my performance rating?
Read our Help page on your performance summary:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Performance Summary
How can I build my reputation?
Read our Help page on seller best practices:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Seller Best Practices
What is an order defect?
An order is defined as having a defect if we have received a negative feedback,
an A-to-z Guarantee claim or a service credit card chargeback on that order.
What is order defect rate (ODR)?
The order defect rate is defined as the number of orders with a defect divided
by the number of orders in the time period of interest. It is represented as a
percentage.
What time period is the order defect rate computed over?
The defect rate can be computed over any historical order period. In this
particular case, we are evaluating the trailing 90-day period (with a 30-day
time lag); in other words, the period from 120 days ago to 30 days ago. We
usually use a 30-day time lag for computing these rates because many defects are
reported after orders are placed or received.
We had the same email, initially i thought it was a fantastic idea as it would get rid of some of the poor performing merchants, as we have 5.0 100% feedback i wasnt concerned.
I now have an issue with a late shipment rate over the allowed limit. Annoying thing is that its not correct we always ship and confirm in 24 hours. I dont know were its come from and suspect Amazon may not have taken into account a bank holiday when we couldnt ship.
Cant seem to get the issue resolved with Amazon and am starting to have cynical thoughts!
Posted by: Lee Maskell | September 03, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Good post.All are guidelines are very good and very useful for selling toys..
Posted by: x-ray fluorescence | January 22, 2009 at 10:47 PM