Feedback for Amazon
Recently we have had several notices of listings deactivated due to suspected pricing errors. As our price to sell is determined by different factors to Amazon including the need not to sell at at loss, these books ( we are second hand booksellers ) are not relisted but just put on a different site.
An expensive book that has languished on Amazon for a year probably because of the state of the book catalogue was put on Ebay and sold within a week, costing us less in selling fees and attaining the price we wanted. It is now our policy that deactivated listings are put on Ebay and not relisted on Amazon.
Customers are quite capable of deciding whether or not they want to purchase a book or anything at the price stated.
Postage charged in most cases does not cover the cost of sending the item.
Feedback for Amazon
Recently we have had several notices of listings deactivated due to suspected pricing errors. As our price to sell is determined by different factors to Amazon including the need not to sell at at loss, these books ( we are second hand booksellers ) are not relisted but just put on a different site.
An expensive book that has languished on Amazon for a year probably because of the state of the book catalogue was put on Ebay and sold within a week, costing us less in selling fees and attaining the price we wanted. It is now our policy that deactivated listings are put on Ebay and not relisted on Amazon.
Customers are quite capable of deciding whether or not they want to purchase a book or anything at the price stated.
Postage charged in most cases does not cover the cost of sending the item.
24 replies
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
The 'suspected pricing error' notification is terrible, as it doesn't take into account the condition or the rarity of the book. OK, you can list as collectible, and it will not be deactivated, but not all books fall into that category, yet even 'like new' ones can be deactivated as deemed to be too high. I have seen listings priced even higher than mine stay active, so why ?....and Amazon say "You are responsible for setting your own prices " - yet they take that autonomy away from us !!
Seller_FQHkqHJI5SqTh
I've just had a couple removed.
One of which was Captain Lord's Plight to Remember priced at £14.00 including postage, leaving no copies on Amazon.
The only one I can find cheaper than mine is priced at £9.03 + £4.39.
Seller_mxez2L8QjE6WW
I just checked yesterday's upload report, & there was a 'Potential high price' . My price? £65 + 4.95. Amazon lowest price? £104.74 + £0.00. Idiocy (or poor programming)
TaylorR_Amazon
Hello @Seller_qX3OoNHq5nyCx, thank you for sharing your feedback here.
Have you already reached out to Seller Support directly about this case? If not, provide the details and explain that this is your intended competitive pricing. Ask them to review and reactivate the listing if they determine your pricing is legitimate.
Seller_qX3OoNHq5nyCx
Thank you for responding, Taylor, but as you can see from mine and others posts seller support is not able to understand the second hand book market and as Cibba says continues to let higher price books than the one you have had deactivated remain whilst not reviewing your listing favourably rendering their support useless and probably robotic.
There are a number of threads on this topic and others relating to the difficulties encountered selling second hand books on Amazon but nothing changes for the better. There is also no facility for letting Amazon know what we think apart from this forum which I thought was a support system provided by other sellers rather than letting Amazon know how its doing. If Amazon really values us they should implement some sort of feedback system or way of sellers reporting their issues to Amazon.
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
Have you already reached out to Seller Support directly about this case? If not, provide the details and explain that this is your intended competitive pricing. Ask them to review and reactivate the listing if they determine your pricing is legitimate.
@TaylorR_Amazon
I honestly cannot believe that you posted this.
Have you no idea that over the years that Seller Support have been contacted countless times on this subject and they do not have a clue.?
Are you also completely unaware of the many many threads currently on this forum about "over priced " books?
What we booksellers want is for you to do something positive to help and not simply to dip into a conversation with completely inane suggestions.
I am sorry to sound so rude but you must be the umpteenth "mod" to come on here - the previous ones have promised much but actually delivered nothing
TaylorR_Amazon
Hello @Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21, if you have contacted Seller Support, let me know. I cannot research without a case ID, or ASIN, or ISBN, or title, or author. Without any information, I have nothing to look up.
Forum Community Managers can escalate a case, but Seller Support must come first. I can't escalate a case without having a case to escalate.
I see that your last discussion was regarding Easy Ship. If you are having an issue with books or pricing errors, my suggestion would be to start a discussion with your case ID.
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
OK - I am trying to contact Seller Support as you suggest and I fell at the first hurdle!!
After I filled in the box explaining the problem I got this
2
Troubleshoot issue
manage_listing_issues
Troubleshoot why a listing is inactive or not searchable by customers.
Do you have ASIN/FNSKU? (please only select NO if you're an FBM seller)
No
Yes
Use this tool to troubleshoot issues such as:
Listing is deactivated.
Customers cannot see listing.
Enter ASIN or FnSku
0140464654
ASIN and FNSKU must contain input values between 9 and 10 characters
Are you having search issues with the ASIN?
Yes
No
Continue
0140464654 is the correct ASIN - I copied and pasted it. It does have 10 characters. Pressing "continue" does nothing.
Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Can you tell me why I've just spent 10 minutes of my life just trying (and failing) to tell Seller Support what the problem is?
Seller_D8CkX6tSUw46P
The ASIN usually begins with a 'B', probably where you're going wrong/why Amazon aren't registering it properly because either you're inputting the wrong number or Amazon only register those numbers. (I know not all ASINs are in this format but thought it'd be worth double checking)
Have you tried just putting in a different ASIN and then just speaking to them about the actual one you have issues with. I've had issues in the past where Amazon have asked me for an ASIN and I don't have one because it's not relevant to what I am asking about so I'll put a random one in and then explain the issue properly when I get connected with someone.
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
@Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21 - I had EXACTLY the same problem when trying to open a case with SS - they did not recognise an ISBN as an ASIN !!......and as you know, many books do NOT have an ASIN which starts with B00........
As you say, a complete waste of time, even though the ISBN does have the correct number of digits.
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
Ive just checked the first couple of pages of my inventory and about half the ASINs begin with B and the other half (including the book in question) consist of all digits. I will try later on to do it again with a B in front.
When i searched my inventory with the ASIN 0140464654 it found the book.
Excellent idea about putting in a dummy ASIN. I'll give it a try later
Seller_9ImBEGqOxcZqR
We have the opposite problem. We sell our own new books (we are publishers and printers as well as book sellers) but they get deactivated because someone is selling a second hand copy cheaper and Amazon deem our price as 'too high' despite it being the RRP. The usual Amazonian madness. I have also seen drop shippers given the buy box who are selling for more than the RRP. None of it makes any sense
