Amazon Buy Box and VAT Invoicing for Business
Most of my products are not really suitable to be bought by another business. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I have sold to a business and so need to upload a VAT invoice. As such I have never subscribed to the Amazon VAT Calculation Service to get automatic VAT invoice creation. I can create a VAT invoice quite quickly and simply myself and therefore use my own numbering system and upload as needed.
On one of the products I sell I am the cheapest. However, I am not winning the Buy Box. The winner is 51p dearer, has a much lower positive feedback rating (85% compared to my 97%) and their fulfilment date is much longer (as of today 24 May they currently have an expected delivery between 3-6 June compared to my 28-30 May) - yet they have the Buy Box.
As we both offer free postage, the only difference is that they are using the Amazon VAT Calculation service - yet for the average customer/buyer the fact they can get a downloadable VAT invoice makes not a scrap of difference.
Why are Amazon giving a business the Buy Box purely on the fact they use the Amazon VAT Calculation Service (when it is useless to by far the majority of buyers of the product) disregarding a business who is cheaper, fulfils quicker and has better feedback rating?
As a customer I know which seller I would prefer to see at the top of the list to get a better ‘customer experience’!
0 replies
Seller_Wqg5EgqxuOwDD
They’re defo not. I’m in exactly the same scenario as you on a few of my listings except that I AM enrolled in the VCS and I still do not have the buybox on those listings.
The algorithm for the buybox has always been complex but over the last few months has been all over the place. I’ve tried to work it out many times and each time I think I’ve got it sussed something else is added to the mix 
Seller_bi8rGHHcLpoVs
How do you know they are getting the buy box purely based on the VAT calculation service?
Seller_bi8rGHHcLpoVs
How do you know they are using Amazon’s VAT calc scheme? I’ve never really looked at it before.
Do you have premium shipping eligibility? That can make a difference even though your standard free shipping estimate is before theirs? Do you have good stocks? Is your overall volume as big as theirs?
Seller_bi8rGHHcLpoVs
Also, what about your product range? Do you have as many products available on Amazon as your competitor?
