I was approved to sell an item. Now they want me to apply to sell after sending in products?
Here is my dilemma. One of many selling on Amazon. I was approved to sell a Spiderman blanket. I purchased 60 of them at wholesale from a approved wholesaler. I received my shipment, created a listing (didn't make it myself just used the one already on the system) and sent in 48 of the blankets. On their way to the fulfillment center I get a notification I needed to apply to sell the blankets. They want to see the purchase of 100 or more dated the date of the notification or earlier. Now of course my invoice is going to show the purchase of 60 and not 100. If I had knew this prior to the notification I would have purchased the 100. Now I have 48 of these sitting at the warehouse and my listing is inactive. Has anyone else had this happen and how can I fix it?
14 replies
Seller_OvL8C4BJWiuS9
It happens every day, all you had to do was some research. Try to recall your inventory now!
Seller_Qbd0RsfZFEZBY
Buying from an approved wholesaler does not make you an approved reseller.
Im thinking Spiderman is part of Marvel which is a major brand and likely trade and design marks there stuff to protect the intellectual property. Using someone elses intellectual property for your profit is theft.
Did you pay sales tax on them when you bought them from the wholesaler? If you did that can be fraud by intentionally misrepresenting an item as brand new. It can also be counterfiet as selling second hand items as new makes the "materially different".
You will need permission from the brand to use their IP.
Seller_Qbd0RsfZFEZBY
I think your confusing Amazon allowing you to offer an item with legal authorization to use IP.
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
" On their way to the fulfillment center I get a notification I needed to apply to sell the blankets."
As many have said already, you are confusing AMAZON allowing you to list (or at least "ungate") an item or category and actually being APPROVED to sell a product. Amazon might ungate you for a CATEGORY, but there can be 100's of brands in the category and they ALL have their own restrictions.
AMAZON is only interested in FEES. They will allow a chimpanzee to list if it means they collect $$$$$.
Additionally, brands that you COULD sell yesterday may be restricted today or next week. Amazon is a moving target to deal with.
DO YOU have an LOA from the brand allowing you to sell on here?
If you have an LOA that specifically says you can sell on Amazon you MIGHT survive listing items.
More and more brands are providing a "whitelist" of their approved sellers and if YOU are NOT on the list you will be stopped in your tracks and probably hit with an IP violation.
Seller_1oT4ZOwrSByEE
Why did you use FBA on a brand new product?
Seller_R2dP7Hunjcdj0
Yes, many of us have been caught by surprise since Amazon recently changed their purchase quantity requirement form 10 units to 100 units. I understand what Amazon is attempting, but considering that Jeff Bezos started Amazon in is garage, it seems tone-deaf and heartless to turn Amazon into a Mega-Brand Only Club, now that it has made him so wealthy.
Speaking as someone who only sells licensed products, you are taking a HUGE RISK by selling these products via FBA. The Amazon 'bots routinely mis-identify these items as a "Potential Intellectual Property Violation", requiring a "Letter of Authorization" from the BRAND itself, NOT the Brand Holder. In your case, it would require an LOA form "Spider-Man", not from Marvel or Disney.
When this occurs, the listing is deactivated. If the product is in an FBA facility, you will be unable to have it Returned to you, and Amazon will keep it and/or destroy it.
Every time you apply for Brand Approval is a separate occurrence. If you really want to sell these on Amazon, and so need to be approved, simply place a new order for 100, and use THAT wholesale invoice to become approved.
But for your own sake, sell them FBM, not FBA.
Good Luck!
Michelle_Amazon
Hello @Seller_YD2SaSNUKLOyw,
Thanks for reaching out. Can you please provide me with your case ID so I can take a look into this for you?
Regards,
Michelle
