Listings have changed
I have got a problem where another seller has managed to update a load of branded listings. The listing is now incorrect and anyone selling the product runs the risk of complaints.
I have tried to correct them both through updates and a excel upload but they are not accepting the corrections. I know my file is accepted as I have made some updates to price and they have changed.
They tell me they have contacted the brand owner with my suggestions.
I have a good relationship with a number of brand owners (but not this one). I have asked in the past them if they get a notification that a seller has tried to make changes and they say no.
So I am stuck. Anyone got any suggestions?
16 replies
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
Amazon always say they have contacted Brand owner and will only accept changes if they authorise it.
However, this never explains how someone else managed to push through changes in the first place.
I have been in this position numerous times. I sell a lot of officially licenced products. Amazon never contact the manufacturer (who I am on good terms with) to ask about any changes. The EAN of the product points Amazon to the manufacturer so who Amazon is actually contacting is beyond me. I dont believe them when they say they have contacted anyone. I have even asked the manufacturer to make the changes and they often get told the exact same thing that the Brand owner has to authorise the changes.
I have got numerous product I have had to withdraw from sale purely because the image or description has been changed. Ive others where the title is in French or there are spelling mistakes - and yet I cannot and the manufacturer cannot get changes made ourselves.
Ive opened numerous cases and just keep going round in circles. I have written to Managing Director who promises they will sort the issue out then nothing happens.
I have a feeling (this may or not be true) it may have something to do with how Amazon looks at all listings across all international sites and tries to come up with a central listing amalgamating the best parts of each - so if the picture uploaded on say the French site is better quality than the UK site it now uses the French picture - but the French one may be incorrect. Amazon assumes that all listings are completely accurate and no one ever makes a mistake.
If you do find a way please let us know.
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
This, along with all the various bugs/issues, makes me believe Amazon is eventually going to implode.
The most important thing for them has to be the accuracy of their catalogue. They should want to correct issues instantly.
Unfortunately they have just farmed the responsibility out to brand owners. I imagine the brand owners work hard on their current range but they won’t waste time on old lines.
So the benefit of breadth of range that third party sellers bring starts to be reduced. If sellers start to find they can’t get everything from Amazon they will start to look elsewhere and probably find other websites that are cheaper.
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
Someone has changed most of the Xpress Yourself listings atm, changing the title to what looks like the description on the wholesale pack, the brand to Sensations / Xpress Yourself (While Sensations do technically own Xpress Yourself, the average layman would not know this and it may look to some that you will get a card that will have one or the other brands on it) and the bullet points and generic search terms have been reduced to 2 words.
It is really worrying how easily 100s of listings can be changed without some sort of warning to the sellers on the listing, I wouldn’t have noticed the handful had Smiley Guy not brought it up.
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
Sometimes I think I am getting somewhere.
I normally get the cut and paste reply saying only the brand owner can make changes.
I write back pointing out they are not making the changes and the listing is simply wrong.
They write back asking for photos and proof and the changes I would like made. So I spend time putting it all together.
I then get the identical reply telling me only the brand owner can change the listing.
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
I have just had a different reply.
They told me to report it saying there was a violation.
I have been caught out with this before so I made sure I deleted my listing and then waited 15 minutes.
I reported it and within about 8 seconds I got a reply saying there was no violation.
What is the point?
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
Good news. I spoke to someone on the phone who confirmed that it was a violation of their policies and was very misleading for the buyer.
They said they could not do anything but after a bit of pushing he put me on hold and came back saying that he had found out that the brand registry team could correct the listing. He said he would escalate the case to them.
I then got a reply from the Leadership team…
It was the identical cut and paste answer that I had been sent a dozen times before by seller support.
How can a company this size run like this?
