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Sell stuff on Amazon? DO NOT make these 9 Mistakes!

January 28, 2014 By: Anita

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I have been selling used and new items for over 15 years. Whether the item is old, I couldn’t return it, I got tired of it, or I found a great deal on it and resold it for a profit, the result is that I have been able to make a lot of money by selling stuff.

In fact, this month I have already made $454.00 PROFIT by selling stuff that I had in my garage. One of my favorite places to sell is on Amazon.com. They make selling  really easy because:

a-      People trust Amazon. They have a great reputation and almost everybody has bought something from them before.

b-      Selling things on Amazon is super  easy!! They have the most user friendly database I’ve ever seen. If you have never sold on Amazon.com you simply go to Amazon.com then click on the word Sell (or click here) and go through the EASY step-by-step-prompts.

Sell Stuff on Amazon.com??? DO NOT Make These 9 Mistakes!! Trust Me!

c-       Selling on Amazon gives you the advantage of having trusted reviews associated with your product and usually that helps it sell even faster. If your product is highly disliked and a 1 or 2 star on amazon you may want to sell it elsewhere.

d-      Amazon has a huge database with all the information of typical items. You just key in the items unique barcode and set your price. Amazon has all of the details already there for the buyer (talk about a quick way to sell).

e- Finally, Amazon pays you on schedule and they are super reliable in making their payments.

Now, when I first started selling on Amazon I made some pretty big mistakes…which is why I’m writing this article. I’ve noticed other private sellers out there making these or other mistakes too. So here are 9 mistakes Amazon-Sellers make and how to avoid them.

1-      They assume Amazon’s shipping rates are accurate. I’ve sold tons of stuff on Amazon and not ONCE did the shipping come out as low as Amazon accounts it to be (even using USPS). Although Amazon does allow you to print off the shipping labels on their site, the price will go up after the size and weight are inputted into their calculators.

Granted the price difference really does depend on the size of the item (a new printer I sold cost $29.00 to ship because I needed to buy a big box, tracking and insurance). Amazon calculated it to ship for $12.00! Another item I just shipped was a smaller light box but it was an expensive item so I needed insurance. The shipment was $16.00, $10.00 more than the $6.00 Amazon quoted. Sellers should add add 50-100% of Amazon’s shipping cost to their set shipping cost. This number will be more accurate to the total shipping price you will have to pay. For example, a $5.00 Amazon shipping rate will most likely cost $7.50-$10.00 to ship with tracking at USPS.

2-      Forgetting to leave a review. If you have used the item or know a lot about it then leave a review on the items you are trying to sell. I usually do this if it has less than 4 ½ stars. Sometimes your review will help others to see what a great product it is and purchase it. At other times your review (if there are not many) will take your item from a 3 star to a 4 star item. Or from a 4 star to a 5 star item.

3-      Failing to compare all the other prices on your item before setting your price. Before I post anything I always look at all the prices (including the shipping). I use these prices to determine where I want to set my price.

Further, a lot of private sellers forget about the cost of convenience. Amazon usually has an option to get an item shipped out for free all together in one package. Many fail to compete with this. Instead of competing, private sellers base their price off of Amazon’s free shipping items and match the price.

When you set your price you need to make buying the item even more appealing than convenience. Set your price low enough that a buyer would save a good bit of money by buying your product including shipping, rather than the Amazon’s sponsored product minus shipping.

I will usually take my product down (depending on what it is) 5-20% off of the free shipped item that Amazon is sponsoring.  As a result, I sell my items very quickly. Oh, and make sure to take into account the fee that Amazon is going to charge you so you know exactly how much you will be getting out of the deal.

4-      Not marketing your product well. Especially if it is a used product. Failing to upload photographs of the item will make it much harder to sell. People love to see a photograph of what they are going to buy.  So make sure to upload a few really great photographs and your items will sell much faster.

In addition, make sure to put a detailed description and notes on the item. You are marketing an item to a huge audience of buyers, make it look good, sound good, but be honest. Don’t falsely advertise that something is in LIKE  NEW condition if it is scratched up. Falsely advertising will get you returns and bad reviews.

5-      Not selling something that is NOT currently being sold by anyone. I just sold an expensive motherboard that had been sitting in storage for years. It had 5 star reviews when I punched in the item code into Amazon but hadn’t been sold for over a year ago. I thought it would be interesting to see if someone would still buy an old-but-still-new product. I was pleasantly surprised. It only took 4 months and the motherboard sold for a premium amount. Not too bad!

So if you do look up your item and there is no one currently selling it, list it anyway because someone may have an attachment to it or perhaps have a part break on it and need another one. You never know who might be out there looking for exactly what you have.

6-      Going out of town for over a few days and not taking the product offline. Here is the deal. As a seller Amazon generally doesn’t care who you are. What they really care about is how you treat their customers. And mainly if you are QUICK! They give you about 2-3 days to get the item shipped out. If you are out of town and can’t ship the item your account will be seriously dinged!

 As SOON as you ship the item enter the tracking number into your account. This informs the buyer and Amazon that the item has shipped. The faster you ship items the higher rank/standing you have as an Amazon seller.

7-      Not accounting for the occasional return. I sold a software system that worked great but we wanted a different program so we uninstalled it and put it up for sell. Two weeks after I shipped it out (again costing me about $5.00 more than Amazon allotted) the man claimed it didn’t work.

Well, I had proof it worked, photographs, etc. So I read the Amazon return policy which pretty much says that as long as it is within 30 days you have to return everything EXCEPT software programs. Amazon protects the sale of software because people can just download it and return it, thus stealing it.

I didn’t know whether this man was being honest or not. But I knew the software program worked. I also knew that eating up the shipping out fee ($8.00), the small return fee from Amazon, and then trying to sell it and ship it again was going to end up costing me a lot of money. Rather than making me money I would be paying to have it sold.  The buyer and I went back and forth. Ultimately Amazon sided with me but it cost my account a major ding. It took me from the excellent seller status to the ‘fair’ seller status.

So please learn from my mistake and either plan for the occasional return or sell things like working software locally without any return policy. Bonus Tip: If you do get dinged and lowered in your seller status the best thing to do is keep trying to sell more items. It only took me selling two items and getting them shipped out quickly for my fair status to be raised to Good status.

8-      Not contesting a bad review or claim. Make sure to answer any and all questions and claims quickly. If someone gives you a bad review and it is not warranted you can contact Amazon and ask them to remove it. Further, you can gently remind your buyers by sending them an email to give you a positive review. This will help buyers to feel more confident buying from you. Bonus tip- If you shipped something out on time but it was close to the deadline and Amazon dings you for shipping it out late, you can also contest this and get your account put back to a better standing.

9-      Check your email often. If you don’t have a smartphone and/or are lazy about checking your inbox you may just miss the notification that the item you listed on Amazon sold. Not knowing to ship the item out will end up getting you a bad review on your seller account. Bonus tip: Make sure amazon emails are coming to your inbox! Bonus Tip 2: Respond timely to interested buyers questions about the product.

Wow, that was a lot of information! I probably made you rethink wanting to sell on Amazon. But TRUST me when I say the money you can make off of Amazon by selling things is totally worth it.

I’ll simplify these mistakes and recap the 9 ways to AVOID them.

1-      Add 50-100% of Amazon’s shipping cost to their set shipping cost. This number will be more accurate to the total shipping price you will have to pay. I.E. a $5.00 Amazon shipping rate will most likely cost $7.50-$10.00 to ship with tracking at USPS.

2-      IF your item is not a 5 star item (and it deserves a good review) take a moment and give it 5 stars.

3-      Compare all of Amazon’s prices and determine where your price needs to be to beat out the competition. Make your price appealing enough that the ‘convenience factor’ loses.

4-      Market your product well. Make sure to upload good photographs of the item, especially if it is used, and leave a detailed description.

5-      List all the items you want to sell, even if it is an old product that hasn’t been sold on Amazon for years.

6-      If you are going out of town, either take the item with you, or give it to a trusted person to ship, or remove the item from Amazon so your account doesn’t get dinged if it does sell.

7-      Only sell things that you are 1- willing to have returned 2- that can’t be stolen easily.

8-      If you get an unwarranted bad review contact Amazon. They have great customer support.

9-      Make sure Amazon emails are coming to your inbox and that you check your email often and respond quickly.

Despite the 9 common mistakes that sellers on Amazon may make, Amazon is one of the best places to sell items online! Not only do you have a huge audience of buyers, a sophisticated system in which to sell, and the trust factor that Amazon has worked so hard to build, you also have the ability to get a better price for your items than trying to sell them locally on classifieds.

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Sell Stuff on Amazon.com??? DO NOT Make These 9 Mistakes!! Trust Me!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barrie says

    March 13, 2014 at 12:56 am

    I’ve sold items on ebay in the past but never thought to sell on amazon. Thank you for the heads up and lessons!

    Reply
  2. Dale says

    March 19, 2014 at 1:25 pm

    Selling online is new to me. Thanks for the great tips!

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      March 19, 2014 at 5:40 pm

      Dale- You’re welcome. Thanks for leaving the great input.

      Reply
      • Angelica fRnklin says

        March 27, 2017 at 10:19 pm

        You should cover nexus with amazon and the warehouse in different states. -nightmare sales tax compliance

        Reply
        • Anita Fowler says

          April 3, 2017 at 9:14 pm

          Great idea thank you!

          Reply
  3. Mike Schaefer says

    May 8, 2014 at 8:42 am

    Great detail Anita, and very informative. I have been looking into shifting stronger emphasis toward the Amazon business model… 180,000,000 customers world-wide and growing. It just makes sense

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      May 8, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks Mike, Yeah Amazon is a very popular and powerful way to sell items.

      Reply
  4. Ashley says

    June 16, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    Another tip is if you are selling books to use Media Mail. It will cost you less for shipping (unless it is very lightweight). It will take a little longer to get there but my items have always arrived by the estimated time Amazon gives my buyers.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      June 17, 2014 at 11:47 pm

      Ashley- Yes media mail is a great way to save. You just have to be willing to wait and wait and wait… and perhaps even lose the item without being reimbursed. I used to manage a fulfillment division at a business. We used media mail for 4 months until our packages were lost over 12 times, arrived damaged, and took much much longer than the other type of mail. I do AGREE just shipping a book here or there Media Mail is great. But if this is a lively hood or business and/or the book is too expensive to risk losing, stick with a type of mail that you can have a tracking number and insurance on. Thanks again for your comment!

      Reply
  5. David Scarpitta says

    November 4, 2014 at 3:58 am

    This definitely breaks down some of the smaller sales Amazon science. A good read to say the least. However, Amazon is a monster that likes to mow people and small business down at their personal profiting convenience.

    I go into detail about it here

    Overall, it’s powerful result driven platform, but sometimes, you may not like the results.

    Reply
  6. Kelsey says

    February 16, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Some things that you forgot to mention that rather than taking items with u or giving the item to somebody else to ship you can simply just turn your account off for the time you are away! I had a issue with getting the emails for sales at first & so I figured out how to set it up to receive a text every time you get a sale! I have made over $600 this month plus eBay!

    Reply
    • Cheryl Moore says

      November 9, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      how did you set up your account to receive a text with each sell?

      Reply
  7. Jason says

    March 11, 2015 at 4:00 am

    A lot of items i found in Amazon are sold by Amazon themselves.
    Some people told me that if it’s sold by Amazon, its best to avoid competing against them.

    Is this true ?

    What’s the best or recommended strategy to compete with Amazon ?

    Someone told me to bundle items to differentiate yours from theirs.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      March 13, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Jason, I didn’t experience too much of a difficulty selling things that Amazon also sold. Just make sure to beat Amazon’s price and offer free shipping (if at all possible) so that they they do the comparables they see that your price is lower than Amazon with free shipping… that way it is a ‘no brainer’ to choose you over Amazon.

      Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    April 26, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    It kind of irks me that you admittedly sold used software and then turned around and refused a refund when the buyer said the product didn’t work. Often times software cannot be used by multiple persons, and should not be resold.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      April 27, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      There wasn’t a limit on that particular software. In fact, it irked me that the person most likely easily downloaded it and then tried to return it. There is a reason that one of THE ONLY ITEMS that amazon doesn’t require you to return is software. Is it any wonder why? People order, receive, download/install, and then return for a full refund. Be irked if you want. I’m an honest person and was in compliance with Amazon’s money-back guarantee rules and regulations.

      Reply
  9. desmond says

    July 6, 2015 at 6:38 am

    thanks! i’m getting started now!

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      July 6, 2015 at 5:31 pm

      You’re very welcome!

      Reply
  10. Muhammad Imtiaz Khan says

    August 8, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Thanks a lot, I m too beginning now.

    Reply
  11. Sunny says

    August 26, 2015 at 1:49 am

    I really don’t see how you are making any money by the time you low ball the price (especially if Amazon sells the item), spend extra on shipping, and pay Amazon their percentage. The only way you could be making any money (if not losing money), it to be selling items you basically are getting for free.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      September 2, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      Sunny- I get the items at very low prices so I still end up making a profit. Low balling isn’t quite the right word-its just pricing smart. Selling on Amazon is better than selling on classifieds or at a garagesale—albeit sometimes more time consuming. That said, don’t sell something if you aren’t going to make money. I am simply warning to take all costs into account (shipping is a big expense) but I assure you I have made a profit on all items sold on Amazon. Best of luck!

      Reply
  12. Angus says

    October 21, 2015 at 4:09 pm

    Can’t believe so many people are bigging up selling on Amazon on here. Amazon have ruined so many businesses, they dominate the search engines and smaller retailers simply have no chance. If you want to sell your stuff on Amazon, by the time you have understood their complicated system and adhered to their ridiculous strict rules, paid their extraordinary high fees you will be left with very little money. Unless you have a unique product and are have at least a 100% mark up before any costs and fees then just forget it, save yourself a whole load of stress and bother

    Reply
    • Ms. P says

      March 11, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      [email protected]
      I CONCUR!!
      I am new to ebay and just researching and reading up on starting to sell on Amazon. After reading to page 25 of a book I purchased to help with the pros and cons of selling on Amazon, I decided to try the Q&A and research more on the Amazon site itself. I was so confused with the variations in fees per product, the control they have if I need to make a revision on products listed, not to mention such high fees, etc. I decided that I was not going to sale on Amazon. (I have been fortunate enough that 90% of my inventory is donated, or I have spent very little in cost, so I know I would still make a good profit after fees, but, you never know. I don’t want to run competition with Amazon while waiting months to sell a product) I even wrote this statement on page 25 of the book. However, I did decide to finish reading the book, look at some of the videos and instructional information that Amazon offers. Since then, it’s being simplified a little more. But I whole heartily agree with you. As I continue to research, maybe I will give Amazon a chance, or should I say, see if Amazon will give me a chance. lol. Enjoy your day!

      Reply
  13. George says

    November 18, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    I decided to give Amazon a try after getting fed up with eBay. Amazon succeeded in making me an eBay fan once again for the following reasons:

    1-Amazon has higher seller fees, plain and simple.

    2-My sales on Amazon after several months were a small fraction of my eBay sales.

    3-The seller interface on Amazon is poor. You can’t even do a general sold item search.

    4-Ridiculously slow payout on Amazon vs immediate eBay/PayPal payments. I recently waited 3 weeks to receive a massive $7.00!

    5-Limitation on what I can sell. This one is actually my biggest problem with Amazon. They will not allow me (and countless other sellers) to sell new and sealed DVD’s! Or used ones for that matter! Yet other sellers are allowed to? And no, I’m not going to ask them to allow me to sell DVD’s. I don’t need them and they do not deserve my business.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      November 18, 2015 at 11:39 pm

      I’m sorry! Yeah stick to eBay if it’s making you more. Amazon can be rough. I’ll have to do a post on selling through eBay sometime soon. You’ve got to do what works for you!

      Reply
      • George says

        November 19, 2015 at 12:18 am

        Thanks, I think each place is geared toward different types of sellers. I recommend that anyone who is used to eBay and wanting to also sell on Amazon, check to see which types of items will be allowed. It was a shock to me when I found out about this restriction. Movies are just one example. As it turns out Amazon will not allow new sellers to sell any DVD’s or Blu-Rays. They will only allow you to sell VHS tapes, which of course means that you will make no money if movies are a big part of your business.

        Reply
      • jesse j says

        February 27, 2016 at 5:00 pm

        Yes, please post about Amazon v eBay – tips and tricks. I want to hear your experience on both and see which you feel is more profitable, better seller experience, and more supportive of you as the seller.

        Reply
    • Jason says

      January 10, 2016 at 5:10 pm

      There’s a good reason for Amazon’s limit of sellers of CDs and DVDs, and eBay is a good example of it. Bootlegs are ABOUND on eBay. In fact, most of time, if you’re buying from an overseas sellers, who sells mostly CDs and DVDs, you’re nearly guaranteed to be getting bootlegs, and you may not even know about it, as the bootleggers put out some pretty high quality copies.

      At the end of the day, Amazon wants to protect the buyer, while also protecting their own image, all the while keeping things as legal and legit as possible. You can’t fault them for that. If you want to sell CDs and DVDs on Amazon, then there’s a process to become a seller through them, and it’s a warranted process. You, as a buyer, wouldn’t want to unknowningly be buying bootlegs, would you? Of course not, and Amazon doesn’t want that, either.

      Reply
    • Robert says

      March 6, 2017 at 8:53 pm

      It’s even worse then that. Now Amazon will not allow you to sell even USED items by Panasonic, Sony, Microsoft, Samsung, Nintendo and many many others unless you pay them a $1000 non-refundable fee and show proof that you purchased the item from the manufacture at least 3 times and written approval by the manufacture to sell their goods. This is impossible when a casual seller wants to sell a camera or phone they no longer use.

      The restrictions might hold true for selling NEW products in order for these manufactures to enforce price-fixing tactics, however for selling pre-owned used items it is not possible to comply to your requirements to gain approval to sell. Nor are the $1000 non-refundable deposit a reasonable request.

      They are clearly anti-consumer when applied to selling a used item. Especially when certain approved higher price sellers can continue to do so. This artificially keeps the used prices higher promoting purchases of new products that benefit the manufacture. Moreover, it deceives the potential buyer of a new item that the devaluation over time is less than it actually is, for a casual user is unable to participate in the secondary market because of Amazon’s restrictions.

      Spread the word and boycott Amazon. Everything they sell is also available from ebay, Walmart and many others.

      Reply
  14. Emily says

    December 2, 2015 at 3:56 am

    Thank-you the information is helpful. I am new to selling on amazon. They do take a large percentage of the item sold! I have been selling on ebay for several months now. I have a question, when you list an item on ebay is it better to sell as an auction or fixed price? Thank-you.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      December 2, 2015 at 8:24 pm

      I would think fixed price unless it is a rare item or a hot item that may be bid on even higher than you might fix the price at. I like shopping for fixed price items but bidding is great for a hot item for a seller to get a better price!

      Reply
  15. Cleo62 says

    December 14, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    Thank you, getting ready to sell somethings that belonged to my late brother and was wondering what would be better ebay or Amazon. Due to your report I am going to try Amazon. I will re-post after I place my items and let you all know how it worked thanks again.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      December 15, 2015 at 4:30 pm

      You’re welcome! I hope it goes well for you. I’m excited to hear how it went when you report back.

      Reply
  16. Jackie says

    January 16, 2016 at 12:57 am

    Thanks for the awesome tips, Anita! I am going to start selling items on Amazon and now I am confident I will be successful! I will let you know how it works out! Thanks again for your great advice!

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      January 17, 2016 at 10:59 pm

      You’re welcome. I hope you are do well! It’s an awesome place to make some profit.

      Reply
  17. Bonzo says

    January 20, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Anita, thanks or the great job on this post. I have been in the Amazon Associates program forever and never really got to sell anything. Do you see drop shipping as a possibility here? If I had a drop shipper that could ship within the time limit, would Amazon have a problem, or do you foresee issues that could arise?

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      February 1, 2016 at 10:28 pm

      I’m honestly not quite sure. Let’s see if any other readers have input on this.

      Reply
  18. Trinity says

    March 12, 2016 at 9:16 pm

    Hello Anita, thanks for the information; really appreciate.

    I am looking to start selling in Amazon but trying to gather as much information as possible. I create Jewelries and accessories; i started selling in esty last year and i am looking for other ways i can sell my handmade items.

    Reply
  19. Saundra Chapman says

    April 12, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    We are New Sellers on Amazon and really appreciate the tips you have written about. I can’t tell you how that information helps us. Thank you again for your knowledge and your gracious time.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      April 22, 2016 at 8:07 pm

      You’re very welcome! Good luck selling on Amazon.

      Reply
  20. Gail says

    April 14, 2016 at 4:22 am

    Just closed my Amazon account today, over a return which the buyer lied about the condition for lack of a reason to return. We had paid 11.60 for Priority Flat Rate Shipping as this was a 100.00 valued book. Buyer wanted to return because wasn’t same one she had that was lost in a flood, and claimed it was missing recipes although book New and not missing anything, then even with the pics we had on, the exact description of this 1953 reprint of the orignal BHG cookbook, published by them as a collectible edition, Amazon sided with her. It was insinuated as a threat or bribe like if we did not refund in couple days, she could keep the book and they would take our money to give back to her. Well, we got the book back, wrapped only in cardboard wrap, and damaged. Ask for a repeal of the A to Z, even sent pics of damaged book and packing, they said no, it was in wrong condition listing. It was listed in Collectibles which it is and it was New and with only small remainder mark noted. Out the ability to resell at that price now and out my 11.00 shipping. Lady even enclosed note saying Sorry she bought the wrong book, not looking for this book, just one she had but did not know what it was.Probably needed receipt for insurance value if truth be known. Anyway sell much more and treated much fairer on Ebay since 1997.

    Reply
  21. Laura says

    May 6, 2016 at 3:42 am

    As a non-professional seller on amazon for 15 year now, have you ever run into owing out-of-state taxes each year? Do you pay those as you go? Or is that only for professional sellers? Any advice regarding taxes when selling on Amazon?

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      May 7, 2016 at 10:22 pm

      I have not. I’m sorry I can’t help. Anyone else/readers know?

      Reply
  22. Tina says

    May 13, 2016 at 11:41 pm

    You only have to collect & pay sales tax in states that you have a sales tax nexus or a physical presence like an office, an employee, products or a warehouse. There are apps that will help you with this.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      May 14, 2016 at 5:46 am

      Very true, thanks for bringing this up!

      Reply
  23. mabel says

    June 10, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    I just want to earn extra money selling on Amazon just wondering which books to read to get more information. Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  24. jack ben baruch says

    June 25, 2016 at 6:37 am

    selling on amazon is new to me.. just registered hope it will go well, thanks for the article!

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      August 19, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  25. Amanda says

    July 12, 2016 at 6:01 am

    Start building a brand/private label once you’ve reliable suppliers. The order defect rate limit is 1% (0.5% for selling to businesses).
    Once you’ve found a supplier you can visit and talk to, get the catalogue and choose the best products to sell. You can do it by yourself or with Jungle Scout or with the amzminds category report.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      July 19, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      Thank you for the tips!

      Reply
  26. James Hoodie says

    July 13, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Selling stuff on Amazon can be tricky because alot of the time they dont give you the best deal. Ive sold things on amazon before and they have given me only a fraction of what my item was worth when they resold it. Ebay usually gets you more money for your stuff, but the problem is it can take awhile to actually make a sale if you need the money now. I still use amazon but I also use price comparison sites now which amazon are apart of, that way I get to see who gives me the best offer for what im trying to sell. There are a bunch of good ones out there, I usually just use https://www.bonavendi.com/ because its easy and you can scan things with your phone but there are a few good ones. Anyway appreciate the article, I actually read the whole thing which is rare for me to do haha. Thanks for the advice

    Cheers

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      August 29, 2016 at 5:35 am

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  27. Andrew says

    August 27, 2016 at 1:38 am

    Magnificent site. Lots of useful info here. I’m sending it to several buddies ans
    additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you to your sweat!

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      August 29, 2016 at 5:13 am

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  28. Barbara says

    August 30, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    I stopped selling on Amazon because of their A to Z policy. I mailed a collectible item new In a box to someone who then turned around and said that I had described it incorrectly which was a lie. I was happy to allow her to return it even though I knew her claim was bogus, but she told Amazon that the item I paid $10 to ship was going to cost her $25. So needless to say, not only did Amazon refund her money, but they also refunded her shipping and she kept the item. I even offered to pay for COD delivery just to get the item back on principle, but no response. So I gave her my item for free and paid out money for shipping as well. I understand that buyers need to be protected, but this was ridiculous. I have since read other accounts of this as a common scam. Maybe it happens on EBay too, but never to me in quite a few years.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      September 1, 2016 at 7:02 am

      I’m sorry! Stick to eBay if not making you any problem.

      Reply
  29. m d says

    September 29, 2016 at 10:03 am

    hello, thanx a lot for a gr8 info.. i just wanna ask, for selling on amazon, do u need VAT ID?…. and is it compulsary for small goods also?… which r homemade and u dnt hve a registered small business?

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      December 29, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      I don’t know I’m sorry! I think it depends on your state. Contact your state business department and ask.

      Reply
  30. candace says

    November 8, 2016 at 8:22 pm

    I have a question Anita. I’ve been researching and contemplating resale for quite sometime now. I’m not looking to make huge amounts of money or anything like that but I’m a single mom with 3 kids who needs something extra coming in without the time or the means for a second job. So my question is when you decided you wanted to resale what steps did you initially take to set yourself on that path? Where did you start selling things to begin with? 15 years is a long time a quite a bit has changed since then so to.add to that question with so many different platforms online and off today where would you personal start if you were starting today vs 15 years ago?

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      November 22, 2016 at 7:46 pm

      I would recommend not selling stuff on amazon if you don’t already have a product or idea of what to sale. I’d try some of these other ways to make money from home. There just is so much competition on Amazon these days that if you aren’t really well established or have a lot of inventory it would be hard to make a profit without significant investment.

      Reply
  31. Anila Jain says

    January 7, 2017 at 7:36 am

    Along with all of the points mentioned above it is needed to see the current trending items or products. I have just come across some posts which have explained really well on how to find the most selling products.

    Reply
  32. Joseph says

    January 30, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    Hi Anita,

    How much NET profit should one make on Amazon? 2$ 4$ or more?

    Lets say Logitech is selling Logitech products, is there a way I could compete by also selling such products on Amazon (probably not)?

    Will any Product sell?

    What are best products to sell on Amazon?

    thanks for your reply-

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      February 1, 2017 at 5:55 pm

      I would be sure that you are being compensated at a fair rate. If it takes you 30 minutes to process one order. You should be making at least $15 an hour so you are getting minimum wage… or more. So your NET profit should be enough to make it worth your time. Granted when you first start out it may be just minimum wage and as you grow more it will become more profitable. But I would make sure that its making you enough to make it worth your time and effort after a few months of growing pains.

      Reply
  33. Joseph says

    January 30, 2017 at 9:39 pm

    (I meant Net Profit per single Item listed, and not net profit of total items sold:) )

    Reply
    • Ray S says

      March 8, 2017 at 4:17 pm

      (Joseph)
      Ive been selling on Amazon for 2 years now and here is my take on it.

      Today an Item could be selling premium for $15.00 and tomorrow the price could be bombarded by other sellers down to $7.50 so there are a few things you have to consider here that I think a lot of sellers do not think about.

      1. The cost of the item to you the seller to aquire
      2. The cost of Amazon Fees
      3. The cost of the shipping supplies (Boxes, packing and tape)
      4. The cost of the actual shipping

      That being said I at a min like to make $5.00 profit but to do that there will be times you will sit on that item for months before it will sell. So lets do some math and maybe this will explain my point a little better. This is a current product I sell.

      Purchase the product for $11.00
      Sell it for $24.99 (seems like a lot right)

      Okay 24.99 * (.15 or 15% amazon Fee) = $3.75
      Cost of shipping material from ULINE – $0.36 for the box and $0.10 packing total ( $0.46 )
      Cost to Ship the Product – $3.86

      Total Fees and shipping – $8.07

      Total Profit less Purchase price (Seller) = $24.99 – 11.00 – 8.07 = $5.92 Profit

      Now you add your time – lets say you make 50,000 a year its worth $25.00 hr and it takes you 10 min to pick, pack and ship that product – @ $0.83 cents a min. you have invested $8.30 at the 100k level and 4.15 at the 50k level. So you have actually made an excellent profit margin.

      I hope this all makes sense – So to NET anything over $5.00 is decent

      Ray S.

      Reply
      • Anita Fowler says

        March 21, 2017 at 11:10 pm

        thanks Ray!

        Reply
  34. Ann says

    February 4, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    I have a GoPro Hero Session that is brand new, box never opened that I can’t return due to the person who gifted it to he paid cash and then lost the receipt. Am I allowed to list this as new? This seems to be a gray area on certain resale sites, but I did read somewhere that if you aren’t a GoPro retailer you have to list it as used. I just don’t want to make a huge mistake with my first listing.

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      March 21, 2017 at 11:36 pm

      I’m unsure it seems like selling electronics used is a no no. So I’d go with that and try Craigslist or a FB selling page.

      Reply
  35. Carol says

    March 12, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    Anita, quick question for you… How do I sell a really nice USED briefcase on Amazon that I do not see listed on Amazon? It’s an older model … and when I try to list on my own, I get stuck at the page that wants me to enter a new product listing — which requires UPC code (which the briefcase doesn’t have one) model number etc etc.

    Thanks if you have any advice/answers for me!

    Reply
  36. samrat says

    June 20, 2017 at 1:31 am

    That was a good stuff thanks anita ji

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      June 21, 2017 at 4:20 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  37. Matthew Briggs says

    July 5, 2017 at 9:56 am

    Selling few more item in amazon almost 2 Years but found few great stuff from you post, Thanks!

    Reply
  38. avi says

    August 6, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    just found this amazing wholesale site culdist.com to buy top brand items and sell on amazon for profit

    Reply
    • Anita Fowler says

      August 14, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  39. Ethan May says

    December 15, 2017 at 6:18 am

    Thanks for the information. I sell used books on Amazon. It has a great traffic if you are a pro seller than selling on Amazon is the right option.I’m doing OA for books.It saves a lot of my time as I don’t have time for sourcing books. I’m doing OA with http://www.bookspatrol.us it helps me in finding books as per my preference.

    Reply
  40. Charles Clinton Rodrigues says

    March 24, 2018 at 7:28 pm

    thanks for the advice. its a great advice for those who are starting their own small business at amazon.

    Reply
  41. Arobi Anjel says

    August 9, 2018 at 10:36 pm

    The idea that you gave me about Amazon plays an important role. Thanks for posting.

    Reply
    • Anita says

      August 20, 2018 at 12:13 pm

      I’m glad this helped you!

      Reply
  42. Tusar Imran says

    August 9, 2018 at 10:37 pm

    The idea that you gave me about Amazon plays an important role.Thanks for posting.

    Reply
    • Anita says

      August 20, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      I’m glad this helped you!

      Reply
  43. Johana says

    January 20, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    Hey, I am reading your article in 2018. I found it really helpful, but I do have a question. As far as filling out the form W-9 do you still find it worth it (like you get taxed on items you are selling so is there profit left)?

    Reply
  44. Margaret says

    January 23, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Many thanks for sharing your info. I simply intend to earn additional money offering on Amazon.com simply wondering which books to check out to obtain even more information. Thanks for the suggestions.I appreciate you sharing this blog article. Much obliged.

    Reply
  45. Barbara Evans says

    February 22, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    I have had great success in selling my vintage Polly Pocket toys on Amazon. They are all used and never new in the package. The problem is that Amazon often shows catalogue photos of these items as new in the package. The only issues I have ever had on Amazon was angry buyers who thought they were getting a new item based on those photos.

    All of my listings have clear descriptions and detailed photos but for some reason the buyers don’t pay enough attention. On items that I know Amazon is showing a new-in-package I begin my description with ALL CAPS stating that the item is NOT new. Doesn’t help. I have now stopped listing anything that isn’t accurately depicted in Amazon’s photos.

    So the tip that I have is either do not list any items that you know Amazon will use photos that do not accurately show your item OR contact the buyer prior to shipping to make sure they know what they are getting.

    Reply
    • Anita says

      March 18, 2019 at 2:57 am

      Great tips, thank you! Have you had more success with Ebay?

      Reply
  46. Abdur Rahman says

    March 20, 2019 at 5:05 am

    Awesome this article outstanding and very helping post. I have been searching this type for more knowledge. Few days ago I saw and read magnificent. this post help me help for others must be better.

    Reply
  47. mamun says

    April 7, 2019 at 6:03 am

    Awesome this article outstanding and very helping post. thanks a lot.

    Reply
  48. Solaiman says

    May 16, 2019 at 6:15 am

    So great your reminder on amazon sell mistakes all are really true and important also . Without any doubt this post is much effective specially for mine .

    Reply
  49. Josep says

    January 18, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Amazon is one of the best eCommerce market sites in the market. Also a good site for Affiliate Marketing. Everyone wants to know the good affiliate strategy on Amazon.

    Reply
  50. Jeams says

    May 11, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Great post, Through this I got a good idea.
    Thank you so much for sharing it.

    Reply
  51. Imagescutout says

    July 14, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    Stunning post. Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  52. t rex game says

    July 16, 2020 at 7:19 am

    Thanks for your sharing. I am registering myself an account so I can sell on Amazo.com

    Reply
  53. Mark says

    September 7, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Selling few more item in amazon almost 3 Years but found few great stuffs from your post, Thanks!

    Reply
  54. Imran Khan says

    September 26, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    Thanks for sharing your infomation about this topic.

    Reply
  55. Martin Jackson Martin says

    October 20, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  56. Akash says

    November 5, 2020 at 8:27 am

    Very informative post. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  57. Fix Guider says

    January 10, 2021 at 8:08 am

    I am grateful to the owner of this site which really shares this wonderful article. That is actually great and useful information. Thanks for sharing lots of tips snd tricks about selling stuff on amazon. I’m satisfied with just sharing this useful information with us. Please keep it up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  58. Rashel says

    January 23, 2021 at 9:16 am

    Really informative tips. I appreciate your post. Thanks

    Reply
  59. Rony says

    February 21, 2021 at 6:13 am

    Thank you for the post. It saves my days!

    Reply
  60. Biddut Sarkar says

    March 19, 2021 at 11:14 am

    Wow, pretty cool tips. I really appreciate your post. I definitely visit this blog again

    Reply
  61. www.netflix.com/activate says

    March 26, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    Thanks For Sharing Such An Amazing Post Enjoyed Reading it.

    Reply
  62. Fixwill says

    May 31, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    Thanks for sharing lots of tips snd tricks about selling stuff on amazon. I’m amazed at just sharing this useful information with us. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  63. Creative Marketers BD says

    August 30, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    Hi Anita, Everyone wants to know the good affiliate strategy on Amazon.. Thank you for reminding us about the mistakes regarding Amazon’s sales!

    Reply
  64. Niamul Anan says

    August 30, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    Thanks for sharing this outstanding and informative post with us. It seems very helpful.

    Reply
  65. John says

    November 23, 2021 at 1:39 am

    I have had great success in selling my vintage Polly Pocket toys on Amazon. They are all used and never new in the package. The problem is that Amazon often shows catalogue photos of these items as new in the package. The only issues I have ever had on Amazon was angry buyers who thought they were getting a new item based on those photos.

    Reply
    • Anita says

      July 24, 2022 at 10:15 am

      For used, I’d recommend selling via Ebay or mercari.

      Reply
  66. Angelica Chaplin says

    March 6, 2022 at 7:08 am

    Thanks for sharing a lot of tips snd tricks about selling stuff on amazon. I’m amazed at just sharing this useful information with us. This is very helpful. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  67. Mitu says

    May 22, 2022 at 7:23 am

    Thank you for sharing so much helpful information about selling items on Amazon. I appreciate the tips and tricks you shared with us, this is very helpful.

    Reply
  68. Shaheda Shimu says

    June 12, 2022 at 10:10 am

    Highly appreciated for sharing a nice blog, very professional tutorial.

    Reply
  69. Imran Rakib says

    October 11, 2022 at 12:31 am

    Amazon is a good way to sell products or etc, I learn something new from here and it can be helpful for me, Already I bookmarked your website. Please share something new about Amazon and eBay. Thank You so much!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 9 Mistakes Online Sellers Make #amazon #ebay | Mimi's Money Savers says:
    July 11, 2015 at 2:14 am

    […] CLICK HERE to see if you have too. […]

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  2. How to Use Your Internet to Pay for its Monthly Bills | Live Like You Are Rich says:
    February 17, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    […] Sell things that you do not need in your home on online classifieds, craigslist, Amazon.com Ebay etc. This is actually easier than using Swagbucks but the reason it is not number one is because it is not a consistent thing for everyone. Once you sell your items and run out of things to sell the income stops. If you decide to make a little side business of it by buying low and selling higher like I do (more tutorials coming on this), it can be a great way to increase income. Here is the first article I have written on how to sell online.  […]

    Reply
  3. Quick Tips For Selling Items Online! - daily sandals says:
    June 15, 2016 at 4:05 pm

    […] items online is you need to find a good site to sell your items on. You may want to go down the Amazon route which will allow you to sell your items on there, with them taking a small cut. Or you may […]

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  4. Getting Cash Off Products You Will No Longer Want or Desire Is Not as Challenging as Many Think | Sell Your Stuff says:
    June 24, 2016 at 6:26 am

    […] for them. Be sure the business is trustworthy and compensates as agreed. If you take these types of basic steps, you will discover reselling your personal goods is easy, and you will get extra cash within your […]

    Reply

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How to live a rich life on any income. Stay-at-Home Mom to 4. 👦🏻👩🏻👧🏼👶🏻Wife 👩‍❤️‍👨Author 📖. Blogger 💻. Christian 🌟. #livelikeyouarerich #LivingRichTips

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