Plus, they only offer the “contact us” option in the Vendor Central system and I need a live body to answer all my questions and get me set up. This is my first large retail account and I have so many questions. If you have a Customer Service phone number that would apply to their Vendor Central new vendor setup, that would be wonderful. The buyer kindly asked me to refer to “the system” with further inquiries…. ugh!
ANSWER: I have two Amazon businesses. I’m a seller of used/collectible books, and for that I have an Amazon Pro-Merchant account. And to fulfill those orders, I work with Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon program, in which you list your items on Marketplace and send them to their warehouse.
For the books I’ve written, those go through Lightning Source and are listed and fulfilled either by Ingram or Amazon. (However, it’s also possible for me to sell copies of the books I’ve written/published through FBA also. I do this when I have extra copies on hand.)
I am guessing that in your case, the Vendor Central part is connected to the “Amazon Advantage” program. I think you need to evaluate whether Amazon Advantage (where you give a 55 percent wholesale discount) would work better for you than FBA, where you pay a 15 percent commission. Here’s a cost comparison.
The other option is fulfilling orders to customers yourself. In that case, you’d be a “seller” on Amazon Marketplace, and working directly with individual customers, just like anyone else selling a used book on Amazon.
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One Comment
Commenting on this statement above – I am guessing that in your case, the Vendor Central part is connected to the “Amazon Advantage” program.
I am with the Vendor Central – selling unscented personal care products – in my first year and it is not the Amazon Advantage which I believe is for media only.
Feel free to contact me through my website if you want to talk. I went from Fulfillment to the Vendor program.
Thanks, Genny