Don’t Give Up! How to Tackle Amazon Selling Issues Like a Pro

Vicki Weinberg: 00:00:00

Welcome to the bring your product idea to life podcast. This is the podcast for you if you're getting started selling products or if you'd like to create your own product to sell.

I'm Vicki Weinberg, a product creation coach and Amazon expert. Every week I share friendly, practical advice as well as inspirational stories from small businesses. Let's get started. Hello. So today's episode is inspired by my own real life. I have probably shared with you before. That I spend an awful lot of.

Time dealing with issues for clients who are selling on Amazon. So right now, for example, I'm working. On a launch package for a client and we're having a big issue where.

Someone else has fraudulently used their barcodes, which means we're unable to list the products. Obviously, this is not my client's fault, not my fault. This is entirely the fault of Amazon.

Something that they need to fix. And while it might sound like quite a small, not a small thing, it's. Obviously a big issue. But while it sounds like something that. Should have an obvious solution, that should.

Be fixed fairly easily, fairly quickly, it's really not. This thing keeps dragging on and it. Is a massive pain. And this is how I can spend a lot of my weeks.

Lots of things can go wrong on Amazon and often do go wrong. And I should also point out, as I say this, this isn't like clients. Who work with me, where things go wrong on Amazon. Things go wrong on Amazon all of the time. Most sellers will come up against issues.

From time to time, hopefully mostly minor ones, but sometimes bigger ones. And so that really inspired today's episode on how to resolve issues with selling on Amazon. Especially if you're just starting. Starting out. Because if you're just starting out, Amazon can seem big and daunting and overwhelming.

Anyway, even if everything goes absolutely to plan, everything goes right. So when things go wrong, I know just how daunting it can be, how. Overwhelming it can be.

And sadly, I've had people contact me in the past or I've spoken to.

People who've actually given up because they just found it such a hassle. And often people come to me as well, for help because, you know, they maybe they tried a year ago, just. You know, couldn't get through all of these hurdles. And then they've come to me to help me get them set up, which.

Is what I love to do. I don't love dealing with all the. Issues, but I have to say, I'm. Pretty good at it. I've been doing it a long time.

I'm Pretty tenacious. And I've got a bit of a formula now for what to do and that is what I want to share with you today. Sometimes it can surprise people, by the.

Way, when I say how tricky it can be used to, to, you know, to use Amazon Seller Central to contact seller support. I'm not even sure people always believe me when I tell them how bad. Dealing with Amazon can be, because if you're a customer and most of us.

Probably shop on Amazon, it's actually pretty good, isn't it, if something goes wrong. But as a seller, it can be really frustrating. So I wanted to eat some of. That for you with some really practical tips.

This isn't meant to be a negative. Episode, it's actually quite the opposite because. As I said, issues can happen when. You start selling on Amazon.

But when I see people give up completely, that's where I think, oh, no. Please don't do that, because you know. I can help you and most issues can be overcome. So this episode isn't meant to be.

Negative, isn't meant to scare you. One is that I like to be honest about the reality and the reality. Of selling on Amazon is things can sometimes go wrong because I think lots.

Of you know that I think Amazon can be a great place to sell and I think it would be a really shame for you to give up. On, not even get started because you've.

Had a bad experience. So I want to be really honest about what can happen and then I want to give you some really useful. Practical advice of what to do if and when things do go wrong so that you can feel confident in overcoming it. So let's first start by talking about.

The kind of things that can happen. When you start selling on Amazon. This is going to be a bit.

Of a list of things that I've seen or experienced. I'm not going to cover everything that could happen. I going to try and keep this. Quite concise because believe me, I've seen. Obviously seen a lot. This is just about a few things.

That can maybe come trip you up.

When you're just starting getting sellers on Amazon. Maybe knock you, knock your confidence, knock your faith in, you know, the fact you can actually do this. So you might have issues setting up your product listing.

So I mentioned my client having problems with their barcodes. This doesn't happen often, but this isn't the first time I've seen it. It does happen. So branding issues, that's something else you. Might run into when you get set up. So for example, if the brand name.

Trying to use on Amazon already exists. That's going to cause you issues. If you didn't enter your brand name exactly. So maybe something as silly as a. Spelling mistake or it doesn't exactly match.

The one you submitted when setting up. Your brand registry account, that's going to. Cause a few issues. You might find that the text you. Enter isn't displaying as you submit it.

Or perhaps you've made a change and. The change isn't going through. You might find that your images aren't. Showing or Amazon is randomly using other.

Images for your products. Maybe nothing, nothing to do with your product. Maybe just really random images. You might find that listings get suppressed. Because you haven't filled in a field. Somewhere or because you've used some wording that you can't use that you didn't know you couldn't use.

As I said, I'm trying my best to keep this list short because I'm. Not trying to overwhelm anyone. But those are a few things that can happen when you're getting started. And as I say, none of this.

Is to scare you. I have to keep reiterating that it's completely the opposite, hoping to empower you. So, first of all, let's talk about what you can do to prevent things going wrong in the first place. And you can't, you know, first, I.

Can'T promise that nothing will ever go wrong, but what will help is first. Of all, knowing exactly what you need. To get set up on Amazon. So what you need to set up.

Your account, what you need to do to set up your product listings, everything to start selling. I have a free checklist that goes. Through all of this for you that will be linked in the show notes.

It's really good if you research anything else you might need upfront and get it all ready.

So, for example, do you need approval to list your products? Do you need safety data sheets? Are you selling a product that's actually not your own? So you need approval for that?

Do you sell products that don't have.

Barcodes for some reason? So you need to apply for a barcode exemption? Having a look into these kind of things up front will really save you time and energy along the line. And I would also say be prepared. For the initial setup to take a. Little bit longer than expected.

So do build in time, things go wrong. Hopefully nothing will go wrong. But you know, you don't want to. Be working on such tight time scales.

Having a little issue, really fragile.

So let's say you do, you know, you're Set either selling on Amazon already or you're just getting set up and something happens, you get, something goes wrong. Maybe it's something as simple as your text isn't displaying as you want it to. What do you do? Well, first thing you need to do. Is log it with Amazon Seller Central support. And I always suggest that when you.

Raise a case of seller support, you. Have, you have three options. You can do this in text as an email, you can get on a chat, or you can have a call.

We'll talk about chats and calls in a moment. But I would suggest always raising a. New case in writing because that way. You can be really clear and really. Concise about what the problem is.

You can use screenshots of any issues you're having, if applicable. So let's say you are trying to update your text and it's not displaying on the product pages. You can do a screenshot of the.

Page where you've input the text in Seller central and you can do it. You can do a screenshot of the. Product listing as it's displaying to really, you know, demonstrate this. You know, this isn't matching.

Make sure you include any information that. They will likely need. So having everything there will really, really help you.

So, for example, the instance we're speaking about, I would also probably paste in. The text I was trying to use. That wasn't being accepted. I would definitely make sure I use. The ASIN number of the product.

So Amazon were really clear on the. Product I was talking about. I would basically put, put everything in. Writing as clear as possible and provide.

Everything they might need in order to resolve this case. So then they're going to come, they're. Going to send you a confirmation email and then they're going to come back to you.

So it's completely up to you once.

You have raised that initial case. But first we're going to talk about what happens if you decide this isn't urgent. I can continue dealing with this on email.

So what will probably happen then is within a couple of hours you'll get a reply and it's really important to two things. First of all, look at the reply. And think, okay, does this seem valuable? Does this seem like a sensible reply? Reason I say that is sometimes I.

Get replies and I think, I think this must be AI or some sort of computer because actually it doesn't answer. The exact question that I've asked.

When that happens, I would go back and say, I'm really sorry, I think you've misunderstood. This is my issue. And Reiterate it. And then also if that happens, that.

Might be the point where you go, actually, I do need to get on call or chat because this email thing clearly isn't working. But let's say you're going to continue with email, you want to reply and make it really clear. Okay, this isn't exactly what I was asking.

Please help me. If the response seems like a decent. One, then maybe they've asked some more information. Then make sure you reply and do. Whatever it is you're asked for.

So if you're asked for something, provide it. Whether that's information, whether that's another screenshot, whatever it is, reply and be as helpful as possible.

And do try and reply promptly. So after, once Amazon replied to you. They consider the case closed in lots. Of cases, but you can still open. It, reopen it and reply. But if there are five days of.

Inactivity, and those five days include weekends, by the way, they will close cases for good.

So if you got a reply on a Thursday and you were away, you didn't think about it, and you came back on the Tuesday, that case would be closed and you would be starting from scratch. If your case gets closed by accident, you know, without a resolution, you can open a new one.

And I would definitely reference the original case that I opened when opening the new ones, you don't have to reiterate absolutely everything, but you kind of are starting from scratch at that point. And you. And really, it's a matter of if you're dealing with cases on email, it is a lot of, you know, back and forth. Maybe you're asked for information, maybe you're. Asked to do something, and you just have to keep being patient and persistent.

So you can't. If you want to speak to Amazon another way, you can't actually call them.

There is an option in the case for them to call you, which is really the next best thing. Email can take a bit of time. So, you know, you might have to wait a couple of hours to reply. From them each time.

Maybe you're busy and their email comes in. So it might only be that, you know, once a day you're able to. Send a response back and that can obviously add time onto whatever it is. You'Re trying to do. So calls can be a quicker way of resolving things.

And there's also the chat function as. Well, if you prefer. Do know that the person that you speak with, whether that's on chat or.

On the phone, might not be able to help you. Because if your case is quite complex they will often get passed to a specialist. However, the benefit of speaking to someone.

In person is it's a great way of getting your cases escalated to a specialist because the person you're speaking to. Particularly if you're on the phone, will hopefully have a much better understanding of.

What you're facing, realise that they aren't in a position to help and escalate the case for you. So getting on the phone can be. Really good and I definitely recommend it if you feel you're not getting the help you need when you're going back.

And forth on email. Email can be great for, as I say, non urgent cases, but if it's. Something that needs a quick response, I. Always recommend getting on the phone for. Someone if you can. I would also say that whether you.

Use the phone or you use chat.

Because chat is another good option, you do log your issue as an email initially before you do this, because misunderstandings can and do occur, particularly if you're speaking to someone on the phone and then they're escalating your case to someone else. If the phone is your initial conversation. You'Re relying that the person that you spoke to on the phone understood your. Issue and is passing on correctly.

However, if you've laid it all out in the email format firstly and then. You'Re speaking to someone on the phone, you know that they've got that text. That you've written and any information you've.

Provided to also pass on when they escalate the case. So I think that's really, really help helpful. And my final piece of advice is. I don't know why I said final.

In a really funny way then, but my final piece of advice is to be really positive and really persistent. It can be really frustrating because it can take a long time to get. A helpful result response, particularly if you're using email alone.

And I would say, please don't give up. Yes, it can be frustrating, but, you know, remain positive. I would say of all the cases. I've dealt with on Amazon, I can. Only think of one or two where. We didn't get a resolution we wanted in the end.

But I can think of quite a few where it took a long time. To get a resolution. So just setting out expectations here, if it all gets a bit too much. And you need a bit of extra.

Support, you might want to consider joining my membership. Amazon made easy because all of these little issues you might be contacting Amazon. For are things we can cover in. Our Q and A sessions. So we have a fortnight Q and a session where you can ask my. Advice on anything and it might be.

You know, an issue that you have and perhaps we can fix it without. Even speaking to seller support. Or maybe you want my advice on. An ongoing case or how to word.

Something, how to handle something. What a response from Amazon means all of these things. I am here to help you. So if that sounds like something you're interested in, the wait list for Amazon. Made Easy is now open.

There will be a link to that in the show notes for this episode, so please put your name on there if you're interested in finding more about it when we open in the middle of next month. So that's. Oh, May. This month. Middle of this month. Wow. Not long to go and and let me know if there's anything I can.

Do to help you in the meantime. So have a lovely week. I'll be back as usual with the. Friday episode and back with another one of these next Tuesday. Speak to you soon.

Thank you so much for listening right to the end of this episode.

Do remember that you can get the full back catalogue and lots of free resources on my website, vickyweinberg.com Please do remember to rate and review this episode if you've enjoyed it, and also share it with a friend who you think might find it useful. Thank you again and see you next week.

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