I believe OA/RA are going downhill and will soon be obsolete for new sellers. We have pivoted and started working with importers and distributors who buy directly from brands. It’s like no matter what, Amazon will suspend you twice in your first year, once you go through it your next strategy must be to get your account assured and then start moving to multiple categories. For a new seller:
Keep your supply chain as much verified or close to brand as possible.
Vet out each brand closely and NEVER move to risky products for quick cash. You can check IP Complaint history using IP Alert and SellerAMP or see sharp drops in keeps charts.
Whenever Amazon asks for LOAs and invoices and tries to suspend your account, do not fall into the trap of accepting IPs on store. Tell them you are selling authentic products and prove that (back to the first point). The biggest of sellers are not getting direct LOAs from brands, we work with distributors.
Think out of the box: try pitching to brands whose listings are poorly made, pitch them about running PPC campaigns and improving brand sales via paid advertising.
Do not get demotivated with Amazon trying to deactivate your account, you just have to work a bit on fighting the case but you’ll get successful if you stay persistent.
RA is not going anywhere. As an Amazon seller you are a retailer and Not a subsidiary of Amazon. You should have other market places to sell on as well as Amazon. It’s hard work and not for those interested in easy money.
I Totally agree RA is done via fba…its a huge risk with all the compliance and Amazons
BS. Can still be managed via fbm but ebay also becomes more attractive as less compliance issues. My view is Amazon has started its own demise with all its fake IP crap and section 3 nonsense…its now a risk to send stock into FBA…used to be brilliant but now just a shit show…
The market always changes. Nothing is permanent, and I don’t think that obsolescence will happen. Like FBA sellers, all brand owners have their own battles with other brands.
Haven’t the RA prospects worsened significantly since you’ll often be punished for having low inventory and you’ll generally have an inability to purchase more units?
I agree it works if you’re integrated with other marketplaces. As someone outside of states also managing accounts, it’s not a great option for me since I cannot send a lot of my clients to retail stores. However, I do agree if done right it actually is something you can work with even with a low capital.
Just wanted to give my view and help new sellers. I see lots of new sellers having crazy expectations about O/RA from youtube Instagram. A lot of times you have to say no to a client just because you know you’ll not be able to fulfil these unrealistic expectations.
Haven’t the RA prospects worsened significantly since you’ll often be punished for having low inventory and you’ll generally have an inability to purchase more units?