Power Sellers Unite

Seller Support · Joined: 14 Aug 2010 Posts: 11

Hi Guys,

I have a question about featured merchant status that you might be able to help me with.

I just started selling on amazon and I'm trying to become featured so that i can actually start competing with the other sellers. I'm in the toys and games category.

They wont tell me what the reqs are and I don't want to be paying $40 a month forever to try to get featured. I'm also having to drastically undercut the competition to get my measly sale or 2 a week right now. So I'm almost selling my stuff at cost to build up feedback and sales. And its still slow going.

I'm wondering if they require a total sales amount or total feedback or total sales dollars to put me in featured? or is it a monthly requirement for the same things. If its a monthly requirement then I'll probably never be able to reach it, because to get sales/feedback you need to be featured. Even selling my stuff at rock bottom prices, I'm only getting 1-3 orders per week with about 40 listings active because no one looks under the featured merchant list.

Any and all help would be much appreciated, thanks

jjj525 · Joined: 08 Apr 2009 Posts: 354

I think in-order to be a featured merchant you should have sales turn over in millions like buy.com or should have physical stores like Electronics expo and also pay Amazon a larger amount in royalty fees.

They won't allow ordinary sellers to be a featured merchant.

But that don't matter.As long as you have lowest price and good feedback buyers will buy from you.

Gypsy · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

I am a Featured Merchant in several categories and I do not turn over millions like buy.com.

To become a Featured Merchant, you need to make sure that your items ship on time, and keep your Performance Metrics in the Green.

Seller Support · Joined: 14 Aug 2010 Posts: 11

Hey Guys,

Time for an update. Its about 5 weeks later and my sales have gone crazy since my last post. I've shipped out around 100 orders in the last 4 week period. To me this seems like a lot for a non featured merchant. I'm still not a featured merchant however, and I'm patiently waiting for the 'welcome to the club" email.

I'd love to start making profit on what I sell lol

If 100 orders in 1 month isn't enough, then I won't ever be able to achieve their invisible goal.

Hopefully they will review my account asap and switch me to a featured merchant. I've certainly put in a lot of effort and received all 100% positive 5/5 feedback.

Gypsy · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

Good for you on all of your sales on Amazon! Congrats. Be prepared for the "Season" as it will be upon us soon.

You won't get a *welcome to the club* email from Amazon when you become Featured Merchant in some categories. You will just see your stuff there one day. Once you are on the top of the heap, sales will come faster, so be prepared. :)

Christmas is nutso around Amazon and it will keep you busy and tied to your computer filling those orders. Not a bad thing.

Just make sure that your orders get out on time and that you are getting tracking numbers.

Good luck! and happy to see that your sales are up. :thumbsup:

Seller Support · Joined: 14 Aug 2010 Posts: 11

Thanks for the kind words.

I really hope that I become featured before Christmas. Can some of you guys let me know if you think that 130 orders in 1 month for a non featured seller in the toys and games category should be enough to get featured status?

At this point I think it may be a time thing. They might only review accounts for featured status every 2, 3, or 4 months possibly.

Any and all thoughts on the topic are much appreciated. Let me know how long it took you guys to get featured merchant status if you don't mind.

Thanks!

Gypsy · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

It took me about 2 months and a little bit to get Featured Merchant in some categories, but it took around 3 months to get the Home and Garden Category and the Toys Category and I have the Buy Box in some now.

Hang in there because one day soon you will look and you will be Featured.

Make sure that your metrics are all in the green and stuff is getting out on time.

I'm not too sure what the secret formula is but I think it has something to do with feedback, metrics and sales volume both in dollars and items sold/shipped.

Who the heck knows.

Schistosomiasis · Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 183

Hello,

I got a few bad feedbacks recently on Amazon, and as a result I got an email from Seller Support informing me that my Featured Merchant status has been suspended for 30 days, and I would not be eligible for the BuyBox during that time. I'm actually relieved it wasn't a more serious consequence like account suspension.

I mention it here because until I received this email, I wasn't aware that I was a Featured Merchant. So, I conclude they don't tell anyone they've made the cut. I'm also not sure what the cut is, exactly.

I'll add something else: if you make your own listings (via the Create a Product Detail page), the last thing you want them to do is review your account. That's when they'll find picky problems with your photos or titles, so you're better off not contacting them unless you really need to.

ArthurIhde · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Posts: 43

Well,good luck to you.You will get it.

Seller Support · Joined: 14 Aug 2010 Posts: 11

I wanted to update that I was made a featured merchant recently! I'm really happy now. Starting to add more products and see what I can do :) So far, its a nice part time job. Thanks for the encouragement!