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Recession-Proof Your Amazon Business

July 1, 2020 Leave a Comment

Ways your Amazon business can power through the pandemic

By: Sanam Hakam, Guest writer

Forward-thinking entrepreneurs can add real value to people’s lives and will be monumental to the way this economy moves forward, both during and post-coronavirus. 

Since the global outbreak of COVID-19, the economy has taken a significant downturn. Although experts were raising some red flags earlier in 2019, COVID-19 has shocked the system with unforeseen problems. Recessions are a part of the churning economic cycle – a devastating time with years of recovery to follow. 

Even now, business owners are finding themselves bracing for more potential economic ‘unknowns.’ The prudent entrepreneur should make sure that they are prepared and properly positioned for any impact that this pandemic might have on their Amazon business. 

recession-proof your Amazon Business

How can you recession-proof your business?

First of all, let me start off by saying that no product or business is 100% recession-proof since there are so many moving pieces that can impact the health of your business. However, I’ll be sharing time-tested (and Great Recession of 2007-2009-tested) strategies to help you plan for and safeguard your business.

Protect your Supply Chain

It’s no secret that the outbreak has affected global supply chains, especially manufacturing that takes place in China. Communicate with your suppliers! Your suppliers should have an idea of how this might affect you. Talk to them and see how you can work together to mitigate the disruptions. You can also discuss what products are more crucial to your business and should be placed on priority. In this way, if there is a delay, you are at least equipped with your best sellers. In tandem to this, look for alternative suppliers. You should understand that your suppliers may hit more road blocks that are unforeseen right now. 

Diversify Your Selection

Broadening your line-up may be the key to surviving during this global health crisis. If you are still not selling items in some of the recession-proof and COVID-19 trending categories, now is the time to look into it. Also, be sure to review your inventory management. See if there is anything you can do to lower inventory expenses without sacrificing the quality of your products. Ask yourself is there a drop-shipping alternative that will work for you so you can eliminate shipping and warehousing costs?

Communicate with your Customers

Make sure you let your customers know what is happening and what your plans are for the coming days, weeks, or months. Practice transparency by publicly addressing common customer frustrations like delivery delays, stock outs, and share internal sanitation procedures. 

When this is all over, business owners who continued to connect and engage their buyers will come out in a better position than those who decided to stop, drop, and hide when business got tough.

Maximize Digital Channels

Use social media to communicate, educate, and understand your customers’ needs and challenges during these unprecedented times. Ensure that good information about who you are and your brand is still out there and attracting some followers. If your brand is well presented, when “normalcy” returns, you’ll be able to get the ball rolling with your business.

What thrives during recessions?

While a lot of businesses across major industries struggle during times of recession, there are a handful of business that are sustainable during these times. 

Investopedia lists the top 10 companies that did well during the last Great Recession of 2008.

Company Name (Ticker) 1-Year Total Return Industry
Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR) 60.8% Discount Stores
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) 30.8% Biotechnology
H&R Block Inc. (HRB) 25.8% Personal Services
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) 24.3% Drug Manufacturers-General
Old Dominion Freight Lines Inc. (ODFL) 23.2% Trucking
Walmart Inc. (WMT) 20.0% Discount Stores
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) 19.5% Medical Devices
Ross Stores Inc.  (ROST) 17.6% Apparel Retail
Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) 17.0% Airlines
Hasbro Inc. (HAS) 16.8% Leisure

Source: YCharts

Key Takeaways:
  • Even when times get tough, and consumers are earning less, they need basic, staple products like food and household supplies. To save money, people turn to cheaper alternatives – hence, the discount stores do well. And the Walmarts of the world make the cut as an affordable alternative.
  • Recession or not, you need healthcare. Especially amidst COVID-19, this recession is more in need for healthcare and medical supplies than any other economic downturn. Who could’ve guessed that we’d be hit by a global pandemic the same time the economy was projected to spiral downward?! 
  • The trucking or airline success in the 2008 recession is not so relevant now. In these weird times, even travel and freight is taking a hit. 
 Product Tips:
  • List discounted essential items, preferably those with a longer shelf life – such as canned goods, dried fruit, kid-friendly snacks, and pet foods. 
  • Sell health-related goods such as saline solutions, toilet paper, baby wipes, towels, gloves, masks, sanitizers, cleaning supplies, and first aid kids. With the current pandemic, don’t be lured into driving up costs for these in-demand goods – Amazon has slapped many with price gouging suspensions.
  • Offer affordable entertainment and learning opportunities. At-home learning items like jigsaw puzzles and board games have been top sellers on Amazon in the last month. More kids are learning and gaming at home. 
  • DIY, gardening, gaming, home gym equipment, arts & crafts = everything that people can do while they are at home. That being said, when you list products in these categories you’ll be catering to the new “COVID-19 at-home trends” and may be able to power through this pandemic and hard economic time. 
Ways to Power Through This Recession

Although, you may feel the urge to huddle up and ride out this economic storm, it’s prime time to take some action, make some changes to your Amazon product line, and let the sales slowly follow. 

If you need help streamlining your Amazon business and want to intelligently manage your inventory and restock in these times, the SellerMobile team is available to guide you through the process. It’s more important than ever, to manage your cash flow, prevent over-purchasing, and plan around your suppliers’ new lead times!


Special thanks from Riverbend Consulting to SellerMobile Marketing Director Sanam Hakam for being our guest writer. 

About SellerMobile

SellerMobile is an advanced cloud-based software solution, created to help Amazon merchants gain a more competitive edge in the marketplace. They offer a full suite of mobile and web-based tools and analytics. Their tools include: automated pricing; inventory and order management; analytics and reporting; buyer/seller messaging; feedback and reviews and more.

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Filed Under: Account Health, Amazon, Customer Serivce, General, Seller Central, Seller Performance, Supply Chain Tagged With: 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon seller, Analytics, Diversify, Recession proof, Software, Supply Chain, Suspended, Tools

Think like Amazon – prioritize the buyer experience 

June 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

Customer service, insert cards and avoiding suspensions

By: Kayleigh Cockerill

“Amazon aims to provide an excellent buying experience for all of its customers.” If your ASIN has ever been suspended for a single complaint, you know this to be true. Amazon will oftentimes side with an unsatisfied buyer, even if a seller has processed hundreds of sales with a perfect track record. In the world of Amazon, the buyer experience is paramount. This platform gives customers multiple opportunities to express their dissatisfaction through Buyer-seller messaging, returns, product reviews, feedback, and the dreaded chargebacks and A-Z claims. Furthermore, customers are more likely to leave a review for a negative experience than they are for a positive experience, making it much more likely to hear from all your dissatisfied buyers. So how can you, the dedicated seller, prevent a small buyer issue from turning into an ASIN or account suspension?   

Buyer-Seller Messaging Service

MFN Sellers know how critical Buyer-Seller Messaging is in resolving buyer complaints. Before leaving a negative review, buyers often try to resolve their issues with the seller directly. A delayed response or poor resolution will frequently lead to negative feedback, a chargeback, or A-Z claim. Too many of these and your account is at risk for being suspended for a High Order Defect Rate.  

To mitigate this from happening, here are some helpful tips:
  1. Designate an employee with strong customer service skills to handle Buyer-Seller Messaging. If you are a one-man operation, block off time and dedicate it to communicating with your buyers. Prioritize your customer service; don’t let it be an afterthought. Many sellers forget these communications make up their Customer Service Rating.  Amazon surveys buyers who contact sellers via buyer-seller messaging asking, “Did this solve your problem?” Yet, another opportunity to rate their experience.  
  2. Check and respond to buyer messages regularly – ideally once in the morning and once in the evening. Buyers value a quick response, a fast resolution, an apology (if necessary and even if only for their inconvenience), and a follow-up message to ensure the issue is resolved. 
  3. Create template responses that require minor personalization, like the customer’s name. This will cut down on your response time and allow you to give each buyer a helpful, friendly, grammatically correct, and complete message every time.  
  4. Always give the buyer the benefit of the doubt and ask the buyer what resolution would be satisfactory. You have every right to ask for photos if the buyer is willing to keep a defective item at a discount. But decide ahead of time if the extra steps add value to your resolution or if the buyer is even willing to take a partial refund.  
  5. Follow through on your agreed-upon resolution quickly. If you wait to process a refund you’ve promised through Buyer-Seller Messaging and it is not issued quickly, impatient buyers will file a chargeback or A-Z claim.  

Never ask a buyer to remove negative feedback or incentivize them to leave positive feedback. This is a violation of Amazon’s Code of Conduct and can lead to account suspension. Therefore, never direct buyers to a site outside of Amazon. For obvious reasons, Amazon wants to keep all traffic within its platform. Don’t forget, Amazon has visibility to all buyer-seller communications so follow all rules and policies without fail.  

Insert Cards for MFN orders

Insert Cards prompt buyers to contact a seller directly in case there are problems with their order. Language like Happy with your product? Things not going as planned? Problems with your order? followed by your store’s email address and phone number encourage buyers to contact you if they have issues with their order. Instead of contacting Amazon, you become the first solution they are presented with. If you sell in a category where buyers often order the wrong item for their needs, like automotive parts, this tool can make the difference between an ASIN suspension for condition and a replacement product or discount.   

As with buyer-seller messaging, the insert card cannot direct the customer to a site outside of Amazon, incentivize the buyer to leave a review or ask for only positive reviews.

In conclusion, prioritizing the buyer experience will decrease your incidents of negative feedback, poor product reviews, chargebacks, and A-Z claims. Not sure how you’re performing in these areas or need advice on specific problems your store faces? The Riverbend team regularly assesses and consults with sellers on these very issues and more. Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.


KayleighConsultant Kayleigh Cockerill, relentlessly fights for clients with suspended Amazon accounts. With a degree is in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Kayleigh is inquisitive, process-oriented and pays close attention to detail. When she isn’t being a superhero to Amazon sellers, she enjoys crafting, reading, baking, taking voice lessons or participating in races and obstacle courses.

Filed Under: Account Appeal, Account Health, Amazon, Captive Team, Customer Serivce, General, Seller Central, Seller Performance Tagged With: 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon seller, Captive team, Liquidation, Suspended, Suspension

What does the explosion in Amazon related account suspensions mean for you?

June 17, 2020 4 Comments

Some related account suspensions are Amazon errors, some are ancient history

By: Lesley Hensell
A flood of related account Amazon suspensions has sellers wondering what is going on. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a simple one. Earlier this year, Amazon changed its policy about multiple accounts. Before, if a seller wanted more than one Amazon account, they had to request approval and follow a set of simple rules. The most important of these rules was that the accounts could not sell the same inventory.
With the policy change earlier this year, Amazon said no advance permission was now necessary. However, sellers with more than one account must have a valid business reason for doing so. Plus, Amazon explicitly stated that if one account is suspended for whatever reason, Amazon reserves the right to suspend all of the accounts that seller owns.
linked amazon accounts
Since that time, we have seen a rash of accounts going down for “related” or “linked” accounts. In some cases, these are real linkages. For example, we have sellers who owned a different account a long time ago and it was suspended, or they worked for another Amazon business and that created a linkage.
In other cases, our clients are being caught up in false positives. For whatever reason, Amazon thinks there is a link – but there honestly is not. Finally, in some cases, Amazon makes a tremendous mistake. They suspend a seller for having an account in another marketplace – be it Canada, Japan or elsewhere. These are flat-out technology errors on Amazon’s part. Appeals for related account typically require an escalation for reinstatement. Unfortunately, front-line Seller Performance does not feel empowered to turn these accounts back on.
Your best strategy?
  1. Make sure there are no linkages between your Amazon account and another selling account, such as account owners, tax ID numbers, bank accounts, credit cards, IP addresses, warehouse addresses, etc.
  2. If you have more than one account, ensure you have a valid business reason for doing so. This might be using one account for private-label products and another for goods purchased via wholesale. Or, some sellers are developing multiple brands on separate accounts.
  3. If you have more than one account, never sell the same inventory. Stay away from offering the same items, brands or – if possible – categories.
  4. If your account is suspended for related accounts, be ready to provide a reasonable explanation – even if you’re guessing.
  5. Be ready to offer detailed verification information about your account.
If you’re stuck or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Riverbend Consulting. We are happy to discuss your case. Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.

Lesley HensellLesley is co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the firm’s client services team. She leverages two decades as a small business consultant to advise clients on profitability and operational performance. Lesley has been an Amazon seller for almost a decade.

Filed Under: Account Health, Amazon, Linked Account, Related Account, Suspended Tagged With: 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, Amazon Seller Performance, Linked accounts, Marketplace, Related accounts, Suspension

Amazon’s dirtiest FBA secret: Used, nasty and broken returns

June 11, 2020 Leave a Comment

Third-party Amazon sellers should monitor returns carefully or risk buyer complaints

By: Lesley Hensell

Curling irons with someone else’s hair in them. Mouthwash with broken seals. Coffee makers with smelly old moldy coffee inside.

These are only a few of the disgusting surprises that FBA sellers have experienced. Why? Because Amazon’s FBA returns handling processes are – to put it kindly – lacking.

Amazon FBA returns
What happens when customers return items to FBA?

One reason buyers love Amazon is the friendly returns policy for FBA purchases. Amazon makes it easy for customers, who can take a look at their mail-order item and decide to send it on back.

Unfortunately, buyers don’t always return items in new condition. This might mean torn packaging, broken seals, or even used items. 

When an order is sent back to the FBA warehouse, Amazon personnel are supposed to inspect it carefully. They are charged with determining if the item is still in “new” condition. If so, it is placed into the seller’s fulfillable inventory. If not, it is placed in unfulfillable. A third possible scenario involves Amazon repackaging the item. This happens when the product is in new condition, but the packaging is not. Amazon reserves the right to repackage it and place it back into fulfillable inventory. (The setting that once allowed sellers to turn off repackaging has been taken away. Sorry, folks, you’re stuck with it.)

Amazon’s warehouse employees are graded on the number of transactions they conduct per hour. Human nature dictates that this leads to inaccuracy as employees try to meet or beat the required work level. Of course, quality naturally suffers, and items that should never be placed into fulfillable inventory are re-sold.

Another problem occurs when Amazon puts returns in fulfillable from categories that are supposed to be disposed of or not required to be mailed back to the warehouse. Supplements are a good example. These items should never be put back into fulfillable, but often are anyway.

What can 3P sellers do to protect themselves?

The most worrisome scenarios with bad returns involve products that a 3P seller stocks over the long term. Therefore, the higher volume you sell over time, the more potentially bad returns are sent back to the Amazon warehouse.

There are a few strategies that 3P sellers can employ to combat the problem:
  1. For private-label products, add a printed seal. Include language such as “if seal is broken, item is not new.” This seal is not for buyers. It’s for personnel on Amazon’s FBA returns processing teams. This way, they will be more likely to place an opened item into unfulfillable inventory.
  2. Sell down or sell through. For products you replenish, allow your stock to sell through. Alternatively, sell it down and then place a removal order for the remaining units. In the meantime, restock with a different SKU. This way, bad stock being resold multiple times will be removed from the FBA warehouse.

In conclusion, if you need help with your FBA strategies, don’t hesitate to contact Riverbend Consulting.  Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.


Lesley HensellLesley is co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the firm’s client services team. She leverages two decades as a small business consultant to advise clients on profitability and operational performance. Lesley has been an Amazon seller for almost a decade.

Filed Under: 3P, Amazon, ASIN, Customer Serivce, Quality Control, Returned Tagged With: 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, Broken seals, Buyers, Complaints, Condition, Expired, Returns, Returns processing, Suspension, Used sold as new, Warehouse deal

What is the Amazon Captive Team?

May 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

When Seller Central isn’t helping, there is another option.

By: Caitlyn Way

Working through issues in Amazon Seller Central can be exhausting.

It is not uncommon to run into issues in Seller Central. From inventory issues, technical errors, or listing problems that only Amazon Employees can fix. You can  find yourself in an endless loop of phone calls, emails  and unanswered questions. The Amazon Captive Team is exactly what you need to get over this hurdle.

The Amazon Captive Team?

Amazon Seller Support Captive Team is a team of internal Amazon employees that have access to tools and knowledge that not all front line or partner associates have. There is a common misconception that all Captive associates are North American based. This is not true as a large majority of Captive Amazon Seller Support Agents are internationally based in India, Costa Rica, North America and the UK.

Escalating Cases

If you continue to have issues, even after working with a member of the Captive team, never be shy to “escalate” an issue.

Escalating the issue can do two things:

  1. amazon captive team It will bring it to the attention of the direct manager (or advisor, they will refer to themselves as a member of the ‘Amazon Leadership Team’) who will hopefully be more knowledgeable and retain the case until it is resolved.
  2. It can eventually be transferred, if necessary, to the Amazon Escalations Team. This escalations team is a highly trained, typically North American Captive Team, who will resolve the issue at hand or bring it to the attention of the appropriate internal team. Escalation associates are specifically trained to handle aged and more complicated issues that have fallen through the cracks of the front-line agents
How do I contact the Captive Team?

You can open an email case with Amazon Seller Support here.

However, please note that this is one of the slowest ways to receive support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once your case is created, request that it be transferred to the Captive team. This may take a few attempts. Another, faster option is to request phone support.

What is the Seller Support phone number?

Unfortunately, there is no direct phone number for Seller Support. The best way to contact Seller Support by phone is through your seller account and requesting a contact.

To do this, follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Open the Contact us page of Seller Central at this link.

Step 2: At this page, it is important to first choose what your problem is associated to. You will normally see two options:

Selling on Amazon – Select this option if you have queries related to selling or listing on Amazon.com.

Advertising & Stores – Select this option if you have questions related to sponsored brands, stores or sponsored products.

Step 3: The next page will be a list of common issues and questions. Choose your concern from this list, or select ‘Other Issue.’

Step 4: This is where you can create either an email, phone, or chat-based case. For these purposes, select ‘Phone.’

Step 5: Enter your phone number, select whether this issue is urgent, and then include a short description of your issue. Whenever you contact seller support, it is important to address each concern separately and clearly. This will ensure the fastest resolution and the least amount of pushback and confusion.

Step 6: Select the ‘Call Me Now’ button. You will be in the queue for a phone call right away. Be prepared to be on the phone. Have your Seller Central account open, your account details and billing information handy as the associate on the other end of the phone may ask you for it.

Step 7: Request to be transferred to the Captive Team.

Have questions about your Amazon seller account, the Riverbend Consulting team is ready to help you.  Let’s talk 877-289-1017 or visit our website.


Caitlyn Way provides support to our clients and our operations team. She creates meaningful monthly reports that help us identify trends in client accounts. In addition, she helps manage workflow and ensure everything runs smoothly. Cait spent two years in Amazon Seller Support, where she specialized in feeds, variations, escalations, product compliance and gating. In her off time enjoys baking and exploring with her two daughters.

Filed Under: Account Appeal, Account Health, Amazon, Captive Team, Customer Serivce, General, Seller Central, Seller Performance Tagged With: 3P seller, Amazon, Amazon seller, Captive team, Liquidation, Suspended, Suspension

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