Feb 23, 2021

Amazon Frum Sellers Being Hurt by Amazon

Selling merchandise on Amazon, Ebay and other similar website portals has become a very popular business over the past decade. Like any other group, a lot of frum businessmen and businesswomen are involved in such online businesses and selling through Amazon.

TOI is reporting on a new policy implemented by Amazon that could cause a major problem for frum sellers on Amazon.

Amazon's new policy is that all sellers delivering from non-Amazon warehouses through Amazon Prime will have to fulfill orders six days a week. Sellers can choose Sunday instead of Saturday, btu that creates a shipping problem as Fedex and UPS only offer limited shipping options on Sundays. So with no options for shipping on Saturday, because of Shabbos, and a very difficult shipping situation on Sunday, it is going to be nearly impossible for frum sellers not using the Amazon warehouse to continue to sell on Amazon. or they might have to fill the orders from the Amazon warehouse, which entirely changes the terms of the business arrangement.

No solution has yet been found. According to TOI, StandWithUs proposed a solution that would allow sellers to turn off Prime for Shabbos sales, but Amazon has not yet responded to the proposal.

Unless a solution is found, this is going to hurt a lot of people, including many in the frum community.


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3 comments:

  1. ehwhyFebruary 23, 2021 4:13 PM

    I don't understand why vendors can't simply mark their inventory as out of stock on Friday and make them as back in stock after Shabbat.

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    Replies
    1. Rafi G.February 23, 2021 4:31 PM

      interesting solution. it would mean losing business on Saturdays, as most customers would probably just look to buy form another vendor that has it in stock, but that would still be better than being delisted by Amazon.

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    2. MiMedinat HaYamFebruary 23, 2021 7:44 PM

      Amazon doesn't allow such tricks. Once or twice, then they shut you down.
      They're very heavy-handed with their procedures, don't really allow exception.
      You can't really call them either, it's all internal email where a computer answers via a script, like telemarketers.
      I'm told a lawyer letter, nicely crafted, at least gets it out of automated system.
      There are services that claim to work, don't know how they operate.
      Nevertheless, if procedures require six days service, or deliver an order by s certain time, little can help.
      Don't forget, Prime requires receipt by a certain time.

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