What Is FBA Prep?
When sellers send their stock to FBA the process isn't only a matter of throwing everything into a box and handing it over to a courier. Fulfillment Center can only accept inventory that is in line with certain requirements. These rules are applicable to all inventory, whereas others are specific to a specific category. FBA preparation involves making sure your inventory is ready to ship into Amazon. While it mainly involves the packaging and labeling of goods certain sellers, specifically those who import products, include inspections of their inventory. Making sure you get your FBA prep right is hugely essential. If you do it incorrectly, Amazon won't accept your stock and you'll have pay for it to be all returned. If you send damaged inventory to Amazon and the wrong item is shipped to a customer , they will likely complain about it and request that it be returned. If you've received several complaints, it could affect your metrics, which could lead to the removal of your listing, or even your account being shut down.
Why Outsource FBA Prep?
FBA preparation is a choice between outsourcing it to third parties either by yourself or paying Amazon. FBA preparation is complicated, complicated and easy to miss. In essence, outsourcing means that you hand it over to the experts. FBA prep should be familiarized with the procedure to ensure that the inventory you submit to FBA conforms to Amazon's standards. This decreases the chances of the stock being rejected. This is particularly important if you are making the first attempt to send your inventory to FBA. You don't know how complicated a process can be until you have done the task yourself and have learned from the mistakes you made. Amazon has a number of rules that could create a lengthy process of preparing inventory to send it into FBA. You'll end up looking through stock, making up boxes, and printing labels which is when you could be better spent sourcing new products.
Price
The majority of sellers are concerned about price when choosing an FBA prep company. Although it shouldn't be the sole factor you consider, it is natural that you want to negotiate the lowest price. It doesn't matter if your first costs are expensive. It's important to know what the cost of the prep service is per item or on a monthly basis. For sellers who have large quantities of inventory, a monthly charge will likely be more appropriate. However, a per item cost is better for sellers who only send in stocks occasionally. Understanding what's included in the process of packaging is essential as many prep services charge extra for bubble wrap and poly bags. It's also useful to know what the storage costs are, and the number of units you will need to deliver to the center for prep at any given moment. When selecting an FBA preparation service, cost is not necessarily the primary consideration. A budget-friendly service shouldn't be cut corners, but you also want the prep expenses to be affordable. Remember that just because you have high costs at the beginning doesn't necessarily mean that they'll remain high. It is possible to reduce expenses by becoming more acquainted in the process of preparation like dividing the tasks between your supplier or prep service. Check out the top rated Door to Door Delivery site for more.
Location
Strategic thinking is key when deciding where to locate your prep center. If the bulk of your business is private label, then you're likely to be shipping large quantities of merchandise from China. Knowing which ports your shipments arrive in and locating an appropriate prep center nearby is a smart move. Danny McMillan knows that prep centers can be a great help for both time and cost savings, and also for the smooth running of your company. If something goes wrong the prep center could dispatch someone to the port to help. If the distance between your prep center and the port was more than 300 miles, this would not be feasible. For sellers selling retail arbitrage Preparing a facility close to their home is crucial so they can take inventory in their own vehicles and avoid costly transportation. Be aware of your options when choosing a prep location. Amazon Fulfillment Centers can vary from one to the next. This is even if you have signed up for Amazon's Inventory Placement Service. You can only send one product stock to Amazon's Fulfillment Center. However, Amazon can alter the shipping address from the shipment to the shipping.