What does blocked unless FBA means? -is most people's query when they get a "blocked unless FBA" message on their Amazon listings. It is a common problem that most people are experiencing, so chill down; you are not only the one. Recent research shows that Amazon's FBA allows sellers to increase their sales by 30-50%. As Amazon is known as the customers-oriented go-to platform for buyers and online sellers, the company is strict with sellers, so it introduced a policy.
If you want more details about the delivery of the "blocked unless FBA" message, you can resolve your issue by following this post.
A Brief Introduction to "Blocked Unless FBA"
Amazon has implemented a policy called "Blocked Unless FBA," which restricts third-party sellers from selling certain products unless they are enrolled in the Amazon (FBA) program "Fulfillment."
This policy states that if a third-party seller is not using FBA to fulfill their orders, they are not allowed to sell certain products on the Amazon e-commerce platform. The FBA policy is proposed to encourage sellers to use the trusted fulfillment services of Amazon and ensure that users get timely and reliable deliveries.
This policy applies to specific product categories, including media, consumer electronics, and toys. Under this policy, the sellers must enroll in the FBA program to sell products. It has been identified that the sellers can join the FBA program to store their products in fulfillment centers at Amazon. Here, the e-commerce platform will handle the customer service, shipping, and storage of the products. On the contrary, the seller must pay Amazon fees in exchange for these services.
Reasons To Impose A "Blocked Unless FBA" Restriction By Amazon
Amazon designed the blocked unless FBA policy to impose restrictions on sellers due to several reasons are highlighted below.
Improved Customer Service
It is crucial to take care of customers' needs when selling on a digital platform using an eCommerce platform. Customer service is one of the essential aspects of the online shopping experience.
It has been identified that customers look for help and prompt responses to their concerns and questions. Hence, the seller can use the services for blocked unless FBA on amazon takes advantage of customer service infrastructure that may include email support, phone support, and chat support. This infrastructure helps the sellers offer helpful and quick responses to their existing and potential customers, improving customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Reduced Fraud And Abuse
It has been identified that many online marketplaces are currently experiencing challenges with rising fraud and abuse activity. However, these issues can be quickly addressed and reduced with Amazon's FBA service by offering additional layers of protection and security. For instance, Amazon can examine the products for signs of counterfeiting or tampering before shipping them to their customers.
In addition, this e-commerce platform can also monitor the sales metrics and inventory levels of the sellers to detect suspicious activity like stockpiling or price gouging. Here, Amazon can reduce the risk of abuse and fraud by making the sellers use FBA and protect its marketplace and customers.
Ensuring Product Quality
Amazon has set up product quality standards to offer the right product to its customers. If the seller's product is not meeting the product quality standards of Amazon, then you may come under a high-risk seller. It means that you may face the "amazon account blocked," or your account may be restricted or suspended if your products are found to be tampered with, defective, missing vital information (safety warnings), expired, counterfeit, or used products (for consumable items). Moreover, the sellers can be at high risk if they have a high ODR or order defect rate. It has been found that Amazon does not accept greater than 1% of order defect rate.
Ensuring Consistency
Amazon is a trustworthy and reliable online marketplace because of its constant success in selling products. The eCommerce platform must ensure that the selling products on its platform are consistent and high quality across all sellers to maintain its reputation. Amazon can guarantee that its products meet its consistency and quality standards and are stored in its warehouses by making the sellers use FBA. The blocked unless FBA policy is helpful to prevent inferior or counterfeit products from entering the marketplace that could harm customer trust and the reputation of Amazon.
Faster And More Reliable Shipping
Another significant factor influencing customer loyalty and satisfaction is shipping time and reliability. Here, the Amazon seller can take advantage of a massive logistics network by using the fulfillment services of Amazon, which include delivery trucks, warehouses, and planes.
This massive logistics network helps the eCommerce platform to deliver products to customers more reliably and faster than any other online marketplace. Amazon can ensure that their customers receive their products on time and quickly by engaging sellers to use FBA, boosting their overall shopping experience.
Related: How To Start An Amazon FBA Business Even With Little Money
Essential Tips To Avoid Amazon Restriction
As mentioned, Amazon has restricted specific product categories requiring sellers to use the FBA service for order fulfillment. This policy is set to provide excellent customer service and ensure customers receive their orders in good condition and on time. However, many sellers are struggling with the "amazon account blocked." If you are a seller facing this Amazon restriction issue, then the following tips can help you avoid the restrictions.
Switch to FBA
If you want to avoid being blocked unless FBA is on amazon, then the most straightforward way can be to use Amazon's FBA service for order fulfillment. This FBA service helps sellers store their products in fulfillment centers, and Amazon takes responsibility for packing, picking, and shipping orders to the right customers. Here, the seller can ensure that their order is fulfilled reliably and quickly by using FBA, which can help to improve their customer ratings and boost their sales.
Use A Third-Party Fulfillment Service
Some sellers prefer to use something other than the FBA service. If you are one of them, then don't worry; you can use a third-party fulfillment service instead. Amazon operates this third-party fulfillment service independently and can handle order fulfillment for your quality products.
However, it has been identified that using a third-party fulfillment service is costly as compared to using FBA. A third-party fulfillment service may lead to longer delivery times for your customers.
Related: 6 Key Factors for Choosing the Best Amazon FBA Prep Center
Apply For An Exemption
A seller can also apply for an exemption from the "amazon review blocked" sometimes. In this process, the sellers must contact the Seller Support team of Amazon and give a valid reason why they cannot use the FBA services to fulfill the product orders.
For instance, If a seller is located in a country where Amazon's fulfillment center is not there, they may consider the seller's request and allow you to apply for an exemption. However, all sellers are not eligible for this exemption option as it is granted on a case-by-case basis.
Optimize Your Inventory Management
Optimizing your inventory management is another effective way to avoid Amazon's restrictions. It means a seller can ensure they have enough stock to meet the product order quickly, but you should not show that you are holding excess inventory. Moreover, you need to ensure that your inventory is stored in a way that is easy to manage and access, which can help to increase the delivery speed and the order fulfillment process.
Improve Your Metrics
It has been identified that poor performance metrics like low customer ratings or late shipments are one of the reasons for facing the "Blocked Unless FBA" restriction. If you want to avoid this Amazon restriction, you must ensure that your products are meeting the performance standards of Amazon.
It means responding quickly to customer inquiries, timely shipping orders, and offering high-quality services and products. You can show Amazon that you are a trustworthy and reliable seller by improving your metrics. As a result, it can help you to avoid Amazon's restrictions.
Offer Free Shipping
If you want to increase sales on Amazon's e-commerce platform, then one of the proven ways is providing free shipping. It is considered helpful to avoid the "Blocked Unless FBA" restriction by Amazon. You can encourage customers to buy your products by offering them free shipping instead of other sellers subjected to the "Blocked Unless FBA" restriction. However, you should ensure you can cover the shipping cost as it can be more expensive for you.
Diversify Your Sales Channels
Diversifying the sales channels can be one of the effective ways to avoid the "Blocked Unless FBA" restriction and reduce your reliance on Amazon. It means selling your products through your website or other online marketplaces. However, you can reduce your dependence on Amazon and reach new customers by diversifying the sales channels, which helps you to avoid the imposed limitations or restrictions by Amazon.
Why are your Amazon account listings "Blocked Unless FBA"? – is the question many have in mind. This post has answered the question by giving many reasons. It has been identified that Amazon has a reason behind every suspension and restriction.
Thus, if Amazon is not considering your account to fulfill your orders, you should check where you made a mistake with your previous shipping. It has been identified that there are sporadic cases where sellers are not at fault; they are selling in a category that is creating the issue.
Related: Top 7 Amazon FBA Tips for New Amazon Sellers
Look For Help To Fix The Block Unless FBA
Suppose you face the block unless FBA, you may feel very frustrated. You may be looking for a solution - How to fix "blocked unless FBA"? Well, you can solve this issue by doing the following things.
Appeal to Amazon
If you believe that your account is blocked unfairly and you want to fix this issue fast, then you can contact or message Amazon seller support and appeal a request for the decision. The seller support team will inquire you to submit evidence or provide additional details about why you think your Amazon seller account needs to be unblocked.
Make sure you have a valid reason to appeal the decision. After that, you need to wait until Amazon reviews your appeal so that that decision can be taken accordingly. You must note that if amazon is giving a response for approval and your appeal is successful, then you may still be subject to specific monitoring or restriction by Amazon.
Reach Out To The Forums Or Community
If you are facing the "blocked unless FBA," one effective solution is reaching out to the Amazon seller forums for support or help. Many online communities and forums are available where sellers can get advice, tips, and strategies from other sellers to deal with the "amazon account blocked."
Conclusion
The blocked unless FBA policy is developed to enhance the customer experience by incentivizing sellers to use the FBA program of Amazon and ensuring the quick and timely delivery of the product. As a result, it can offer a positive customer experience. Amazon can ensure that products are consistent and high quality across all sellers by making sellers use FBA, improving customer service, offering faster and more reliable shipping, and reducing fraud and abuse.
The seller might find the "Blocked Unless FBA" restriction a frustrating limitation, but following the tips mentioned above can help them eliminate the problems. You can contact the community or forum and appeal to Amazon to fix this issue.
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