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Amazon policy implies that product listings are usually available to all sellers who have identical products for sale. This leads to the appearance of so-called “gray’” (unfaithful) dealers, who list against the brand’s product pages for profit either with counterfeit products or with original goods for lower prices (also known as MAP violators).
Unfaithful dealers can create a number of problems:
To solve the problem of unfaithful sellers, it is necessary to differentiate among the three different types of violators and develop a set of appropriate measures against each type.
1) Counterfeit sellers – those, who sell counterfeit products from the brand’s product page.
It’s quite easy to find support from Amazon in your fight against counterfeit sellers, because according to the Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting policy:
…products offered for sale on Amazon must be authentic. The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited. Failure to abide by this policy may result in loss of selling privileges, funds being withheld, and destruction of inventory in our possession.
So, to stop a counterfeit seller, it’s enough to make a test buy and to submit a complaint to Amazon that the product is “Not as Described.” Amazon will promptly investigate and take all appropriate actions to protect customers, sellers, and rights holders against counterfeit sellers.
However, unless someone is selling counterfeit products, you won’t find much support from Amazon in removing unfaithful sellers from your listings. This is why the following two types of gray dealers are much more difficult to combat if you’re a legitimate seller.
2) Unauthorized sellers – those who sell original products without the manufacturer’s permission.
Unauthorized sellers are not part of the manufacturer’s retail network (distributors and resellers) – most often they obtained the goods dishonestly and sometimes even with a zero-dollar investment. Now they are trying to sell them online for a profit.
The problem is that Amazon doesn’t view unauthorized sellers as violators (because they sell genuine products), and they do not want to get into the authorized dealer management business.
Still there are a wide range of measures that can be taken against an unauthorized seller:
However, unless you can prove to Amazon that the unauthorized seller is violating any of Amazon’s rules and policies, it is unlikely to help you.
3) MAP violators – those authorized or unauthorized sellers who sell the manufacturer’s products below MAP (Minimum Advertised Price).
MAP policy is an important part of many brands’ strategy as it helps to keep resellers in line with price requirements. MAP violations act as a domino effect: one violation leads to other competitors dropping their prices so as to win sales.
There are several ways to combat map violators:
It’s always easier to prevent all the three types of unfaithful sellers from appearance on Amazon, than to fight the consequences of their destructive activity.
Below is the list of preventative measures, which should be taken by every manufacturer and brand holder to protect their products on the vast Amazon marketplace:
If despite all the measures taken, you’re still facing the problem of unauthorized dealers on the Amazon, you may try the following:
According to Amazon itself a new product is …
A brand-new, unused, unopened item in its original packaging, with all original packaging materials included. Original protective wrapping, if any, is intact. Original manufacturer’s warranty, if any, still applies, with warranty details included in the listing comments.
Assigning the correct condition to each product is a must on Amazon. You can’t sell a product without a manufacturer’s warranty as a new one – it’s a direct violation of Amazon Policy.
Usually, after you have gone through the previous steps, no unauthorized dealers on your Amazon listings should remain. However, if the problem is not solved, you can consult a specialized online enforcement and policing company, which provides legal solutions to the problems caused by counterfeit and unauthorized sellers.
Being your trusted partner in retail, WebyCorp will be glad to assist you in your struggle against unauthorized sellers. Contact us for help.
We also provide a full range of Amazon Solutions your brand may be interested in.