Amazon Sellers Call on Congress to Delay Enforcement of New Law

by: mjr55

This isn't a Congress issue, this is an AMAZON issue. This bill was signed in December 2022. However, Amazon has just now began to verify this stuff in the last few weeks. As usual, the implementation by Amazon has been crappy and horrible....just like their implementation of just about anything else they do on the seller side. Ebay, Etsy, etc. all had their ducks in a row a long time ago with this.....Amazon wants you to jump through 100 hoops and then even after you have verified the information, it seems 95% of those sellers were asked to re-verify again.

Oh, and course, all the time without ANY UPDATES from Amazon on what the issues are. Typical absolute crappy customer service again by Amazon.....big shocker, eh?

by: Snapped

Nobody seems too concerned about the fact that so many ‘long time’ or  ‘large volume’ sellers were not ‘adequately documented’ at the time they signed up.  Why was it necessary to 1) RE-validate all those already documented, and/or 2) wait to be compelled by a literal act of Congress to do it at all?  

And though one can argue degrees of relative bumble-footedness between platforms, NObody had their ducks quacking straight for this particular government edicted culling of PII.  

Incidentally, there’s nothing in the law that compels them from ‘holding’ otherwise lawfully earned funds processed for payout while they get their own ducks corralled.  Imagine that.

by: LDWCallsOut

Now I understand why Etsy is removing ''best selling'' items from various shops on that site as ''drug paraphernalia'' or counterfeit -- when they are nothing of the kind.  How is this kind of shot-in-the-dark enforcement having your ducks in a row?

The actual counterfeit resellers on Etsy aren't high volume sellers, so they can falsify their locations, identities, etc.  Instead of moving lots of product through a single shop, counterfeiters open dozens of Etsy shops at one time and add listings to a few new shops each week.

by: shut1968

The Amazon problems are ridiculous, the information they are asking for in most cases is info they've had for years, and for many it was already accurately displayed on the sellers page.. what pis*es me off is their enforcement for those of us who run our business from home to have to display our physical home address to the world to have, and while some may not understand if your female and you've ever been the victim of an online stalker (I have twice, both times from sales on ebay because I used to put my home address as the return shipping address) then they should understand why we should be allowed to use a non-personal home address as our business address.
It is unfortunate this world is filled with nut jobs but I will tell you now, the first time someone comes knocking at my door over an order placed and shipped for whatever reason not only will I unload on them without a second thought but I will also be suing Amazon for the threat to my security.
 

by: Chicago48

to verify information related to high-volume sellers:
^^ The key words are High-Volume sellers.  Does that include the Chinese sellers?

by: Jester

I was never a huge seller on Amazon but for 7 years I did around 70k in sales a year mostly books. I quit selling on Amazon about 6 years ago because of the fees and glitches with listing items. As the fees went up and the problems with the upkeep of my inventory increased it made it not worth my time as I was still working full-time at another job.

I am so glad I ditched them. It was not worth the hassle and time investment for the diminished returns. Now that I am retired I have another site that provides some extra income and keep me active and busy. I find it fun and addictive to sell online. Heck, my dad who encouraged me to sell on Amazon and eBay years ago still sells items online and he is 85. Back in the day, he sold over 100k a year on eBay alone.

by: Jono77

I can't see Amazon suspending 93% of its sellers. I may be wrong.

by: Chicago48

@Jono -- I agree.  Sellers are panicking on the forums, and I don't see AMZ suspending or deleting 93% of their accounts.  Well, maybe because that may be the Chinese sellers .... you think?

by: cvsharkey

About those "Chinese sellers," it could be that they will figure out one set of documentation & use it for multiple companies selling on Amazon. Is Amazon prepared to catch something of this nature or do they even care? Likely not.

by: NYSteve

@mjr55- right, exactly...i guess some buyers  really have a parent/boss in Amazon, that can do no wrong.....
i finally received my address verification code, then it took me 30 minutes to find out where to enter it, of course in that time, they asked me to reformat my phone number (with a +1 in front), so now the verification code needs to be resent!
(note this is all information they have had the past 20 years!)

by: NYSteve

in regards to all the posts about Chinese sellers, i can only say:
Ida No

by: stevel

This has been another Amazon activity causing anxiety for sellers that have always been in compliance. I called seller support and walked through each of the five requirements. Three of five have been verified. Seller Support had me re-enter the banking information, and said it would take up to 10 days to verify, that puts me past the deadline. Ironically, the bank account number has been verified every week for 15 years when they send me my payout!