In an attempt to improve the buying experience by making prices more competitive, Amazon have added a RRP for popular toys. Pricing above the RRP could mean you’re not eligible for the Buy Box.
In an email to toy sellers, Amazon has said it “reserves the buybox award for eligible ASINs that are listed at competitive prices”, adding that the Buy Box will not “be awarded to offers with a price above the recommended retail price”.
We can imagine this news won’t have gone done well with some sellers.
At this time of year, the prices of the must-have toys can soar on Amazon and eBay, as demand outstrips supply. This latest initiative from Amazon is aimed at keeping prices competitive and creating a better buying experience for its customers.
The news comes shortly after Amazon announced two new seller metrics, a return dissatisfaction rate and a customer dissatisfaction rate, also aimed at improving the buying experience for Amazon customers.
In the email there is no mention of used or collectible items, so one assumes this only affects sellers of new toys.
Here’s the email the seller received from Amazon.
Dear Amazon Seller,
You are receiving this email because you are listing one or more ASINs in the Toys category. We have noticed in the past that certain popular Toy ASINs have been sold above the recommended retail price during the holiday season, creating a poor shopping experience for customers.
At Amazon, we give the utmost importance to ensuring a great shopping experience for customers. Hence, we reserve the buybox award for eligible ASINs that are listed at competitive prices and the buybox will not be awarded to offers with a price above the recommended retail price.
You can review your prices for your listings using the new “Pricing dashboard” on Seller Central. Please help us to offer the best shopping experience to customers by ensuring that your listings are competitively priced.
Best regards,
Amazon Services Europe
Hat tip to our friends at Tamebay for bringing this to our attention.
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