What Is FBA Prep?
FBA sellers aren't supposed to pack everything into a box and then give it to couriers. Your stock must follow a series of rules in order to be accepted by the Fulfillment Center. Some of these regulations apply to all inventory while others are specific to categories. FBA prep is the process of preparing your inventory to be shipped into Amazon. The purpose of FBA prep is the packaging and labeling of the merchandise. However certain sellers (especially importers) will also conduct inspections of their inventory. It is vital to properly prepare your FBA. If you get it wrong, Amazon won't accept your inventory and you'll need to pay to have it all returned. Even more, if you submit damaged items to Amazon and it is wrongly delivered to a customer the customer is likely to complain and return the item. If the complaints begin to stack up, it's going to affect your performance and result in your listings being removed or even your account being suspended.
Why Outsource FBA Prep?
FBA preparation comes with three options: do it yourself, pay Amazon for it, or hire a professional. FBA prep can be complicated, complex and difficult to do correctly. In essence, you are outsourcing the process. FBA preparation services must know the procedure. They'll make sure that any stock that is sent to FBA is compliant with Amazon's guidelines. This will lower the possibility of your product being rejected. This is especially important when it's your first time submitting inventory into FBA because you don't fully comprehend how challenging a process is until you've actually done the task and learn from your mistakes. Amazon's many rules make it difficult to organize inventory for FBA. While you'll be checking out stock, designing boxes, or printing labels, your time could be better spent on sourcing items.
Price
When it comes to choosing FBA preparation services, the main concern for most sellers is the price. Although price shouldn't be the main consideration, it is natural to want the best deal. You don't have the right to pay for high-priced services if they begin high. The first thing to know is whether you are charged per item or monthly by the service that prepares your items. A monthly fee is more likely to appeal to sellers with massive quantities of inventory, while the per item charge is more appealing to smaller-volume sellers who will be sending stock in more irregularly. It is important to understand the packaging costs associated with your order. Some prep services might charge an additional fee for poly bags and bubble wrap. It is also helpful to learn about storage fees and the minimum number of units you need to deliver to the prep center at one time. It is essential to take into consideration other factors when choosing FBA prep services. Although you shouldn't spend too much on the service, it's crucial that the costs of your preparation are easily manageable. Don't forget that just because the costs are high at first does not mean that they must remain high. As you gain experience in the preparation process you can expect your expenses to be cut. You could divide some tasks among your manufacturer and the prep services you provide. Have a look at the best Door to Door Delivery website for updates.
Location
If you're thinking about the location of your preparation facility, you have to think strategically. If your business is mostly private label, then you're likely to ship large quantities of stock to China. It's a smart strategy to find out the ports where your goods arrive at and select a prep center close to. Danny McMillan says that it is possible to set up prep centers that are near to your shipping ports. This will not only help save the time and expense of trucking, but can also help your business to run more efficiently. When something isn't working, your prep center might be able send someone out to the port to fix the issue. This would not be possible when there was more than 300 miles between your prep facility and the port. Retail arbitrage sellers should think about having a prep center close to their home in order to access stock quickly and easily. Take into consideration your options when selecting the best location to prepare. Amazon Fulfillment Centers can differ from one to the next. You can even make this happen if you sign up for Amazon's Inventory Placement Service. Amazon allows you to ship the entire stock of one product to the Fulfillment Center. But Amazon can change the destination of the shipping from shipment to shipment.