Not so long ago, only large corporations could afford to compete in the international marketplace. Now with the advent of Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), even a small, fledgling company has a shot at successfully negotiating international sales.
But Amazon has strict quality standards in place for sellers wanting to use their FBA services. In order to meet these standards, sellers can take advantage of professional Amazon FBA inspection services. These inspection services allow the small business owner to ensure the quality of their products even if they are being shipped directly from the manufacturer to the Amazon warehouse, the most cost-efficient way to do it.
What Is Amazon FBA?
FBA is a service offered by Amazon to its third-party sellers. The sellers ship their goods to Amazon warehouses and Amazon handles the storage, order fulfillment, packaging, and shipping. This makes the entire process a lot easier for you, the seller, who now only has to worry about selling and maintaining inventory levels.
Of course, you will pay for this service, and the products you offer must maintain certain levels of quality ratings. Too many complaints about the quality or safety of your products and your business will be banned from selling on Amazon. You may also be banned if there are complaints that the merchandise your customers receive is not the same as the item that was advertised.
What Is an FBA Inspection?
An FBA Inspection is an inspection following Amazon FBA standard. In an FBA inspection, goods are checked to make sure they meet certain safety and quality levels before they are forwarded to the Amazon warehouse. If the numbers of products you are selling are small or manufactured locally then it is something you can do yourself. However, if you are importing products from a foreign country and/or have a large volume of products to be inspected, then an FBA inspection service may be your best bet.
Benefits of an FBA Inspection
While sellers are not required by Amazon to have their items inspected before they enter their warehouse, you may find that it is well worth the added expense - and may actually save you money and customers in the long run. Here are 5 benefits of performing an Amazon FBA inspection:
- Ensure Amazon FBA Requirements are Met - Amazon FBA has specific standards in place that sellers need to follow when preparing and sending their inventory to a fulfillment center. An Amazon FBA inspection ensures that your products are meeting the requirements so you can continue doing business.
- Fewer Defective Products — Following the seller's specifications, items are inspected for quality. This prevents you from receiving a shipment of products you cannot sell and allows for quality issues to be fixed before you pay. It also protects your brand from negative reviews.
- Proper Packaging — many of these services also inspect the packaging of your products before they are shipped to ensure that it is done in a manner that will protect the product until it arrives at the Amazon warehouse. This protects you from the cost and delays associated with having to ship items back to the manufacturer or time wasted trying to get a refund.
- Labeling Check — most inspection services also check to make sure that all labels are correct, legible and up to Amazon FBA standards..
Protect Your Business with Amazon FBA Inspection
Many Amazon FBA sellers use a business model that requires them to entrust their entire supply chain to another company. For this reason, the importance of an Amazon FBA inspection cannot be overstated.
Failing FBA can cost you money and affect your shipping to your customers. In a worst case scenario, continued complaints or mislabeled products can get you suspended or even banned from selling on the Amazon marketplace.
For more information - or to book your Amazon FBA inspection now - contact us today or sign up for AQF Online.
