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Amazon is not worth it, I've failed and therefore, it works for NOBODY. Yes, NOBODY!

Quentin Pauls

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It all started with an EAN.

I have a small product and don't need 10 EANs. But the only company that offers EANs, GS1, offers ten. And instead of a 1 year plan, ie you pay today and it's valid till one year later, it is valid for everyone from and to a specific date the company sets.

Therefore I paid 55€ in short succession just to have a stupid number just because the oh so great cash machine amazon wants it.

So I paid this amount twice in short succession.

To then have 2 products listed.

That don't sell.

Because now extra amazon advertising is necessary and to be paid. Is it?

But hey, the HUGE return of investment is on the horizon, right? I will make Millions, right? Amazon is THE CASH MACHINE, right?

I pay for ads and again, nothing.

Some idiots even write books about HOW TO ADVERTISE ON AMAZON.

A whole F*cking industry around the oh so great conversion machine.

Still no sales. Oh, now it's my fault. My product wasn't good enough. Let's just shower you with "product research" that is so vague that nobody can find a "good" product with it.

And should you, against all odds, find a product that sells well - or create it yourself - Amazon just copies it and undercuts you.

And before that, if the product sells, Amazon takes a huge cut from it. So you have to set the price high. For amazon to undercut you easier.

Because they can.

And everyone and their mother promote this shit. Why do I not find ANY bad experiences people share about amazon online? Did they buy search results?

Probably they share their cut with that shitty number giving leech called GS-1 and that useless mental masturbation jungle scout.

You know what, F*ck Amazon. F*ck GS-1. And F*ck junglescout.

I am going to remove my products from Amazon, end my GS-1-contract at the next possible time. Fortunately, I haven't paid for junglescout.

I am going to sell on good old ebay.

They don't have any of that and I actually made money in the past.

I hope this Bezos a**hole gets sued and loses so severly that he loses everything and amazon crashes for good.
 
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GrandRub

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your product failed - so lets try another one. its not amazons fault. sure there are a lot of people claiming how easy it is to make miiiillions of lambodollars with amazon fba the easy way. but it isnt easy. its hard work, its trial and error. you tested one product - it would be a miracle if your first product would be a success.

learn from your mistakes
do your research
try again
try to fail fast
then try again
 

Longinus

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Lol, your whole post basically screams money chasing and then it's Bezos's fault you F*ck up.

News flash: selling just any product on Amazon is not a guarantee to make bank.

Good luck on the good ole eBay.
 

Choate

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Did it really make CENTS (control, entry, need, time, scale)? Have you read the books? I'd start there first.

On another note, I don't see anything here about trying to fulfill a need. Only the problems you ran into while chasing money. You listed two products on Amazon and made some ads for them. If that's the threshold you want to compete at, these are the results you'll get. What are your competitors doing better than you? Do they have better images? Better descriptions? More money to spend? Driving traffic to their website first, which then increases organic hits on their product listing? Start with the need first, but these are some things to think about...
 
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MoneyDoc

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Lmao.

Another one.

These anti-amazon threads are hilarious. But this one gets the award for the most useless thread ever.

Btw, OP. I just got a message from amazon regarding you not using amazon anymore and they said "WE DON'T GIVE A FCK".

Oh and Jeff Bezos just made another $1million this past hour, so he couldn't give a fck either that you called him an a**hole because your shit a$$ spatula didn't sell.
 

RazorCut

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I think it’s a good post regarding the power of a monopoly and the hoops you have to jump through to stand a chance of even making a sale, let alone a profit.

It might be a pity party rant but it also might help other newbies wise up to the false hopes of easy Amazon millions that are still being spouted by all and sundry.
 
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francevalue

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Yep, definitely Jeff Bezos's fault.
Now make sure to vote for Bernie Sanders so he can fix everything. /s

Remind me of people who want to tax 100% on profits... :rofl:

It's not Amazon's fault if you didn't sell!
 
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Nick M.

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This could be an interesting thread:

 
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Kak

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It all started with an EAN.

I have a small product and don't need 10 EANs. But the only company that offers EANs, GS1, offers ten. And instead of a 1 year plan, ie you pay today and it's valid till one year later, it is valid for everyone from and to a specific date the company sets.

Therefore I paid 55€ in short succession just to have a stupid number just because the oh so great cash machine amazon wants it.

So I paid this amount twice in short succession.

To then have 2 products listed.

That don't sell.

Because now extra amazon advertising is necessary and to be paid. Is it?

But hey, the HUGE return of investment is on the horizon, right? I will make Millions, right? Amazon is THE CASH MACHINE, right?

I pay for ads and again, nothing.

Some idiots even write books about HOW TO ADVERTISE ON AMAZON.

A whole F*cking industry around the oh so great conversion machine.

Still no sales. Oh, now it's my fault. My product wasn't good enough. Let's just shower you with "product research" that is so vague that nobody can find a "good" product with it.

And should you, against all odds, find a product that sells well - or create it yourself - Amazon just copies it and undercuts you.

And before that, if the product sells, Amazon takes a huge cut from it. So you have to set the price high. For amazon to undercut you easier.

Because they can.

And everyone and their mother promote this shit. Why do I not find ANY bad experiences people share about amazon online? Did they buy search results?

Probably they share their cut with that shitty number giving leech called GS-1 and that useless mental masturbation jungle scout.

You know what, F*ck Amazon. F*ck GS-1. And F*ck junglescout.

I am going to remove my products from Amazon, end my GS-1-contract at the next possible time. Fortunately, I haven't paid for junglescout.

I am going to sell on good old ebay.

They don't have any of that and I actually made money in the past.

I hope this Bezos a**hole gets sued and loses so severly that he loses everything and amazon crashes for good.

Amazon may be a tough place to start a business, but THIS IS STILL YOUR FAULT.

Bezos made a platform that has pretty much improved the standard of living of every American. I made some money on Amazon and other people are still making money on Amazon.

There are terms you agree to by operating on THEIR platform. Amazon belongs to its shareholders, not its sellers. So you didn't end up liking what YOU agreed to.... There are countless threads that spoon feed Amazon reality here and yet people think that they are special and go try anyway.

What did you realistically expect from a well worn path? That your products would somehow rank well right out of the gate... and sell fast and high enough to make you a living... and do so forever?

Remember the history books with pictures of the Oregon trail. Ruts as deep as the axles. That is Amazon.

This reads like "boooo hoooo Amazon didn't provide me with a bill paying, bank account filling business for my $1000 investment."
 
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MoreVolume

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Crazy talk.
Getting approved to sell on Amazon last year was the best thing to ever happen to me. Smashed my sales projections by over $40K.

You're either selling something that no on wants, or marketing it in the wrong way.
 
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broswoodwork

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I'm not fully understanding many of the anti Amazon posts lately. It's like a 24hr global Wal-Mart that let's you just put your stuff on its shelves for free. Of course if you want more people to find your stuff you have to pay (or hustle), and of course you shouldn't use only one venue to move your product, if you can avoid it anyways.

Finding a widget on ali-express, listing it in only one place that has 100's of millions items, and doing nothing else isn't starting a business; it's leaving your shit out on the sidewalk.
 
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Black_Dragon43

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Just to add what others have been saying...

Getting the marketing right on a product is no easy. It's very very difficult.

Some people think that getting the "right" product is the hard part. It's not.

It's the marketing that kills most people. The marketing can transform an otherwise standard me-too product into something unique. The marketing can help you identify a subniche which will be helped to solve a unique problem with your product.

All these are possible if you get your MARKETING ANGLE right. And doing THAT is not easy. Precisely because you have to go through multiple iterations.

Amazon is just a distribution channel - whether it works or not is governed by your product and your marketing.
 

MJ DeMarco

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As I wrote in the Amazon Sucks Master thread...


Once again we come down to two distinct groups of people; entrepreneurs who are trying to create a legitimate brand with value skew, and dreampreneurs looking for easy "plug and play" money.

Which one are you? I've got a pretty good guess.
 

DragoonDB

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The serious: I happened to be listening to Jim Rohn, and he was talking about a list he kept of all the things that prevented him from being successful. At one point, a mentor said, "But I don't see you anywhere on the list." A lot of good commentary already, but I see a lot of blame, and not a lot of self-reflection.

The humor: Your post sounded a lot like the below.

29750
 
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Longinus

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I wonder what all these entrepreneurs would do if FBA went away tomorrow.

Yeah, like if that would ever happen.

It's like saying, I wonder what all these freelancers would do if SEO went away tomorrow.
 

MoneyDoc

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I wonder what all these entrepreneurs would do if FBA went away tomorrow.
Amazon is expected to become even bigger very soon. There is talks of cross-platform International shipping via FBA... just let that sink for a second. Can you imagine what that would for brand owners?
 
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Kak

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Amazon is expected to become even bigger very soon. There is talks of cross-platform International shipping via FBA... just let that sink for a second. Can you imagine what that would for brand owners?
Sounds good... But that is out of your hands. It violates the commandment of control. Your hope is literally in someone else's decision.

There are headwinds and tailwinds here. You are only looking at the tailwinds. It also means that you are now not only competing with the other sellers on your platform, but also those from all of the other platforms. Including directly from Asia, South America, and Africa.

That could help or hurt. It definitely adds more sharks to the water. People from places where it COSTS A LOT LESS TO SURVIVE. Where people are thrilled to live on way less than your $170k Range Rover buying a$$. :rofl:

On Etsy and instagram for instance, most changes for the collective good ended up being bad for everyone. Everyone, but Etsy and Instagram.
 

Kak

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They'd most likely move into social, voice, PPC or content marketing.

If FBA disappears, eBay and Walmart can't save you.
I can tell you one thing, customers aren't going to follow them off the platform. They would barely even notice.
 
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MoneyDoc

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Sounds good... But that is out of your hands. It violates the commandment of control. Your hope is literally in someone else's decision.

There are headwinds and tailwinds here. You are only looking at the tailwinds. It also means that you are now not only competing with the other sellers on your platform, but also those from all of the other platforms. Including directly from Asia, South America, and Africa.

That could help or hurt. It definitely adds more sharks to the water. People from places where it COSTS A LOT LESS TO SURVIVE. Where people are thrilled to live on way less than your $170k Range Rover buying a$$. :rofl:

On Etsy and instagram for instance, most changes for the collective good ended up being bad for everyone. Everyone, but Etsy and Instagram.
Hey... my ranger rover SVR is beautiful ;)

Btw @Kak you should see what I’m planning to trade my car for very soon lmao... I’ll pm you if it goes through. Seeing it tomorrow. Won’t post it on the forum though.
 

Kak

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Hey... my ranger rover SVR is beautiful ;)

Btw @Kak you should see what I’m planning to trade my car for very soon lmao... I’ll pm you if it goes through. Seeing it tomorrow. Won’t post it on the forum though.

It is gorgeous. Totally agree. That's not the point.

I hope it is a 2007 Prius so you can compete with the foreigners. :rofl:
 
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MoneyDoc

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It is gorgeous. Totally agree. That's not the point.

I hope it is a 2007 Prius so you can compete with the foreigners. :rofl:
@Kak lol man.. cmon we’re friends. Don’t do me like that. You know I love you and your threads.. real talk. We obviously have disagreements but the thing is, I know exactly what you’re saying and I’m not naive or being ignorant. I’m accepting what you say as the truth because it is. But, I’m not running an fba business. I increased my prices recently by $3 on all platforms and I’m selling a bit more than I was originally. My competitors are about $4-5 cheaper than me depending on product, yet I’m out selling them. I’ve built a brand which is why I understand where you’re coming from.

By the way, it’s not a Prius :)These are the only hints I’ll provide:

2019
Italian
P-zero tires
Dream car

I do what I do because of cars... I just love cars which is hurting me but oh well. If I die next week, I’ll be satisfied.
 

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What it really boils down to is the value you are providing. It isn't much by being one of the 76 other hair brush providers. VERY FEW Amazon sellers really provide shit for value.
This right here. The businesses that succeed on Amazon, provide enough value that that they can survive off of Amazon as well (via other distribution channels).

To the OP, this is entirely your fault. You may want to check out "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink.
 

Kak

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@Kak lol man.. cmon we’re friends. Don’t do me like that. You know I love you and your threads.. real talk. We obviously have disagreements but the thing is, I know exactly what you’re saying and I’m not naive or being ignorant. I’m accepting what you say as the truth because it is. But, I’m not running an fba business. I increased my prices recently by $3 on all platforms and I’m selling a bit more than I was originally. My competitors are about $4-5 cheaper than me depending on product, yet I’m out selling them. I’ve built a brand which is why I understand where you’re coming from.

By the way, it’s not a Prius :)These are the only hints I’ll provide:

2019
Italian
P-zero tires
Dream car

I do what I do because of cars... I just love cars which is hurting me but oh well. If I die next week, I’ll be satisfied.

You do you man. If you buy it, I would like a ride in it one day.
 
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Quentin Pauls

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The point is, Amazon is being marketed as THE conversion machine by self-proclaimed independent reviewers. If I enter "amazon bad experiences" into google, I get nothing of value.
Then you get those that say they "made it on amazon" without proof and any hint on replicating it.

Plot twist: Amazon works* for NOBODY. But nobody admits it. Think about it.

*By it working, I mean making more than 40$/hour with all expenses deducted.

No matter how often you repeat it, it is not my responsibility(aka fault)
  • that amazon requires EANs
  • that guides are too vague to replicate
  • that it is sheer luck if anything sells even if you use jungle scout to find your "winning product"
  • that chinese manufacturers try to screw you over
  • that people demand low prices which make it impossible for you to produce at home in your 1st world country
Responsibility (what retards call "fault") entails ability to control. Those factors are all out of my control. Which is why I am not responsible for it.

I did what I could do and it didn't sell.

My anger aims at those who implicitly promise(not explicitly cause then I could sue them) that by doing "product research", and "just having your products produced in china using alibaba" I could make a good living.

But it's all fake.

Either by faking the numbers.

Or by showing gross profit instead of net profit.

We just need to be honest to each other. Instead of trying to sell shit to each other, we should just say:

This is how it really is: you don't make much money doing it. It's an exhausting job for low wages and all you do is enrich amazon's supply.

They have a greater offer because of you.

Speaking of value. What even is value. Your iPhone? Popsockets(I heard about this only yesterday for the first time)? Value is overrated and contradicts everything marketing stands for. Value is not there and people choose it. You create desire by drawing attention to a lack of something.

Basically nothing around you has value. Unless someone shows you how life would be without it. And if you really look at advertising, you notice that you are better off without it.

Only stupid customes think they get valuable items. By stupid I precisely mean those that use words like "fault" and phrases like "your fault".

Those are the children who - after they saw an ad - have a huge desire to get an electronic device they haven't even heard before seeing the ad.

Seriously I get the impression I am dealing with incompetent children here with zero experience with amazon who feel a little bit too anonymous.

BTW: your american references mean shit to me because I am a proud german who sees most americans as morbidly obese short bus users(like most germans if they were honest, something they never are). And: do not connect me with the low-life cunt I have never voted for that is called chancellor of germany.
 
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