Weekly Amazon Seller News – March 9th, 2021

“Amazon Warns Sellers It Will Dispose of ‘Unsuitable’ Goods” (Source: eCommerceBytes)

Amazon’s “unsuitable inventory investigations” policy takes effect on March 19, 2021.
According to Amazon’s new policy, they won’t necessarily wait for a seller to prove their inventory is not fake or illegal before the company will dispose of it.
This policy applies to sellers who participate in its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.
Under the new policy, if they suspect that you may have been engaged in the sale of counterfeit products or other illegal goods, they may require additional information about the affected Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory.
What might be new is if you do not provide the requested information, or Amazon investigates and finds that the inventory constitutes unsuitable units, they may dispose of it.
One seller said they didn’t see a problem with Amazon cracking down on counterfeit or illegal goods – most sellers would welcome it.
However, there should be a real, factual basis for alleging a seller is selling counterfeit goods, sellers said on the Amazon Announcement Board comments.
Read the full article here

From April 15, 2021, Amazon will offer customers returnless and free replacements as an option for eligible items as part of the Prepaid Return Label program.
This change will provide you additional return resolutions, and offer customers the option to receive a replacement item at no extra cost.
This can preserve your sale and not turn the transaction into a refund.
Customers will continue to receive prepaid return labels for their items, regardless of whether they request a replacement or refund.
Under the free replacements program, the customer has seven days to return the original item.
Amazon will receive confirmation of the customer’s return when the prepaid return label is scanned and notify you to send a replacement.
For items that are eligible for returnless refunds, customers will have the option of a returnless replacement.
Read the full article here

If your business is outside of EU, you can now use VAT Services on Amazon to choose your tax service provider for VAT registration and filing.
When you register, you will see the default tax service provider assigned with an option to change the assigned partner.
Select the option to “Change Tax Partner” and you will see all available tax service providers. Choose your preferred partner and click “Agree and Continue” to proceed.
The limited-time promotion is valid through April 30, 2021. Your first year subscription is free and includes VAT registration, VAT filings, and fiscal representation.
You can also obtain a UK and/or an EU EORI number FREE of charge.
Note: Free EORI service is provided by your tax service provider. Your tax service provider will also determine the appropriate country in the EU to apply for an EU EORI number.
You will need to log in through your EU Seller Central Account in order to receive this offer.
Read the full article here

In November, Amazon launched an online pharmaceutical delivery service and just weeks after, Amazon’s cloud-computing division unveiled a health data management service for doctors and hospitals that complies with patient confidentiality regulations.
Now, Amazon Care, an Amazon telehealth outfit that started as a pilot service for Seattle-area employees and their families, has quietly filed paperwork to operate in 21 more states.
This is a signal of Amazon’s expanding ambitions for the $3.8 trillion medical sector.
The service launched a year ago as an app providing on-demand chat and video consultations with medical professionals for Amazon’s employees.
Amazon did not respond to questions about whether access to the newly expanded service will continue to be limited to Amazon employees, but there are indications that Amazon may begin offering the service to a broader audience.
Amazon has been hiring health care practitioners, research scientists and product managers for their new app around the country — including in California, Georgia and Texas.
And Amazon Care announced it would begin lobbying lawmakers to ease regulations on what kind of health services can be performed outside of a doctor’s office — potentially widening the services Amazon Care can provide.
Read the full article here