So, ummm, you pretty much can't sell DVDs or BDs on Amazon anymore?

[Brent L.]

I just got a weird email from Amazon concerning my sellers account...

Hello from Amazon,

Please read this email carefully, as the listing restriction described below may affect your ability to sell DVDs.

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide a great shopping experience, beginning November 17, 2014, only approved sellers will be eligible to list DVDs with Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) of $25 or greater. (Note: the MSRP is the same as the "List Price" on the Product Detail Page.) We are implementing this restriction because these products may have a higher risk of authenticity issues.

Currently, your account does not meet the criteria to apply to continue offering these products. If you are interested in applying, please review the criteria outlined below. When you meet the criteria, you may apply to sell these products by clicking the following link.


You will not be eligible to list DVDs with MSRPs of $25 or greater after November 17 unless your application is approved. Your eligibility to list DVDs with MSRPs of less than $25 or Blu-rays is not affected by this restriction.

Below are the minimum requirements to complete a preliminary application:

• If you do not have a Professional seller account, you must agree to upgrade to a Professional selling plan within 30 days after your application is approved
• Order-Defect Rate (ODR) of 1% or less
• Cancellation Rate of 2.5% or less
• Late Shipment Rate of 4% or less

Your current metrics are available in the Performance section of your seller account:

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/...e-summary.html

Any listings by unapproved sellers for DVDs with MSRPs of $25 or greater will be removed on November 16, 2014. Relisting products you are not approved to sell or creating duplicate listings may result in the immediate suspension or removal of your selling privileges.

It goes on after that, but that is the important stuff.

So you must now pay $40 a month to be in the program to sell almost any DVD or BD anymore ($25 MSRP or more, which is most stuff we likely sell). Here are the details from the page they send me to...

Preliminary Application to Sell DVDs
Please Again Note the Following Information About Your Application

Please note the following before submitting the preliminary application below:

The application process will be in two phases: 1) the preliminary application (below) and 2) a follow-up application where you will need to provide specific information around the sourcing of your inventory (see full list of required information below).
If you are approved to sell in this category, you will need to upgrade to a Professional selling plan with a monthly subscription fee of $39.99/month.
Your account performance metrics must meet the minimum requirements (your current metrics are available in the Performance section of your seller account):
You must have an Order-Defect Rate (ODR) of 1% or less
You must have a Cancellation Rate of 2.5% or less
You must have a Late Shipment Rate of 4% or less
If your account is blocked or suspended at any time, you will not be able to sell these products until the block or suspension is removed.

If your account does not meet the minimum criteria, you will not be approved to sell. Please take corrective action and ensure your performance metrics meet the minimum criteria before completing the preliminary application.
Required Information Seller Must Provide in Application Process

If your account meets the minimum criteria listed above and you submit this preliminary application, a Seller Support associate will follow-up within 2 business days to request additional information to complete your application. Please note that you will need to provide the following to the Seller Support associate:

1) Your primary source(s) of inventory

2) A minimum of three (3) invoices or purchase orders from your largest inventory source

3) A written summary of processes you have in place to prevent inauthentic goods from entering your inventory

All of the above information must be provided as part of the application process. Your application will be evaluated based on the quality of the information you supply.

Am I missing something or is this a huge load of crap?

[Sons Of Sparda]

Not surprised by this personally as amazon just appears to be getting worse. I have never understood the blind faith that some people seem to have with them as a customer. I personally have always had problems with their terrible shipping and packaging. Even when I had prime. You tell the customer service about it and nothing ever changes.

[Carlanga]

Wow $40 a month... That is a lot. GL w the business.

I do wonder what DVDs are worth more than $25 besides series?

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by Carlanga

Wow $40 a month... That is a lot. GL w the business.

I do wonder what DVDs are worth more than $25 besides series?

Its 25 bucks or more MSRP, not street price. Plenty of those out there

[thelwig14]

I sell quite a bit and bailed on amazon a long time ago.

By far the worst all of the marketplaces from a seller's point of view.

And from a buyer's perspective, unless you have zero access to anything else, I don't understand why anyone would support a price follower.

[Clark Kent]

Amazon basically declawed Amazon Marketplace last year. The only sellers remaining are various fronts for MovieMars, DeepDiscount and so on, retailers that will never undercut Amazon's own prices.

I believe Amazon Marketplace will eventually get removed altogether within two years. Amazon is now targeting price-insensitive customers, willing to pay whatever Amazon charges since they have some kind of mystique as a retailer.

[gotexas872]

I received that email tonight as well. Given how much inventory I have listed on Amazon, I should say that this is the final nail in the coffin for me to stop selling with them. Blu-ray.com all the way for me!

[wormraper]

and don't forget that even if it's not $25 or above MSRP if it's new then you're still restricted from selling anyways... the Marketplace has become a literal joke anymore. I went from order HUNDREDS of items a year down to only 20 this entire year. each year that goes on I order less and less.

[malcy30]

It's obvious Amazon are not interested in small traders only the large scale players who sell hundreds of copies a week.

What they don't want are the small scale sellers flipping a new release title eg Transformers in a week say and reselling slightly less than the Amazon new price.

They could not care less on cheaper and back catalogue stuff hence the price restriction. They don't want price competition on new release and titles like Disney animation which keep a high MSRP.

Should also remove a lot of the fakes. In the UK many of the smaller players seem to be selling fakes of Disney and with the Breaking Bad boxset virtually every copy on sale seems a fake.

[strumdogg]

Originally Posted by Brent L.

So, ummm, you pretty much can't sell DVDs or BDs on Amazon anymore?

BDs shouldn't be affected...just DVDs with MSRP over $25:

Your eligibility to list DVDs with MSRPs of less than $25 or Blu-rays is not affected by this restriction.

[CraigThom]

It may or may not be true, but that letter says piracy is the reason.

[Brent L.]

Originally Posted by strumdogg

BDs shouldn't be affected...just DVDs with MSRP over $25:

Yes, it says that about BDs, but if they are doing this to DVDs then BDs will be right behind them. If they are doing this then I'm going to just forget about selling Amazon entirely.

[NoirFan]

I received the letter as well. I guess I'll have to go the eBay route from here on out. Pretty much every DVD I sell are Criterions that I'm upgrading to BD, and obviously all of them have MSRP over $25. I'm sure Blu-rays will be added to the list soon, so there goes re-selling of Olive and Scream discs, not that the latter aren't already blocked anyway. Thanks, Amazon!

[MoulinBlu]

Originally Posted by strumdogg

BDs shouldn't be affected...just DVDs with MSRP over $25:

I'm pretty sure for the purposes of this new selling restriction amazon regards BDs and DVDs as the same thing. Which MSRP over $25 pretty much applies to every new release and many catalog titles. So it isn't much different than what they've been doing for a couple years in that respect. The main difference appears to be longer, if not indefinite selling restrictions now, instead of just 6-12 months.


I seriously doubt that this is in any way motivated by illicit product (bootlegs) as the email makes out. The real question is, are they just trying to censor competition (maybe their recent boycots of WB and Disney didn't pan out like they hoped), or are studio's bankrolling this move, trying to further restrict the used market in their campaign to push people to go digital - make all those customers who are blindly obedient to amazon think physical media prices are too high and do more streaming through prime than they already are...

It's entirely possible that this was even a condition set by WB or Disney (more likely Disney) in their negotiations for lower prices.

[Clark Kent]

Part of it was definitely motivated by negotiations with Disney. Make no mistake, Amazon also wanted to eliminate competitors on high-margin items. The only way to consistently make money on media products is by eliminating the competition.

Amazon sold media items at a loss for nearly a decade as a way to build marketshare. They aren't the first company to do so and won't be the last. The real problem is that few other retailers now exist for a wide range of items, making Amazon the only viable choice.

The FTC should investigate but I strongly doubt they will. This will be the final nail in the coffin for physical media from the major studios, mark my words.

[BuckNaked2k]

Your eligibility to list DVDs with MSRPs of less than $25 or Blu-rays is not affected by this restriction.

See, I think this is very poorly worded. Does the "less than $25" apply to Blu-rays, or are Blu-rays carved out entirely?

Many of us who hold out for Blu titles around $10 would be shocked to see that the MSRP is still waaay up there close to, or above $25.

[obssessive]

To add to this thread:

I was just on Amazon and saw them selling a movie for $22.99.
Best Buy had the same movie for $12.99.
A third party was selling the same product for $ 6.99.

Amazon, you're the best!

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

See, I think this is very poorly worded. Does the "less than $25" apply to Blu-rays, or are Blu-rays carved out entirely?

Many of us who hold out for Blu titles around $10 would be shocked to see that the MSRP is still waaay up there close to, or above $25.

It will certainly apply to Blu-rays as well.

[Jett Rink]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Amazon basically declawed Amazon Marketplace last year. The only sellers remaining are various fronts for MovieMars, DeepDiscount and so on, retailers that will never undercut Amazon's own prices.

I believe Amazon Marketplace will eventually get removed altogether within two years. Amazon is now targeting price-insensitive customers, willing to pay whatever Amazon charges since they have some kind of mystique as a retailer.

What exactly is a price-insensitive customer?

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by Jett Rink

What exactly is a price-insensitive customer?

The consumer who doesn't check for best prices. The loyal amazon followers who shop at bashas or Safeway consistently when they could save a bundle at walmart