Have a Backup account?

[Joenice]

Hey guys,

I sell on Amazon. I uploaded my own product on Amazon so I am the only seller sell these items. Never had any problem. I am a high volume seller with 100k a month in sales.

My ODR (AZ case rate) is usually between 0.4% to 0.6% and seller feedback 100%.
I know if I hit 1% I will get banned. And they may let me in and appeal one time only.

My question is, my cousin is also interested to sell on Amazon and work with me. He has a different last name and address. Will it be a good idea to open an account under his name and list my items as well? (of course with different computer and IP)

I will be the lower price seller for that item and buyers will buy only from me but was thinking to tell my cousin to open an account and list my items with HIGHER price so in case my account get banned for ANY reason, we have a back up account and then we go use his account.

Let me know what do you thin guys.

[mrzoo]

my advice is, never open account using real info.

read guides and the forum posts. You can list similar items but get a stealth account. To understand how to get stealth account you should do some research here and if possible read Amazon Ghost book.

but my suggestion is DO not open any account with your real info.

[MICKY H]

If you are doing that level of trade you will be Ok with amazon. I would use your energy in reducing your ODR rate rather than thinking of other accounts. If these are your products as you say and the only seller the accounts will be linked and you will loose both.
Why is your az rate increasing.

[Joenice]

Originally Posted by MICKY H

If you are doing that level of trade you will be Ok with amazon. I would use your energy in reducing your ODR rate rather than thinking of other accounts. If these are your products as you say and the only seller the accounts will be linked and you will loose both.
Why is your az rate increasing.

What makes you think if a second seller with different last name and address and computer start to list my items too and be the second seller, I will lose the account too? How will it be link?

[rsot]

Same seller on your computer? Very easy link - why consider this?

[tatersalad]

Are you trying to preserve your aged listings, in the event that your account gets banned?

If so, i think an inventory link may occur. Which is too many of the same items listed. Especially if you are the only seller currently on these listings.

[MICKY H]

Originally Posted by Joenice

What makes you think if a second seller with different last name and address and computer start to list my items too and be the second seller, I will lose the account too? How will it be link?

Amazon are not stupid, they will link the inventories being the same. You say these items are unique to you so if another seller has the same items especially when one account is suspended that account will be inventory linked.

[JamesNorth101]

You answers you own question here.

start to list my items too and be the second seller

[Gamefreak]

fyi, the idea that you moment you hit 1% ODR you will get banned is a completely myth. In december last year my ODR hit 5%. USPS had so many issues and screwed me over big time that customers were filing a-z claims left and right. I received probably 45 a-z claims in december/january from that fallout. Ive been on amazon 4 years and never receive so many a-z claims on all my years combined.

My ODR is now about 1.2% long term and .1% short term but amazon is generous and will give you time to recover but if you are not then of course they probably will ban you especially if its during the holiday season or holiday season is coming up.

If everything is going to be different then i don't see it being a problem to have him make an account but don't start listing everything that you have for sale. Mix it up a bit. throw some other stuff in there to sell.

Also i don't see the point with the higher prices and not selling anything. If you do not sell anything and do not get any feedback you will forever have the just launched seller thing next to your name.

[MICKY H]

Hey Gamefreak, have been on the beer a little early, typo's.....

[Gamefreak]

haha, don't drink btw just not use to typing the way i was typing when i wrote that.

[ifox007]

I don't know what other people think, but to me (my experience) I think getting linked via inventories is NOT TRUE. why?
If I know seller X is selling items A, B, C, D,E, F and he is my most hated competitor. Now I want him to get banned, so I create a stealth Y acct in his location and sell exactly the same his inventory. Of course, we know I'm not him and he is not me, but Amzn is seeing that seller X and Y are the same person. So you think we both get BANNED that way? The answer is NO. There are a lot of factors need to be considered when it comes to selling same inventory.

Originally Posted by MICKY H

Amazon are not stupid, they will link the inventories being the same. You say these items are unique to you so if another seller has the same items especially when one account is suspended that account will be inventory linked.

[MICKY H]

ifox007, yes I understand what you are and your scenario may it would be true. But most sellers sell more than 5 items. If seller X had 100 items and then re listed that 100 items on another the account would be inventory linked. Remember the OP has unique items only available to him/her.

[barrycruan]

That's a good point ifox but it's best to think of amazon in terms of red flags. Now as you say, the same inventory alone should not be enough to get someone banned. But add that to a similar loctation and yes, amazon do link the accounts. In my time Ive seen plenty of people linked when they were in fact completely innocent. Don't take the chance.

In my opinion amazon have a number of red flags and you can set them off for all kinds of reasons. Inventory is certainly one of them so it's best to do whatever you can to limit the "links". It's a bit like ip addresses. Everyone knows amazon track them but it would not make sense for them to suspend you solely on this. Always do what you can to reduce the red flags.

Finally, this is my own opinion but i would highly recommend you try and have a legitimate account. Amazon are cracking down on stealth accounts and they always will be. It only takes one change in their criteria and people's businesses/ livelihoods could go down the drain. We have already seen this in the uk and I'm sure it can be rolled out to the rest of the world quite easily. The choice is yours but I don't see stealth accounts being around in the next 2 years, never mind 5.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by barrycruan

That's a good point ifox but it's best to think of amazon in terms of red flags. Now as you say, the same inventory alone should not be enough to get someone banned. But add that to a similar loctation and yes, amazon do link the accounts. In my time Ive seen plenty of people linked when they were in fact completely innocent. Don't take the chance.

.

In a nutshell. A quote from aspkin.....

So Amazon manually reviews and has the tools to make linking like this happen. It's not a system you're working against, it's a person with tools to link accounts. It's EASY to link accounts with your setup..

They can review your account, they see some slight red flags to it and investigate it further using their tools. They see several other accounts under the same IP range, check for similarities in these accounts, whether it's the creation date, location or other red flags and that's all it takes.

Needs very careful consideration as you explained.

[machine1]

Based on what Greenbean said I would get a vps server and sell from a different state. Always make a back up account doesn't not hurt to have another account sell some other stuff other than your main account so at least the account is aged and if one account goes down then you can switch over your items to the other account. I learned my lesson when I was rolling on 1 account doing 50k a month and loss it. Now I have made over 20 accounts and some that are aged with feedback and not selling . My stealth game on amazon is being stealth from other sellers selling in the same category and they are trying to buy from me leave bad feedback and getting me suspended or discretting me as a seller

[jai]

Amazon Stealth is not an easy concept anymore