I am curious to know the dropshipping experience of people who have tried doing it from China. Do they really get stock in time, which are the common sites for dropshipping from China and how do you find new & trending products

Hello everyone,

I'm reaching out to see whether other Amazon sellers have experienced a similar issue with FBA inventory becoming unavailable after a shipment was fully received and closed. On September 3, we shipped 240 units of one of our best-selling products to an Amazon fulfillment center using the Send to Amazon workflow. According to the shipment tracking and inventory reconciliation records, all 240 units were successfully received, and the shipment status changed to "Closed" on September 11. However, only 203 units became available for purchase. The remaining 37 units have continued to appear under reserved inventory, with no clear explanation of their location or expected release date.

Initially, we assumed this was a normal delay associated with fulfillment center transfers or internal inventory processing. However, after approximately two weeks without any changes, we contacted Seller Support to request an investigation. The first representative explained that the units were undergoing an internal transfer and advised us to wait several business days. When the inventory status remained unchanged, we reopened the issue and were subsequently informed that the units might be associated with fulfillment center processing activities. Unfortunately, neither response provided a specific transfer reference, destination fulfillment center, or estimated completion date. We have now contacted support multiple times, but each interaction has resulted in essentially the same generic explanation.

What makes this particularly concerning is that the discrepancy is affecting our inventory planning and advertising performance. These 37 units represent approximately 15% of the original shipment, and we have already experienced several periods of reduced available inventory. We have reviewed the Inventory Ledger, Reserved Inventory report, shipment reconciliation details, and available fulfillment center transfer records. So far, we have not identified any corresponding customer orders, pending removals, or other transactions that would explain why these units remain unavailable. We also attempted to request a formal investigation, but Seller Support indicated that the shipment was already reconciled and therefore did not qualify for additional shipment-level research.

At this point, we're trying to determine whether there is a specific escalation procedure for inventory that has been confirmed as received but remains indefinitely reserved without an identifiable transaction or transfer. Has anyone successfully resolved this type of situation through the FBA Inventory team or another internal department? In particular, I'd appreciate hearing whether you were able to obtain a detailed inventory trace, have the units manually released, or receive reimbursement after Amazon confirmed that the inventory could not be located.

Any guidance from sellers who have dealt with a similar issue would be greatly appreciated. We're not necessarily looking for immediate reimbursement if the units are still physically present in Amazon's fulfillment network. Our primary objective is to establish where the inventory is being held, why it has remained unavailable for an extended period, and what steps can be taken to bring the issue to a definitive resolution. Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently setting up my first Amazon FBA product listing, and I've run into an issue with Amazon incorrectly categorising my product.

When I try to create the listing, Amazon appears to assign my product to the wrong category. As a result, it's requesting additional information and documentation that has absolutely no relevance to the product I'm trying to sell.

This has completely thrown off the listing process, and I'm unsure how to resolve it. I don't want to submit incorrect information or go down the wrong route just to get the listing created.

Has anyone else experienced this when listing a product for the first time?

How did you get Amazon to assign the correct product category?

Is there a way to manually change the category or product type?

Did you manage to resolve it through Seller Support, and if so, what was the best approach?

I would appreciate the help as Amazon agent are too helpful.

Thanks in advance!

I’m an American based in Shenzhen/HK and heading to Phase 2 of the Canton Fair, and will be in Guangzhou 24th-28th of October. Would love to meet up if anyone is around!

This is my 3rd fair and I have a lot of experience in the region so also happy to answer general questions about the fair, e.g., how to prep, things to do nearby, etc.

Phase 2 covers covers building/decorative materials, household goods, furniture, gifts, etc. so if you’re sourcing in any of those categories and can’t make it, I’m happy to swing by a few booths and ask questions, send over info, or whatever would be useful since I'm there anyway.

Feel free to comment or DM if you'd like to connect!

been trying to narrow down some ODM manufacturers and the more i look the harder it gets lol...everyone has nice photos, good claims and all that. ive been checking supplier profiles/reviews on Alibaba and looking at audit info where its available, but im wondering what people with more experience give the most weight to. third party factory audit? years in business? certifications? buyer reviews? sample quality? i feel like one good score alone doesnt tell you the whole thing. when your comparing like 4-5 manufacturers that all look decent on paper...what normally makes you pick one over another? and are there any audit details you always check first?

I’ve been facing transit shipping issues as of late when working with Amazon. It’s honestly borderline infuriating. I waited about a week just to get the “ATS unavailable” issue solved. I finally sent the package on the 12th of October, and it is still apparently in transit as of the 16th of October and has not been checked into the FBA facility. It’s funny, because when I first started, I thought my main issue would be a lack of buyers, getting around ungating, or just small to even negative profit margins. This is clearly not the case though. My real issue is dealing with Amazon and their logistic services. Anyone got any advice? Should I contact their support? Or just wait it through?

Hi all, first-time founder here. I designed a soft-goods product myself and found a manufacturer on Alibaba. I've already sent specs and a sample is on its way, but we don't have an NNN signed yet (yes, I know, lesson learned).

For those who've been through this:

1. Did you get the NNN signed before sharing specs, or after sampling?
   
2. Who drafted yours? Was it in Chinese, and roughly what did it cost?
   
3. Did your factory push back, and how did you handle it?
   
4. Is there like a trademarks and patents for dummies resource?

Trying to learn from real experience before I place a bigger order. Thanks!

I was just alerted to this program. Is anyone using it? I use custom packaging: rectangular cardboard with a print. See the second image. It's not sealed with tape or anything.

Anyone using it? How was your experience?

My biggest Amazon PPC mistake was letting campaigns run for weeks without properly checking where the money was going. I had daily budgets set, so I assumed things were under control. They weren't.

Some keywords were spending consistently without generating orders, while a few better-performing campaigns were running out of budget too early.

What I learned the hard way

Check the search term report instead of judging campaigns by impressions alone.

Review spend against clicks, orders, conversion rate, and profit margins.

Add negative keywords when the data supports excluding irrelevant searches.

Avoid making major bid changes based on one bad day.

I started looking more closely at structured campaign management and reporting. BrandKyte is one option I've come across for Amazon PPC optimization, and I'd compare its approach with zquared and other providers based on reporting quality, strategy, and actual account needs.

How often do you audit your Amazon PPC campaigns, and what do you check first?

Christmas is coming, and everyone knows toys are popular holiday gifts.

But I'm curious, will Q4 actually be a goldmine for Amazon toy sellers, or will rising PPC costs, aggressive discounts, and competition destroy the margins?

More demand doesn't always mean more profit, right?

Anyone selling toys on Amazon? Are you expecting a huge Q4, or is the competition already getting crazy?

October is a busy month for factories in China, especially with holiday orders and year-end shipping deadlines approaching.

Here's something worth watching out for.

Your supplier tells you production is 100% complete and asks you to schedule the final inspection.

But when the inspector arrives, some products are still being assembled, others aren't packed, and a few cartons are missing.

Now you're paying for an inspection that may not cover the complete order.

One simple habit that helps: Ask your supplier to confirm production and packing status before scheduling the inspection.

For a typical pre-shipment inspection, it's best to have production fully completed and at least 80% packed, subject to the agreed inspection requirements.

This gives the inspector a better opportunity to check the actual shipment rather than an incomplete batch.

With Q4 deadlines approaching, a little preparation can prevent unnecessary delays and repeat inspection costs.

Importers: Have you ever scheduled an inspection only to find out the factory wasn't actually ready?

I have 3 existing listing for same product but of different size. I want to merge them under one parent listing with size variations.

How can I do this without creating duplicate listings or affecting existing reviews and sales history?

Any guidance would be appreciated!

I am helping at my friend’s booth at global sourcing show this week, day 2 was packed with buyers.
If you’re drop shipping or sourcing from Asia, what questions do you wish you could ask suppliers face to face? MOQ,leadtime, certifications, anything

we know the drill...a product that was doing fine suddenly drops, and you end up checking ads, the Buy Box, reviews, competitor prices and stock one at a time before anything makes sense.

Is that just how it goes, or has someone found a quicker way? The last time it happened to you, what turned out to be the cause?

I am trying to understand this properly.

I work at a yoga mat factory in Jinjiang, China, and see a lot of private-label sellers get burned by traders posing as factories. A few checks that work:

1. Ask for a live video call of the foaming line, not a brochure or product renders. A factory can walk you there; a trader stalls.
2. Ask how the MOQ changes if you accept a stock colour. For TPE mats, ~500 pcs is roughly the shortest run that justifies one custom colour because the line has to be purged between colours. Stock colour + laser logo is usually 100-200 pcs. If the number doesn't move at all, you're probably not talking to the maker.
3. Ask for a test report on your exact material with a current date on it (e.g. REACH), and current ISO 9001 / BSCI audits.
4. Check the business licence lists manufacturing scope, not just trading.
5. Protect the order: 30% deposit / 70% against bill of lading, a signed golden sample, and a pre-shipment inspection against written criteria.
6. Specify density and gram weight, not just thickness. "6 mm TPE" alone isn't a spec.

Red flags: no facility video ("confidential"), vague answers on process and capacity, prices that swing wildly with quantity without a cost explanation.

Happy to answer questions about TPE / PU / NBR mats if anyone's sourcing.

great indian festival is running but still no sales running price discounts too but what is happening i don't clearly understand i just want to go all in this business want to undestand about amazon selling and tricks how a seller achieve its sales 1000+ units per month can anybody help.

Amazon has added a new validation, where box gross weight must be greater than the total net (units per box × net per unit)

Yet if you have an error nowhere on seller central will it tell you.

They must be losing so many sales of users just giving up.

I've been selling in SC for 8+ years and have asked many times to be a tester of seller central. So much buggy stuff gets released without proper user testing. It takes them many weeks to fix even the simplest things.

Hi everyone,

I’m enrolled in Amazon Creator Connections, and many influencers have requested free product samples in exchange for reviews or promotional content.

Before sending out free samples, I’d like to know how many sales their Amazon storefronts have generated.

Is there any tool that can help me check their sales performance?

Great conversion rate, but the sales could have been better.
This was mostly FBM, so that could be the reason for not having at least 2x, 3x the sales.

How was Prime for you?

We sell dietary supplements on Amazon. All are made at FDA inspected facilities in the USA and Canada. Some are USDA certified organic. Amazon to down a listing saying it wasn't organic.

We provided letters along with our USDA certification, our manufacturers certification. Showed the independent certifiers name on our box as well as their status as FDA approved organic certifiers. After two attempts they were accepted, YAY!

Less than an hour later Amazon said it's an FDA medical device and to provide a 510(k) Premarket Notification - FDA clearance document for your product, applicable if it is classified as a Class I or Class II medical device. If your product is exempt from 510(k), please provide documentation confirming that exemption.

The product is an herbal extract (alcohol free). Just herbs, water and glycerin in a 2 oz bottle. It is a dietary supplement NOT a MEDICAL DEVICE.

We've sent 2 emails stating dietary supplement NOT medical device. We get push back each time.

What should we do. We contact seller support. They listen, then we get an email back saying the same thing a day or two later.

We use both FBA and AWS for this product. There are thousands of units in their warehouse.

What do we do?

Hi everyone,

I run a small fashion business and order from a manufacturer in China (small orders, MOQ varies by product).

My most recent batch arrived with seam problems. The stitching isn't good enough to sell the products. I didn't have any quality inspection in place (no during-production or pre-shipment inspection) and no one on the ground in China.

Two questions:

1. How would you handle this with the supplier? They are basically saying nothing is wrong with the seams despite my pictures... Not sure how I can pressure them to refund, remake or credit on the next order? I don't want to tarnish my relationship with them but at the same time I can't accept this level of quality.
2. How should I organise quality control going forward? Is a third-party inspection worth it for small orders, or would a local person or agent make more sense?

Any advice or personal experience is welcome. Thanks!

Genuinely curious how others approach this.

I keep seeing this problem. Launch a product, half nothing happens for a week or two. Then what What's the algorithm you run in your head when a listing doesn't perform as expected?

• When do you change or add creatives (e.g. add video, put a different main image etc).
• When do you start fiddling with ads and keywords.
• And when do you just blame the product selection and kill the listing all together?

Like what metrics or numbers do you look at before you make each of the decisions above?

Re-evaluating our fulfillment setup as we enter peak season. currently relying 100% on standard ground with a single national carrier but we've had issue after issue with slow transit and lost packages. What combination of shipping options and carrier services are successful DTC brands using to balance speed, cost, and reliability?

When do you know a product is bad?

I launched my first private-label product on Sep 17. It currently has 13 reviews with a 4.4 star rating.

I ordered 500 units across two variants (250 each), with a unit cost of $8.50. I’ve already spent $7,500, including listing images, inspections, and other one-time costs.

I’m currently getting 3–5 sales per day and recently hired a freelancer for $350/month to manage my PPC for 2-3 months.

I’m spending $60–$80 per day on ads, and my selling price is at break-even. So basically, all my losses are coming from PPC.

I clearly can’t make a profit at this stage.
I’m already seeing signs that I may need to reorder inventory soon, which would mean another 500–1,000 units ($4,000–$8,000).

I’ve heard that $10K is enough for a first private-label launch, but I’m already on track to spend way more than that.

My total budget is $20K. I was hoping to launch a second product, but at this rate, it looks like my first launch could eat up the entire budget.

How is this sustainable? At what point do you decide to stop investing in a product instead of continuing to pour money into it?