Feedback plummets on Amazon Marketplace

Many Amazon Marketplace sellers are reporting a significant drop in the amount of feedback that they are receiving from their customers. One of the reasons for this is that Amazon do not allow customers to leave feedback until 48 hours after despatch. Although this prevents impatient customers from leaving negative feedback too early for non delivery, it does have the effect of penalising efficient sellers and frustrating customers who want to leave feedback as soon as they receive their order.

Amazon's responses to seller complaints have - to say the least - been varied:

"Feedback issue being addressed... highest priority."

"There is a delay for leaving feedback. Buyers must wait the estimated delivery time has been concluded before leaving feedback to ensure that buyer has received the item prior to leaving feedback."

"If your buyers are having trouble leaving feedback, please ask them to contact our customer service department. Their phone number is 0800 496 1081."

"No issue - buyer in question needs clear details on 'How to leave feedback'."

And Amazon's response to a buyer complaint (edited to correct the English):

"As you know you can leave feedback only when estimated delivery date has passed. We have set this time frame based on inputs from sellers [!] and various resources."

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Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle

These George Orwell books which include 1984 and Animal Farm were added to Amazon's catalogue by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books. When Amazon were notified of this by the rights holder, they removed the copies from their systems and from customers’ devices and refunded customers. Amazon did not notify their customers or give any reason for the refund - the books just disappeared from their Kindles.

Amazon Web Services - Authentication Changes

Just a reminder that, in a month's time, data requests to Amazon Web Services (or Product Advertising API or E-Commerce Services or whatever they are calling themselves now) will need additional authentication.

This may not effect many booksellers, but if you use Book Listing software, Book Scouting software or use the Amazon database to create Amazon Affiliate adverts and you have problems on 15 August, then the new authentication requirements may be the cause.

I have managed to make the changes to my software, but only after a lot of difficulty: Amazon WebServices help pages are next to useless - the best help you can get is from the AWS Developer Forum:
http://developer.amazonwebservices.com/connect/forum.jspa?forumID=9

I also had to get my web hosting service to update my server so that my PHP programs could use the required encryption functions.

Amazon 'Seller Connection' Forum

I don't know about other Amazon sellers but trying to find the jewels among the off-topic and sometimes unpleasant postings is taking an increasing amount of time and effort.

I tried setting up an alternative book selling group about eighteen months ago but it withered after about a year because too few people participated.

Recently, I asked the forum whether anyone would like to take part in a survey to try and understand the reasons behind sales fluctuations. I have had very little response.

Perhaps people are happy with the myths and are happy with the forum as it is. I'd be interested in hearing other sellers' thoughts on this subject.