Marketing to Amazon customers

[MadeWillis]

I have read the T&C for communicating with Amazon.com customers after the purchase and there was a bit about how you may be able to contact them "per your agreement only". Mostly, it sounds like you can only communicate regarding a purchase or a question about shipping.

So has anyone arranged any sort of contract for marketing to amazon.com customers after they buy from you?

or

Are you communicating in any other way to an Amazon customer after they buy from you?

[viggen]

funny you mention this, i bought a couple of days ago a book from Amazon and when i got it and opend it, in the inside on the first page was a post-it sticked on with a smiley and the url to their site plus a thank your for your purchase, that took me completely by surprise, never seen this before (most of the time i cant even remember that i didnt buy from a third party merchant).

[jwurunner]

As a long time seller on Amazon, I do not recommend promoting to customers that buy from you on Amazon. All it takes a a couple of customers to complain and they could suspend you or worse.

When selling on Amazon, remember it is their playground you need to play by their rules.

[MadeWillis]

I am aware of the rules and what not to do. I don't intend to break any rules. I am more curious if anyone is "legally" doing any marketing towards their Amazon customers after the purchase.

For example, it appears you can stuff a catalog in the package and then ship it. However, you cannot mail a catalog to that customer after the package is mailed.

[Rugles]

For example, it appears you can stuff a catalog in the package and then ship it.

I think that is against the rules as well. Its been a long time since I read the rules but I believe they frown on any extra advertising such as a catalog going in the box.

I am sure many people throw something in the box.

[enigma1]

I think Amazon gets as much competition as it creates. Not sure why a merchant who includes the store's catalog in a box and ships it to the customer, will be any different than someone who sells his own book via Amazon and prints his URL in the front cover, is any different.

Isn't the same argument whether to buy a product from a distributor or directly from the manufacturer (since a brand is typically printed on the product)? Or if you buy a product from Amazon next time, you will buy it from the manufacturer because you now know his name?

Anyways regarding communication I remember I did communicate once for an item ordered but never arrived, never directly with the merchant but via Amazon and was nobody's fault as the post office was on strike at the time. Wasted a month waiting for it.

[digitalv]

I don't sell on Amazon, but had an idea - maybe those of you who do sell might know the answer.

If your item description was modified to indicate that it also includes a "Free $5 gift card" (substitute whatever dollar amount you like), when you ship the item you could throw in a gift card that only works with your own online store. That would result in them getting their next purchase from you directly because the gift card only works on your store.

In theory (and again this is only a theory, I have not tried this) by altering the item description and mentioning that a $5 gift card comes with the item, you aren't including anything in the box that the customer didn't pay for nor are you including a catalog or contacting that customer. But you ARE very likely to get them to your site because unlike a coupon (which would be a blatant advertisement) that little plastic gift card feels like real money, and they'll probably at least check your site out to look for something to spend it on.