Amazon UK

Are UK publishers getting a bad deal?

[mikeD]

I have been informed by a fellow webmaster who uses the amazon product feed that UK publishers do not get any commission from a marketplace sale, whereas in the US publishers do. Should Amazon be pressured to change this policy, because apparently a lot of search results displayed by the feed are marketplace products.

[ap_Rhys]

I think the fact that you have not had a response to your post for 4 days highlights the problem. Amazon will not do anything about it until there is a public outcry.

They changed their policy for Amazon.com precisely because so many associates made a noise. The issue of amazon.co.uk - and it applies to amazon.de as well - will be ignored because only an occasional person raises the marketplace question or makes a comment about it (e.g. on the Amazon Associates Messageboard). It seems that most associates are entirely focused on the US program.

Whenever I communicate with amazon.co.uk (even about one of my own books) all I get back is a canned response which doesn't even answer the question.

[Macro]

Whenever I communicate with amazon.co.uk (even about one of my own books) all I get back is a canned response which doesn't even answer the question

Same experience here, time after time after time. (only I haven't written any books).

They are dismal in replying to correspondence and dismal in trying to contact over the phone.

[ThomasB]

Marketplace items will be paid within the next couple of weeks in germany. Exact date to be announced. I expect the same for .co.uk

No official announcement, just a rumour. ;)

[ap_Rhys]

Nice rumour - just hope you are right!

[ThomasB]

Let's bet? 1 beer at the next PubCon? :)

a short email to partner _at_ amazon.de should answer your queston regarding the .de commission change. But please don't mention your source.

[ThomasB]

I now see marketplace revenue in my stats.

[ap_Rhys]

Yep, you're right. You can say ... 'I told you so!'

So what's the inside connection?

[mikeD]

yeah lets hope ThomasB, hopefully like ap_Rhys says if UK publishers post on popular forums like WW Amazon may take notice.

[ThomasB]

Just a good connection to an associates team. (won't tell which european country).

Unfortunately I don't know of any other changes that will happen in the future. I'm also curious why they didn't communicate the changes to their associates.

PS: Did anybody accept the bet? ;)

[shakers]

This morning, I noticed a 'Marketplace' column appear in all my Amazon stats... maybe things have moved forward here in the UK too!

Rgds,
Richard

[mikeD]

can see it shakers, you got any updates on this?

[shakers]

Yesterday I apparently had 3 MarketPlace purchases according to the summary page. On the 'Earnings by Item' report there are two of these listed and the referral fee for each is 2.5% as mentioned elsewhere (I'm not complaining on a £45 second hand book!); they are clearly indicated as MP purchases rather than from Amazon.co.uk directly in the 'Item Name' column.

In the Traffic Summary pages, the orders are simply listed in the MarketPlace columns rather than the Amazon columns.

Not sure when a MP purchase item becomes an earning (of course with Amazon it's when it's despatched), but I *guess* the individual sellers have to flag it as despatched or something - I've only sold one thing in the MP and that was ages ago, so maybe someone with more experience can help here..?

All in all, looks very straightforward, and hopefully we can all look forward to improved earnings.

[shakers]

Has anyone else noticed that their stats have not been updated since Friday?

[mikeD]

yes can see it now, good news :)

[willamowius]

The stats are there, now. But all marketplace items have 0% commission ...

[Iguana]

My reports now say 0 Marketplace items (they had said 3) but when I check on orders by date range I have 5 items in the last 3 days. A few bugs to be ironed out in the reporting system.

It will be very interesting to see how many marketplace items are sold (and what we have been missing out on up till now)

[shakers]

Hmmm... I've had no problem with the figures they're giving, but my stats are still 2 days out of date... maybe they're busily fixing bugs in other people's stats!

[jakob77]

It is also a problem of the British government. In Germany for instance, you pay a lot less for on postage for books ands maps.

One of the main reasons why Amazon does not take off in the UK the same way as in Germany is also that they could not afford the do free postage, and if, they make even less profit. So you even pay more than going to a bookshop.