Is Amazon (Own Brand) Selling A Copycat Version Of My Product


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Larry joins but is incognito for this episode on Amazon (Own Brand) Selling a copycat version of his own product on his listing but of inferior packaging, quality and fulfilment turnaround

  • Amazon selling on Larry’s listing but the product being sold is not Larry’s even-though it’s an Amazon brand
  • In Oct the node changed on Larry’s listing
  • A couple of days later the Title changed and it had mis-spellings and had been shortened dramatically (Assuming the guys who supplied to Amazon did this)
  • Two days after that Larry lost the buy box and price dropped from $20 to $16 and it was being sold by Amazon – Amazon were selling a copycat version of Larry’s product
  • Dropped the price 1p below to re-gain the by box and has had the box 98% of the time since
  • Getting sales but not getting the same number or to the profit margins he’s had before

Advised by Amazon to Test Buy an Amazon Product!

  • The same day Larry opened a ticket
  • He told Amazon someone was selling on his brand and wanted them to separate the two sellers
  • They advised Larry to raise a test buy on the product of an Amazon sold product that is meant to be Larry’s own product!
  • No-one has this product except Larry – he doesn’t sell to anyone else
  • Larry did a test buy – marked as Prime – but took 4 days to supply – someone is selling a copycat of Larry’s product

Test Buy Arrives

  • It arrived, was not in an Amazon box and the label said it was from Lexington Kentucky
  • The product was not Larry’s it was a similar product
  • Has a slightly different footprint, the box was dusty and beat-up
  • The packaging had no warnings, etc and a bad representation of Larry’s brand
  • Had no bar-code, brand name, part number on it
  • Amazon were selling a copycat version of Larry’s product

Seller-Evaluation@amazon.com

  • He took photos and sent in to Amazon to show this was clearly not Larry’s product
  • After a few days of not hearing anything, someone in Amazon merged Larry’s case with his previous case that was closed that upset Larry
  • He called back in and got his calls opened back up and escalated
  • 5 days later – email come from seller-evaluation@amazon.com
  • Thanked Larry for raising a ticket on products that do not match the listing page
  • No agreement to share the outcome of the investigation
  • Had a new internal case number attached to it

Investigating their UPC

  • Amazon dropped off the listing the next day
  • Remained off the listing for 5 days
  • Amazon jumped back on the listing again
  • Larry did another test-buy this time
  • Did some investigation UPCs and found a company in San-Diego listing that part number through their own website
  • Found the first tracking number and saw that it originated not from Lexington but from San-Diego (DBTC)

Amazon created a new ASIN

  • The second test order arrived
  • This one had the same 5 day delivery time and the tracking number came from San-Diego, so likely the same place
  • Took additional photos and sent in to Amazon
  • Duplicated with the previous case
  • After a few days Larry had seen no traction
  • Called Amazon again to ask them to ‘split’ this company off of his listing
  • Amazon decide to create a new ASIN for Larry’s product!!
  • There was 90 mins where Larry was not listed at all
  • Larry called back in and got it back on the listing straight away

Amazon Selling a CopyCat Product? – Next Step

  • Larry is currently still waiting for the 2nd case to be resolved
  • Look a little deeper into Larry’s direct competitors and saw Amazon was all over their listings too
  • Did test buys of their products
  • Received the 1st and it was the same product that Larry’s got for his fake product
  • The second test-buy came in a re-used Amazon box and inside was the product box which was an Amazon box
  • Both of those vendors had Amazon on their listing offering semi-identical products
  • All of the test-buy orders are identical products but packaged differently
  • A form of hi-jacking that appears to be all under the Amazon brand using the same product across the listings

Amazon Sold 2 increase stock by 1

  • 5 days ago Amazon had the buy-box and had only 11 left in-stock
  • Decide to roll with it to see what happens if they sold-out
  • After 8 hours Larry dropped his price a penny and they had 5 left and Larry regained the buy-box
  • Odd was that the number available on this Amazon company selling his product – they would sell 2 increase by 1, sell 2 increase by 1…

Where now with Amazon

  • Decided to wait and see through black Friday
  • Didn’t want to rock the boat
  • Will probably go and explore an intellectual property claim with Amazon – in a way that avoids suspension
  • Larry’s key period for sales is in Jan/Feb
  • This will be Larry’s next big Gamble after Christmas

Contact

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