Protect the Top Layer of Books in Your FBA Shipment

Once in a while a shipment of books can be damaged upon opening at the FBA Fulfilment Center, by an over zealous box cutter or knofe.


This has happened to me twice since last August.


While I suffered no financial loss. Amazon paid me the full value of both books, Amazon are very honest about damages at their end of the transaction.


Now when completing a box of new stock I top off the piles of books with a strip of corrugated cardboard.


I use old delivery boxes for a supply of card strips. One box can be torn into several strips for several shipments.


I complete my packing as normal with the FBA shipment paperwork and then as I close the box I lay the corrugated card over the books but under where the taped seam of the lid will be.


This means that when the box is opened with a sharp blade, the corrugated card will take the brunt of any damage and not the covers of the books beneath.


Since employing this tactic, I have not lost a book to accidental cutting. Better for me in that I have one more happy customer and better for Amazon in that they are not having to pay me for accidental damage.

Very Good December

As we reach mid January, I am looking back at the December figures for sales.


I am very pleased with the figures. We increased sales over 100% from our previous best months September and October,  500% over Novembers sales.


Totals were very good all around, the good December figures are also reflected in higher than expected cash income.


While early in the month saw a steady increase in childrens books and books that may have been bought as gifts; the last week of the month and first week of January saw a marked increase in the sales of used textbooks. Many of which retail over $20.


This was my first Christmas with Fulfilment by Amazon and I am really happy with the results.


Sales  levels have been good after the start of the new semester at schools too, though I am expecting a fall off of sales shortly as we return to normal non holiday trading.


We'll see how the Winter and Spring play out.

Mailing Books to a FBA Center

In recent weeks I have conducted an experiment in delivery times to FBA fulfilment centers across the country.

One thing surprised me. A major towns UPS Store added three whole days to delivery time over my usual drop off at a mailbox store.

We had two boxes of books going from here in California to Chatanooga TN.

We mailed one box from a UPS store just seventy miles East of  my home town, the second box was mailed at a small mail box eental store in my home town, my regular drop off.

I expected the boxes to arrive on the same day. In reality my box posated at my regular drop off point arrived in Chatanooga two whole days earlier.

This is not so much of a problem if I had normal supplies of books, but if the books were time sensative for arrival, Holiday supplies for example, the extra delay takes away a whole week-end of possible sales. Seventy-two hours of money making opportunity.

From now on, I know I can rely on my more local drop -off point.

Try this experimeent for yourselves. Find the fastest point for UPS delivery. You maybe as surprised as I was at the three day difference in speed.

All the best with your sales.