Amazon today announced its holiday policy for the much-coveted Toys & Games category on Amazon.com. Not many surprises if you’ve followed this annual ritual — although the qualification criteria is spelled out clearer then I recall from past years and it’s early enough in the year to give every seller in this category a fair heads-up on what it takes to participate in this e-Commerce’s gold mine (yes, I bought toys on Amazon last year).

Here’s the announcement:

With December 25th looming on the horizon, this e-mail no doubt finds you well into your preparations for holiday selling on Amazon.com. We know that you count on us to maintain customer confidence in our Toys & Games category, and we want our sellers in Toys & Games to provide a high-quality customer experience.

As part of our strategy to maintain buyer confidence on Amazon.com, we are implementing Holiday Selling Guidelines for the Toys & Games category.

Effective September 12, 2008, we will stop accepting new sellers in the Toys & Games category. Effective November 17, 2008, existing sellers who do not meet the following performance criteria will not be able to sell products in the Toys & Games category from November 17, 2008 through January 5, 2009:

- Seller’s first sale on Amazon.com must be prior to 09/19/2008 (sale does not need to be Toy-specific).
- Seller must have processed and shipped at least 25 orders by 10/18/2008 (orders do not need to be Toy-specific).
- Seller has no greater than 1% defect rate. Order defects will be evaluated for orders placed between 07/06/08 and 10/04/08.

Starting on November 17, 2008, we will be monitoring the performance and listings of all merchants who are approved to sell in the Toys & Games category. Amazon Services reserves the right to cancel listings, suspend merchants or prohibit the selling of specific products during the holiday season to maintain a seller platform that is safe for buyers.

Here are some steps you can take to remain eligible to sell in this category throughout the holiday season:

- Monitor your performance metrics and take corrective action if necessary.
- Check your orders frequently using the Manage Your Orders feature in Seller Central
- Keep your storefront accurate; don?t show more stock for sale than you actually have available.
- Update your product quantities regularly to reflect what you have on hand.
- Make sure your shipping lead times are accurate and take into account the time it takes for you to package and transfer the package to your transport service.
- Send shipment confirmations and order cancellations/acknowledgements to Amazon in a timely manner.
- Ensure your policies are up-to-date.

Starting in early August 2008, you will be able monitor your performance metrics in your Seller Account. This will allow you to monitor your performance and take corrective action if necessary. We will provide final notification if you are eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category during the holiday season by the middle of November.

These Holiday Selling Guidelines are only applicable to the Toys & Games category. Sellers can continue to sell eligible non-toy or -game products in other non-restricted categories. If you would like to learn more about restricted products, visit our Product Guidelines in Marketplace Help:

Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Listing > Condition Guidelines

For tips on selling more effectively, check out our Marketplace Sellers Best Practices page:

Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Seller Best Practices

If you have questions about our Holiday Selling Guidelines, please review the FAQ below.

We are interested in your opinions, and encourage you to submit feedback to us at holiday-toys-selling@amazon.com.

Thank you for selling at Amazon.com.

Regards,
Amazon Services

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why are there Holiday Selling Guidelines for the Toys & Games category?
Customers have high expectations for purchases during the holiday season. We want to ensure that our sellers in Toys & Games provide high-quality customer experience and that all orders are fulfilled and delivered in a manner that meets or exceeds our customers? expectations.

When will you allow all merchants to list in the Toys & Games category again?
Sellers will be able to sell in this category as of January 5, 2009.

How do I know if I’m pre-approved to list product in the Toys & Games category?
Sellers will be notified in early to mid November if they are eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category. Effective September 12, 2008, no new sellers will be approved to sell in the Toys & Games category for the remainder of the year.

How can I strengthen my performance rating?
Read our Help page on your performance summary:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Performance Summary

How can I build my reputation?
Read our Help page on seller best practices:
Help > Selling at Amazon.com > Feedback & Performance > Seller Best Practices

What is an order defect?
An order is defined as having a defect if we have received a negative feedback, an A-to-z Guarantee claim or a service credit card chargeback on that order.

What is order defect rate (ODR)?
The order defect rate is defined as the number of orders with a defect divided by the number of orders in the time period of interest. It is represented as a percentage.

What time period is the order defect rate computed over?
The defect rate can be computed over any historical order period. In this particular case, we are evaluating the trailing 90-day period (with a 30-day time lag); in other words, the period from 120 days ago to 30 days ago. We usually use a 30-day time lag for computing these rates because many defects are reported after orders are placed or received.

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