amazon vendors calling

[Geneva Olson]

Ok. so I really don't know how to go about asking about this:
I had someone call telling me they are an amazon vendor and wanted a company to produce their products for them. He sent me the link to the products and a pricelist. So I would have to conform to his pricing. Which isn't bad. Like I could still make money off of it. But the problem is, I don't know how it would work on MY end.
Has anyone ever been approached and or do something like this? I would actually like to talk it through someone with years of experience on how it would even work...?

Any advice is welcome!

 

[JBurton]

First and foremost, find a way to ensure this isn't some scam...

 

[Geneva Olson]

I'm not sure if he's a scam or not. Perhaps I don't even need to bother with the question. but this is the 2nd or 3rd time I've been approached for services like this.
The way he posed it to me is that he would get the order and send it over to me, I would fullfill the order and ship it out. He has a google drive that would hold all the artwork so I would pull the artfile and then make the shirt or decal and then send it out.
This seems like a "onesie twosie" kind of deal. Like if a customer orders one shirt, not really a big deal. but if someone orders one decal...I'm going to print one decal and send it?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around how this kind of business model works? How do you make it work? I keep thinking that SOMEONE has to hold onto inventory. How else could it work?

I guess that's what I'm really asking?

 

[victor bogdanov]

I sell on Amazon

Sounds like they are looking for a print on demand supplier. Yes if someone orders one item, you make that item and ship it.

If they wanted to stock inventory they would order in bulk from you and then ship themselves

 

[Geneva Olson]

I sell on Amazon

Sounds like they are looking for a print on demand supplier. Yes if someone orders one item, you make that item and ship it.

If they wanted to stock inventory they would order in bulk from you and then ship themselves

Well that was what I was thinking.
So how do print on demand suppliers work?

 

[JBurton]

My guess, lots of demand to always fill the print que so as to avoid wasting materials. Then some tracking barcodes on each order, lots of speed, likely a flatbed cutter for through cuts, and a thin profit margin. But I really have no clue.

 

[Geneva Olson]

My guess, lots of demand to always fill the print que so as to avoid wasting materials. Then some tracking barcodes on each order, lots of speed, likely a flatbed cutter for through cuts, and a thin profit margin. But I really have no clue.

I think ultimately it's not in the cards for me.

 

[chester215]

I'd ask about the return policy and do you still get paid if someone returns the item for any reason.

 

[tnawards]

Seems to me you need to ask him about his business model so you can figure out your approach. Ask him what you need to know in order to see if it's right for you. Don't be shy, be straight forward. Banners, T-shirts, one offs, whatever, ask ask ask. If he has a problem with it he may not be legit anyway.

 

[Splash0321]

You’d be his print on demand vendor. I’d ask him for proof of the kind of volume he does (actual screenshots showing number of sales and revenue in a given period of time) so you have an idea of what kind of work load you’d be looking at.

Honestly, there are so many print on demand companies that specialize in this kind of thing and integrate directly with Amazon/ebay/etsy/shopify/woocommerce and they take the work out of selling products. It makes me wonder why he’s doing it the hard way unless he’s just trying to get someone to do it for less than other POD companies will.

Create an account with printify and a couple other POD companies and see what their prices are and compare to what he’s offering to pay. It might be worth doing, it might not.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Maybe they need someone in Houston that is local to the Amazon orders in that area. I would think there are a million print shops down there... Odd they contact you, but if they pay upfront there is little risk

 

[netsol]

i would imagine RETURN POLICY is where it will all fall apart.
and how does this work with shipping on the roughly 15% return rate?
who absorbs that cost?
did you discuss who will keep inventory, you or your client

i have never made an amazon sale but i believe there is a penalty if you have less than a 98-1/2% fill rate