Retail Arbitrage is when a person purchases a product from a retail store (either online or in-store), then resells it for a higher price and keeps the profit.
For years, it has been the trend for Amazon to get rid of Retail Arbitrage, but there are still people making money doing it.
Amazon tends to want proof of purchase from sellers to give customers a feeling of comfort that the products they are purchasing are not counterfeit or have been obtained through illegal means.
The tricky thing with retail arbitrage is….
You can buy products from ANY retail store, and anyone can do it. Keep the receipts for at least 365 days. Amazon usually accepts retail receipts as long as they are not altered in any way. Make sure you do NOT alter the receipts; if you have to submit copies of them to Amazon, they must be unadulterated receipts. Altering the receipts can change the suspension to include manipulated document accusations.
If you need to draw attention to something in particular on the receipts, you can submit two copies, the original and then one with markings on it. You can also include additional information in your verbiage to bring to the attention of the Amazon staff member who is reviewing your appeal.
When writing a Plan of Action, you should also try to trace the product all the way back to the manufacturer to further prove that the products are genuine.
Keep in mind the information on the receipt must contain something that is traceable to the product; an item identifier, UPC code, anything that can be matched to the actual listing on Amazon and can be traced to the receipt. The more information on the invoices, the better. Do not redact anything; if you can have the same name and credit card on the invoice and the account, do it. You want as many things to match up as possible to make your Plan of Action more persuasive.
If you would like more information on retail arbitrage, give us a call at 1-877-9-SELLER or email us at [email protected].
We provide FREE consultations for sellers all over the world. Everything you discuss with us is confidential. Because we are a law firm, you get the benefit of the Attorney-Client privilege whether you hire us or not.