Amazon Automotive Restricted Category Approval
The automotive industry is expansive. If you don’t deal with the vehicles themselves, then you might want to think about the auto-parts selling niche in this global enterprise. As you’d expect, Amazon has this market gated on its platform. This means you need to apply for approval, and having met all the requirements necessary, you will then be allowed to sell.
This Amazon ungating automotive post seeks to help you navigate this rather unpredictable venture into setting up an automotive shop on Amazon.
Generally, the company restricts the sale of some products, categories, sub-categories, or brands of various items until the seller proves quality, authenticity, and reputation by providing documentation as proof.
Similarly, you will do this as you embark on your journey of selling under the auto category on Amazon.
What Automotive Parts Should I Sell on Amazon?
Vehicles are assembled using thousands of parts. This gives you several thousand opportunities on Amazon. At the same time, they give you a headache.
For instance, how do you know the best-selling parts on Amazon so you can sign up?Herein, we’ll look at an ingenious way you can look up parts on amazon. However, here are five tips to choose motor parts to sell:
1. Study The Demand
One of the best indicators to study is the market forces. Do the parts you chose have sufficient demand to drive your revenue expectation? If not reconsider your pick. Furthermore, you have to consider your market carefully. While mechanics and dealers can buy in bulk, you should study the dynamics and compare them to selling to direct auto owners. Other factors may come into play here, but selling directly tends to earn you more.
2. Measurements
While buying online can be so convenient, paying inflated shipping bills would not go down well with the prospective buyer. Since shipping and storage rates depend on the weight and size of the commodities, having bulky products which could double up to being huge is not in the best interest of you as a seller.
3. Wide Audience
You need more customers buying your product to break even. This means that it is more important that you start stocking parts that fit more than one brand of cars. By so doing, you are broadening your market and hence easier to make money.
4. Ease Of Installation
If you are selling to motor owners, then choose items that are easily installed on the vehicles. If replacing parts may incur huge costs including an extra budget for tools, you may not achieve our sales targets n Amazon. When repairing your car becomes more technical and requires skill, then this probably is work for the mechanic. But if for instance, vehicle wipers are not working or headlights are broken, etc., then you can replace such light duties yourself. This is the same reasoning for your customers. Do not give them a reason to go elsewhere or to the mechanic.
5. Durability
Buying parts can be tricky. This is because buyers often have high expectations about the quality of the parts you sell. If you sell substandard parts, your customers will disappear. Ensure you only sell quality and durable automotive parts to customers.
What Is the Automotive & Powersports Part Finder and Fitment Data
To get more customers, you need to ensure your inventory fits most vehicles in the market.
Finding parts that fit your car can be daunting, especially if you are in a sea of parts online and can’t seem to settle on one.
This is why Amazon supports automotive parts finder software.
The Amazon Automotive Part Finder is a tool that customers use to check if parts – mostly those that are fitment-specific, fit their vehicles.
On the other hand, the Fitment Data is what runs the parts finder tool. This comprises data on the technical components of vehicles such that when a customer inputs their model number, year of manufacture, or engine specifications, the part finder can green-light the part or decline it.
Automotive Part Finder and Fitment Data is an ingenious way of narrowing customer search to enhance the user experience.
This ensures you get return buyers, hence more sales.
Tips For Selling Auto Parts on Amazon
After choosing your niche in the vast auto parts market, you need to list these items on Amazon. But since the Amazon popular automotive category can be competitive, you should understand the process.
Here are five steps you need to do:
- Register on Amazon Seller Central and subscribe to the professional seller plan.
- If you are selling refurbished parts, endure they are certified and have a manufacturer or a re-manufacturers warranty before listing them under the Automotive and Powersports category on Amazon.
- Review the Automotive and Powersports Part Finder and Fitment Data page to accurately list your products on Amazon following the script. This is also important when you are dealing in universal auto parts such as tires, floor mats, seat belts, mirrors, etc. which can be shopped without using the part finder.
- Having a physical auto parts shop or a website goes a long way to legitimize your auto parts business on Amazon. It helps to build your reputation as well as credibility.
- Look out for products from some well-known auto brands which may require you to apply for authorization before you are ungated for these brands.
Getting ungated in Automotive and Powersports does not mean you are automatically free to sell parts from some brands. This applies to selling refurbished items as well.
As aforementioned, you need certified parts with a warranty, and this doesn’t come easily. Besides its competitive nature, this category could prove a challenge for beginners to crack through.
Examples of Automotive Parts Brand Names
Fram | Holley | Raybestos | Lund | Hurst
What Are Amazon Restricted or Gated Categories
Amazon gated or restricted categories are those with strict selling rules that no seller is allowed to sell freely.
These categories, brands, and ASINs have specific approval guidelines, and any seller who meets the standards can enjoy a vast market with less competition.
That means Amazon only has the power to draw the rules and open gates for more sellers to access the categories.
The good news, however, is that Amazon does not always restrict the entire category, like in the previous gating practices. Instead, it gates subcategories, leaving some products open, even though they might be under gated categories.
This explains why there is a short list of gated categories and a long list of restricted products or subcategories.
Generally, any seller who wants to sell within a gated category, say, the Amazon Automotive accessories must apply for Amazon to let them in. This is how to get ungated in Amazon automotive and Powersports category.
Why Does Amazon Gate Automotive Brands?
Most multi-million investments are built on trust, customer satisfaction, and a healthy working environment, and Amazon is no exception.
Being a huge marketplace with millions of users globally, Amazon strives to maintain a good relationship with its buyers and sellers by ensuring only high-quality clothing products are in circulation.
It achieves this by gating some categories, brands, and ASINs.
Therefore, among others, here are the main reasons why Amazon gates its categories and how to request approval for automotive on Amazon:
1. To Monitor Product Standards
One of the first missions of the company is to ensure buyers are offered both high-quality and safe products. It does this by allowing only sellers whose products have undergone stringent quality assessment steps to access highly-demanded categories.
Since the platform is home to millions of brands and buyers, there are high chances of buyers getting counterfeit products.
Hence, it is Amazon’s responsibility to block such products by setting up strict selling rules and allowing only those who submit their brand ungating requests.
2. To Protect A Brand’s Reputation
Amazon also works jointly with big brands to ensure only authorized resellers can list products. Therefore, to protect the brand’s reputation, Amazon asks sellers to provide legit documentation from these brands to show they are allowed to list their products.
Resellers who do not provide proof of authorization are locked out of certain categories. In fact, many large and well-known brands require pre-approval with them directly, before even applying to Amazon. This is true for both seasoned sellers, and individuals new to the platform.
3. To Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Besides ensuring buyers can get high-quality products, Amazon also restricts some categories to prevent sellers from exploiting buyers. That means only sellers with a positive track record can access the categories and reach buyers. This enhances customer satisfaction and a positive rating. The company may also limit or dictate maximum pricing to ensure buyers are not being fleeced.
4. Adherence to FDA Regulations
Many items require the approval of the Food and Drug Administration to sell in the US marketplace. No retail platform, website, or other selling venue is permitted to offer any product that is not previously rubber-stamped by the FDA. The obvious reason for this is safety because specific laws exist to ensure that end users are not harmed. Further, items from foreign countries may not be permitted, as they do not meet standard codes from other regulatory bodies.
Categories And Products That Require Amazon Approval
As stated earlier, Amazon has a long list of gated products and a short list of restricted categories. That is because one category can have more subcategories, which can add up to tens of products.
Therefore, when applying for approval, such as for Amazon automotive ungating, you need to consider three ungating levels; category, brand, and product ungating. They should also differentiate between category and product unlocking.
General Guidelines on How to Get approved for Amazon Seller Central Automotive
Whether you are a new reseller or an established FBA seller, Amazon ungating automotive parts offer a unique challenge. Amazon’s mission is to see its users grow, and thus, increase sales and profitability. And this does not matter if you are listing your products in a locked or unrestricted category.
As a result, if you want to expand your selling portfolio by accessing restricted categories, such as the Automotive and Powersports category, here are the general guidelines to get ungated and start selling automotive parts on Amazon:
Sign Up for A Professional Amazon Seller Account
Professional Amazon Seller Account is the backbone of any seller as it records all the activities conducted by the seller on the platform. It is through this account that Amazon can tell your business position and determine whether you meet all the quality standards or not.
Therefore, if you don’t have one, you can create a professional Seller Account which goes for around $39.99 per month.
Analyze And Verify Your Account Health
Creating a professional Seller Account is not enough. You still need to maintain its health to maximize your chances of getting approved to sell on Amazon’s popular automotive marketplace.
Maintaining a healthy account includes meeting your customers’ expectations and adhering to Amazon’s business code.
That means you should have a timely shipping record, good customer relations, competitive pricing, and avoid violating Amazon’s policies.
To check your account health, go to the Account Health section on the Seller Central Account and click on the Performance menu.
Check Specific Auto Parts Ungating Guidelines
Each category has specific ungating instructions. For instance, ungating automotive and Powersports requires you to search the Amazon automotive information verify, list, and then request approval.
Some categories are complicated, while others have simple instructions that even new sellers can unlock easily.
For example, some categories require sellers to have at least three years of selling experience and running websites.
Choose A Reputable Supplier
Getting a reliable supplier is also a vital step, especially as your demand curve grows. Amazon will also ask you to provide legitimate invoices from trusted suppliers whose products fall under gated vehicle brands.
After choosing a supplier, you need to place at least three orders, with each order having at least ten pieces of the restricted product.
Retailers are not considered suppliers. You cannot go down to your local store and purchase a bunch of items for resale. The products need to come from verified wholesalers and distributors.
Be sure to do your research before sourcing and paying for any potential sales items.
Prepare Your Documents
Before submitting your auto brand ungating approval request, you need to prepare your documents, which include recent purchase invoices from reputable wholesalers.
These scanned copies of individual invoices should have all the ASINs written next to the product name. Price and other confidential information should be locked for wholesaler privacy.
As a general note, it is usually best to send the documents in PDF format, so it can be easily seen that they have not been revised.
You may also be required to send information about your status or business trading information.
Request Ungating Approval
With all the documents and other requirements ready, you can proceed to request automotive category selling approval using the following steps:
- Getting a Pro-Merchant Status. You can get the status at only $39 per month. It becomes easier if you already have a Professional Seller Account.
- Search for the item you want to list
- Go to the Listing Limitations Apply
- From the new menu, click on the Apply to Sale button
- Lastly, click on the Request Approval button
Guidelines To Ungate Specific Categories on Amazon
Selling on Amazon goes a long way in understanding what each category entails and how to ungate it on Amazon.
For instance, the Grocery and Gourmet Food category requires sellers to have authorization from regulatory bodies like Food and Drug Administration.
On the other hand, some categories require sellers to have more years of selling experience and a good online presence. Examples include ungating automotive and Powertools category.
Therefore, if you intend to ungate categories and brands on Amazon, you need to consider the following best tips to maximize your chances of getting approved:
- Getting a Pro-Merchant Status. You can get the status at only $39 per month. It becomes easier if you already have a Professional Seller Account.
- Maintaining your order defect rate below 1%. Since it is challenging to tell how fast some products can go bad, it is crucial to ensure your orders move as fast as possible to minimize cases of selling defective products.
- Maintaining your pre-fulfillment cancel rate below 2.5%. A higher pre-fulfillment cancel rate can impact your account health negatively. Thus, you need to lower your order cancelation to maximize your brand ungating approval chances.
- Lowering your late shipment rate to below 4%. Timely delivery is one way to get customer trust; hence, you should try as much as possible to avoid late shipment.
- Acquiring child product certificate. A Child Product Certificate is a must-have requirement if you want to sell in children’s categories such as Toys and Games. It also proves that you adhere to both local and federal product safety laws.
Final Thoughts on Ungating Automotive and Powertools on Amazon
As online shopping continues to skyrocket, the biggest question that most sellers ask is, how do they get it right and reach more buyers?
Of course, there are so many ways that sellers can get it wrong. And these include failing to unlock restricted by highly lucrative categories such as automotive and power tools.
Any seller who wants to make profits while harnessing the power of online shopping should, therefore, think about ungating these categories.
However, ungating the Automotive and Powersports category on Amazon is not as easy as other categories. Sellers need to have already-established websites with detailed product descriptions and images.
Moreover, the product images should follow Amazon’s image requirements, while the products should have valid UPCs. Sellers must also provide a proper warranty or guarantee for all certified refurbished products, in addition to a Part Finder page, and a Fitment Data page.
Fortunately, the above guide provides everything on how to get approved for Amazon seller central automotive.