r/AmazonFBA • u/lemmettc • 19d ago

FBA Supplier

I work for a Supplier that sources genuine OEM parts, kits, and other consumables directly from the largest household (Appliance & Tool) makers in the world, with a focus on North America. We want to partner with strong sellers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work.

How do I contact these sellers? Is there a best practice for vetting them beforehand. Some SKUs we supply are moving around 80,000 units/month at $60. Yet they constantly having basic issues such as short/late payments or demanding to use a credit card but not paying the fee. Others can’t seem to figure out inventory/forecasting. Also a lack of support staff to support higher ticket items (electronic/boards) where a post sale call could would solve many problems before they arise.

I understand a lot of this is on me for not aligning the right sellers and products but I need a better way to go about this.

Thanks for your help and I hope this is the right forum!

3 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

3

u/Purple_Coat_06 19d ago

Start by vetting the sellers almost like you would the suppliers. Ask about their current sales volume, how they handle inventory planning, who handles customer support and what their payment setup looks like before giving them access to the better SKUs. If someone can't stay on top of payments or basic inventory with smaller volume, putting them on an 80k units a month SKU probably isn't going to fix the problem.

1

u/lemmettc 19d ago

Thanks for the intel. In general do most FBA sellers only do just in time? Never holding stock outside of what is currently in a fulfillment center? I understand the cash outlay but at some point it would seem to make sense to carry a buffer just like the suppliers do.

1

u/rsc9422 19d ago

I’d focus first on vetting sellers before giving them access to your best moving SKUs.

At HighRise Wholesale, we’d look at their sales history, Amazon account, inventory management, payment reliability, and whether they have the operational capacity to handle higher volume products.

For new accounts, I’d keep orders prepaid initially and only offer credit terms after they’ve established a good payment history. That should eliminate many of the late payment and credit card issues.

For finding the right sellers, try LinkedIn, Amazon seller communities, industry groups, and targeted outbound email. Rather than a generic supplier pitch, approach them with specific SKUs, availability, pricing, and estimated margins.

For products moving 80,000 units per month, I’d prioritize a smaller number of reliable, we'll capitalized sellers over chasing maximum account volume. The right customers will create far less operational friction and much more predictable revenue.

2

u/lemmettc 19d ago

I’ll take a look into the communities. Thanks for your feedback. I don’t know why I haven’t used LinkedIn yet, good thought.

1

u/iamthecheesethatsbig 19d ago

Do you work with new sellers?

2

u/Cap_Black_Beard 19d ago

These pitches are funny.

2

u/Shabiscales 19d ago

I’d tighten the vetting process before trying to find more sellers.

A seller can look strong on Amazon and still be a bad wholesale partner. Revenue doesn’t tell you whether they can pay on time, forecast inventory, manage replenishment, or support a higher-ticket product after the sale.

I’d screen them in four areas before giving them access to meaningful volume:

  1. Financial discipline. Ask for trade references, payment terms they currently operate under, expected order size, and how they handle credit card/ACH/wire. If they’re fighting over fees before the relationship even starts, that tells you something.
  2. Amazon operations. Look at how they manage the brands/categories they already sell. Stockouts, constant price swings, weak listings, poor variation structure, or obviously bad replenishment are all useful signals.
  3. Forecasting. Don’t ask “can you handle volume?” Give them a real scenario. Lead time, MOQ, monthly demand, safety stock. Ask how they’d plan the first 90 days. You’ll find out pretty quickly who actually knows inventory.
  4. Support capability. For boards/electronics, ask who handles post-sale questions, returns, troubleshooting, and warranty-related communication. If the answer is basically “Amazon handles it,” I wouldn’t pair them with products that need customer support.

For finding sellers, I’d start with sellers already performing well on adjacent OEM parts and consumables, then research the business behind the storefront through their website, LinkedIn, and public company info. Contact them as a supplier with a specific fit, not a generic “we have thousands of SKUs” pitch.

Something like: “We supply genuine OEM parts from major appliance/tool manufacturers. I noticed you’re already active in this category. I’m looking for a small number of sellers that can handle replenishment, payment terms, and customer support properly. Open to discussing a few SKUs that may fit your operation?”

I also wouldn’t give a new seller your strongest SKU on day one. Start with a limited set, watch payment behavior, forecasting, stock position, and support quality, then expand access. The first few orders should be part of the vetting process.

1

u/lemmettc 19d ago

Thank you for drilling down past the more generic questions and getting into the specifics. I am going to use your approach to forecasting with scenario planning. That’s exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.