Amazon FBA Blog
Top 5 Amazon FBA Seller Shipping & Freight Forwarding Mistakes to Avoid

Top 5 Amazon FBA Seller Shipping & Freight Forwarding Mistakes to Avoid

Successful Amazon FBA shipments involve a lot of planning, following regulations and partnering with experienced freight forwarders.

5 mins read, 23 Jun 2020
Top 5 Amazon FBA Warehouse Shipping & Freight Forwarding Mistakes to Avoid
Bookairfreight Key Takeaways:

• Breaching Amazon FBA guidelines in the slightest can cost you hundreds of dollars in penalties, and even lead to banning your future shipments!

• Get insurance to protect your goods during transit and handling - FBA will reject your goods if they show up damaged.

• Create a shipping plan in advance to organize your shipments and their final destinations.

1️⃣ Mistake 1 - Breaching Amazon’s Guidelines and Restrictions

When it comes to storage safety, Amazon is extremely strict. It is mandatory to meet all the labelling, weight and size limits for each package for various reasons, including: 

• The handling personnel should be able to lift the goods.

• There is limited storage space in the warehouses.

• Proper labels let Amazon know what’s coming in, and how to handle it.

Examples of labels that FBA shipments may require:

Team Lift Label Mechanical Lift Label Amazon FBA Box ID Label
Caution sign - team lifting required for an Amazon FBA shipment Caution sign - heavy object mechanical lift only for an Amazon FBA shipment Amazon FBA shipping label

And here's a tip - certain products are allowed to be sold on Amazon, but are not eligible for Fulfillment by Amazon!

If sellers ignore or otherwise don't follow these requirements and continue to send prohibited goods to the FBA, they may be charged a hefty fine and face potential bans from selling on Amazon!

For example: Amazon DOES NOT allow the following into FBA warehouses.

Alcoholic Beverages Vehicle Tyres Gift Cards or Gift Certificates
alcoholic beverages car tires gift cards


You can find out more information at Amazon FBA Prohibited Goods List and Policy.

2️⃣ Mistake 2 - Sending Damaged Goods to Amazon FBA

If your goods reach the Amazon fulfillment centre’s door looking broken, shattered, or otherwise damaged, they're not going to sell. Amazon could immediately reject your shipment.

How to ship to Amazon warehouse

And it makes sense! Amazon would rather store other’s seller’s ‘sellable’ goods in their FBA warehouses and make money off of them than store your sad, broken goods for a much longer time as they fail to successfully sell.

It gets worse - if Amazon rejects your goods, you have to ship them back at your own cost and the damaged goods themselves are now a waste.

So here's a tip -  it’s super important that you partner with reliable freight partners and insure your goods.

Bookairfreight’s Tips:

At Bookairfreight, we offer FREE insurance for goods valued up to US $10,000. Message us at bookings@bookairfreight.com if you have any questions.

3️⃣ Mistake 3 - Goods Sent To The Wrong Fulfillment Centers

If you don’t plan your shipments properly, and fail to create a shipping plan, chances are you’ll mess up the FBA address and carriers may deliver them to the wrong destination.  

If your goods end up at another FBA doorstep than the one planned, Amazon will not accept them and you’ll have to work with your forwarder to sort out the mess at your own cost

You can automatically create a shipping plan on Amazon’s Seller Central’s portal in the Send/replenish Inventory tab. 

How to send Goods Amazon Fulfillment Centers

Or, if you’re at the right Fulfillment Centre but don’t have a dock appointment (a time slot reserved for you to unload the goods), FBA won’t accept your goods.

4️⃣ Mistake 4 - Not Buying Enough Units or Over-Stocking

A lot of businesses don’t plan their stock of inventory realistically - as a result they either short sell and stock a small quantity, or overstock the goods - both of these mistakes can backfire. 

Bookairfreight’s Tips:

Amazon can de-rank you in case your products don’t move or if you run out of stock and are causing shipping delays.

This is where planning and forecast analysis is really important- understand the peak seasons (holidays, planned sales), both for Amazon and for your particular product and stock accordingly. 

5️⃣ Mistake 5 - Choosing the Wrong Freight Forwarder

Your products are ready to ship, and all you need is to get them from one country to another. That has to be the easy part right?

Unfortunately choosing a freight forwarder can be pretty tricky - the pricing can vary wildly, with some charging 2-5x as much as others for the same service! Making a mistake here can be extremely costly!

And when you’re shipping to FBA, forwarders need to know the procedures of dock appointments and handle the goods with care from start to finish. 

Partner With a Reliable Freight Carrier and Protect Your Goods!

At app.bookairfreight.com, you can instantly compare rates from tier 1, experienced FBA freight forwarders and book the one that best suits your needs - go give it a try now for FREE. 

Bookairfreight platform

But Wait, there's more! Check Out Our Guide On Shipping to Amazon FBA. 

Go read the 3 Things to Follow That Can Save 15% on FBA Shipments Costs and save your hard-earned cash!

how to save FBA shipping cost

Try our instant quotes for free
China
USA
100KG
Get Free Shipping Quotes
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Daisy Jiang

Proud Co-Founder and CEO of Bookairfreight. Shortly after starting to work in the world of logistics, I was astonished at how difficult and time consuming it was for businesses to get their hands on a simple air freight quote. I saw this as an opportunity to really make a difference in people’s lives, and felt like I had to do something. It was the spark that lit the fire of Bookairfreight’s creation.

Stay On Top
Of Your Logistics

Join our newsletter for practical tips
that will save you money and time.

🥳 Thank you! You're signed up!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

You May Also Like ❤️...

How to Ship X
Ultimate Guide- Import toys from China

Thinking of importing toys from China? Look no further! We put together a complete guide with everything you need to know, from sourcing to shipping in 3 easy steps!

How to Ship X
Shipping shoes from China to the USA

Looking to import shoes from China to the USA? Look no further! We put together a complete guide with everything you need to know, from sourcing to shipping!

Ultimate Guides | Tips for Shipping Freight
Complete Guide - Importing Wigs And Hair Extensions From China in 2021

Congratulations on your wig or hair extension business! In this article, we’ll cover how you can go about importing your hair products from China in the best (and most cost-effective) way possible!

Ultimate Guides | Tips for Shipping Freight
Complete Guide: Importing Goods To Australia From China

Looking to import goods from China to Australia? We put together a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know, from import documents to taxes & duties and more!

Take Your Logistics to the Next Level.

Sign up  for free and get access to 60% cheaper freight rates from top forwarders all over the world.

Hundreds of fast-growing e-commerce businesses are working with Bookairfreight.
Get Weekly Freight Rate Updates
Email Address
Pick the Shipping Routes You Are Interested In:
Sign Me Up
Please check your email for rates!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
mascot-image