The largest e-commerce company in the world, Amazon.com, has just announced a new service (forgive the pun), called Amazon Services. Through Amazon Services, the e-commerce giant, which already sells just about anything on its network of country specific online shopping portals, will also allow you to hire the services of the professional skilled workers. So whether you’re an Electrician, a Landscaper, or a Tailor, you’ll be able to sell your services on Amazon Services, and thus, reach out to a far bigger customer base. Before sellers can list and advertise their services on Amazon Services, they’ll have to undergo thorough background checks. Of course, there are subscription fees involved as well.
As of now, Amazon Services is still in beta, only available in select cities of a handful of states (California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, Texas, Washington & Wisconsin) in the US. Sounds like something you (and your business) can benefit from? Let’s find out more about Amazon Services.
What Exactly Is Amazon Services? And How Does It Work?
Amazon Services allows sellers to advertise and list their services along the products listed on Amazon’s website. To make finding services by users easier, the services are listed along side the products that are related to a particular services. For example, if a service seller specializes in repairing an Apple product, his/her service would be automatically listed alongside the listing of Apple products that are sold through Amazon.
When a customer opts to hire a seller’s services, he/she can add it to the cart, just as a regular product. The concerned service seller will receive an e-mail notification about a new order, and they’ll have 24 hours to confirm it via an appointment. Details such as final order confirmation, invoicing, payment etc. are handled by Amazon itself.
How Can A Seller List His Service(s) On Amazon Services?
Since Amazon Services is still in beta, sellers need to apply on the Amazon Services homepage, and fill out the relevant details about their business, and other general things such as contact information and business authorization licenses. After this, Amazon performs thorough background checks on the sellers. The fees for the background checks obviously needs to be paid by the seller. Once everything has been approved by Amazon, the seller’s service listing will start appearing on Amazon Services, along side relevant products.
What Are The Charges of Listing Services on Amazon Services?
Obviously sellers need to pay subscription fees for having their services listed on Amazon Services. Subscription is based on a monthly basis, with some further charges levied against background checks. Here are the details regarding the charges:
- Monthly Subscription Fees: Waived through June 30, 2015
- Background Check Fees: Waived through January 31, 2015
- Per Business Charges: $50 (for all providers that list services on Amazon)
- Per Participating Employee Charges: $40 (required only for employees performing in-home services)
In addition to that, there are also service selling charges, that vary by profession and are segregated into tiers. More details can be checked on Amazon Services homepage.
Conclusion
Amazon Services is a brilliant initiative by the e-commerce behemoth. It provides skilled workers an easy to use platform to advertise their services. It’s simple, transparent, and completely secure. The fact that services are listed alongside the products they are related to makes finding them even easier. If you’re a seller trying to reach out to a bigger customer base, or a customer looking for the best skilled professional to get the job done, head over to Amazon Services.
