Customer Service by Amazon for seller-fulfilled orders

What is Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA)?

Customer Service by Amazon is a paid service where Amazon takes care of customer service on your behalf for your self-fulfilled orders. We will direct customer inquiries for these orders to Amazon Customer Service so that you do not need to handle them yourself. In Japan store (Amazon.co.jp), CSBA is currently available to professional China-based sellers.

CSBA Benefits

• CSBA helps improve customer experience by providing a 24-hour, high-quality customer service throughout the year.
• CSBA supports customers in the marketplace-supported language via phone, instant message, and email.
• CSBA’s high-quality customer service can help you reduce A-to-z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews.
• CSBA can help you manage customer service in response to changing demands (for example, during the holiday period).
• CSBA helps you save time and may reduce customer service cost.

CSBA Charges (until September 5, 2021)

CSBA currently charges a flat fee rate of 38 JPY per shipped unit. Once you opt in to CSBA, the fee will apply to all your self-fulfilled orders. Your FBA units will not be charged as part of CSBA.

CSBA Charges (effective from September 6, 2021)

CSBA fee will be charged on each self-fulfilled shipped unit according to your customer service performance defined by Contacts per Unit (CPU). Your fee rate will reduce as you improve your customer service performance.

Your fee tier will be calculated based on your previous three months’ Contact Per Unit (CPU), which is the number of order related customer inquiries that Amazon handles on your behalf per self-fulfilled shipped unit. For example, if in the previous three months, you shipped a total 100 self-fulfilled units and Amazon handled 10 customer inquiries (phone call, instant chat message, or email) on your behalf, your CPU would be 10/100 that is 10%; your fee rate for this month would be 38 JPY per self-fulfilled shipped unit. In cases when your CPU performance is unknown or unreliable (e.g. 30 or fewer self-fulfilled shipped units in previous three months), we will charge you as per standard fee rate of 38 JPY per self-fulfilled unit, until we have enough information to decide your fee tier. This also means that you will be charged the standard fee rate for the remaining of the month if you join CSBA in the middle of the month.

CSBA Requirements and Seller Eligibility

To use CSBA, the seller must comply with the terms of use set forth below. In the event of non-compliance, or if Amazon deems that the seller’s use of CSBA is inappropriate, Amazon may, at its discretion, suspend or disqualify such a seller from using CSBA.

1. Seller must agree to Customer Service by Amazon Terms including,
   
   1. Customer return policy that Amazon.co.jp defines for seller fulfillment orders; and
   2. Order cancel/change requirements that CSBA defines.
2. Registered as a Professional seller with good performance on Amazon.co.jp
3. Provision of valid tracking ID: Sellers who self-fulfill are required to provide valid tracking IDs for their shipments. In case a customer requests information on shipments, CSBA will share the information based on the tracking IDs provided by sellers.
4. Responding to CSBA enquiry: To respond to a customer query, in some cases CSBA will need more information from sellers. In such cases, CSBA will contact sellers by phone or email. Sellers are required to respond to CSBA within 24 hours (includes holidays). If CSBA does not receive a response from the seller within the stipulated time period, CSBA will handle the customer query based on CSBA policy.
5. Seller must agree to CSBA’s handling of customer contacts on MFN orders. In order to avoid confusion, sellers are required to refrain from interfering with the communication between CSBA and the customer.
6. Amazon reserves the right to modify the Terms and Conditions, this Help Page, Policy Programs and other policies at any time.

In addition, the seller shall satisfy the following Terms and Conditions:

The seller is required to satisfy the following terms and conditions, and shall promptly notify Amazon in the event of any change. Further, in the event of non-compliance, Amazon may, at its discretion, suspend or disqualify such a seller from using CSBA.

1. The type of seller’s account is a professional seller’s account.
2. The address stated in the “description pursuant to the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions” is located in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan.
3. The seller is not a Japanese corporation and does not possess Japanese nationality.
4. The seller or the seller’s employees can communicate smoothly in the Chinese language with Amazon CS.
5. The seller shall comply with these Terms and the policies set forth by Amazon, and the seller's account is stable and operational.

Return and Refund policy

1. CSBA follows the Amazon return policies. If a CSBA seller has a return/refund solution which provides better Customer experience than Amazon return policies, the seller is required to send an email to csba-cn-jp@amazon.com with their return policy information. Once CSBA confirms and approves the seller’s return policy, the CSBA team will follow the terms set by the policy to proceed with return/refund requests pertaining to MFN orders.
2. CSBA sellers are required to follow Customer returns for international sales.
3. If a seller provides a return address in Japan, a customer who raises the return request on a CSBA order is automatically authorized to return the item, and will receive the shipping address for sending the return item. Once the seller receives the return item, the seller is required to initiate a refund to the customer following the Amazon Standard policy of return and refund.
4. Return and refund policy of CSBA without return address in Japan:
   
   1. If a seller does not set a return address, CSBA will initiate a refund without return to the customer on behalf of the seller.
   2. If a seller provides an overseas return address, and does not provide a pre-paid shipping label to the customer to return the items of CSBA MFN Order, CSBA will initiate a refund without return to the customer on behalf of the seller. If the customer has shipped the items without a pre-paid shipping label, and if the seller has not refunded the customer for the return shipping fee, CSBA will refund the return shipping fee to customers and charge seller.

Frequently asked questions: Opt in/Opt out of CSBA

1. How do I opt in to CSBA service?

   As a seller, you can opt-in to CSBA Service from Your Services under Seller Account Information.
   

   1. Click Account Info and click Manage.
   2. Click Opt-in to CSBA. This will redirect you to the opt-in page with information on CSBA service introduction.
   3. Click Opt-in Now to opt in. Once you submit this option, you will be able to view this service as “Active” under Your Services section.
   Important: Once you opt-in, CSBA service will start within an hour. Customer inquiries for orders placed prior to your CSBA enrollment will not be covered by CSBA.
2. How can I opt out from CSBA?

   You can opt out from CSBA by following these steps:
   

   1. Go to Account Info.
   2. Under My Services, click Opt-out of CSBA beside Customer Service by Amazon.
   3. Click Opt-out now
   Note: You can also choose to rejoin CSBA later. However, during the period you opted-out from CSBA, the contacts will be routed to you and not Amazon CS.

Frequently asked questions: CSBA fees

1. How will I know my fee rate?

   We will communicate your monthly fee rate on 1^st of every month via email along with the customer inquiry details. CSBA fee rate will be updated monthly based on your previous three months' Contacts per Unit (CPU), which is the number of order related customer inquiries that Amazon handles on your behalf per self-fulfilled shipped unit.

2. When is CSBA fee charged?

   Similar to referral fees, CSBA fee is charged when you ship a self-fulfilled unit. Your fee rate for the month will be decided on 1^st of every month. We will charge the decided fee rate on each self-fulfilled unit shipped in that particular month. For example, if your fee rate for October is 11 JPY, then we will charge you 11 JPY on each self-fulfilled unit you ship in October month.

3. What will be my fee rate if I am a new Seller or I joined CSBA in the middle of the month?

   Your fee rate will be decided and communicated on 1st of the next month, and will be based on previous three months' CPU. If you join CSBA in the middle of the month, we will charge you a standard fee rate of 38 JPY per self-fulfilled unit for the remaining of the month. Also, we will charge you the standard fee rate in certain scenarios when we do not have enough information on your CPU performance (e.g. 30 or fewer self-fulfilled shipped units in the previous three months).

   Note: New sellers who registered in Amazon.co.jp within the last 12 months and who opted into CSBA for the first time benefits from a 90-day free trial. These sellers will only be charged after the free trial expires. After the free trial, we will calculate their fee rate based on available CPU in the previous three months.
4. What is Contacts per Unit (CPU)?

   Contacts per Unit (CPU) is a way to measure your customer service performance. CPU is the number of contacts i.e. order related customer inquiries (calls, instant messages, and emails) that Amazon handles on your behalf per self-fulfilled shipped unit. CPU calculation only includes order related customer inquiries handled by CSBA team. It does not include FBA order related queries handled by Amazon or pre-order customer inquiries handled by you via the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service.

5. Can I reduce my fee rate?

   Yes. You can reduce your fee rate by improving your CPU. CPU is a measure of customer service performance. As you perform better, your CPU will improve and the lower your fee rate will be. Here are some tips to help you improve your CPU -

   
   
   1. Delivery experience:
      
      1. Provide valid tracking information to your order after shipment.
      2. Select a carrier that provides end-to-end tracking information.
      3. Set achievable shipping and delivery dates for your orders.
      4. Ship the orders on time.
   2. Return/Refund/Cancellation:
      
      1. Show clear return/refund policies on policy page.
      2. Provide accurate return shipping address.
      3. If you can provide a better return/refund policy than Amazon's standard policy, share it on your policy page.
      4. Provide accurate stock volume information to avoid pre-fulfillment cancelation.
   3. Product details:
      
      1. Provide accurate product information (e.g. product color, product size, etc.) on detail page and regularly update the product detail page.
      2. Regularly update Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on detail page.
      3. Improve packaging and product quality.
6. Where do I see the CSBA fee charged to my account?

   You can view the CSBA fee charged in the same manner as viewing your other fees such as, referral fees, and Fulfillment by Amazon fees. To do this, click the Reports tab and from the drop-down click Payments.

   
   
   1. Statement View

      Sellers can view the CSBA Fees per shipped quantity for their MFN orders under Orders > Amazon Fees.

   2. Transaction View

      Transaction View: Sellers can view the CSBA Fees per shipped quantity for their MFN orders under Orders > Amazon Fees.

      Transaction Details: Click the total amount (displayed in ¥) of each order payment under the Transaction View. Sellers can view the CSBA fee listed beside Amazon fees at the same level as Referral Fee on item price.

   3. All Statements

      View Summary: Sellers are directed to Statement View.

      Download Flat File V2/Download Flat File: Sellers can download the payment details as a .txt file. Sellers can view one row of payment for CSBA fee.

      Download XML: Seller can download the payment details as a XML file. Sellers can view the CSBA fees in XML, which can be seen after “Item Fee (Referral fee).”

   4. Date Range Reports

      Under Date Range Reports, when sellers click Generate Report, a pop-up screen is displayed with the option to select Summary or Transaction.

      Transaction: Sellers can download this information as a CSV file. In the CSV file, sellers can view the CSBA fee.

7. Whom should I contact for my questions on the charged CSBA Fee?

   Contact Selling Partner Support (SPS) from Contact Us in Seller Central.

FAQ: Customer Inquiries

1. What kind of customer inquiries are not included in CSBA?

   CSBA provides customer service for all post-order queries for your self-fulfillment orders except queries related to Invoice and Product Customization. CSBA does not provide customer service for pre-order customer inquiries. To handle these types of inquiries, use the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service.

2. Do I need to handle Buyer-Seller Messages after using CSBA?

   Yes, you still need to answer pre-order inquiries or Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) order related inquiries in the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service. CSBA only supports post-order queries for your self-fulfillment orders. If a customer contacts you for a self-fulfillment order related inquiry, please transfer it to the CSBA team (csba-cn-jp@amazon.com) and they will handle it on your behalf.

3. How will CSBA handle customer inquiries?

   CSBA will provide high-quality, real-time customer service by Amazon through phone, instant message, and email channels. In some cases, the CSBA team will need to work with you to find a resolution and reply to the customer. Our commitment to the customer usually will be within 2 days.

4. How will CSBA handle returns?

   CSBA will use the standard Amazon return policies to handle customer returns. However, you are required to follow the Customer returns for international sales for returns and refunds.

5. How will CSBA answer product related customer inquiries?

   CSBA will try to answer a customer inquiry based on information available on the product detail page. If we cannot solve a customer's inquiry, we will reach out to you by email or phone for further assistance. We encourage you to review and update the product detail page regularly to ensure the quality of the content when viewed by customers and customer service.

6. Whom should I contact if I have questions about CSBA?

   You can contact Selling Partner Support (SPS) from Contact Us on Seller Central.