How complex is it to “use the API” instead of using templates, or is it the same thing?
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It’s much more complicated. You basically need to write a program that interfaces with the API, set up a server to run the application on, and then give your program files to instruct it on what to do (the last part is optional, you could have it hard coded to do something but that’s generally not advisable).
But it does offer benefits like periodically (every hour, every day, up to you), checking that nothing else has modified the values. If it detects a change it can send you an alert that something’s changed, as well as automatically changing it back.
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SKU level “Production time” is still showing on all my items, that’s why I don’t know why they were all blank on Category listing report.
Doesn’t really matter for me they were blank at this point, since I have went back and checked all my listings to make sure I have SKU level production time set there.
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I just noticed this thread. After reading a few dozen posts, a light came on.
It was an ugly light - the kind of gyeyish light that is bright enough to outline corpses, but not enough to change the blood stains to anything but black.
But it is a good light for stomping on cockroaches or examining Amazon settings.
Sales have been slow for the past several days. I had assumed that it was just another random fluctuation.
So I checked the buy box eligibility again. My entire inventory is now inelligible. Again.
I haven’t received the email that other seller have mentioned. But it is clear that Amazon despises me - or at least my handling time. So I changed the default from two days to one.
I’ll let you all know if that makes any improvement.
I suspected it was more complicated and required a higher level of knowledge then I have acquired. If I were younger …
I do have a son who programs, maybe I will talk to him about it. He has set up servers for himself and once for me some years back that is no longer in use.
Thanks for the explanation.
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@oneida_books is techy as is @Pepper_Thine_Angus 
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Our inventory sync program that goes between our Server SQL, Amazon, and eBay sets the handling time at each upload, so lets see how long it takes Amazon to figure that out and warn us (official API!!)
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We did not get this e-mail!
Our default is 2 days but recently changed our delivery default template to 3-5 days(changed one of our old templates since TPTB now only offer 2-4 day delivery instead of 3-5)! Wondering if that’s the reason we didin’t get the e-mail…
Most of our older listings reflect 2 days but the newer ones, due to my lethargy, used default handling. Probably about 4000 out of near 15,000 listings
Wonder if this is the reason we are no longer FEATURED OFFER ELIGIBLE-changed yesterday morning from YES to NO. Makes sense I guess, if anything does on this damnable platfform.
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That’s what @rms saw, too!
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Yesterday morning seems about right. Or maybe Friday afternoon/evening. I know that I had eigibility earlier this week - probably Thursday.
I check my eligibility reguarly, like people in bad neighborhoods check to see if they still have a catalytic converter attached to their car. So I think that the junkies hit Friday or Saturday.
Again, dealing with junkies is a very useful metaphor for dealing with Amazon.
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Unfortunately, they didn’t give a date in the email, and I haven’t seen one posted anywhere yet.
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If we get lucky-- really, really lucky – it will take as long to do as it takes them to ‘fix’ the unfixable First Class/Ground Advantage debacle for all you folks that use Amazon ‘buy shipping’.
In this case they get to screw with ALL of us (at least those of us with good shipping metrics).
Amazon is now giving people an incentive to perform WORSE which is a new and novel concept even for them.
There … fixed it for you … your welcome.
This right here is my reason for choosing the 2 day option. Urghh now I have to go change everything back to 2 days
Welcome to SAS @Zelle !
FYI … If you set at item level, it is less likely to change (but you should still monitor it).
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Amazon is like lowcost airlines.
In Europe we have Ryanair. They have super cheap flights and everybody complains about delays, they used to charge extra fees for not bringing the printed boarding pass (yes, in 2022, if you didn’t bring your boarding pass IN PAPER you would have to pay around $35 to fly), they rarely use fingers at the airports, useless customer service…
But at the end, everybody uses Ryanair because they are cheap and have a lot of flights and destinations everyday.
Amazon is the same: they can do whatever they want. Even if they are not the cheapest option, they are the most convenient for customers. They know that and we also do: free returns with no explanations paid by sellers, Amazon pushing sellers more and more with FBA rates raise or lowering handling time for FBM… they don’t care. We have to adapt to their policies or we are out of the game, even if the game is not fair.
You know how when the new requirements role out, they don’t apply to old listings unless you update the listing? Can anyone tell me when you make changes to the production time, does that trigger the bot? Do all your listings suddenly fall out of compliance?
I’m not in handmade but my recent experience is anytime I edit a listing I do have to update fields with new requirements. Indicated by a red exclamation mark on the tab in question. Changes can’t be saved until it’s updated. I have backed out of edit mode if the timing was inconvenient.
YMMV
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I get this too, I can add an ASIN then edit it 15 minutes later and it mandates that I update fields. I think it’s a glitch with the information not populating correctly when you click EDIT.
So be leery of this, they could be populating fields incorrectly too, which wouldn’t be surprising as they’re in the middle of making changes.
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