Seller Repay
About the Company
Seller Repay, founded by Robin McCartney in 2018, provides software that helps Amazon sellers identify and recover funds from FBA reimbursement opportunities. The tool is designed to automatically detect reimbursement cases based on inventory issues or incorrect charges. Initially launched as an FBA auditing service, the company pivoted after changes in Amazon's policies limited third-party access to seller data, leading to a rebranding and the development of more comprehensive software. It now serves as a vital tool for Amazon sellers seeking to streamline the reimbursement process.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for Seller Repay stemmed from Robin McCartney’s own frustrations as an Amazon seller. After encountering frequent issues with lost inventory and incorrect FBA fees, he spent excessive amounts of time reconciling these errors and manually filing claims. Recognizing the opportunity to automate and simplify this process, McCartney developed the idea for a SaaS tool that would help sellers recover funds without the hassle of dealing with complex claims. This idea quickly evolved from a personal solution to a business serving the broader Amazon seller community.
Creating the Company
Although not a tech expert, Robin McCartney leveraged his experience as an Amazon seller to create the first version of Seller Repay. Initially, he hired an offshore agency specializing in AWS to help build the software that would integrate with Amazon Seller Central, enabling the tool to pull inventory data, identify reimbursement opportunities, and generate claims. The development process took about a year, with countless hours spent testing the prototype on McCartney's own Amazon account. Despite some initial bugs, the software recovered $7,000 in refunds, which validated the idea.
Launching the Business
The launch of Seller Repay faced a significant challenge: educating Amazon sellers about the existence of FBA reimbursement issues and the benefits of using the software. McCartney and his team used a combination of content marketing, social media outreach, and referrals to build awareness. They focused on addressing misconceptions and demonstrating the value of the service, which was priced based on a 20% commission on successful reimbursements. Although the market has become more competitive, Seller Repay has maintained its edge by emphasizing exceptional customer service and continuously improving its product.
Earnings
Seller Repay’s business model operates on a pay-for-performance basis, where customers only pay a 20% commission on reimbursements successfully claimed. This structure has been effective in attracting customers who appreciate the low-risk nature of the service. However, the company faced challenges with its business growth after pivoting and rebranding. Despite these hurdles, McCartney remains optimistic about the future of the business, particularly with the growing e-commerce market and the increasing number of Amazon sellers. Seller Repay aims to expand its customer base by offering more marketing and software updates while continuing to provide a valuable service for established sellers.
