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Amazon Borrows eBay’s "Mentors" Playbook with New Seller Expert Pilot Program
Amazon has launched a new "Seller Expert Pilot Program," a move that bears a striking resemblance to eBay’s long-standing "Mentors" initiative. This new program invites seasoned sellers to volunteer their expertise by posting helpful content on Amazon’s official discussion boards, mirroring the established model on eBay where "Mentors" have historically provided guidance to fellow platform users.
The initiative came to light when a seller shared their invitation to the program on the Amazon discussion boards approximately a week ago. Further details emerged from a thread on SellersAskSellers, an independent forum founded by former "Amazon seller experts" who created their own platform after dissatisfaction with Amazon’s official forums. According to this thread, Amazon began sending out emails on Thursday to select sellers who are active participants in the discussion boards.
The invitation email, as shared by Amazon Seller Forums Team and Sandy from Amazon.com Seller Support, personally recognizes recipients for their "exceptional contributions to the Amazon Seller Forums." It highlights their "consistent engagement, thoughtful responses, and commitment to supporting fellow sellers" as distinguishing factors within the community and acknowledges the "positive impact" they have made.
The email then outlines the "Exclusive Opportunity to Recognize You!" by inviting participants to the "Amazon Seller Expert Pilot Program." It specifies that this is a "limited invitation extended to a select group of sellers in the US, UK, Japan, and India stores whose contributions have been truly exemplary." The pilot phase is scheduled to run from March 2, 2026, through March 31, 2026, and will focus on the "New Seller community group."
Under the heading "What This Means for You," the email states that participants will have the opportunity to earn rewards, though the specific details of these rewards were not elaborated upon in the provided content. The "How It Works" section explains that Amazon is seeking sellers who "actively contribute meaningful guidance across all Amazon Seller Forums categories, helping fellow sellers navigate challenges and achieve success." Participation involves continuing to "share the expertise you’ve already been generously providing – quality Forum contributions that address real seller needs and make a difference."
The "What Happens Next" section prompts interested sellers to fill out a short survey by February 23, 2026, if they wish to participate and learn more. The email notes that the program will be rolled out in a "tiered approach," and selected sellers will be contacted directly via email with "comprehensive program details and guidelines." It also reassures sellers that even if they don’t hear back immediately, they may be contacted in a later phase as the program expands. The email concludes by reiterating the value of seller contributions in creating a supportive environment and expresses Amazon’s honor in having them participate and formally recognize their role.
Further insights into the program were provided by a seller who shared the answer options for a survey question titled, "Which topics would you feel most confident providing guidance on?" The extensive list of potential topics suggests Amazon is looking for experts across a wide spectrum of seller concerns. These topics include:
- Account Health
- Advertising (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display)
- Apparel & Accessories
- Appliances
- Automotive & Powersports
- Baby Products
- Beauty & Personal Care
- Books
- Business, Industrial & Scientific Supplies
- Camera & Photo
- Cell Phones & Accessories
- Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
- Computers & Accessories
- Digital Music
- Digital Video Games
- DIY & Tools
- Electronics
- Entertainment Collectibles
- Fine Art
- Furniture & Decor
- Garden & Outdoor
- Handmade
- Health & Household
- Home & Kitchen
- Industrial & Scientific
- Instrumentos Musicales
- Jewelry
- Juguetes y Juegos
- Kitchen & Dining
- Luggage & Travel Gear
- Major Appliances
- Musical Instruments
- Office Products
- Outdoors
- Pantry
- Patio, Lawn & Garden
- Personal Computers
- Pet Supplies
- Photo Studio
- Prime Video
- Prime Video Games
- Software
- Sports & Outdoors
- Toys & Games
- Video, CD & DVD
- Watches
- Wireless
This development follows Amazon’s increased investment in its seller forums over the past few years. In August, the company published a post specifically celebrating sellers who had contributed to the discussion boards, indicating a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven support.
However, some long-time sellers, particularly those active on the SellersAskSellers platform, have voiced criticism regarding Amazon’s approach to its forums. A participant in a SellersAskSellers thread pointed out that prior to Amazon’s overhaul of its seller forums, the original seller forums (OSFE) fostered significant engagement and knowledge sharing "FOR FREE." The sentiment expressed is that Amazon "detonated that" and has subsequently struggled to recapture the lost knowledge and engagement. The criticism suggests that Amazon had a valuable resource in sellers freely helping each other but has now lost that organic support system.
This perspective implies that the knowledge and helpfulness that once existed freely on Amazon’s platforms have now "moved," as some suggest, to independent forums like SellersAskSellers. This move is seen by some as a direct consequence of Amazon’s forum restructuring, which they believe diminished the very community engagement they are now attempting to rebuild through programs like the Seller Expert Pilot Program.
The article concludes by inviting readers to share any other instances where Amazon might be adopting strategies previously seen on eBay, and vice versa, suggesting an ongoing trend of platform imitation in the e-commerce landscape.
