Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up an account through Auburn's Amazon Business account?
To be added to the Amazon Business account please log in to TigerBuy and from the Home Shopping Page you will select Amazon Business listed under the punchout supplier(s).
Who do I contact with questions regarding my Amazon Business order?
Auburn has access to a specialized Amazon Business Customer Service team that can be reached at 866-486-2360.
Chat feature can be located in the footer of the website under “Let Us Help You” select “Contact Us”
Why do I have to place my orders for Auburn University through a central business account?
Amazon has a new business model and Auburn is required to use a central business account to make tax exempt purchases. Auburn University will be utilizing the Amazon business account to centralize all purchases under one umbrella account. This centralized account will be the only way to make tax exempt purchases with Amazon for Auburn.
Can I purchase anything available on Amazon through Auburn's Business account?
Items that are not on contract with a Preferred Vendor and are under $3,000 can be purchased through Amazon. While Amazon is convenient and does have good pricing on many items, as a state entity Auburn must consider the bid law when making purchases. The bid law requires that Auburn bid any like/similar item that exceeds $15,000 for the entire university (AU and AUM) for the full fiscal year. Given that Auburn easily exceeds the bid law on most all purchases. That is the main reason that Preferred Vendor contracts were put in place, to allow ease of purchasing without the need to bid the majority of purchases made by the University. The Preferred Vendor contracts are competitively bid and provide an overall value to Auburn in purchasing efficiency and pricing.
Should I purchase an Amazon Prime membership to continue preferred shipping terms?
Through the centralized Amazon Business account, you will have immediate access to free two-day shipping on orders over $49 so there is no need for a Prime membership.
I am currently using my official @auburn.edu e-mail address for personal purchases, can I use that address with Auburn's Business account and my personal account?
No personal purchases may be made using a @auburn.edu email address once it is registered with the Auburn University Amazon business account. However, the registration process will instruct you on how to separate your business and personal accounts.
I am currently using an alias of my @auburn.edu e-mail address for personal purchases, can I continue to use that address with my personal account?
Yes, you can continue to an AU alias e-mail address with your personal Amazon account. Your official AU @auburn.edu e-mail address should be linked to Auburn's Business account.
Can we link a departmental e-mail account to Auburn's Business account to centralize orders within the department?
While Amazon, as a general security policy, recommends users maintain individual logins rather than share passwords, they did confirm that you can register departmental e-mail accounts with Auburn's Business account. We raised the question of credit card information associated with this account and Amazon noted that whether or not credit card information will already be on the account depends on whether an existing account is migrated or if you are starting fresh. If you are creating a new log in, there will be no credit card information in the account. The buyer will enter their credit card information the first time they check out. After that, the card information will be kept on file if that option is selected. If your users migrate over an existing account, any old credit card information or order history migrate as well.
All that to say you will want to establish procedures in using a departmental account with Amazon to insure no issues are encountered with use of the purchasing card and the reconciliation process with shared account access. We caution against saving credit card information on a departmental account rather suggest that it is entered each time during the check-out process.
Why would I be charged sales tax using Auburn's Amazon Business account?
What steps do I take if I am charged sales tax on my purchase through Auburn's Business account?
The easiest solution is for you to contact the seller directly to request the refund. Follow the below steps:
- Go to "your orders" on Amazon.com
- Find the item that was charged tax and click the "contact the seller" button
- Enter subject as "Tax Exemption Refund Request"
- Include the order number and amount charged.
The seller is required to respond within 72 hours. They may ask for some additional information, but if not they should just issue the refund.
If you have any issues contacting the seller, or other questions, you can also call this direct number that goes to our tax team: 888-281-3847.
If there was a mistake on our end and the order was sold or fulfilled by Amazon, and you still see taxes charged, you can just call the number above and they should be able to refund right away.
For any questions you have regarding orders, refunds, or shipping, I also wanted to make sure you had the number for our new Business Customer Service. That number is 866-486-2360. Please see the Amazon Tax Exemption Reference Guide for further guidance.
What steps do I take if my @auburn.edu e-mail address is already linked to an Amazon Business account?
Since you had previously registered an Amazon business account for Auburn using your email address we simply need you to deregister that account so that you can then be added to the main account for Auburn University.
- Log onto your Business Account and download an order history report for the past 6-12 months (recommended precaution in case there is any impact on your past order history as a result of the account move)
- If applicable, remove all users from the account.
- Please click the following link to deregister your existing account (it will not remove any information on the account, simply the Amazon Business account tag): https://amazon.com/gp/b2b/manage/deregister
