Aside from attractive deals, your holiday survival depends on you not being suspended. As such, you should know Amazon’s no-go zones. 🛑
So, we took it upon ourselves to create a reviewer of Amazon’s product and category restrictions. We have some good stuff to help you steer clear of suspension mayhem and keep those sales merry and bright.
BIG IDEA
Amazon snatched the top ecommerce spot through its customer-centric principles. And one of their most effective tactics is creating a safe shopping platform.
But to do that, it imposes restrictions on sellers like you—and punishes those found in violation. SellerApp provides a refresher list of various restriction types to help you avoid these violations.
⛔ Know your limits
You can list your items freely. But there are certain categories and products that need Amazon’s approval prior to publishing them.
Restricted categories:
- Grocery & Gourmet Foods
- Sports & Nutrition
- Medical supplies & Equipment
- Baby Feeding
- Pet Care
Restricted products:
- Cosmetics & Skin/Hair Care
- Currency, Coins, Cash Equivalents, and Gift Cards
- Explosives, Weapons, and Related Items
- Gambling & Lottery
- Hazardous and Dangerous Items
🙅 Other restrictions
Apart from the above items, Amazon allows you to sell anything you like. You can even sell branded and used items, given you meet a few lenient conditions:
- Specific brands, including Adidas, Nike, and Gucci, need proof of authorization to resell. This ensures product authenticity and strengthens seller support in the retail arbitrage.
- Selling used items is prohibited in certain categories, including Watches, Baby Products, Grocery & Gourmet Food, and Health & Personal Care.
Is it worth selling restricted items?
The approval process and document requirements to sell them can be quite discouraging. But it’s your choice if you sell these restricted items. If you think going the extra mile will be worth it, then feel free to list them!
SPONSORED POST
The secret to becoming the next big Amazon brand
Have you ever wondered how top-tier brands consistently maintain their dominant positions? We’ll let you know a secret–they owe it to their commitment to innovation.
Yes, technology plays a part. But there's something else, too: time-tested strategies like word-of-mouth marketing (WOM).
🗣️ The new face of WOM
In modern ecommerce, a fresh form of word-of-mouth marketing has surfaced—user-generated content (UGC).
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Not sure how influencer marketing works?
Stack Influence can help you with this! Just like how they did for big brands like Unilever, P&G, Magic Spoon, and Momofuku, they can:
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- No More Extras: Amazon’s Eliminate Amazon barcode labeling recommendation can save you from piling labeling costs.
- Guilty as Charged: Amazon CCU, Prada Group, and other luxury brands caught a guilty counterfeiter.
- FDA Reminders: You don’t need an FDA license to sell on Amazon, but you still need to comply with their regulations.
- Tried and Tested: Here are the Amazon product categories that require lab testing.
- Do Not Use: Do you know the keywords you should never use on Amazon?
TRENDING TOPIC
How to ensure product conformity on Amazon
To protect buyers from fraud, especially counterfeit items, Amazon keeps an extra layer of security. According to trade-e-ability, sellers are required to provide proof that your products conform to legal regulations.
And nope, there are no exceptions or shortcuts around this rule. If you fail to do so, your listings can be removed, or you may even be suspended. Now, you don't want that, especially with the peak season coming in. ☠️
We don't want that for you either, so here's what you need to know to comply with this rule:
- There's a deadline to follow. You know what they say, "Time is the most essential commodity." So, make sure you buy enough to submit labels, warnings, and compliance documents on or before the deadline Amazon will set.
- You should get a good image of your product packaging, particularly if you sell products with labels, warnings, and safety marks on the package. Make sure you photograph every side and upload those on the product page.
- EU sellers have a special requirement. When you sell items with a CE marking on Amazon EU, you must specify a person or a company responsible for them. It's part of the EU Regulation for Product Safety and Market Compliance.
📍 A note to remember
Now that Amazon has shifted the responsibility to sellers, your continued venture in the marketplace lies in your hands. Fortunately, you can use the Manage Your Compliance dashboard to ensure your compliance—and, hopefully, success.
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
5 steps to get ungated on restricted Amazon categories
Amazon can be unforgiving to those who don't follow its rules. And if you find yourself on the receiving end of a restricted category violation—intended or not—you better be prepared for the repercussions.
👇 Jungle Scout identified the potential consequences that you may face, as well as the step-by-step process to get yourself out of them.
- Canceled listings
- Listing limits
- Listing suspension
- Permanent removal (for extreme cases)
Recovering your account from these is no easy feat—but not impossible. First, you need to get yourself ungated by following these easy steps:
- Log in to Seller Central.
- On your account homepage, find the Category tab.
- Choose Add Products from the dropdown menu.
- Find the product you wish to sell and click Show limitations to the left of the product information.
- If you're eligible to apply to be ungated, click Request Approval to start the application process. If not, you'll receive a notification stating that applications are not being accepted.
What to do next if you're ineligible?
If you want to sell under a restricted category but aren't qualified, you can try selling other products first. It may be frustrating, but it's much better than losing your selling privileges.
Do keep in mind that compliance goes beyond just following rules; you also have to gain customers' trust. To do this, we suggest you review the regulations and know them like the back of your hand. 🔍
