Amazon suspension series: selling safety-infringing items

Have you ever fallen under the suspicion of endangering buyers’ safety? If yes, your listing may have been shut down. If no, you should still perform a safety risk assessment and act quickly, as Amazon might be looking into it.
We are here to guide you to where you need to look and for what in order to stay safe or get back on track.
For safety reasons, keep reading…

There are four case scenarios that can occur when it comes to the Amazon safety policy:

Safety…plain and simple –  marked in your notification as complaint type “Safety Incident” or appearing in your Safety dashboard (which is available only for the US accounts for now)

Safety + Not as advertised/Wrong item – the latter appears in notifications under COMPLAINT TYPE but you are recommended to write to the Safety Team

Safety + Used Item Sold as New – the latter appears in notifications under complaint type but you are recommended to write to the Safety Team.

Safety + Expired – :the latter appears in notifications under complaint type but you are recommended to write to the Safety Team

Your Listing Has Been Removed. Now What?

Find out what caused the complaint and check carefully the complaints received for the product at issue!

Your product must have received complaints concerning the alleged  Amazon safety policy infringement. These may be reflected in negative feedbackA performance rating on a scale of 1 to ... More, A-to-Z claims comments, buyer-seller communication or product reviews, depending on what you are being flagged for, regarding any of the following:

Safety Incident

• allergic reactions
• choking hazards
• recalls
• product causing side-effects
• lead, phthalates or other poisonous substances above the accepted level;
• heated cables or plugs
• missing screws, exposing batteries
• toxic plastic;

Not as advertised/Wrong item

• incomplete items or sets
• list of ingredients does not match/ is incomplete
• different color, size, shape, brand, design, etc.
• different/ not matching plug

Used Item Sold as New

• does not function properly
• wrapping material open or too flimsy
• seal broken or tampered with
• looks used

Expired

• passed / too close to the expiration date
• stale taste
• texture, color, and other product feature indicates old age

A. How to Avoid Future Safety Concerns

Besides doing the check-up and brushing up on the Amazon safety policy in place, get your team to do the following:

Safety Incident

• check for and add warnings on ingredients that may cause allergic reactions/ side effects;
• modify product pages and acquire shipping labels to signal potential choking hazards;
• regularly check the relevant pages for recalls (such as CPSC, NHTSA, FDA, Department of Agriculture FSIS, EPA recalls);
• make sure you provide instructions and directions of use to prevent: kits, cables or plugs malfunctioning, misuse of devices, etc.;
• require and store (M)SDSs for immediate access/availability;

Not as advertised/Wrong item

• don’t sell anything using a listing that doesn’t match your stock;
• check all batches and acquire “do not separate” labels for your bundles and sets;
• match the product against the manufacturer’s website before activating your offer;

Used Item Sold as New

• downgrade the conditionProducts can only be listed on Amazon if... More of New  items if anything is less than flawless;
• check that items function properly unless sold in “New” condition;
• acquire sturdier and shock-resistant wrapping material;
• make sure that seals are not broken or tampered with;

Expired

• discard all items that are passed the expiration date or even too close to it (NB: make sure your limits for shelf life match Amazon’s);
• check that boxes for perishable items are in perfect condition and the outer wrapping is intact (i.e. discard anything that looks suspicious);
• check the storage conditions (temperature, humidity, light, etc.) to ensure proper service life and shelf life;

B. What to Include in a Plan if a Suspension Occurred

We have listed so far under A the things that need correction and under B the things that help you with prevention. Apart from those, your plan can also include:

• performing regular check-ups of your stock and matching it against your online inventory available for sale;
• improving listings to be covering relevant safety information;
• working better with suppliers to ensure optimal life service products and in top shape condition;
• irrespective of your sub-reason type (namely and more specifically II, III or IV), it is highly advisable to include a section on safety in your appeal anyway, in order to avoid further exchanges with the Amazon performance team.

NB: Do not forget to supply and attach the MSDS/certificate of analysis or other item verification paperwork with your appeal! Do not hesitate to add any relevant information to your plan of action (e.g. your item has passed the electric safety requirements of standard EN 62115:2005, or the product is compliant with the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) .

Bottom line, your motto should be safety above all.

Think safe, work safe, be safe!

Meet the SellerEngine Team at the next Amazon focused event!

We’ll be exhibiting at the Amazon Professional Sellers Meetup & Workshop, April  27 2017, in New York.

Gabriela is part of the Services Team at SellerEngine Software. She likes to believe she is part of the revival team by resuscitating listings put to bed and accounts put to sleep. It’s all about awakenings! “I am awake whenever there is a dawn in me” is the motto she goes by.