Many sellers’ listings were removed from Amazon due to an accident

For a long time, Amazon has been forcibly removing sellers’ listings, and most of the time it is because the sellers’ products have more or less violated regulations.

However, recently many sellers have reported that their products were mistakenly removed from the shelves because Amazon determined that these products were children's products and needed to undergo relevant testing before they could be put on the shelves.

It is understood that Amazon is currently forcing sellers to comply with its children's product policy, even if some sellers state that their products are designed entirely for adults.

Under Amazon’s children’s product requirements, sellers must prove to Amazon that their products have been tested for, among other things, lead, cadmium, or phthalates.

A backpack seller who specializes in adult consumers said that Amazon believes that all backpack products should comply with its children's products policy, but from a personal perspective, I am over 50 years old and still carry a backpack.

The seller also added that if you search for backpacks on Amazon now, you can only find Amazon's own products and one or two top brands like Adidas, and other small and medium-sized brands have been squeezed out.

Industry insiders speculate that the reason why Amazon takes this issue so seriously is that four years ago, Amazon had a conflict with the state of Washington. According to a press release from the state's attorney general in May 2019, Amazon reached a legally binding agreement with the state, requiring Amazon to stop selling any children's school supplies or jewelry with excessive levels of lead and cadmium.

Many other sellers have also reported encountering similar situations. One seller said he received a warning email from Amazon:

“I would like to inform you that your product has been identified as a backpack. A backpack is a bag made of plastic, cloth, nylon, or other material with a zipper, buckle, or drawstring closure that is used to store items such as textbooks. Backpacks typically have two shoulder straps, or a strap that goes across the chest. Amazon requires that all children's school supplies be tested and meet relevant regulations and standards.”

In response, an Amazon employee asked the seller whether he had evidence that the product was designed specifically for adults.

“You can usually get this information from the supplier, and if they don’t have the relevant documents, you can take the product to a third party for testing. If necessary, you can use our service provider network to search for relevant testing agencies.”

The sellers obviously could not accept this reply. First of all, testing products requires a lot of time and money, which small and medium-sized sellers simply cannot afford. Secondly, their products are not sold to children, but they still need evidence to prove it, which is really unacceptable.

Although the sellers’ dissatisfaction is understandable, it is conceivable that Amazon’s move was also due to pressure from regulators, but the execution may need to be more humane.

Amazon

Removed

Children's Products