Amazon's new rules take effect immediately, and a large number of sellers are panicking

Amazon has issued another new rule, and it will take effect immediately!

The new rules have a wide impact, and a large number of sellers are in a panic, not knowing what to do. Some people are suspicious of the rules and call them crazy! What is certain is that if the affected sellers do not provide relevant information as required by the platform, a large number of listings will face the risk of being removed from the shelves.

Amazon issued new rules on button batteries, affecting a large number of sellers

Yesterday, a large number of sellers received compliance requests from Amazon. These sellers mainly sell products containing button batteries. According to Amazon's requirements, products containing button batteries need to submit relevant documents to prove that they are selling products, otherwise the links will be removed.

The compliance requests sellers received stem from a new rule from Amazon.com Inc., which recently issued new requirements for consumer products containing button batteries, which took effect immediately.

The new requirements mention that if sellers sell products with button batteries, they need to provide the following documents to ensure compliance.

1. Certification of compliance with Underwriters Laboratories 4200A (UL4200A) provided by an ISO17025 approved laboratory;

2. General certificate of conformity to UL4200A.

Amazon also mentioned that previously Reese's Law only applied to button or coin cells themselves. For safety reasons, the law now applies to batteries and all consumer products containing batteries.

According to relevant feedback, there are quite a few sellers who have received compliance requests. Some sellers said that all calculator products were marked as meeting compliance requirements, and many watch products sold by sellers were also affected.

The new regulations have a wide impact. Some sellers have been marked more than 80 times, while others have been marked more than 30 or 40 times.

One seller exclaimed: "It's crazy! Dozens of our products are affected, but we know nothing about compliance. When I contacted the factory, they didn't know either!" Another seller also said: "It's really crazy. There are too many SKUs in the store. How can I ensure that every product is certified?"

"I received a notification today, but I'm confused about what to do with the FBA inventory now?" Many colleagues have raised similar questions.

An industry insider shared that consumer products containing button batteries include but are not limited to: clocks, calculators, cameras, flameless candles, glittering clothing, shoes and boots, holiday decorations, keychain flashlights, music greeting cards, remote controls, etc.

Amazon has limited time to submit information for the products marked this time , and it is foreseeable that many sellers’ listings will be affected.

“Many of our listings have been flagged, 45 so far, all from Amazon in the last 24 hours. These listings will need to provide compliance documents, packaging images, and lab test results by April 22 (next Monday) or May 15-16 (a month from now).

We have contacted the manufacturers and requested the required documents, pictures and lab reports, but they are unable to provide them. We are unable to repackage all the products in this time frame and ensure that the requirements are met. This may take several months to a year as ISO lab tests are required for more than 45 individual products.

Based on this, this effort is meaningless. Now we only have 1 week to 1 month, so most listings will be deleted. "A seller said.

Another seller also said that 30 listings were marked and he didn’t know what to do now. He could only contact some laboratory departments for testing, but all relevant tests would take a long time.

The sellers who received compliance requirements were asked to provide information by the platform at different times. Some deadlines were April, while others were May or June. This may be related to the products sold. One of the sellers whose deadline was June said that there were still about two months left and the affected products might have to be removed.

New regulations are in doubt, and some other products are affected

It is worth noting that some products that do not involve button batteries or coin batteries are also affected.

One seller said: “ This is crazy! Amazon robots have marked a large number of products that use 9v batteries instead of button batteries or coin cells. When arguing with Amazon support, they refused to appeal and asked for compliance documents that did not apply to the product. ”

Many sellers have doubts about Amazon’s new regulations, including some watch sellers.

A seller of adult watches questioned: "We sell adult watches. It is impossible for children to open the watch and touch the battery. To open the back cover, you need a strong adult with a screwdriver or other sharp tools to do it, because the back cover is pressed by a special machine and most adult men cannot open it.

Battery boxes that use screws or similar fasteners must be opened with screws or fasteners, or can only be opened at a professional service center. In this case, how can we appeal the watch? Will Amazon ban all watches from the shelves? "

Another watch seller encountered the same situation and tried to appeal to Amazon with these arguments, but was rejected.

A colleague who sells watches lamented: "Where on earth do we get lab documentation on Casio watches? It's common sense that all watches are fixed from the back, but Amazon robots are marking all of this. Ridiculous!"

Compliance requests require action

The new rules that took effect immediately made many sellers anxious. If they did not provide valid compliance documents, their links would be deleted by Amazon. Because it was related to the survival of the links, everyone asked their peers how to operate and whether anyone had successfully solved the problem.

Sellers who received compliance requests submitted materials in the background and found that they needed to make a GCC certificate + UL4200A report, which must reflect:

a) Safe battery compartment test: Products must have a child-resistant battery compartment to prevent access by young children.

b) Warning Labels: The packaging and the product itself must carry clear warnings about potential choking hazards and the risks associated with battery ingestion.

According to Amazon's new regulations, experienced sellers analyzed that if you receive a compliance request, you need to take action.

1. If the product contains button batteries : you need to submit a GCC certificate (a declaration document indicating that it has passed the UL 4200A standard test), a product packaging diagram with a barcode (with warning signs such as dangerous ingestion), and a UL 4200A experimental test report approved by ISO17025 (including product photos to prove that it is the same as the listed product, which can be done by an agency);

2. If the product does not contain button batteries : check the listing to modify sensitive words, then file a complaint, declare the purpose and materials of your product, and clearly inform consumers that it does not contain button batteries. You do not need to provide documentary proof and it will generally be approved.

Under the new regulations, a large number of sellers are put in a passive position. The best way to avoid being affected is to submit the information as required within the specified time.

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New regulations