When selling on Amazon it’s crucial to check the Amazon restricted products policy articles and check tips to avoid headaches in the future.
There are thousands of products you can sell on Amazon. If you’re trying to get your product off the ground and onto Amazon, it’s important to understand the platform’s Restricted Products Policy.
As a new seller, you might not know that Amazon’s marketplace has hundreds of categories, subcategories, and brands. Before you list your first product on Amazon, it is important that you understand which items are restricted.
This article, listed Amazon restricted product policies and show you tips to get approved.
What is an Amazon Restricted Product?
Restricted products are products that require approval. The reason behind this is for consumer safety- It is Amazon’s number one priority.
Restricted categories or gated categories are typically categories where it’s easier for scammers to sell fraudulent products. So verifying the sellers and listed items reduces the risk of fraudulent products selling on the site.
These products tend to have strict rules and regulations around them depending on your product, marketplace, and national laws, which makes it difficult for new Amazon sellers to be approved to sell them.
Here is a list of restricted categories on Amazon:
> Holiday Selling Requirements in Toys & Games
> Amazon Watch Warranty FAQs
> Made in Italy
> Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
> Collectible Coins
> Streaming Media Players
> Personal Safety and Household products
> Grocery & Gourmet Foods
> Music Category
> Lighting Category
> Beauty Topical
> Sports & Nutrition
> Watches
> Gardening & Watering
> Automotive
> OTC Medication
> Haircare & Beauty Appliances
> Baby Topicals
> Toys
> Pet supplies
> Medical supplies & Equipment
> Pet Care
> Pet Food
> Candles & Aroma Therapy
> Power Tools
> Home Environment Electronics
> Wireless Accessories
> Baby Feeding
> Feminine Hygiene
> Baby Activity Gear
> Baby Strollers and Carriers
> Audio Visual
> Personal Safety & Household
Additionally, there are also certain products that are restricted on Amazon that requires approval.
Here is the list of main restricted categories in the United States:
> Alcohol
> Animals & animal-related products
> Art - fine art
> Art - home decor
> Automotive and powersports
> Composite wood products
> Cosmetics & skin/hair care
> CPAP cleaning and disinfecting devices
> Currency, coins, cash equivalents, and gift cards
> Dietary supplements
> Drugs & drug paraphernalia
> Electronics
> Explosives, weapons, and related items
> Export controls
> Food & beverage
> Gambling & lottery
> Hazardous and prohibited items
> Human parts & burial artifacts
> Jewelry & precious gems
> Laser products
> Lighting
> Lock picking & theft devices
> Medical devices and accessories
> Offensive & controversial materials
> Pesticides and pesticide devices
> Plant and seed products
> Postage meters and stamps
> Recalled products
> Recycling electronics
> Refrigerants
> Strike anywhere matches
> Subscriptions and periodicals
> Surveillance equipment
> Tobacco & tobacco-related products
> Warranties, service plans, contracts, and guarantees
>Upholstered furniture, bedding, & other quilted products
TIPS TO GET APPROVED
If your product is restricted, you will not be able to list it for sale on Amazon. However, there are ways that you can get approval to sell certain restricted products.
If you think your product falls into a restricted product category, it is always important that you know all the requirements needed.
If you think your product falls into a restricted product category, it is always important that you know all the requirements needed.
Amazon Restricted Products policies include a number of specifics on what kinds of items fall into each category, so it’s always best to read through the policy itself before you attempt to sell anything on Amazon and ensure that every product that you want to sell complies with Amazon’s policies before beginning the application process.
If you’re found violating Amazon’s policies and restrictions, Amazon will be able to:
- Cancel your listing
- Limit listing privileges
- Suspend listing privileges
- Remove your listing privileges
- Terminate your agreement and other arrangements with Amazon.
Here are some basic requirements you need to prepare before you start selling:
- Your company name and seller ID
- Acceptable invoice of your latest order from the Supplier
- Actual images of your product and packaging from different angles
- Product instructions
- Product labels
- Product certificates (e.g. UL Certificates, Product Safety, Test Reports)
- Product Catalog
- Company website URL
Once you have all the requirements, you can start adding your product to Amazon by following these steps.
- Log into your Seller Central account, select Catalog on the home page, and then Add Products.
- Search for the item you want to sell.
- In the search results, click the “Show limitations” link next to the item.
- Click on the “Apply to Sell button”, then follow the steps as prompted.
Note that every product has its own requirements and rules depending on what product or category you are selling. Also, some products within subcategories might require more approval. If you want to check the approval status, just follow these steps:
- Log in to Seller Central Account
- Select Add Inventory
- Select Add Product
- Click the link Selling Application Status.
There is a possibility that your application will be rejected as you might lack the documents submitted. And if your products are not accepted, you’ll receive an email from Amazon explaining the reasoning behind their decision.
When this happens, the best thing you do is to check again the requirements needed and make sure you meet them. Apply again once you have all the requirements. The technique is to be persistent until you get approved.
WHY DO SELLERS RISK ON SELLING ITEMS IN GATED CATEGORIES?
One reason why sellers are taking risks to sell restricted products or gated products is because of low competition. By selling gated products/categories, you are eliminating the competition of sellers who don’t want to bother with the hassle of having to dive into a lot of paperwork for approval.
The competition on Amazon is getting fiercer and finding a profitable product is getting tougher. Therefore, more sellers are going for products with high profits that have less competition within gated categories.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Amazon takes its policy on restricted products very seriously, and those looking to sell on the platform should do their research before listing new products. Many prohibited items are banned for very good reasons, so make sure to avoid putting yourself at risk of having your product listings suspended by checking your product against Amazon’s restricted categories list.
Getting approved is not easy. Just remember to keep things legal and do not do anything risky, then you should be okay. With a little time, effort, and hard work, you should see the success of your items and have fun in the process!
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