The problem with Amazon's General Listing Restrictions is that they're not always general enough to guess. Of course, we all know about the obvious restrictions like selling firearms or alcohol, but some restricted products aren't as obvious, like novelty magnets. Even with acceptable products, sellers have to be careful what they say — Amazon has strict rules about which descriptions and guarantees are okay for listings.
To help keep your listings above board (and out of Amazon's crosshairs), we collected some of the general listing restrictions that aren't common knowledge. Take a quick look below to make sure all your listings are by the book.
Prohibited Items that Might Surprise You
We've already written a guide about the common Amazon restricted products, so feel free to check that out if you have any questions about prohibited product categories. A lot of them are common sense, like weapons, alcohol, or volatile chemicals. Below we discuss the general listing restrictions that aren't so obvious.
For starters, children's clothing with drawstrings is problematic. All upper-body clothing for children (sizes 2T - 12) is prohibited. Lower-body clothing is slightly more permissive but still restricts drawstrings over 3 inches when fully expanded (sizes 2T - 16), as well as any toggles, knots, or attachments on the end of those strings. Outer bodywear with a waist drawstring (sizes 2T - 16) must be bar-tacked if it's one continuous string.
Strong magnets are also prohibited, such as novelty toys, stress relief, or puzzle toys. Specific brands of magnets such as BuckyBalls or NeoCubes are expressly prohibited.
What You Say Can Be Held Against You
Most of the Amazon general listing restrictions are product claims — what you can legally say about your product, regulated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Essentially, you must be able to back up those claims or the listing will be taken down. Amazon may even ask for proof of a claim, to which you must present evidence like scientific test results or research.
If you decide to use any of the descriptions from the list below, be prepared to back them up.
"100% natural" or "100% organic"
"anti-microbial"
"anti-bacterial"
"environmentally friendly," "eco-friendly," or "green"
"made in the U.S.A."
"Native American," "Indian," or the name of a specific Indigenous tribe
Other problematic claims include saying what a product is made from or contains. Likewise, be prepared to prove any claim about quality, such as a thread count on linens, or a claim about technical specifications, such as storage capacity on digital electronics.
Medical products have elaborate rules for what you can say. For example, saying something can reduce the risk of concussions is subject to scrutiny. Products covered by the FFDCA must also include the disclaimer:
All food, drug, medical device, and cosmetic products are guaranteed not to be adulterated or misbranded, as defined by the FFDCA, as of the date they are shipped. They are guaranteed to be articles permitted for interstate commerce, as defined by sections 404, 505, and 512 of the FFDCA. These guarantees apply to every shipment you have made and will make in future, and to every shipment made on your behalf by another party.
Pesticides and similar products must state they comply with the US Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
Aside from product descriptions, sellers must also be careful about how they market the product. For starters, any guarantees made to customers must be honored — if you use the phrase "money-back guarantee" or "satisfaction guarantee," you must issue a full refund on request.
Some products on Amazon are allowed, but only with authorization or special restrictions.
For example, only certain types of laser products are permitted on Amazon. Generally, laser products cannot exceed Class IIIA emission limits, but lasers in children's toys cannot exceed Class I emission limits. Laser product listings on Amazon must include both the laser hazard class and the human-accessible power output.
Jewelry is another particular product category with extra rules. Descriptions of jewelry must all comply with the FTC Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries. Moreover, the detail page must list the qualities of the metals. Products listed as "silver" must contain at least 92.5% silver. Treatments for diamonds and gemstones must be disclosed.
While radio frequency devices are permitted for sale on Amazon, they must comply with the FCC rulings on frequency interference. Sometimes this requires obtaining authentication from the FCC itself.
Other problematic products with special permissions are replacement water filters and window coverings, so double-check Amazon's rules before listing those. Fine art, antique coins, and collectible stamps all have their special requirements you'll need to read up on before offering them on Amazon.
Some of your listings may already be down without you knowing. Any shopper could report your listing for one of the above restrictions, even if it skirted by without trouble up until now. Worse, rival sellers could be hijacking your listing as a competitive cyber-attack. If you have a lot of listings, that makes it easy to miss the notice that one of them could be taken down.
SellerPulse alerts you right away if there's a major change to any of your listings, whether it's been taken down, suppressed in searches, or flagged as "adult" by a competitor. You can even get alerted when there's a Buy Box change. Stay up-to-date in real-time for your whole Amazon business with our free trial of SellerPulse.
Originally published on September 23, 2024, updated November 7, 2024
This post is accurate as of the date of publication. Some features and information may have changed due to product updates or Amazon policy changes.
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