Amazon Compliance Tips You Need to Know

Amazon has strict policies about making claims about your products.

If your product makes claims that have not been FDA approved Amazon will not accept your product.  For products like supplements, we recommend reviewing not only the Amazon policies, but FDA regulations as well. In some cases, Amazon can be more strict than the FDA. Amazon may remove your product listing because it has the term, “FDA” in your listing descriptions. Amazon uses bots to scan listings for trigger words like “FDA”, or “cures”.  If your listing is removed, you will have to make the case that you have not violated any policies or that your products are legitimate.

What happens if I violate a compliance policy?

The actions Amazon takes depend on the violation, your account standing and how many listings have violations.  In some cases, you may just be issued a warning and be asked to discontinue the current behavior.  But, in other cases you will be issued a policy violation.  Amazon will give you general instructions on how to address the violations. Sometimes, Amazon won’t tell you exactly what the violation is, so you have to figure it out and change it as soon as you can. Too many policy violations could lead to account termination. Policy violations will stay on your account until they are addressed.  

What claims can I make?

We recommend keeping your product descriptions very general and accurate. Any claims you make, including ecological or organic, have to be verified. For example, if you are selling clothing made from a sustainable source, you have to be able to provide documentation. Keep in mind that it’s easier to create a listing with general descriptive words and avoid making specific claims. You don’t want to make the claims and need to negotiate getting them relisted, or worse, try to get your whole account reinstated.

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