Greetings Sellers!
I wanted to share best practices for investigations involving different types of Restricted Product Policy violations. Through specific examples, we'll explain why certain items are restricted and provide clear steps for handling these situations. If you have particular restricted product categories you'd like us to cover, please share your suggestions here in this thread.
There are many reasons why a product can be flagged as prohibited on the platform, which is why it will be vital to understand the local laws and federal regulations for each market you list in. In addition to this, it is advised to keep track of the specific ingredients, listing content, and images associated with a product, as this can assist you in evaluating and addressing any issues that may occur.
I understand that the process to dispute these types of violations can be complex, so below is our first example to review:
- I list a pillow case and receive a restricted product policy violation for it being identified as a pesticide or a pesticide device. We know that a pillow case itself is not classified as a pesticide so this will lead me to reviewing the verbiage in my listing.
- After checking my listing, I find that the description and keywords mention, antimicrobial fabric that prevents the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.
- I then reviewed the Pest control products and pesticides help page where I found the following information…
A product can be classified by the EPA as a pesticide if the product claims, states, or implies, even indirectly, that it can or should be used to prevent, destroy, repel, mitigate, or take any other similar action against any kind of pest. Examples of "pests" include insects, mold, bacteria, mites, mildew, and animals. For US listings, this could appear anywhere in the detail page text, on an image, or both.
Products that make any antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, or other pesticide claim (for example, products marketed to disinfect, repel insects, remove allergens, or prevent bacteria) may be considered pesticides or pesticide devices under EPA regulations.
- The information available indicates that my listing was using verbiage related to pesticidal claims without proper registration.
For me to address this violation, I must provide one of the following:
- Provide evidence of an EPA registration number and EPA Establishment number or both
- Provide exemptions from EPA regulations
- Provide proof that corrective action has been taken to edit/remove the prohibited pesticidal claim from the listing
Please note: If you remove essential verbiage from the listing just to avoid obtaining the EPA registration, this will be seen as an attempt to circumvent the process, which can lead to further listing restrictions and account suspension.
It is important to know, that if the claims are listed on the product or product packaging and you are unable to obtain the proper EPA registration or exemption, there will not be a path to reinstate that ASIN.
The best practice is to do your research BEFORE listing a product that may be in violation, so you can avoid ASIN restrictions and account disruptions. If you are unsure whether or not an item is restricted, you may want to consult with legal council before listing products for sale.
For additional guidance, please review our Restricted Products help page. It provides comprehensive resources to help you identify prohibited items and prevent future violations.
LeviDylan
Pinned by community manager