Product safety alerts, recalls, stop sales, and market withdrawal policy for sellers
This article applies to selling in: United States

Product safety alerts, recalls, stop sales, and market withdrawal policy for sellers

Important: If you supply products for sale on Amazon, you must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as well as Amazon policies applicable to those products and product listings.

On this page, you will find:

  • What are product safety alerts, recalls, market withdrawals, and stop sales?
  • What is Amazon’s product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, and stop sale policy?
  • What are my responsibilities as a seller during a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, and stop sales?
  • How will I know if my offer is suppressed due to a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or a stop sale?
  • How do I inform Amazon about a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or a stop sale?
  • How can I get my ASIN reinstated?
  • How can I submit a Letter of Compliance to Amazon?
  • How can I appeal an ASIN suppression?
  • What will happen if I do not follow Amazon’s product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, and stop sale policies?
  • How do I request inventory removal from Amazon fulfillment centers?

What are product safety alerts, recalls, market withdrawals, and stop sales?

A product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale is the process of removing products from sale by Amazon, a government agency, manufacturer, or a vendor when a potential product issue exists.

Product safety alerts, recalls, market withdrawals, and stop sales

  1. Product safety alerts: A product safety alert is a process for notifying Selling Partners and Customers when Amazon has learned of a potential product safety defect. Product safety alerts may include public recalls, market withdrawals, and stop sales.
  2. Public recalls: A public recall is considered any recall initiated and announced publicly by government agencies, manufacturers, retailers, or vendors. Public recalls typically pose a public health or injury risk. These announcements usually describe the nature of the product issue, scope of impacted products, and customer remedy. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Health Canada are some of the government agencies in the United States and Canada that release public recall announcements. The sale of recalled products is illegal.
  3. Market withdrawals: A market withdrawal happens when a manufacturer or vendor directly notifies retailers and supply chain partners about a product safety, non-safety, or quality issue, and removes the impacted products from sale. Market withdrawals are sometimes referred to as private recalls.
  4. Stop sale: A stop sale order is issued when a regulatory agency (for example, CPSC), determines that a product defect or safety issue exists, and the product should not continue to be sold. This stops any further product sales from occurring.

What is Amazon’s product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale policy?

Amazon bars any person from selling products subject to recalls, market withdrawals and stop sales, or when products are identified as potentially defective or non-compliant, regardless if the recalls, market withdrawals and stop sales are publicly announced or not. Amazon removes all impacted products from sale until all reinstatement requirements are met (for example, impacted inventory is completely removed from fulfillment centers and Amazon receives satisfactory evidence new inventory is not impacted by recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale). Offering recalled or withdrawn products, products subject to stop sale, or products identified as potentially defective or non-compliant on Amazon will result in a suspension or permanent removal of selling privileges.

What are my responsibilities as a seller during a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale?

Sellers are responsible for all products they list on Amazon.com, and for complying with all applicable laws and regulations and with Amazon’s policies and terms and conditions.

You are responsible for any product you list that’s been identified as potentially defective or in a non-compliant condition or state associated within public or private recalls or safety alerts. It is up to you, the Seller, to quickly communicate to Amazon any knowledge that your products are part of a public or private recall, a stop sale order or a safety alert.

As a Seller at Amazon, you participate in Amazon’s Recalls Logistics and Product Safety Alerts Service unless you opt out within 24 hours of receiving the initial alert. As part of this service, Amazon will notify customers who have purchased the products affected by product safety alerts, recalls, market withdrawals and stop sales, and may issue a refund to such customers.

When Amazon learns of a potential product safety defect, it removes affected listings immediately. If your listing has been removed due to a potential product safety defect, you will be notified by Amazon by a Product Safety Alert within 24 hours.

Please review your inventory and remove any other Amazon.com listings or product advertisements that may be affected by the notification, as well as any affected inventory that you may have with us.

Any further listing or re-listing with new ASINs of these products on Amazon.com will result not only in another product suspension but also in the suspension or permanent removal of your selling privileges.

Do not ship any pending orders for these products. For sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): all pending FBA customer orders for these products will be cancelled by Amazon.

Amazon will message customers advising them of the potential product safety defect, describing the specific remedy (such as refund), directing them to our Recalls and Product Safety Alerts page, which may contain remedy options specific to that product (such as returns), and taking any other actions, as applicable, in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement and any program policy. You are responsible for any costs Amazon or its Affiliates incur in connection with these actions.

As a Seller participating in Amazon’s Recalls Logistics and Product Safety Alerts Service, you are responsible for (i) engaging directly with applicable regulators to negotiate and enter into a Corrective Action Plan, (ii) any reporting obligations, and (iii) any other obligations, as applicable, in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement and any program policy. Failure to do so may result in account enforcement action. Amazon may require proof of your engagement.

If you choose not to participate in Amazon’s Recalls Logistics and Product Safety Alerts Service, you agree to engage directly with the regulator to remedy the potential product safety defect, effectuate all aspects of the recall, and perform any other obligations, as applicable, in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement and any program policies. Failure to do so may result in account enforcement action. Amazon may require proof of your engagement. If Amazon must act in relation to the impacted products on your behalf, it will seek reimbursement from you for any costs Amazon or its Affiliates incur in connection with these actions.

Note: If you choose not to participate in Amazon’s Recalls Logistics and Product Safety Alerts Service, Amazon may also message customers advising them of the potential product safety defect, describing the specific remedy (such as refund), directing them to our Recalls and Product Safety Alerts page ,which may contain remedy options specific to that product (such as returns), and taking any other actions, as applicable, in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement and any program policy. You are responsible for any costs Amazon or its Affiliates incur in connection with these actions.

You have 30 days from the date of the Amazon public safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale notification sent to you to remove your inventory of those products from our fulfillment centers. Amazon will automatically dispose of any units of these products that remain in our fulfillment center for more than 30 days after the date of the notification, without reimbursement, and without additional notice to you. There is a drop-down option on the “Fix Stranded Inventory” page in Seller Central to delay the removals an additional 30 days.

We may dispose of any recalled units (and you will be deemed to have consented to our action) if we determine that (i) the CPSC or another regulator has requested disposal; (ii) the unit creates a safety, health, or liability risk to Amazon, our personnel, or any third party; (iii) if you fail to direct us to return or dispose of any Unsuitable Unit within 30 days after we notify you that the removal is required. In addition, you will reimburse us for expenses we incur in connection with the disposition of any recalled units.

Do not ship new inventory to Amazon until your product has been reinstated. If any inventory is received by Amazon prior to reinstatement, such recalled units will be automatically deemed defective and immediately subject to disposal. In addition, you will reimburse us for expenses we incur in connection with the disposition of any recalled units

How will I know if my offer is suppressed due to a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, and stop sale?

If your listing has been suppressed due to a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale, Amazon will send you a notification with a description of the issue, and next steps. The “Fix Stranded Inventory” page in Seller Central also displays a reason code for all stranded inventory.

How do I inform Amazon about a recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale affecting my offer?

Create a case with Selling Partner Support that includes all the relevant product and ASIN information using this link: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub?ref=/cu/contact-us/

How can I get my ASIN reinstated?

In order to reinstate an ASIN that was suppressed due to a product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, or stop sale, Amazon must first confirm that all impacted inventory has been removed from all Amazon fulfillment centers. Further, after removing all of your inventory, you must upload a Letter of Compliance (LOC) as an attachment to your case in Seller Central. The LOC must be from the manufacturer, on the manufacturer's letterhead, and signed by a relevant stakeholder within the manufacturer’s organization. The LOC must—at a minimum—contain the following information:

  • A brief statement of the reason for the recall.
  • ASIN number(s) and product title(s) of the product(s) for which you are requesting reinstatement.
  • A statement confirming that all future inventory will be compliant with all regulatory standards and not impacted by the recall or market withdrawal.
  • Applicable safety certifications and testing reports.
  • The LOC must be submitted in PDF format.

How can I submit a Letter of Compliance to Amazon?

Create a case with Selling Partner Support and upload your Letter of Compliance using this link: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub?ref=/cu/contact-us/.

The Selling Partner Support team will provide an update on your reinstatement request after reviewing your case.

How can I appeal an ASIN suppression?

To submit an appeal, create and send a case including all the relevant documentation and ASIN information to Selling Partner Support: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub?ref=/cu/contact-us/

The Selling Partner Support team will provide an update on your appeal after reviewing your case.

Note: In the interest of customer safety, Amazon reserves the right to refuse to reinstate any product if there are any potential safety concerns. Amazon reserves the right to make judgments in its sole discretion about whether or not a product listing may present potential safety issues.

What will happen if I do not follow Amazon’s product safety alert, recall, market withdrawal, and stop sale policies?

  • If you do not remove all inventory and do not provide a Letter of Compliance, your offer will remain suppressed and you will be prohibited from selling this product again.
  • If you move your suppressed offer under a different ASIN, or create a new listing, your Amazon selling privileges will be suspended, or permanently removed from the platform.
  • If Amazon must act on your behalf in relation to products that present a potential safety issue, it will seek reimbursement from you for the cost of such action and the remedy offered to customers.

How do I request inventory removal from Amazon fulfillment centers?

If you are unable or unwilling to appeal the suppression of your ASIN, you have 30 days to create removal orders on your products from our fulfillment centers.

Go to the following Help pages for more information:

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Product safety alerts, recalls, stop sales, and market withdrawal policy for sellers

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