Handling of Amazon No-Brand Products
It's been a while since my last post! It's Pu!
Recently, from my newsletter and official LINE subscribers, as well as Raijin users,
Won't my account be suspended if I register products as "No-Brand"?
I have received so many inquiries like this that I would like to provide a comprehensive answer here on this "Pu Note".
Even though I say comprehensive, I am just listing what is written in the "Amazon Terms of Service" so it is not my opinion or anything, but...
Anyway, please take a look at this first.
If you enlarge it,
Bundles created independently by sellers should be registered as "No-Brand" products.
is stated in the Amazon Terms of Service. No one is prohibiting it.
In fact, Amazon is saying, "Please register them as no-brand products." As long as this sentence exists, there is nothing to fear.
In other words, the answer to your inquiries is,
"I believe your account will not be suspended if you register products in accordance with the terms."
that is all.
That would be too blunt,
and there are detailed points to note, so I have summarized them below while including the original text of the Amazon Terms of Service.
It is extremely long and detailed, so for each item,
In short,
I have made it so you only need to read that part. If you are in a hurry, please just read "
6. Summary: In short".
1. What are generic products (excerpt from original text)
Generic products refer to generic items that do not belong to an identifiable brand. Generic products do not have a unique name or logo. For example, a smartphone case that does not belong to a brand has no brand marking. Therefore, the correct brand name value for the ASIN is "Generic".
Using another brand's intellectual property to list generic products, or listing branded products as generic, is a violation of Amazon's listing policies.
In short,
・List items without a brand name as "Generic"
・Do not register (individual) products that have a brand name as "Generic"
(This is obvious).
Source: Seller Central Help > Policies and Guidelines > Program Policies > Amazon Intellectual Property Policy > Amazon Brand Name Policy (excerpt from original text)
2. Bundle Guidelines (excerpt from original text)
This part is a bit long, so I will provide an abridged version and summarize it.
Bundle Guidelines (original text omitted)
Bundles must be configured to provide value to the buyer by combining products with complementary elements, compared to purchasing them individually.
(Omitted)
The main image for a bundle must include all products that make up the bundle. You cannot post images of representative products or similar products.
Below is a summary (Important)
"Bundle"
⇒Must be a valuable product combination"Bundle Composition"
⇒Each item must be listed individually"Unique Bundle"
⇒Register as "Generic"
"Bulk Sale (multiple identical items)"
⇒ Not a "Bundle (multiple different items)""Bonus (non-sellable item)"
⇒ Not a "Bundle (multiple different items)"“Parent-child relationships (size variations, etc.)”
⇒ Do not list as “Generic product”“Bundles” and “Freebies/Bonus items” and “Parent-child relationships”
⇒Not a “set product”, so do not list as a generic product
“Set product”
⇒ All must comply with Amazon product registration rules“Category”
⇒ Select the category of the most expensive item“Refunds/Returns”
⇒ Process for the entire set“Product Warranty/Service Plan”
⇒ Apply to the entire set“Product Code”
⇒ A product code unique to the set is required“If there is no product code”
⇒ UPC exemption application is required“Existing set products”
⇒ Match the product composition exactly“Product Name”
⇒ Clearly state the set notation, quantity, and component items in the product specifications“Set product image”
⇒ Display all items that make up the set
In short,
・ “Set products” should be registered as generic products
・ Items falling under “freebies,” “bundles,” or “parent-child relationships” are not allowed
This is what it means.
※ Be careful not to confuse the definition of “set products (multiple different types)” with “bundles (multiple of the same type)”
Seller Central Help > Policies and Guidelines > Program Policies > Product Guidelines > Set Product Policy (Original excerpt)
3. Freebies (Original excerpt)
If there are freebies or purchase bonuses, please list them on the existing product detail page. If you wish to inform purchasers about the contents of freebies or bonuses, please use the condition description to state them. Stating them in the product description or product specifications is prohibited. Additionally, in the case of freebies (attached premiums), they fall under “total-purchase premiums” under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, so please comply with the following.
If the transaction price is 1,000 yen or less, keep the premium price within 200 yen.
If the transaction price exceeds 1,000 yen, the price of the premium must be kept within 20% of the transaction price (if the premium is not for sale, it must be calculated based on the estimated market price).
In short,
・"Freebies" (such as food toys) are not "set items"
・Do not write freebies in the product description or specifications; list them in the condition notes section
is what this means.
Seller Central Help > Policies, Guidelines > Other Guidelines > Merchants@amazon.co.jp Product Listing Rules (Original Excerpt)
4. Bulk Sales (Original Excerpt)
Listing bulk sale products
When selling the same products in bulk (e.g., a 6-pack of USB memory sticks), you must register the bulk sale product separately from individual items or set items.
Registering bulk sale products
Please register bulk sale products with a unique standard product code (JAN/EAN/UPC). Do not use the codes for the individual products contained within the bulk sale.
Please obtain and register a product code (JAN/EAN/UPC) for bulk sale products that is different from the product code for items sold individually. If you do not have a specific product code, you must apply for a UPC exemption. For details, please see the overview of product code application requirements by category. Also, please be sure to follow the rules below when registering.
-
Product Name
Please make it clear in the product name that it is not an individually sold product, such as by including "Bulk Sale." Also, clearly state the quantity included in the product name.
Example: [Manufacturer Name] Cassette Gas Cylinder CB-250, 3-pack
-
Product Specifications/Description
If you cannot fit the details of the bulk sale into the product name, please describe the bulk sale contents in the product description.
In short,
・"Bulk sale" refers to multiple units of the same product bundled together
・"Bulk sale" and "set items" are different
is what this means.
Seller Central Help > Policies, Guidelines > Other Guidelines > Merchants@amazon.co.jp Product Listing Rules (Original Excerpt)
5. Variation Relationships (Original Excerpt)
Variations (also called parent-child relationships) are a series of products that are related to each other. By setting appropriate variation relationships in your listing information, buyers can compare options such as size, color, and other characteristics on a single product detail page and select the product they wish to purchase.
Parent-child relationships consist of the following three elements:
Parent Product: The product displayed in search results
Child product: Products associated with each parent product
Variation theme: The relationship between parent and child products
Parent product
A parent product is a product used to associate child products and cannot be purchased by customers. In the Amazon catalog, parent products are used to set relationships between child products. For example, if two types of shirts have the same parent product, they are considered related child products.
Child product
A child product is a product associated with a parent product. You can associate multiple child products with one parent product. Each child product differs in size, color, etc..
In short,
・Products with related color or size variations fall under "parent-child relationships"
・Products in a parent-child relationship must be "variation registered" to the parent product
(Registration as a generic product is not allowed).
Seller Central Help > Policies and Guidelines > Other Guidelines > Merchants@amazon.co.jp Product Registration Rules (Original Excerpt)
6. Summary of "In short"
This has been very long, but if you understand the
Amazon policy regarding the definition of generic products and terminology, the matter becomes very simple.
Definition of listing as a "Generic Product"
・Items without a brand name
・[Set items] created independently by the seller
Definition of "Terminology"
[Set item] ⇒ A combination of different products
[ Bulk sale ] ⇒ Multiple units of the same product sold together (not a set item)
[Bonus/Freebie] ⇒ Bonus items such as food toys (not a set item)
[Parent-child relationship] ⇒ Color variations, size variations, etc. (not a set item)
*Not a set item ≒ Not a generic product
In other words, the Amazon policy mentioned at the beginning
To rephrase this,
✅ Combinations of different products
should be registered as [Generic Products].
Conversely
✅ Multiple units of the same product
✅ Items with parent-child relationships, such as different colors or sizes
should be registered as [Variation Listings] under a parent product.
(Do not register them as generic products)
That is what it means.
Ultimately, it looks like this when illustrated.
I have explained this at great length, but I have finally returned to the initial conclusion.
In the end, Amazon's terms of service have only ever said one thing from the start.
Sets created independently by the seller should be registered as "Generic Products."
The content of this article is basically just a list of Amazon's terms of service, so it does not contain any personal opinions.
If you list your products in compliance with the terms and receive any feedback from Amazon, I think it is a good idea to take a screenshot of the Amazon terms of service and send it to them.
That is how I fought against government offices back when I was a salaryman.
That is all
