Amazon Seller Policy News: Updated Rules For Listing Prices
Starting on April 23rd, Amazon is beginning to tighten its rules for how sellers list prices for their products on the platform. Although this does not necessarily impact the account health of sellers, it is important to understand how it could affect your ability to run sales in the upcoming weeks. In this blog, we walk sellers through these changes, and discuss how they relate to other policy issues on your storefront.
Listing Price Policy Update
Under previous policy, Amazon sellers were able to list products at a price that they determined independently. This allowed sellers to create their own promotional campaigns, in which sales prices could appear as giving a large discount compared to other products. Under the April 23rd changes, sellers will no longer be able to do this.
Starting in a few weeks, sales prices must be backed up by evidence of either recent sales at the listed price, or match the price of the Featured Offer for the product. Pricing enforcement will be much higher compared to previous policy, meaning Amazon can reject your prices if you do not comply with these updated rules.
Amazon’s reason for tackling such a problem likely relates to targeting “discount scams,” in which sellers list products at above average prices, then use sales tools to make a product’s discount appear larger than it is. However, the unfortunate side of this change is that it makes putting on genuine promotional campaigns more difficult.
Additional Storefront Policy Concerns For Sellers
Besides worrying about how you set your prices, it is also important for sellers to monitor their compliance with other policies when setting up a product’s storefront. Especially for resellers, one of the largest areas of compliance concern is avoiding Intellectual Property (IP) issues such as copyright violations from image use. What many sellers don’t know is that it is paramount to receive explicit permission to use images before putting them on your product’s storefront. This is because rights owners can sue you for damages if you use their images without permission. Sellers looking to learn more about how IP infringement can impact your business can find more free information and guides on the Amazon Sellers Lawyer blog and our service pages.
Another area of compliance that sellers should know about is the threat of inauthentic product investigation by Amazon’s enforcement team. Unlike what it sounds like, inauthentic complaints are not always allegations of counterfeit goods, but rather often arise from a customer complaint that the way a seller advertised products does not match up to what they received. This can lead to an investigation into your product sourcing, storefront, and your general account health so it is vital for sellers to use accurate, clear images whenever possible.
Contact Amazon Sellers Lawyer Today!
If you are facing trouble from inauthentic complaints, intellectual property violations, or are in an active dispute with Amazon, contact the team at Amazon Sellers Lawyer today. We have been exclusively focused on helping clients in the seller space since 2016 and are prepared to help you with any challenges that arise. Give us a call at 212-256-1109 or fill out our online form linked here.
About the Author
CJ Rosenbaum, Esq.
CJ Rosenbaum is the founding partner of Amazon Sellers Lawyer. He’s been practicing law since 1995, and since 2016 his firm has focused exclusively on helping Amazon sellers deal with issues like suspensions, intellectual property disputes, and withheld funds.
CJ has written six books on Amazon seller legal issues including the Amazon Sellers’ Guide to Copyright Law. He has spoken at major industry events like the Prosper Show, Global Sources Summit, Retail Global. CJ also works with the Amazon Sellers Lawyer team to provide free content for Amazon sellers. This is available through their online blog and YouTube channel, frequently covering major Amazon updates and important topics relevant to the seller space.
Through BrandProtectionAmazon.com, the firm also supports brands in protecting their products. This gives the team the unique opportunity to learn from case wins on both sides of the fence, strengthening protection for both the sellers and brands that Rosenbaum & Segall P.C. represents.
Amazon repeatedly rejecting your Plan of Action? Amazon Sellers Lawyer handles suspension appeals and account reinstatement cases – including arbitration against Amazon when they’re withholding seller money. Contact us to discuss your situation and figure out the best path forward.