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The AuctionBytes Blog has been giving a voice to online merchants since its launch in 2005. Named one of the world's top 30 blogs in 2008 by "Blogging Heroes." Weigh in with your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of selling online.

Wed Feb 24 2021 13:43:10

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

By: Ina Steiner

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Sellers who list toys on Amazon feel like they are being thrown to the dogs - at least, their listings are. Amazon is deleting listings in the Toys & Games categories and is displaying its classic error page that shows dogs with the message, "UH-Oh. Something went wrong on our end" when sellers try to access them.

One seller told us there is a huge increase in Product Compliance Requests - "Ton of listings are deleted already and a lot more will be deleted soon!"

"It looks like Amazon is killing toy sellers," they continued. "They request documents even on products they are selling themselves."

Another seller blamed the problem on "a number of recent changes along with misguided policy enforcement" that was wreaking havoc to the no-longer-sold-at-retail collectible toy market on Amazon.

"I have had nearly 900 listings removed or suppressed either due to no descriptions, intellectual property issues, or requests for safety documentation," the seller said. "What is insane about this is that these are all items manufactured by major toy brands."

The seller believes Amazon is taking action to prevent bootlegs and unsafe knockoffs, but instead of considering the actual item, they are removing the listings wholesale, the seller said.

Both sellers pointed to a thread on the Amazon seller discussion boards started last month, which we had reported on at the time, titled, "Huge increase in Product Compliance Requests today? Keeps increasing….!"

The thread is still going strong, with over 750 comments. Apparently things are getting ever more dire for some sellers, who want Amazon to know, this is not a game.

"It looks like the entire page for the item is being sent to the dogs," a seller wrote on the thread on February 21st. "I reviewed my stranded FBA items today, and all of the repressed ones went to the dog page."

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Readers Comments

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: COVID-19

Wed Feb 24 14:57:34 2021

Eh heh heh heh heh. Amazoo = Suck.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: iheartjacksparrow

Wed Feb 24 15:39:03 2021

I don't understand why Amazon is requesting documentation on products that were manufactured by another company, who would have had to have done all the necessary testing and certification before those products were sold. I started reading the thread linked in the article, and one seller, who sold trading cards, was lamenting the fact that Nintendo was not going to respond to a document request for one Pokemon card.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: Rexford

Wed Feb 24 16:50:51 2021

While you're at it, gate another category Amazon.

You offer the "Have one to sell?" option to lure sellers in, but gate another category about every month.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: COVID-19

Wed Feb 24 20:33:11 2021

Watch for eBay to this very soon. What Big Bro does, Lil' Bro must follow!

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: OnlyPollyPocket

Wed Feb 24 20:37:34 2021

I closed my selling account on Amazon because they were removing all of my listings until I provided compliance docs on 25-30 year old collectible toys made by a company that was bought out my Mattel!

They made me pay their monthly fee for 90 days following my last sale before they let me close my account. Since they started doing this a week after my last sale, I had to pay $120 but wasn't allowed to sell anything.

Now I am getting emails from Amazon encouraging me to list there! Ha! Good riddance!

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: Chicago48

Thu Feb 25 03:05:27 2021

AMZ is cutting its own throat. Just because you're the big dog on the block doesn't mean you will continue to be successful. Everyday I get a Compliance Request in my email, and I simply delete the listing and move it to another platform and it sells.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: TomH

Thu Feb 25 11:20:51 2021

No longer a large seller on Amazon, but of the few hundred items left 80 percent of the puzzles, games and toys listed, all mostly collectible types, have been in one way or another (all mentioned above by other sellers) denied, limited, removed by Amazon.

Although I am retired and I continue with Amazon and eBay for the activity and not for the income as such. They both, in their unique ways the last few years, just totally: P..s Me Off.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: Bidonmine

Thu Feb 25 16:51:29 2021

I agree with and do the same as another seller posted: " Everyday I get a Compliance Request in my email, and I simply delete the listing and move it to another platform and it sells. "

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: RKTOYS

Sun Feb 28 13:13:05 2021

Welcome to selling toys on Amazon! Best thing I ever did, even with COVID, was move sales offline.

Sellers Find Amazon Throwing Toy Listings to the Dogs

by: TomH

Sun Feb 28 18:28:59 2021

"Best thing I ever did, even with COVID, was move sales offline."

I agree and I would have if physically possible. I will probably keep on trucking through the end of this year and then just donate whatever is left.

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