Is Health and Household Gated on Amazon?
As a new seller on Amazon, you might have tried listing a product in the Home and Kitchen category only to find out that there is a form of restriction on the product.
This might be shocking to you because a quick look at the Amazon restricted categories or a quick Google search will tell you that this category does not require approval.
At this point, you are wondering what could be wrong? Why is it that you can list some products in this category and you can’t list others?
This article will look at why some items in the Kitchen category are restricted but first, let’s answer a very important question.
Why Can An Ungated Category have Items That Are Restricted?
We have heard of gated categories and how stressful it can be to get ungated.
We have categories like Jewelry that are completely restricted by Amazon.
So we always heave a sigh of relief when we find categories like the Home and Kitchen category that are not gated.
However, the bad news is that just because a category is not gated does not mean that there isn’t some sort of restriction on products in that category.
The Home and Kitchen category isn’t any different.
What Qualifies As a Restricted Product?
We can’t say for sure what qualifies a product to be restricted.
As you will see later in this article, there are different reasons a product might be restricted. But the end-game remains the same.
So when doing your product research, go through the general qualifications and the information on restricted categories to ensure that the product you want to sell is not restricted.
Why Are Certain Items In The Kitchen Category Restricted?
Let’s start answering the question that brought you to this page. Why are these Items restricted, and is there anything you can do about them? Amazon restricts these items for various reasons, but they are geared towards the same result: providing the buyers with the best possible service while staying within the limits of the Federal, State, and Local laws. Some of the most common reasons for these restrictions are:
1. Health, Safety, and Compliance Issues
As you already know, Amazon must comply with Federal, State, and Local laws.
The implication is that you can’t list any product that does not comply with these regulations.
Unfortunately, this also means that you will not be able to sell products that are not made in the USA or that cannot be imported and sold in the USA because they were not made according to regulations guiding products in the country.
These products might have health or safety implications, and Amazon is not willing to put buyers at risk.
Let’s look at an example. Suppose you are trying to import and sell electrical appliances that do not meet electricity goals.
In that case, Amazon will not allow you to list and sell this product on their platform for compliance reasons.
2. The Brand Could Be Restricted
This is probably the major reason you won’t be able to sell certain items within a category.
There might be a restriction on certain brands, so Amazon will not allow you to sell products from these brands unless you meet the requirements set by the brand.
Unfortunately, this is difficult because you do not know why these brands are restricted. I
t could be that it is easy to make a counterfeit of these items, or the brand does not want its product to be sold on Amazon because of exclusivity or pricing.
As you might have guessed, lifting these restrictions will be difficult because it might require direct contact with the brand, which most vendors do not have.
3. Amazon Could Be Blocking The ASIN
Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is a ten-digit code used to identify products on Amazon.
Each product has its own unique ASIN.
The ASINs make it easier to manage all the products listed on Amazon.
Amazon might decide to restrict items by blocking the ASINs associated with them. If this happens, you won’t be able to list or sell these items.
Amazon blocks ASINs because of questions about product quality and safety and IP infringement concerns.
If this happens, you might have to appeal for Amazon to unblock the ASIN, after which you can list the product.
4. Only Authorized Vendors Can Sell
Another reason a product might be restricted is the brand or company manufacturing the product does not allow just anyone to sell their products.
Normally, Amazon can approve vendors to sell items once they have met the requirements, but in some cases, the brand might demand that only vendors they authorize should be allowed to sell their products.
In this situation, you need to get the company’s approval, but most times, it is easier said and done.
You might need to make a payment of some sort and meet the requirements set by the brand.
It might also require that you have direct contact with the brand.
Restrictions On Household Cleaning Items
It seems that Amazon also placed certain restrictions on some cleaning products.
Cleaning agents are products used for cleaning kitchen surfaces or washing dishes.
In the past, Amazon banned any cleaning agent with carbon tetrachloride or is meant for industrial use.
However, recently Amazon has been placing restrictions on different cleaning products.
The reason could be to reduce the surge in demand for these products due to the pandemic.
Final Thought on Amazon Health and Household Category
Gated categories are a hassle, but deciding to sell products in the ungated categories does not entirely mean you won’t face certain restrictions.
There are products within ungated categories that are restricted. And since the Amazon Health and Household Category contains many sub-categories and thousands of products, it will have sections that are restricted.
The implication is that you can’t list or sell these products for the various reasons we have listed in this article.
Does that mean you should give up on selling these items?
Definitely not! In most cases, you can do something about the restrictions.
If you can meet the requirements, you might be able to lift these restrictions and start selling these items.
