Amazon Hazmat Knowledge Check Answers

Running an Amazon business is a tough job–from managing inventory to customer service, it frequently feels like there are a 1000000 things you must handle simultaneously.

Then when Amazon throws curveballs similar marking your product equally a Dangerous Good or Amazon Hazmat (even when they're non), the process can become even more frustrating. And equally an entrepreneur, there are probably other things you'd rather focus on instead.

Unfortunately, the Amazon Hazmat review process tin quickly feel like a nightmare if you're not set. Without proper preparation, your production could get stuck for weeks and require what feels like endless paperwork to get your product list back on the platform. Simply let's go back to the basics.

What are hazmat products on Amazon?

According to Amazon on Seller Key, Hazmat products are substances that pose a take a chance to wellness, safety, property, or the environment at any point through the distribution process.

Amazon has 9 different categories in their Dangerous Goods Review. If your product is marked Hazmat by Amazon, it likely falls under one of these categories.

Screenshot from Amazon Seller Central Help Heart

Hazmat products will only concern Amazon sellers selling their items via FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), since Amazon will be in accuse of storing and transporting those products. Considering of this, Amazon wants to ensure that each product you're selling–and they are handling–is safety for delivery to and from their warehouses.

Working knowledge of the Amazon Hazmat review process is essential for stores that sell products in categories that experience frequent reviews. Examples include health and dietary supplements, essential oils, electronics, liquids, gases, batteries, etc. Unlike types of hazmat products may include:

Hairspray
Nail polish
Gum
Repellents
Pet care items
Shaving cream
Perfume

No FBA business organization is exempt from Amazon'south hazmat review, and the platform runs strict inspection. As a issue, all FBA sellers have to submit an ingredients list from the manufacturer that Amazon and so reviews. If any of the ingredients sets off any of Amazon's cherry-red flags then the seller will need to submit additional documentation on the product to articulate the review.

However, these red flags don't ever mean that your production is dangerous. Sometimes, something as minor as having sodium as an ingredient can get you a hazmat review. This can be a big headache for FBA sellers where Amazon frequently flags products that don't actually correspond any harm.

What is the origin of Amazon's Hazmat Review?

Running Hazmat reviews on FBA products hasn't e'er been part of Amazon's operations. The platform showtime introduced the process back in 2014 after having to pay a fine of $350,000 due to harming UPS employees with leaking packages.

Since and then, Amazon has the right to audit whatsoever item it receives to its warehouses and determine whether it contains unsafe ingredients. It's a way of protecting themselves and their employees and ensuring naught goes wrong during transportation.

How does hazmat touch your sales?

Amazon classifying your product every bit a Dangerous Expert can have highly negative consequences on your listing conversion rate. Often, it ways you'll have to stop selling your product for a while until you fix the upshot. It'due south also going to distract you from other tasks (such as marketing or improving your products) that you could exist doing to take your business to the next level.

What happens when products are marked as hazmat?

Hither's what happens when Amazon flags one of your products as Hazmat in four unlike stages:

Stride i: Paused listings

Amazon may intermission your product listings, and the FBA team volition not brand your production listing available until they complete a hazmat review of your production data. Amazon may also give y'all a discover with a short time frame (usually a couple days) to supply the hazmat review data before they accept any action, such as pausing the listing.

Step 2: Fill out a SDS Request

You'll accept to supply Amazon with an SDS asking from the manufacturer or an MSDS Exemption (Material Safety Data Sheet), which is an exemption form to fill out for not-dangerous products. The requirements include:

You must accept updated the form inside the past five years
Your SDS form must match your production listing (for instance, ASIN championship should be the same every bit your SDS production proper name)
You must include all the supplier information that corresponds to your product label's supplier data
You must include all xvi standard SDS sections

Stride 3: Submit the SDS Asking within the deadline

If the documentation is not submitted within four business days, Amazon will block the listing. This is the indicate of no return, and if not submitted in fourth dimension y'all'll have to re-upload your production listing to go through the process all over again.

Step four: Hazmat nomenclature

Amazon reviews the production documentation (Amazon says to allow up to 4 business concern days for this review) and designates the production as one of three classifications:

Non-DG: Amazon has not establish your production to exist dangerous, so there are no hazmat restrictions. Business as usual.
Restricted DG: For Amazon to deliver your production, you need to enroll in the FBA Dangerous Goods program. Existing inventory may need to be transferred to a fulfillment centre capable of treatment dangerous goods (FBA initiates this transfer themselves). Additional units may be sent to fulfillment centers, simply these products count toward your seller's unsafe goods inventory limit.
Unfulfillable DG: Amazon found your product to be too unsafe for delivery and will non fulfill it. As a seller yous must create a removal club for the inventory and sell it through FBM. If not removed, Amazon will dispose of the inventory subsequently 5 business days. The platform likewise gives you the pick to request another Hazmat Review.

1 important affair to note is that any product that goes through a Hazmat Review will also undergo additional unsafe goods reviews. Hither'southward what Pattern's Senior Brand Managing director Jordan Mower has to say virtually it:

"After a production is classified, this designation is not permanent. The FBA squad will initiate a new review if they receive whatsoever alien ingredient information from any other seller—and perhaps for additional reasons that we do not have visibility into," says Mower. "We sell several products that are constantly going through additional Dangerous Goods reviews. A production will be reviewed and classified and and then a few weeks afterward that classification will go changed again and we'll accept to pivot ~~on that~~. So y'all have to exist pretty dynamic with certain products."

How tin yous resolve Amazon Hazmat Reviews apace?

Thankfully, Amazon mark your products every bit hazmat doesn't have to be the end of the world. Hither'southward what you can do ahead of time to amend manage Hazmat reviews when they ascend:

1. Create an alternative SKU with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM)

If a production is marked as Hazmat, yous can create an alternating SKU with Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) to continue selling your product. You'll proceeds complete control over your inventory management and aircraft instead of letting Amazon fulfill your orders themselves.

An advantage of fulfilling your orders themselves is that yous won't be paying whatsoever service fees to Amazon. However, you lot'll too have to deal with more responsibilities than you would take with Amazon FBA.

2. Request more storage through Seller Central Support

FBA sellers have a limit for Hazmat storage. It this may affect your Hazmat fulfillment options if many or all of your products are Hazmat.

What they don't know, withal, is that information technology's possible to ask for more through Amazon's Seller Central Support. Continue in mind that often only larger sellers will get their request accepted.

3. Hire an Inventory Management Proficient

Solving Amazon Hazmat Reviews all comes downward to using the proper documentation. Even so, Blueprint Senior Make Manager Jordan Mower works with a few supplements brands and has often experienced this frustration.

In the end, information technology'southward of import to accept a savvy inventory management person in identify who tin can keep upwards with the dynamic changes that come with FBA and Hazmat reviews.

Hiring a team of experts to to handle the twists and turns of hazmat products–keeping up with dynamic changes from Hazmat reviews, managing your brand'southward inventory responsibilities, and compliance–can save you a lot of time and fifty-fifty more than headaches.

Plus, y'all'll gain peace of mind that your inventory and hazmat issues are in good hands, then you can focus on other areas of improving your Amazon store.

How tin Pattern aid Amazon businesses clear hazmat?

Equally an ecommerce marketplace management visitor, nosotros have vast experience submitting SDS and MSDS Exemption sheets through the Amazon upload portal. Nosotros also make sure to apply correct formatting and follow-up with Amazon to brand sure the platform accepts your product listing.

Our clients benefit from Pattern's positive track record of fulfillment and sales experience with the Amazon hazmat dangerous goods program. We also offering an extensive inventory storage threshold.

Contact us today to see how a Brand Manager's expertise could assistance your Amazon listings take off. Our squad of experts will be more than than happy to answer any questions you lot may have about ensuring your products are compliant with Amazon'southward strict hazmat policy.