UPC Codes Being Used By Another Company Without Permission
Hello,
I have been trying to list our companies product catalog to Amazon. For reference we own the manufacturing, brand, company, and UPC codes which we purchased through GS1 directly. Our products are not listed on Amazon by any other sellers.
While creating a new product, I input the associated UPC code and a pop up comes up saying, "We found possible matching product(s)" These suggested products are in no way connected with the products we are trying to list, but they have used out UPC codes without permission from us, the owners of the UPC codes.
I have reached out to Amazon Support regarding the issue several times now and the response I get are little to no help at all. Most responses are automated macro responses that have little to no correlation with the issue I presented. The last response I received suggested I "report abuse" for the stolen UPC codes. When I go to the report abuse link, I read further and stated under Amazon's Intellectual Property for Rights Owners, " Barcode Ownership: Amazon does not enforce ownership over barcode, UPC, or EAN". Thus this advice also feels useless.
We own 1000 UPC codes from GS1 directly and although we have not tested all, nearly 50% seem to be improperly used by a non-associated company. Having to report this on a UPC to UPC basis would take way to long. Instead I suggest enforce based on our Company Index (First 8 digits of UPC).
Any help would be appreciated.
UPC Codes Being Used By Another Company Without Permission
Hello,
I have been trying to list our companies product catalog to Amazon. For reference we own the manufacturing, brand, company, and UPC codes which we purchased through GS1 directly. Our products are not listed on Amazon by any other sellers.
While creating a new product, I input the associated UPC code and a pop up comes up saying, "We found possible matching product(s)" These suggested products are in no way connected with the products we are trying to list, but they have used out UPC codes without permission from us, the owners of the UPC codes.
I have reached out to Amazon Support regarding the issue several times now and the response I get are little to no help at all. Most responses are automated macro responses that have little to no correlation with the issue I presented. The last response I received suggested I "report abuse" for the stolen UPC codes. When I go to the report abuse link, I read further and stated under Amazon's Intellectual Property for Rights Owners, " Barcode Ownership: Amazon does not enforce ownership over barcode, UPC, or EAN". Thus this advice also feels useless.
We own 1000 UPC codes from GS1 directly and although we have not tested all, nearly 50% seem to be improperly used by a non-associated company. Having to report this on a UPC to UPC basis would take way to long. Instead I suggest enforce based on our Company Index (First 8 digits of UPC).
Any help would be appreciated.
Seller_3qllv6SY8mdjV
I have the same issue. Amazon wont do anything. Amazon recently has really been cracking down on needing a UPC to list products. They require a UPC, but then dont seem to check that it is owned by the brand listing under it. Makes no sense. They say they dont enforce it, but really it isn't a stretch to just check with GS1 that the code belongs to the brand that is listing it. It causes huge headaches when I need to ship to FBA, because Amazon will require me to label thousands of units with the FNSKU label, when the product of course already has the UPC on the packaging, so it is a total waste of time and $. Amazon 100% does not care about this issue though, I can tell you that. The support does not even understand the issue. Even Brand Registry does not care.
25 replies
Seller_lL56sfALOfvzT
I'm guessing you spent a good chunk of change on 1000 codes! What did GS1 themselves have to say about the issues you are having?
Seller_6AgGy6BBFHp0z
why not ask the GS1 to reimburse your money or give you a new one? let them deal with that issue
Seller_3qllv6SY8mdjV
I have the same issue. Amazon wont do anything. Amazon recently has really been cracking down on needing a UPC to list products. They require a UPC, but then dont seem to check that it is owned by the brand listing under it. Makes no sense. They say they dont enforce it, but really it isn't a stretch to just check with GS1 that the code belongs to the brand that is listing it. It causes huge headaches when I need to ship to FBA, because Amazon will require me to label thousands of units with the FNSKU label, when the product of course already has the UPC on the packaging, so it is a total waste of time and $. Amazon 100% does not care about this issue though, I can tell you that. The support does not even understand the issue. Even Brand Registry does not care.
Seller_rI7BZIczK8iAC
Is it possible that you already used this specific UPC for creating a listing? Which you deleted afterwards?
Seller_dkvNFPkFjSVLg
Have you tried having a phone conversation with support?
Are you registered with Brand Registry?
Seller_D0VEe0ela1AKl
It is not uncommon for UPCs that you purchase from GS1 to already be used in Amazon's catalog. This doesn't have to do with GS1 or Amazon, per se, but rather involves a time, years ago, where sellers, mostly based overseas (Asia), were setting up products using "randomly" created UPCs (not purchased by GS1) that would later be assigned and purchased by companies legitimately from GS1. Thankfully this problem of the past isn't as prevalent as Amazon now cross references with GS1 ensuring that the UPCs used in product setups are associated with the brand using them, not that this helps with your current predicament.
This happened to one of our clients where soccer shoes they were creating had a UPC previously used by a China-based toy company 8-years prior. Amazon's agents were helpful in understanding the problem, but stated that their policy wouldn't allow them to remove the fake UPC from the offending ASIN (sound familiar?). They offered instructions on how to map our item onto the ASIN and how to get the details changed to our product after the listing was added to our catalog. This has worked in some instances, but due to the ASIN being suppressed, likely for product compliance issues, even if we could map our soccer shoes to the ASIN we couldn't get the product compliance folks to reinstate the ASIN. Ultimately we had to assign another UPC to the product for Amazon, re-sticker the barcode on the shoe box and abandon the original UPC.
Here are your options:
1. Create the item using the ASIN that is currently mapped to the UPC you want to use. You will have to set it up initially using the title and branding of the former listing, but once live in your catalog you can work with Amazon to get those locked catalog attributes changed to your own details, including title, brand, product-type. You will likely have to show your GS1 certificate and photos of the product/packaging in the cases you file for them to make the required changes.
2. If that doesn't work, or if the item is suppressed (dog page), you will likely have to abandon that UPC and set your product up with another one from the list you purchased from GS1. Hopefully others in your list are free of any former ASIN mappings.
Hope this has been enlightening and helpful. Know you aren't the only one who has to deal with these problems.
Seller_v2fCgTiUJfqwG
You mentioned that you own the manufacturing, brand, company and UPC codes.....is your brand registered with Amazon's Brand Registry? If not, look into registering and then once you are set up as the Brand Owner in that system, you can submit counterfeit claims against those using your UPCs. Other than that, Yes, I agree with others. Amazon Seller Support will not do anything unless you can get your case in the hands of a manager but they will ask you to provide proof before they will take any action to free up those UPCs. It is a mess and always has been.
Seller_zH2dViW4UFPxz
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