@Julia_Amazon@Julia_Amzn

Perhaps the MODS can be involved on this one as well please, as it is an on-going issue, and if this was cleared up, it would solve many violations, for many Sellers.

(Sorry, this is a long read, but I am sure makes a difference if sorted for all Sellers, and could save Amazon many issues as well).

Barcodes are generated by a brand owner, it seems these now are the only thing Amazon seem concerned about. They do not care if an item is being sent to Buyers that are not as listed.

Example:

(1) Barcode EAN is issued by say Panasonic, for a Panasonic item. Then no issues.

(2) Barcode EAN is issued by a Distributor, so has their EAN number range. The item is a genuine Panasonic item, listed correctly in every detail, including saying it is a Panasonic product. The only difference is that the EAN is the Distributor issued one. Sellers are being given a Violation and told to change the listing, but impossible to do so, as the brand name is locked to say Panasonic. Even if the listing could be changed, as only the title needs altering for example, are you then supposed to lie and make up a wrong brand name?

Often new Barcodes have been allocated for reasons such as it is a package item so although it says Panasonic, it may be a phone with 3 handsets, and each has its own barcode, but as a package it needed a new barcode. It could be an item with a 2-pin plug has a Barcode, but when in the UK it just has a label on the box showing a UK plug, rather than the brand issuing a new Barcode for the UK, they just have a label, so Amazon do not know if UK plugged or not, so to ensure a UK plugged item is supplied a new Barcode was allocated by the Distributor.

Often the manufacturer has authorised the Distributor to issue their own Barcode, but Amazon still ignore that.

We have also had listings removed as the Barcodes are now starting with … with a brand, and they were previously starting with --- as such, Amazon wrongly assume a fake.

It does NOT mean that it is not a genuine item, not a fake, but Amazon are now removing these valid listings, all due to the Barcode not matching what they have listed as being issued by the brand owner on GS1.

Surely, it is far better to have the exact item as listed, and ignore the Barcode, as Amazon did for many years.

(3) Barcode EAN is Brand Registered by XYZ Company trading as brand ‘XYZ’, to get over the issue in (2) above, they start a new ASIN and deliberately wrongly list the brand as XYZ and in the title show XYZ …. Etc. the photo may show the real brand of say Panasonic, or the photo may have had the real brand removed. The Buyer receives the item in the photo, but of course it does not say XYZ brand on the product, but the real brand (eg Panasonic). Amazon seem to not mind at all about this, even though far worse than (2) above, as it will not be a XYZ brand item at all.

This is rife on Amazon, so many of the same items, often by factories in China, that do not have a name on the item at all, just a label with a barcode on the packet that shows a brand name on it.

(4) Generic items. This again seems the only way to now list genuine items that were once correctly listed as (2) above. If a package, UK version (where EU use the same Barcode with EU plug), etc. Again, confused Buyers, as why have they got a Panasonic item, that is listed as Generic.

(Panasonic is my example, but happens mainly with lesser-known brands).

Amazon ‘should’ be far more concerned about (3) where I order an item with XYZ brand on the listing, but that is not the brand supplied, rather than (2), where the item is listed as a Panasonic, and I obtain a Panasonic, just the Barcode is different. That is not a fake, whereas (3) is a fake item as it is not as listed, but they just do not care as the Seller has completed brand registry.

As a minimum, it would be nice if Amazon ignored all older listings, left them as they are, they were fine with the correct items being sent, or if no items sold in the last 12 months.

Any thoughts?