Heads up, UK sellers! More bladed products may no longer be sold through FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) starting May 19th.
Amazon recently announced that bladed items needing age verification listed within the updated Offensive Weapons Act 2019, such as chef’s knives and kitchen knives, and sold through the merchant-fulfilled channel will be banned from their listings effective May 19.
Part 3 section 41 of the Act defines a bladed product as an item that is or contains a blade, and that can cause grave physical harm to a person, including cutting a person’s skin. The Act also prohibits the sale and delivery of knives to persons under 18, which means an ID and a signature on delivery may be requested if the recipient appears to be a minor.
A concern has been raised regarding the issue of Amazon erroneously flagging fake bladed products like plastic toy swords as restrictive blade products. There is a fear that additional listings of plastic bladed items may also be suspended based on this policy update.
Banning age-restricted knives from being sold through FBM may be Amazon’s way of being extra cautious (and forcing you to switch to FBA), knowing that they can’t fully rely on a seller’s ability to execute age checks on delivery. However, FBA itself isn’t exactly following proper delivery protocol.
Another issue that was raised is Amazon already seems to be violating their age verification on delivery policy by leaving bladed products ordered via FBA at a buyer's door. With this new shift in their requirements, we can only hope the eComm giant will be more careful in carrying out their own policy moving forward.
In closing, if you are currently selling bladed products through FBM, make sure you check out the listing guidelines for bladed products to view the complete list of age-restricted bladed items.
