Amazon ordered to notify purchasers of hazardous products and issue refunds
Amazon initially claimed that it was not responsible for such things
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Key notes
- Amazon must comply with a 2024 CPSC order by January 26, 2025, addressing hazardous products and offering refunds.
- The order requires Amazon to notify customers, post recall notices, and maintain records for five years.
- Earlier this year, Amazon released a guide on selling dangerous goods through its FBA program.
Amazon.com has a week left to comply with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s final order from 2024, which requires the company to take action on hazardous products sold through its platform.
According to the new order, which is set to take effect on January 26, 2025, the e-commerce giant has been obligated to notify customers, offer refunds for returned or destroyed products, and maintain detailed records for five years.
The order also mandates that recall notices be posted on Amazon’s website and communicated to third-party sellers.
The order follows a 2024 ruling that Amazon was responsible for distributing defective carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers without electrocution protection, and children’s sleepwear that violates flammability standards.
In 2021, the US CPSC filed a complaint against the $575-billion-in-revenue company for distributing such products, including items sold by third-party sellers through the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program.
Initially, Amazon maintained its stance that it was not responsible for such things. The company argued that “it was not acting as a distributor of the hazardous products within the meaning of the CPSA, and therefore was not responsible for taking actions to protect the public.
Amazon released a guide to its FBA program earlier this year as the order is taking place, but it seems like the company is trying to wash its hands from the liability associated with selling such products.
“When using Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) to sell dangerous goods in the Amazon store, it’s your responsibility to ensure your products and shipments comply with all relevant laws and regulations,” the company outlines.
It also describes dangerous goods as products containing harmful substances, like flammable or corrosive materials, which pose risks if mishandled. So, to sell them, sellers must confirm their product is classified as hazardous, submit safety documentation, and comply with packaging and shipping requirements.
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