New Amazon policy forces sellers of toys to their knees
New Amazon policy for sellers of toys introduced. Read and learn about the changes. (Ad)
Point of view: Ricarda Eichler from OnlinehändlerNews (OHN)
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the E-commerce Germany News editorial office.
When you sell toys, you will now be required to commission certification services on a yearly basis. Amazon is putting sellers under pressure right before Christmas season.
Annual certification: What Amazon now requires
Toys are among the top-selling product categories during the peak season. After all, almost everyone knows someone with children, and the joy in their eyes when they receive a gift is something many cherish.
A new policy at Amazon — timed to hit right before the peak season — now demands that sellers hire a third-party service provider approved by Amazon to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of their products. If sellers do not comply, their products may be blocked from the marketplace.
Numerous Amazon sellers contacted OnlinehändlerNews (OHN) or posted on Amazon’s Seller Central discussion board, reporting a new requirement by the company. Going forward, products that Amazon classifies as “toys” must undergo an annual audit by a certified testing, inspection, and certification service provider (a TCI).
With the test, sellers must demonstrate compliance with the European toy regulations EN 71 and EN 62115. According to a communication from Amazon sent to one seller, test reports must only be submitted directly to Amazon by the testing provider. Submission by the seller is not permitted.
What does Amazon define as “toy”?
According to Amazon’s information site on “Children’s Toys,” the term broadly covers products intended for children under 14 for the purposes of learning or play. Factors include the age designation on packaging, how the product is marketed, and whether it is generally accepted as a toy.
In practice, classification is not always clear—especially when Amazon uses automated systems to categorize the myriad of products on its marketplace. Reports suggest that even products primarily intended for adult collectors have been incorrectly subjected to the new requirements.
In the communication reviewed by OnlinehändlerNews (OHN’s editorial office), Amazon stated:
“Products are classified as toys based on various characteristics, including their play value, attractiveness to children, the manufacturer’s recommended minimum age, as well as other factors.”
Amazon’s timing threatens the holiday season
Sellers wanting to comply must act quickly: without submitted test reports, their products may be suspended during the most critical time of the year. Currently, only 27 testing institutions across Germany and other European markets are approved by Amazon. The current demand for these institutions is likely very high.
There is no universal deadline for submission; instead, Amazon is rolling out the requirement individually. In the U.S., the change went into effect on September 3. US-Sellers were advised to monitor their Account Health Dashboard for individual deadlines.
Criticism from the seller community: “€20,000 per year!”
In the German Seller Central discussion board, many are complaining about the short lead-up and lack of preparation time. One seller summarizes the major issues:
“The biggest difficulties are:
- Non-acceptance of existing certificates/test reports (…)
- Annual testing requirement despite multi-year validity (…)
- Practical problems with deadlines (…)
- Many of our products are not yet listed despite having certificates (…)”
Another seller points to the cost factor: “If each test costs €100, that’s €200,000 in annual fees to an external service provider for me.”
A major annoyance is the refusal to accept certificates from test labs not on Amazon’s approved list. Amazon retains the authority to decide which certification bodies are acceptable and which are not. Even products from well-known certified toy manufacturers may have to undergo new yearly testing. For sellers, this means enormous additional administrative and financial burdens.
Author:
Ricarda Eichler. Ricarda reports on digitization and talks to exciting voices from the industry in interviews and podcasts. Find more of her writing on https://www.onlinehaendler-news.de/
Article originally published in German on September 23, 2025
