Amazon Transparency Codes for Arbitrage and Wholesale Sellers...What are They??

[@darcyreichard5079]

Thank you! Now transparency codes are on my radar. Before I watched your video, I didn’t know anything about them.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help Darcy!

[@claudiaschneider3980]

I was wondering about this! Good timing !

[@AskJimmySmith]

Perfect! Love hearing that!

[@paulvasquez3867]

Thank you for the information. I saw the transparency requirement come up a couple of times and my ignorance of it kept me from buying the product. Now that I am aware of what it is I will feel better about making the buy and listing on Amazon. Also... what the heck is going on with STL?? It is a sad disheartening season so far. I hope to make it up for a game or two, I hope they start winning first!!

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad the video helped! And I know the Cardinals are really letting us down so far this year :-/

[@himmo5]

Glad I came upon your channel. You explain things well. I am just starting RA and maybe I am not getting it correctly. I am purchasing from a retailer and listing them and shipping them myself (FBM) When I found a brand that needed approval and wanted to have 5 transparency codes, how do I do that? I don't see ANY transparency codes at the retailer I am buying from. What puzzle piece am I missing?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Thank you for the compliment! Happy to help! If there are no codes, then that means they aren't following Amazon's rules. I would look for other products if you want as it may not be worth the time trying to report them

[@james4891-j8m]

Hello, and thank you for your video. I have a few questions and points of confusion that I'd like you to clarify: Transparency Codes Requirement: If a manufacturer is enrolled in the brand registry and the transparency program, must they apply transparency codes to every product they produce, regardless of whether the product is being sold directly to Amazon or to another retailer? Retail Arbitrage and Amazon's TOS: According to Section 3 , Retail arbitrage is specifically prohibited unless products are obtained from an authorized distributor. Based on your video, it seems that you imply manufacturers must follow Amazon's rules across all sales channels, including privately owned brick-and-mortar stores (like Macy's, Walmart, etc.). Is this correct? Example Scenario: If a manufacturer produces 100,000 units (SKU) and allocates 10,000 of them to Amazon with transparency codes, are the remaining 90,000 units, which are distributed to retailers, also required to have transparency codes per Amazon's guidelines? Further Clarification: If 20,000 of those units are sold to Walmart and do not have transparency codes, would this be considered a violation of Amazon's rules? Conversely, if transparency codes were applied to those 20,000 units sold to Walmart, would it then allow non-authorized sellers to sell these products on Amazon without needing official authorization or a legitimate invoice simply because they have transparency codes? Additionally, what happens if a third-party seller buys a product with a transparency code from another third party and faces an intellectual property or counterfeit claim? The unauthorized third-party seller on Amazon may not have the authorization letter or invoices to prove that their product was purchased through proper channels. This situation would seemingly put them in violation of Section 3 of the TOS on Amazon. Would this result in the unauthorized third-party sellers' products being seized, their store being shut down, and them losing access to funds and inventory in FBA? Could you elaborate on this specific issue?

[@bradk444]

@AskJimmySmith I am also in a similar situation as this comment. I love your content and would love to hear your opinion/thoughts on this! Thank you for your insight and keep up the amazing work!

[@AskJimmySmith]

To answer your questions: 1. Per Amazon's Terms of Service, yes they MUST do this on every unit of the product that was enrolled no matter if it's sold on Amazon or in a retail store 2. Yes that's correct and the transparency codes help to prove legitimacy 3. Yes they are required to be (unfortunately, many brands BREAK this rule and that's why I made this video) 4. Yes on the Walmart question - transparency proves authenticity which means no IP Inauthentic claims can be submitted against a seller that is selling a product with the code on it. However, Brands could still try to become brand gated if they don't want sellers on their Amazon listings 5. If the 3rd party seller has both an authentic transparency code affixed to the product and a receipt from an authorized distributor of those products (ie Walmart or other legitimate retailers), then they should be protected from a counterfeit or inauthentic claim. This could change in the future and I am no lawyer, but this is why Amazon has the transparency program. To ensure items are 100% legitimate. 6. Again, I'm no lawyer and can't guarantee anything. My understanding as a seller and reading their Terms of Service is that if you are purchasing from an authorized distributor and that product has a legitimate Transparency code on the product, then you would be protected from a counterfeit claim. That does not mean though that Amazon doesn't do weird things sometimes and while you are fighting a claim, they do all those things to someone's account. If you'd like a lawyer's help with these questions to verify, Jeff Schick at jeffschick.com is very knowledgeable on all things eCommerce and Amazon.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Just replied, see that and hopefully it helps :-)

[@james4891-j8m]

@@AskJimmySmith Hello Jimmy, thank you for your reply. I appreciate you taking the time to answer each question.

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@james4891-j8m happy to help!

[@Pap3rPlanesss]

Regardless if i need to know the information provided, I always watch your videos. Later down the road it may come in handy!

[@AskJimmySmith]

Love hearing that, thank you!

[@killerpownz]

I have a product that I have been selling for more then a year now. Amazon is also selling the same product. Since a month, they require transparency barcodes. I am not able to send my stock to FBA, without the code. I doubted that the product truly had the T code, so i placed an test order with Amazon's own stock. Turns out their product also does not have the T code. My supplier also told me that there should not be a code on the product. Can you help me what I should do? I suppose that Amazon needs to remove the transparency lock right?

[@killerpownz]

*update* i have tried many times to remove the T lock or get applied to sell it again. These indian customer service are so illiterate, cant communicate properly with them. Dropped the product....

[@AskJimmySmith]

Per Amazon's TOS for Transparency, yes every product should have that code. I assume if Amazon is a seller they may reserve the right to wave that. But ultimately the product should have the code. If it doesn't then the brand is breaking Amazon's TOS

[@MichFMH]

It must have been because the product you ordered was already at Amazon FC after they activated the protection. Every product without labels that are at Amazon FC are all grandfathered in. They aren't really required to take what's Amazon FC to apply labels and ship it again to FC. Once a seller activates protection, that is when they are required to ship inbounds of the products but this time with Transparency labels. Hope this makes sense.

[@killerpownz]

@@MichFMH Thank you my friend. I figured this out. Strange system tho, the brand is Logitech and i personally think its weird Amazon can just do selective distribution like this. This is against EU law and Amazon misuses the T barcodes for their own gain. This is just straight up corporate cartel forming.

[@bethstern8232]

As always you explain the intricacies of this business in terms that make it easy to understand. Thanks.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad to hear that! Thank you so much!

[@Dciborzzz]

What happens if the brand just got enrolled in the transparency program and the previous label doesn't have a transparency code on it?

[@AskJimmySmith]

In this case usually Amazon gives you some time to sell through, you just may not be able to send this product into the Amazon FC if it wasn't already there. In that case I recommend returning the product or selling on eBay/some other marketplace

[@petephathayakorn6302]

Thank you for the explanation. I was wondering if (for private label sellers), transparency code can be use as a substitute of the FNSKU barcode or do I still need to put the FNSKU barcode with the transparency code?

[@AskJimmySmith]

I believe you still need the FNSKU label too

[@unhingedmagazinenc]

Thank you for all the information you provide!

[@AskJimmySmith]

It's my pleasure to do so, happy to be of service :-)

[@hussamaldeenhassan1711]

Thanks for the great info as usual. Do you know any successful cases of reporting brands who abuse the Transparency Program to Amazon? I also feel like Amazon intentionally allows these brands to abuse this program because these brands will be able to sell in higher prices.

[@AskJimmySmith]

I don't know of any, but I'm always in favor of reporting them since Amazon shows a history of letting people operate in the gray for a long time until one day they all get hit with bans or restrictions. With abuses of the transparency program like this, Amazon should know which brands are breaking TOS

[@James0mckenna]

how do I go about opening a case with Amazon. I bought product from Walmart & no codes anywhere on any of them

[@AskJimmySmith]

Seller Central you should be able to open a case. They most likely will not be able to do anything or care, but it's still worth alerting them

[@JohnAda-t5o]

Hi I saw an alibaba product on Amazon and almost 20 people are selling this item on Amazon , and I wanted to list this product and requires transparency codes , I’m just wondering if I order this item from alibaba and ask them to put Amazon transparency codes does it work or should I contact brand owner ? Seems like everyone is selling

[@AskJimmySmith]

You will need to have the transparency codes from the brand on the item. They could have recently enrolled in Transparency and so Amazon is allowing sellers to sell through their inventory until a certain date

[@OhmegadJT]

I’ve been looking everywhere and nobody seems to know what I’m talking about so maybe I’m not explaining it correctly. Say for example, you have brand new Logitech items. The ONLY way you can sell it on Amazon is if you have direct connection with the manufacturer/distributor to get the Transparency serial numbers or if you happen to find one with a Transparency serial number on the box? Basically, it’s not realistic to expect to sell this brand on Amazon? Also, how in the world do you input the serial numbers from the QR codes they request? They’re asking for five different codes and I’m using the Transparency app but it doesn’t give me any numbers. Do I need to buy an actual 2D barcode scanner?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Yes you need the products to have the T codes on them - anytime a brand does this their whole product line must have the codes on every box according to Amazon TOS. When you do find one, yes have a barcode scanner to scan them

[@SWOLECHEETOS]

So do we just normally label with FNSKU's if the transparency qr code is already present I'm confused to whether I have to print a special code and stick it on my product?

[@AskJimmySmith]

The transparency code must already be on the product. If it is, then you can send it in and all you will need to do is add your FNSKU to it

[@JohnnyFlips]

It says not to cover up the transparency, barcodes with any SKU stickers, but in the case of your book for instance, Putting the SKU sticker over the ISBN/upc barcode would violate that rule. What’s the work around for FBA items?

[@AskJimmySmith]

You can't cover the transparency code, if your FNSKU label won't cover the UPC without covering the transparency code, then you may need to package it differently by covering the UPC with a smaller sticker, leaving the transparency code uncovered, and then put the sticker elsewhere or on a polybag

[@יוסיבן-ס8ב]

Hello jimmy, thanks a lot. I am a member of your replens course. My question is: how am i able to check in advance on seller central, regarding specific product, if its requires a transparency code by amazon, or not ? Thanks a lot

[@AskJimmySmith]

Usually by trying to list the ASIN and during your product research it should tell you. In instances where it doesn't then you can always try returning the product to the retailer you bought it from

[@יוסיבן-ס8ב]

@@AskJimmySmith Thank you 🙏

[@BargainMasterSource]

I appreciate the heads-up information about the Transparency Codes and the nuances of this.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help!

[@radtechcredits]

Very helpful video. Thanks for posting this!

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JEFFFITTMIAMI]

I trying to submit the application for transparency now. I don’t quite understand the process just yet, but I will keep digging for more information. However, your video gives me a better understanding of the whole purpose of this process. I was testing to see if I can sell a product that I considered buying from a retail store, but was stopped short because of the transparency application.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad the video could help!

[@rick83642]

did you figuer it out if so can you guide me in the right direction. TY

[@alexanderm7157]

I’m stuck in this process too.. anyone found any luck figuring it out? I’m also stuck at the part where it’s asking for 5 transparency codes…

[@leesa_renae]

@@alexanderm7157did you figure it out? I’m stuck tonight, where do the 5 serial numbers come from 😅

[@mqureshikmnr]

I have order inventory and asked my brand, that is enrolled in transparency program, to provide T codes, they are saying that they will put my inventory in transparency program and then I dont need to do anything. But i dont know how it works. Currently i m trying to ungate the product but its asking codes. Do you know how it works

[@signedsofia]

same situation

[@mqureshikmnr]

@@signedsofia after that I recieved email from amazon transparency saying that the supplier wanted to register me for the inventory. After that email, i attempted to list the product and it was approved without even requiring T-code. Dont worry 😊

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad you got this worked out with your brand!

[@bdkj3e]

Wait so Amazon came up with their own barcode system but if it only gets used on Amazon you get in trouble?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Yes! It's to cut down on counterfeiters worldwide, not just on their platform

[@bdkj3e]

@@AskJimmySmith so the more I've looked into it the more it seems im screwed and the $2500 worth of stuff I bought to sell I can't because they don't have these codes on them, I can't figure out if the manufacturer just started doing it and I have older stock or someone else started doing it to cut down on competition. I bought my stuff from a legit wholesaler so im just SOL.

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@bdkj3e I'm sorry to hear that! Try contacting Amazon with Invoices and see if they can help direct you to the right team to report the brand. Unless it's old stock. You can also reach out to the wholesaler to see why they don't have these codes and that the codes prove authenticity. They may take them back? I doubt it, but it's worth trying. Next best option is to sell on eBay or a different platform

[@yanzhang7207]

Great information, thank you Jimmy!

[@AskJimmySmith]

You're welcome :-)

[@scanlyfe6358]

Always so useful thank you.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help!

[@Chofo307]

How can we get know if a brand is enrolled in this program? Will we always get the message when we try to Add a new product. What are some best practices to avoid this listings. Thank you so much

[@AskJimmySmith]

Typically you will be notified when you go to list the product, yes. There are cases where it doesn't show up all the time, but 95% of the time, you will know beforehand. Unless the brand enrolls in the program later on down the road after you checked the first time

[@samuelabebe1354]

What if Amazon requests a TC on a product that doesn't have it?? I am so confused... I thought they only ask if the product you are sending in ALREADY has one or "Should have one" to prove it is a legit item. But what happens if it's a legit item (sourced from a reputable store) but it doesn't have a TC barcode, what then? I was watching your whole video to see if that question came up but you didn't really address that issue. Where would someone go to "get" a TC label, because isn't it supposed to be affixed by the original manufacturer?? Sorry, the video actually made it more confusing to me. The reason is, if anyone can go get a TC label from off the internet wouldn't that defeat the purpose of it's security? I thought that the TC barcode is like an authentication technology or barcode direct from the manufacturer, why would they ask a reseller to put one on a legit item that never was manufactured with one???

[@AskJimmySmith]

Yes it's supposed to be put on there by the brand. If it's not on there, then you can't send in the item to Amazon if the ASIN requires one to be on there. No one can go and just get a TC. If it's not on there and Amazon requires it, then you either have an older product from before they were manufactured with a TC, you have a counterfeit product, or you have a brand that is breaking Terms of Service on Amazon with the TCs

[@samuelabebe1354]

@@AskJimmySmith ok, thanks for clarifying. I guess that's the main takeaway if it doesn't have a TC code, but Amazon requires one you can't send it in, period.

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@samuelabebe1354 unfortunately for us sellers, that is correct

[@OneBlendedBunch]

I have a product that I sourced from a national retailer. It has the QR code on it, that I had to scan to get ungated. With that being said, when sending this product to FBA, is there anything else I need to do? Do I need to print a special label, or? This is my first experience with transparency codes.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Shouldn't be except to scan in the transparency codes if requested by Amazon. If labelling your own items DO NOT cover the Transparency code with the FNSKU lol

[@WooSahNetwork]

I tried searching for the information you mentioned from amazon about brands are not allowed to use this program to police their brands, but I was not able to find any information on it. Do you have a link to that information? Or is this information outdated and no longer valid?

[@AskJimmySmith]

I did a bunch of research back when I was going through this as well. On the main eligibility page it even states, "Have the ability to apply unique Transparency codes on every unit you manufacture, regardless of where the units are sold." brandservices.amazon.com/transparency/contactus Also, this video is what made it clear to me. Specifically sharing at the 23:04 timestamp from the video from Amazon Seller University (bullet point 3 specifically says "A brand CANNOT label just for Amazon. We are an open marketplace, and all sellers are welcome to sell with authentic inventory." kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep2QnYSmjLdqfrssi=S8wzdqHWdANw5GX6&t=1384 Hopefully this helps!

[@NeoColormadness]

Hey, I sent three items to the FBA warehouse and just received an inauthenticity violation from Amazon stating the products dont have the transparency codes. This is really confusing because I didn’t get prompted to provide the codes before I shipped the products in. So maybe the code requirements just went into effect while my products were inbound? What do you think happen? Amazon did not required them before I sent them and I had no gating on them. I am afraid this could be a common occurrence to where products get enrolled while in the way to the warehouses. Any thoughts ? Thank you

[@AskJimmySmith]

It could have changed in the time it took the products to get to the warehouse? I would open a case with Amazon to ask though

[@hemrey]

Thank you, great value!

[@AskJimmySmith]

You're welcome! Glad to hear!

[@tracistephens2277]

This video was very helpful, but if I purchase the item from a retailer and don't have access to the box that the item was shipped in, does that mean that I can't sell this item since its not on the actual container itself??

[@AskJimmySmith]

The codes are printed on the product packaging for each individual unit. So unless an item was taken out of it's packaging, then you should have the codes on there if the brand is following Amazon's rules

[@RELAXITION]

For example, I have a transparency code on my products. Someone bought my product and copied this code and printed on the similar product package box and selling product using my listing. Can I remove this seller from listing using right that I did not give him contest to sell my product?

[@AskJimmySmith]

There is no way to copy a transparency product, each code is unique which is why it's impossible to counterfeit a product by duplicating a code.

[@RELAXITION]

@@AskJimmySmith Thank you Jimmy. I have recently registered trademark have made listing applied to transparency ptogram. Five says has passed but did not get any response. Do not know what us going on. May be I have not sales that is the reason?

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@RELAXITION I'm not sure what's going on - I would ask seller support to look into it for you

[@RELAXITION]

@@AskJimmySmith Waiting for your response, thanks

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@RELAXITION I'm not asking, I'm recommending you ask Seller Support to look into it for you. Since I don't have access to your products or account, I can't ask for you sorry.

[@luketencate9293]

Can any random reseller enroll a brand in transparency? I am looking to put in a brand direct wholesale PO, the brand does not sell on AMZ and doesn't seem to care about amz, all of the products just require regular invoice ungate but one of them needs T codes. Its weird that just one asin has it and the rest do not. I dont have the product in hand yet but they don't seem to have T codes based on the pictures of the label on the brands website (only normal barcode) what would you do in this case?

[@AskJimmySmith]

They shouldn't be able to without brand registry for those brands or authorization from the brand in some way. Unless the listing was set up incorrectly and is under a different brand name. I'd either pass on the product, or if you can, reach out to the brand to see if they would want to work with you directly to clean up their Amazon catalog issues

[@suzannemattson1175]

How do you scan a product's Transparency code in order to send into FBA as a seller? Amazon Seller requires 5 of these codes which I have, but getting the code into the system isn't working correctly.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Has this been fixed Suzanne? You may be better off asking Amazon just in case. It may also depend on the software you're using

[@alexanderm7157]

Where do you get these 5 codes from? Do you scan 5 different products your about to ship or?

[@shqipko]

i bought a vaseline products at costco was bundle of 2 products, one of them dont require transparancy and other it does, what do you think i should do. Thank you in advance.

[@AskJimmySmith]

If it's a bundle of 2 products, then the bundle ASIN is the one that would either require transparency or not. If it does require transparency, then you will need a separate code from the individual product that you had

[@jackieanderson4980]

Ok, so I've been selling an item, and Amazon sent me an email saying it will require re-ungating in 2 weeks so I'd have to reapply. But since they gave me 2 weeks, assumed I'd be able to sell through my fbm inventory. I got 4 orders in 2 days, now they require transparency codes to ship confirm them. They are not a new model, but probably an older one or exclusive to one national chain store, since the barcode does not even come up on a google search. The orders will be late or cause chaos with my metrics if I have to cancel 4 fbm orders when I only average 4 a day. Any ideas how to proceed?

[@AskJimmySmith]

If they're requiring transparency, then there isn't much you can do. Unless you can find the products at a store WITH the codes on them, buy those and send them to the customers.

[@MoniqueHall-ip5vf]

This is great! but I'm confused. If there is not a code, and it needs a code... I am unable to add a transparency code, right? Becuase the brand is supposed to be doing this. However, at 10:10 you say "I highly, highly recommend that you put the transparency code on everything that's going out" so my question now is, if the BRAND is supposed to ensure a transparency code, why do I need to put the transparency code on? Also, how do you scan a transparency code using the seller app? I need more information, please!

[@AskJimmySmith]

The brand needs to put the transparency code out. If you are doing Branded Bundles or have your own Private Label, then you would need to apply the code to every product that goes out. You only scan transparency codes when you are doing your shipment to Amazon

[@dereksouter3362]

So MF items do not need this ​@@AskJimmySmith

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@dereksouter3362 ​No you still need to scan them when shipping out the orders to the customer

[@dereksouter3362]

@AskJimmySmith ooooo I see I see 😶‍🌫️

[@srt4turbo1]

seems like a lot of companies are requiring this when their products don't even have the transparency codes... Not much you can do then other than report the company??

[@AskJimmySmith]

Correct

[@davesrevenge5135]

thank god i stumbled across this. just found two winners with transparency enabled and was confused

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad this helped!

[@MaRoLewo]

I avoided buying some products that required Transparency Code, but with the information that you provided I know what to do. Thank you so much for this valuable information.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help!

[@LLK1169]

I bought some inventory from a large baby supply chain store that went out of business. There are no transparency codes on the product boxes and the manufacturer is refusing to provide them to me. Amazon won't let me sell without them. What do I do?

[@AskJimmySmith]

You may unfortunately be out of luck since the store went out of business. The transparency codes will be required for Amazon and that store may just have had old stock that they were selling through and didn't include the transparency codes. My recommendation is to sell them on eBay or another platform. Or donate them and write them off as a loss depending on what your accountant/tax person says.

[@pging8328]

Thanks for your video. It was not clear to me what all this transparency code stuff is for, what problem it was intended to solve. my two cents.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Transparency codes as stated in the video are for Amazon to know that the products are not counterfeit. So only products with the codes are able to be sent in to Amazon and they are required to be placed on every product by the brand themselves. But many brands are abusing this program and only putting the codes on their Amazon shipment products, when they are required to be placed on every single product even if they are sold on retail shelves. Some brands and sellers are using this program deceptively so that arbitrage sellers can't send products into Amazon because Amazon would believe they are counterfeit without the codes. This is a clear violation of the Terms of Service for the program.

[@younggoop8042]

Amazon sent a email saying brand enrolled but I sense something is off because I have 2 asins and they only wanted codes on 1 asin not both is that normal I would like to know how to fight it if possible

[@AskJimmySmith]

Sometimes a brand only enrolls certain ASINs, you can try to fight it but it's not an easy road unfortunately

[@atdav]

is that something we can see before like if we buy something from Wm?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Many times while sourcing Amazon will let you know if the product requires a transparency code or not. I’ve seen it be an issue where Amazon doesn’t have that on there and then later after you’ve bought it, it shows up. But 95% of the time Amazon shows you in the Seller App when doing your product sourcing

[@Ste-The-Leo]

Also, customers return all sorts of crap, theyre likely to switch the item and return the same box...

[@AskJimmySmith]

Very true!

[@rhomoo4855]

Great info, truly relevant

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to hear! Thank you!

[@pinksunshine0]

Do we get prompted at some point during listing that the product requires transparency codes?

[@AskJimmySmith]

You should, yes

[@ewwarnersbcglobal]

How does this apply to replen items, none of my current items have transparency codes. Thank you for this post. I now know what to do going forward.

[@AskJimmySmith]

It only applies if Amazon requires it after a brand/product is enrolled in the program. If Amazon's not asking for the code, then you don't have to worry about it

[@Zubair70760]

how do i find if the product i'm willing to sell requires transparency codes before i buy from supplier?

[@AskJimmySmith]

RevSeller or ASINZen can show you this and so does Amazon if you go to list the product FBA - they should give you that information

[@ReelyboredJon]

New to me, thanks for the info

[@AskJimmySmith]

My pleasure!

[@Hammad-kd1kh]

How to get transparency serial numbers for my Wholesale FBA product?, I purchased from authorized distributor.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Talk to the distributor to see why they aren't on there. Either the products are counterfeit or the brand is abusing Terms of Service.

[@FeliciaAdair]

I went to Marshall’s products had no codes no box only the bottle

[@AskJimmySmith]

Yup, definitely avoid those. This is a reason I don't buy from Marshalls to sell on Amazon

[@tjhonaker2796]

How do you we know if a product requires the transparency code? Will the send an email?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Amazon tells you when you try to list the inventory or send it to the FBA warehouses

[@ryanmartindell787]

Hi, do you have any tips for how to handle products I bought from a manufacturer and sent to Amazon for FBA, but apparently don't have Transparency codes on them? I've sold these items in the past and now Amazon won't let me sell them and is holding my inventory hostage and will not send it back.

[@saudjan241]

same situation with me now although I am selling it from the last year.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Talk to the manufacturer, since they are the manufacturer they should be able to give you the answers on the transparency situation. If they are unaware of this issue, then alert them to Amazon's TOS and offer to help them with it - maybe it becomes an exclusive for you? Especially when you show them the risks associated with potentially losing their Brand Registry Account

[@ReviewsAndHowTos]

Great info! I just started as an FBM seller and I have a LOT to learn. It asks for five transparency codes, I'm assuming that it's five transparency codes for that exact product? Not five different products with five different transparency codes, correct? Like I said, total newbie. Don't laugh and roast me too much. lol

[@AskJimmySmith]

Totally fine, great question! If you are trying to enter an ASIN and Amazon asks for 5 transparency codes, then yes they are asking for 5 codes from that particular ASIN so they can verify you have multiple legitimate products

[@shqipko]

Can you ship the product as FBM. Will there be any issue?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Still need to provide the transparency code unfortunately

[@kevinalegria535]

amazon is asking me for 5 transparency codes, however I only have 1 single item. in order to get ungated I'd need to find 4 more? I cant just sell this one?

[@AskJimmySmith]

If Amazon is asking for 5, then yes you need to get 4 more of that item with the transparency codes

[@RogerShane]

Good new information, thank you.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help!

[@GremlinGremlin-qj5je]

The product I have doesn’t have any transparency code on the box. What do I do

[@AskJimmySmith]

You can't send it in if Amazon says it's required and the box is missing a code. Unfortunately they may be skirting Amazon's system as mentioned some brands do in the video

[@NicholasLaDieu]

how to you tell if an ASIN is enrolled before buying it?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Amazon is supposed to tell you in the Seller App and in the Add a Product section but they don't always do that since things change each day if a product becomes enrolled after you purchased it to send in to Amazon

[@ayazkayani959]

Hi! I need your help i bought an inventory from Alibaba China and i put labels of amazon and send inventory to amazon warehouse when my inventory is in receving status amazon sent me an Email and saying send Transparency codes or serial numbers. I have never faced this issue before and I dont know how to tackle in this situation my supplier in china said that he has not serial or transparency codes. Please Help! what should I do now?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Sounds complex. If Amazon is requiring transparency codes and you don't have them, then you may be buying counterfeit products to sell on a listing or you are buying from the manufacturer, but the brand is putting the codes on after they receive the products from the manufacturer. You may want to contact someone like Jeff Schick at jeffschick.com to look into this for you.

[@umerwaseem1532]

Hlo brother I also same issue😢 Are you solve this issue?

[@ryanlarson8158]

If list as FBM, does Amazon ask for 5 transparency codes?

[@AskJimmySmith]

They will want the transparency codes for FBM as well, yes

[@MyronCooking]

How do I get the transparency codes to put on my products ?

[@AskJimmySmith]

They have to already be on the products you are buying - or if you have a relationship with the brand directly, then they can get you the codes

[@msmacthankQ]

Thank you for your video. I have sent a product I have already been selling and they are now asking for this code which I have not seen before from the brand. Do I raise a case for each of the products with the invoices? Thank you

[@AskJimmySmith]

I would!

[@AdrianaSilva-vm8zf]

The information that your are providing helps a lot. I have not idea how to solve a situation I have with a product that I bought for a legit distributor. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad to help in any way!

[@craziruss1]

How do I know if an asin requires a transparency code?

[@AskJimmySmith]

Amazon will let you know it requires it

[@mati7584]

Thank you sir

[@AskJimmySmith]

Happy to help!

[@vladiksas]

Hi Jimmy! I have been selling bharara perfumes on amazon for a while, and I received an email from Amazon saying that I have 2 weeks before Amazon starts requiring Transparency codes for the perfumes. Well that is true, and starting from today they began to ask me to provide it, but I do not have it and so are my authorized distributors. I have a hanging fbm sale for it, what should I do? I do want to continue selling the perfume that is profitable for me, but how do I persuade the amazon to help me>

[@AskJimmySmith]

You can open a case with them, alerting them to the fact that you have an authorized distributor that is not receiving the transparency codes. Ask to speak with the brand registry team or the listing catalog team to file your dispute that they are misusing transparency to manipulate the supply on the platform. Amazon isn't showing much care right now for this, but I hope in the future they start following their rules on this.

[@vivi87421]

Thanks for the solution when some sellers cheating brands!!!! It is so annoying that we don't even know that product has been enrolled this service!! Since we've sold them for a long time, one day we just received some unfulfillable inventory, then Amazon told us there were no transparency code on it. Do we have somewhere we may check or notice that product is transparency code needed!

[@AskJimmySmith]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Amazon tells you when sourcing in the Amazon Seller App - also if you use RevSeller or ASINZen they also alert you when the product requires it

[@vivi87421]

Can we have any alert in seller central to remind us code needed!

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@vivi87421 It should when you go to "Add a Product" and it definitely will if you try to ship it in. Other than that, Amazon doesn't have any other alerts that I'm aware of, sorry!

[@nomanafzal]

How can we pre check on Amazon if a ASIN is enrolled in transparency program, while doing Online arbirage, before sending to FBA we need to know if ASIN is enrolled in transparency program if its not mentioned on product, so How can we know before.

[@AskJimmySmith]

If you use ASINZen or RevSeller sometimes it will populate to let you know. Just like they do with HazMat and Restricted items

[@glennjohn3919]

I got approved to list an item via fbm. It says to upload the code when shipping, have I already done this if I provided the code in the application? Or do I have to provide the code again when I personally shop the item?

[@calebfinkbiner3469]

You need to provide the code for each item

[@AskJimmySmith]

As Caleb said, you need to provide it for each FBM item you are shipping

[@Realdanielmiguel]

So I can get transparency codes for any product that requires it? (I’m an arbitrage seller)

[@AskJimmySmith]

Theoretically you should be able to because the products should have them on the packaging at the store's you're buying them from. You cannot add your own transparency codes to them though as that isn't allowed.

[@HlyG34]

Hi, I want to FBM those products but while trying to add it it says "Will you ensure any inventory you Ship to FBA for this ASIN have transparency serial barcodes on them?" It wont allow me to add the product if I dont tick it off so is it OK for me to click it and then sell from FBM channell??

[@AskJimmySmith]

You can sell it FBM but you NEED to have the transparency code on there, don't sell it if you don't have those codes

[@sonicmarble]

You made this video just for me. I just need to figure out the easiest way to rat out those sellers that have been cheating on the brands that I love. I've found it tough in the past to get the right support to report bad players of other kinds. The video covered all the bases and I might send a link to a couple of brand owners.

[@AskJimmySmith]

Sounds good! Happy to help!!!!

[@gadgetport]

How can we properly report these sellers that are going against TOS and blocking other legitimate sellers? I've found this almost impossible to get Amazon support.

[@AskJimmySmith]

@@gadgetport You may need to contact Brand Registry support or escalate to the catalog team. Otherwise working with a lawyer could help as well if the products are worth the trouble

[@nickiiimar]

Huh? Why are you snitching on other sellers? What did they do?

[@RELAXITION]

Hello

[@Enfield2A]

Random.

[@deluxebulls5939]

Cheeky gits. Just come across someone abusing this

[@AskJimmySmith]

A lot of brands are abusing this now unfortunately :-/