New Tool Allows Sellers to Check for Restricted Products

Restricted products on the Amazon marketplace can be a pain point for merchants. Jordan Malik, host of the popular AskJordan.net podcast, teamed up with his programmer to create a simple solution: CheckPermission.com.

Restricted Products

For the past several months, Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) has been tightening the rules around which products can be sold. Brand gating and ungating has become part of the process of selling on the Amazon marketplace. At the same time, Amazon has limited the sale of certain products. (See most notably, the recent Nike product restrictions.)

“My readers who are Amazon sellers were getting frustrated with a sudden spike in restricted products. They would research items to resell, buy them and find out (when they went to list them) that they were restricted,” said Malik. He wanted an easier way for merchants to find out what products they are restricted from selling, so he created CheckPermission.com.

How It Works

CheckPermission is a software plug-in that works with the Chrome browser. To use the tool, a seller must be logged into their Amazon seller account. The merchant simply searches for any product or ASIN on Amazon and CheckPermission automatically shows the permission status. That means that a seller can quickly discover whether they have permission to sell an item; they can also learn which conditions they’re allowed to sell it in.

Malik's team has made great efforts to deliver a tool in line with both Google and Amazon terms of service. “The programmer I work with has a direct line to Amazon’s IT staff and he knows how to communicate well with Google’s staff. So he’s always ensuring he’s working within their rules,” said Malik.

Who is Jordan Malik?

If you’ve attended Amazon seller conferences, you may have crossed paths with Jordan Malik. He’s been testing what works for Amazon and eBay sellers for nearly a decade now, and he shares his experiences with merchants through his popular podcast and blog. You can tune in to AskJordan.net to get his answers to listener-submitted questions about selling on the Amazon marketplace and more.

Resources for Amazon Sellers

Do you have questions about brand gating or product restrictions? Check out our resources page to find experts who can help you navigate the Amazon marketplace. You can also get advice from former Amazonians by checking out our past webinars or our resources library.