Amazon recently announced a critical change to their policy on Seller information. US-based third party sellers are now mandated to share the name of their business entity which will be displayed on their seller profile page. The name and address of individual sellers will also be displayed.
The reason behind this policy change
The e-commerce giant has long battled with scammers on the platform who would sell counterfeit products, infringe on intellectual property rights and even price gouge which has been especially evident during the pandemic. Amazon has implemented several measures such as tracking suspicious listings and also monitoring sellers using automated software. In 2019 alone, they spent $500 million in anti-fraud operations, removed over 2 million accounts and closed over 6 billion listings.
The recent change is yet another measure with the aim of promoting ethical business on the platform. Amazon explained that the aim is to provide “a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions”. They have also noted that this will be consistent with Seller Profile pages across Amazon stores in Europe, Japan, and Mexico where such measures are already standard practice.
The Benefits
These policy updates will make it easier for consumers to seek legal action against sellers if their products cause harm or violate their rights. Brands will also benefit as it will be easier to manage approved retailers and ensure that they are operating within the agreed minimum advertised prices (MAPs). They will also be able to directly address counterfeits.
The Possible Downside to this Policy Change
Your business address may also be your home address which is the case for many 3p Sellers on Amazon. This small policy change now means your home address is freely available to the millions of shoppers on Amazon. This brings with it some privacy concerns and a reason to consider structuring (or restructuring) your Amazon business with a different address to your home address.
How to Update your Business Address in Seller Central
In light of the upcoming changes, now is a good time to ensure that your contact information is updated. Here’s how:
- Login to your Amazon seller account.
- In the Settings menu at the top right corner of Seller Central, click Account Info to view the Seller Account Information page.
- In the Business Information section, click the links for the information that you want to view.
- To change your business name, click Display Name and to change the address, click Business Address. Enter the new information or edit the current information.
- Once completed, click Submit to save.