Bloody Amazon

Once again, weeks of seller support tickets on Amazon.

The problem - re-use of an EAN - a simple matter.

What is an EAN?

A European Article Number, known now as a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN-13), is a code used on a barcode on a product. They are issued in blocks by GS1. We have a block. We assign to products. UPC (Universal Product code) is the same system.

Reusing an EAN?

When a product is discontinued, there is no reason for that EAN to stay assigned to the discontinued product and so it can be re-used. Or can it?

GS1 did have stuff on re-use of EANs, and time frames for discontinued products before reuse. But apparently now they recognise that platforms assign an EAN more permanently to a product record and they may not be recyclable. So they have changed policy on this!

This is interesting - EAN/UPC used to be assigned for a one-off fee and that was it, but GS1 assign on a rental basis.This year they seem to have doubled the price, even. In theory when you stop the contract, they can assign the block to someone else. But based on this new policy, they cannot - so why do we have a rental? The idea being one could get a block, use it, cease it, but know it can never be re-assigned to keep using for free. Well not quite, there was a contract which continues to say you cannot use once ceased. OK, but a different legal entity could use the codes now, knowing they will never be re-assigned to someone else. Yes, I asked GS1 this. No reply yet.

Basically the idea of GS1 codes being rented only works if they can be reassigned. If they can no longer be reassigned, then rental makes no sense. Also, they will run out with such a policy (which is why rental came in, AFAIK).

Just to be clear, GS1 retain all rights to the numbers they allocate, but I asked, and they could not say, what rights they are! They are not covered by copyright, trademark, patent or any legal framework of which I am aware. They have no rights that I can see apart from contract (which is only with contracting parties).

Amazon

So, Amazon use the EAN barcode, yay. We had a product, with an EAN, sold some, discontinued, and some time later I re-assigned the EAN two a new product. One would expect Amazon to have a process to handle this. It is not an odd thing to do AFAIK.

But I cannot make a new listing, as the description does not match that of the old, deleted, listing.

The issue is the total ineptitude of Amazon seller support...

• Told yes, I am entitled to re-assign an EAN as a GS1 holder (good)
• Told the existing ASIN+EAN cannot be deleted, so tough, so no new listing
• Told the EAN cannot be removed from the existing ASIN, so no new listing
• Told the EAN can be removed from the ASIN, but I have to report a violation (i.e. someone misusing our EAN). So I did that.
• Told eventually (many times over many days) the EAN has been removed from the ASIN, so should work to make a new listing (it did not).
• Told that an EAN cannot be re-assigned, tough. I asked if they lied before or are lying now.
• Now told the ASIN can be deleted, and that will fix, but I have to re-make the listing and then do some spreadsheet update to delete the ASIN. That is going to be fun, and no clue if it will fix.

In my view this should be simple - we prove we hold the GS1 allocation (easy), we state the (unused) ASIN+EAN is no longer valid - Amazon delete it (or remove EAN) - we make a new listing.

To be clear, if they had a system that an EAN was always stuck to a description, and were actually consistent in that, and GS1 agreed (which they sort of do), then that would be annoying but not as bad as this - they keep giving hope it can be (or even, has been) fixed, and then changing their damn mind.

But no, Amazon seller support is, without fail, a battle at every step of the way, every fucking time.

I'll update if ever fixed.