"Is it true that Amazon requires a UPC for every item? How can I sell my one of a kind or antique item without a UPC?"
Amazon recently announced they would require UPC codes on products listed in their catalog:
Starting in August 2008, our systems will require a UPC for products listed in the Amazon.com Home and Garden store. Items without UPCs create challenges for both Amazon and our merchants, but more importantly, they degrade the shopping experience for our customers due to duplicate product listings and incorrect search matches. While we have always advised merchants to provide a UPC for each of their listings, we have not required it until now.
Items such as antiques, handmade items, or other items without a UPC can still be sold on Amazon.com. If you have such an item, and you have a Pro-Merchant account, you can still create a product description page using the Everything Else category. A word of caution though: If your item SHOULD have a UPC and there is a category specifically for it on Amazon, you may not use the Everything Else category as a work-around. In other words, don't try to cheat. Everything Else means "everything else" other than categorized items. Amazon is pretty strict about keeping the site well organized.
There are two things you can do to try to get around the UPC requirement. First, you can talk with a rep on the phone. If you've been frustrated with eBay phone support - you'll be happy with Amazon. From your Manage Your Inventory Page, in the upper right click "Seller Help" and have Amazon call you. Then ask them what you should do to be able to list your item.
Second, if you hit the UPC wall, you can email Amazon and ask for an exception to the rule for your product. There is a good chance you can get one if you make your case well. Be polite, and don't get nasty if you can't get an exception right now. They assure me they are working on a number of things to accommodate the large number of eBay sellers beginning to sell there. (I predict a "Collectibles" category in the future - you heard it here first.)
Here is some information directly from Amazon you should find helpful:
Currently, we require a Universal Product Code (UPC) or a European
Article Numbers (EAN) for many products submitted through our Create a
Product Detail Page feature. We require this identifying data for the
following products:* Baby Products (UPC or EAN)
* Camera & Photo (UPC or EAN)
* Electronics (UPC or EAN)
* Home, Kitchen & Garden (UPC or EAN)
* Music CD or Cassette (UPC or EAN)
* Musical Instruments (UPC or EAN)
* Software (UPC or EAN)
* Tools & Hardware (UPC or EAN)
* Toys & Games (UPC or EAN)
* Video & DVD (UPC)If the item you would like to sell falls under one of the categories
listed above and does not have the required product identifier, it
cannot be listed using the Create a Product Detail Page feature.
However, if the item being sold was manufactured or printed prior to
the establishment of UPC codes, you can write to our Seller
Performance group to request permission to create the catalog page
without the UPC. You can contact this department via email using the
following address:For more information on obtaining a UPC or EAN, please contact:
Uniform Code Council Inc.
8163 Old Yankee Road, Suite J
Dayton, OH 45458 USA
Telephone: (937) 435-3870
UPDATE: If you can find your item already listed by another seller, viola! You can piggy-back on their UPC. This may not help sellers of many one-of-a-kind items, but with so many items in the Amazon.com catalog, search for your product - even though unique - before giving up entirely.
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7 comments ↓
The upc requirement is a dealbreaker for me. I have 1400 unique items ( collectible concert posters) that are required to go in the home and garden category and thus have a upc. I spoke with amazon cs and they said no exception.
so my options are to buy a upc code registration from gs1us. cost — $750 + 200/year therafter
or
buy individual upc codes from the pre 2002 upc registratrants that are selling individual codes.
cost approx. $7 each
Not a good choice to have to make, especially when the market for my stuff on amazon is unproven compared to ebay.
3. you can also purchase 3rd party upc’s in bulk. to use however you like.
http://www.iwantmybarcode.com/
4. unmentionable, Amazon only looks at the checksum digit of a UPC to verify legitimacy.
@Cynic - From what I’ve seen, your collectible posters would do fine in Everything Else. There are currently over 700 items there under “vintage poster.” You can check it here: http://tinyurl.com/5udoe4
I know customer service says no exceptions to the H & G category, but for unique items, I would not hesitate to use Everything Else.
Steve and Gary, Thanks for the comments. I will checking those options out.
—–Do any of you know whether the UPC prefix rights survive after a bankruptcy? I have a friend whose company went bankrupt pre-2002 and I think he had a UPC prefix.
It may be possible to appropriate a UPC prefix from a pre-2002 bankrupt company. Since the pre-2002 prefixes do not require renewal, they should still be good?
Anyway, I will probably just move to the Everything Else category since Ic an make a case for uniqueness.
Anyone know when UPC codes first came about? I’d guess that most items dated before then would have a case for not having a UPC.
I sell figurines and picture frames and was told NO EXCEPTION on HOME and GARDEN! I asked about EVERYTHING ELSE since over 2500 frames are in Everything Else and only 68 are in H & G. NOPE now way. I said what about all those frames and was told they will be allowed to sell what is currently up, BUT no new items.Even the ones up already will be taken down eventually.
I too cannot buy UPCs because my items sell for $10 to $50. The lower price items cost less than buying a UPC code for every item.
The bad news is that my items are doing so well and really selling at Christmas.
Great article and comments! I was able to able to reach the amazon customer service and get around the UPC requirement for products within the tools and hardware category. However, most of my other products within the baby products and toys and games category required upc bar codes.
GS1 or UCC is the original agency that sells upc bar codes but one can easily obtain such official and legit upc codes from resellers like Simply Barcodes - http://www.upccode.net at a reasonable price.
I researched a lot before buying upc codes - just google ‘upc code’ and one can see a list of resellers selling upc codes at different prices ranging from $4 to $120, however, be cery careful and ask the right questions to the resellers before buying these codes.
Question to ask-
1) Did the company join the UCC prior to Aug 2002?
According to George Laurer, the inventor of UPC, there are only 4 companies in the US that are covered under the pre-August 28, 2002 UCC agreement and are subdividing their numbers. Simply Barcodes (www.upccode.net and http://www.upccode.us) being one of the company out of the original 4 that sells legit upc codes.
Caution-
Do not get sucked in with lower barcode prices ($3.99, $4.99 etc) offered by resellers since such companies might not even be in business after they run out of their alloted upc codes and you will be stuck with product recalls etc.
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