Restricted products? Mylar bags - WHAT IS A MYLAR BAG?
Mylar bags that are not clear or single colored are prohibited...Can somebody please explain what qualifies a bag as a "Mylar bag?"
At what point does any plastic pouch, bag, packaging, etc. become guilty of being a "Mylar bag?"
I am quite sure that this is necessary to define precisely in order for a seller to know whether or not their product is a "Mylar bag." Restricted products policies should not include information that does not sufficiently distinguish what is restricted from what isn't restricted. For example, a policy like "should not contain more than 2.2% lidocaine..." is something that can be precisely identified, it can be measured against and compared leaving no room for confusion. There is a precise element involved. A lab can determine the presence of this.
But what is a "Mylar bag?"
Dictionaries refer to a trademark. Which would be accurate, considering "Mylar" is merely a trademarked brand of BoPET film. The trademark has not lost its registration due to genericide. So then what is a Mylar bag?
It is a fact that Mylar is a trademarked brand of polyester film. There is no disputing that.
Did Amazon mean to restricted "polyester film bags that are not clear or single colored?" Because if they did, then why wouldn't the policy say so?
If petroleum jelly was restricted, would Amazon really state they prohibit "the listing of Vaseline" and then expect that restriction to include other brands of petroleum jelly? This would not make any sense. The policy would say "petroleum jelly."
What is a Mylar bag?
The internet will then show you barrier bags that are metallized to describe the "material(s)" that constitute a Mylar (in this case, "mylar" bag)...So is that the definition? And if that is a mylar bag then what is the precise composition that makes it so? 2 or more layers of plastic and anything metallized? Metallized meaning what materials? And how much of it? And what about the plastic? Which plastic precisely? And so on...
Mylar is Dupont's trademarked brand name. If they make a bag and use their trademarked material, then is that what is restricted? And if so, then surely made with another manufacturers PET film differs and makes it not restricted? It would seem so, or are we going to continue to apply this "Mylar bag" definition to include anything and everything possible? THIS IS INSANE...if they meant PET material that is not clear or single colored, it would only make sense to do so. But they did not.
We need to define what a Mylar bag is before we persecute sellers for this via taking any plastic bag and considering it such. There are thousands of products made from PET which are bags that are not clear or single colored.
For the sake of marketplace competence and compliance, Amazon please provide a precise definition of what is meant by "Mylar bags." To clarify, I am not confused about the color part...Before getting to that part, we need to know if a bag qualifies as Mylar bag first...so please tag whatever mods necessary to provide us an answer once and for all,
What is a Mylar bag?
@SEAmod
@Manny_Amazon
@Dougal_Amazon
@Glenn_Amazon
@Danny_Amazon
@Joey_Amazon
@Yokie_Amazon
Restricted products? Mylar bags - WHAT IS A MYLAR BAG?
Mylar bags that are not clear or single colored are prohibited...Can somebody please explain what qualifies a bag as a "Mylar bag?"
At what point does any plastic pouch, bag, packaging, etc. become guilty of being a "Mylar bag?"
I am quite sure that this is necessary to define precisely in order for a seller to know whether or not their product is a "Mylar bag." Restricted products policies should not include information that does not sufficiently distinguish what is restricted from what isn't restricted. For example, a policy like "should not contain more than 2.2% lidocaine..." is something that can be precisely identified, it can be measured against and compared leaving no room for confusion. There is a precise element involved. A lab can determine the presence of this.
But what is a "Mylar bag?"
Dictionaries refer to a trademark. Which would be accurate, considering "Mylar" is merely a trademarked brand of BoPET film. The trademark has not lost its registration due to genericide. So then what is a Mylar bag?
It is a fact that Mylar is a trademarked brand of polyester film. There is no disputing that.
Did Amazon mean to restricted "polyester film bags that are not clear or single colored?" Because if they did, then why wouldn't the policy say so?
If petroleum jelly was restricted, would Amazon really state they prohibit "the listing of Vaseline" and then expect that restriction to include other brands of petroleum jelly? This would not make any sense. The policy would say "petroleum jelly."
What is a Mylar bag?
The internet will then show you barrier bags that are metallized to describe the "material(s)" that constitute a Mylar (in this case, "mylar" bag)...So is that the definition? And if that is a mylar bag then what is the precise composition that makes it so? 2 or more layers of plastic and anything metallized? Metallized meaning what materials? And how much of it? And what about the plastic? Which plastic precisely? And so on...
Mylar is Dupont's trademarked brand name. If they make a bag and use their trademarked material, then is that what is restricted? And if so, then surely made with another manufacturers PET film differs and makes it not restricted? It would seem so, or are we going to continue to apply this "Mylar bag" definition to include anything and everything possible? THIS IS INSANE...if they meant PET material that is not clear or single colored, it would only make sense to do so. But they did not.
We need to define what a Mylar bag is before we persecute sellers for this via taking any plastic bag and considering it such. There are thousands of products made from PET which are bags that are not clear or single colored.
For the sake of marketplace competence and compliance, Amazon please provide a precise definition of what is meant by "Mylar bags." To clarify, I am not confused about the color part...Before getting to that part, we need to know if a bag qualifies as Mylar bag first...so please tag whatever mods necessary to provide us an answer once and for all,
What is a Mylar bag?
@SEAmod
@Manny_Amazon
@Dougal_Amazon
@Glenn_Amazon
@Danny_Amazon
@Joey_Amazon
@Yokie_Amazon
20 replies
Glenn_Amazon
Hi there @Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r,
Thanks for reaching out with your question. I suspect the policy you are describing is the Drugs and drug paraphernalia. The list of products that includes "Mylar bags that are not clear or single colored" is not intended to be exhaustive but to give a sense of what products might be subject to this policy. If you have a specific ASIN you are contesting should be eligible but is currently restricted you can provide your most recent Case ID and I can see what options I can offer to appeal the ASIN further. Amazon will make the final decision if a product is or is not subject to Amazon policies.
Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
Glenn_Amazon
Hi there @Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r,
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to give you an answer that will address your concern. I cannot give certification that a given product is or is not aligned with Amazon policy. If you have a product that was subject to restriction I may be able to assist with an appeal or advocating on your behalf, but I can only review if you give me more information on the product you are trying to sell. If you have Case ID please provide it. Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r
@Glenn_Amazon
There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I am not asking for certification that a product does or doesn't align with Amazon policy. I am simply asking for a definition of the term "Mylar bag" which is mentioned in the policy. I find it tremendously disturbing that Amazon is clearly incapable of providing an answer as to what they mean by this. This is not a game, nor is it supposed to be some kind of riddle to find out what is meant by "Mylar" within this policy. This is unacceptable. Amazon has control over sellers' funds and for many, their inventory. Sellers' funds and account status is subject to withholding and termination based on policy adherence. It is unreasonable to carry out these practices under circumstances where such policy contains cryptic wording. Please define "Mylar" in "Mylar bags" and if that definition differs from what the trademark "Mylar" is for, then please explain how anybody is supposed to adhere to a policy where Amazon is extending the definition of what a trademarked term refers to without defining such within the policy.
Unless provided the sought after information, this thread shall serve as evidence wherein Amazon is incapable of defining the entities which they place restrictions on within the policy their selling partners are subject to.
Glenn_Amazon
Hi there @Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r,
While I won't be able to give specific definitions, as there is no additional information beyond the stated Drugs and drug paraphernalia I would recommend ensuring that any polyester film bags that are similar to Mylar products are aligned with Amazon's policies. This is not cryptic or designed to be deceptive. If your products are not Mylar bags or similar to Mylar bags (which you have defined yourself), they may not be impacted. In general I recommend being on the cautious side and ensuring that your products are transparent or a single color if they are similar to standard Mylar bags at all. Are you creating a plastic bag product that you are concerned will be subject to this policy? Again, if you provide more context to why you are asking this question I may be able to give more specific insights.
Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r
@Glenn_Amazon
Where in the policy is polyester mentioned?
Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r
@Glenn_Amazon
And again, how can "similar to Mylar products" be understood when Mylar is a specific brand. The policy mentions "Mylar," so now why are you expanding the restriction to "similar to"? Where in the policy does it say similar to? None of this is coherent. If Amazon wanted to restrict bags made of polyester then that is what the policy should say. They did not though. They restricted "Mylar" which is a trademarked brand for proprietary film made by Dupont.
Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r
@Glenn_Amazon
Another crucial point, by saying making sure "similar to Mylar" aligns with Amazon's policies makes no sense as the policy is literally restricting "Mylar."
The policy mentions "Mylar bags that are not clear or single colored."
I ask what is meant by "Mylar bags," as "Mylar" is literally a brand.
You then answer with make sure products similar to Mylar are aligned with the policy.
...we are going in circles, as my question is asking you what the policy is referring to when it says "Mylar bags."
This is a blatant example of circular reasoning. There is still no clarification of what the policy encompasses
Glenn_Amazon
I'm sorry @Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r,
I'm not able to give the detail you are requesting at this time. I can certainly provide your questions on this policy to the internal leadership teams, however I won't be able to provide any updates or details beyond what is mentioned on the policy. If you have a specific product or products you have concerns about you can provide that information and I can investigate further, however beyond that I won't be able to provide any further support.
My personal understanding and generally recommendation is to ensure any polyester film bag follows this policy, regardless if it is specifically "Mylar" or not.
Please note that in my experience Amazon does not suspend sellers for a single violation of this type of policy, but for repeated or extreme violations.
I'm happy to help where I can, however Selling Partner Support and the Amazon Seller Forums Community Management team will not be able to speak to anything not explicitly mentioned in the policy or assist without you providing an impacted ASIN.
Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
Glenn_Amazon
Hi there @Seller_VCSaH8CTg9r9r,
So my initial review as that these products are currently not enforced by our Drugs and drug paraphernalia policy. This doesn't appear to be specifically Mylar, but it is not currently enforced either. If your ASINs are enforced by the policy and you believe they shouldn't be please provide your Seller Support case and I'm happy to escalate on your behalf.
Please note that myself and the other Amazon Seller Forums Community Managers as well as Seller Support are not able to confirm that a product is 100% approved to be sold on Amazon as only the internal team has the full policies and review practices. The policies and practices are proprietary and confidential to prevent bad actors from trying to bypass our policies. We do provide our experience, insights, and available information to share with you. Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
