While a large percentage of the products sold on Amazon are brand new, others are considered renewed or “like new”. These Amazon condition guidelines will ensure you know what you can and can’t sell on this marketplace.
When a buyer browses on Amazon, they have the option to choose the condition of the item they are searching for. This also links up to Amazon Warehouse (more on that later).
Buyers can also see the condition of the items they have ordered by navigating to Your Orders and looking at the order details on the left of the screen.
Let’s get into the details of Amazon conditions.
Amazon Condition Terminology
Amazon assigns various condition tags to products in every category.
This is what a buyer will see and what sellers need to indicate when listing a product.
- New. This is a brand-new item that still has the original manufacturer’s warranty. In most instances, the original packaging is also still present.
- Renewed. A renewed item has been inspected and tested, ensuring it works. Signs of wear are minimal, and any accessories might be generic. There is also a 90-day warranty in place for select products.
- Rental. Any item in working condition with no structural imperfections can be sold as a rental. Generic boxes are common, but the necessary accessories are included.
- Like New. Even though the original protective wrapping may be missing, a Like New product is in perfect working condition. The original packaging is also in place, and there is minor damage.
- Used (Very Good). These are products that have seen limited use and are still in good working condition. Minor signs of wear such as scratches might be present, and the packaging could be damaged. In some instances, any accessories are missing.
- Used (Good). Products that are showing wear from consistent use but are still in good condition can be sold under Used (Good). Parts and accessories might be missing, and the packaging is generally damaged.
- Used (Acceptable). These items are more worn than most but still function as they should. Again, the packaging will be damaged, and there may be some obvious signs of wear.
Sellers should also be aware that once you select a condition, it can’t be modified.
The listing below is an example of an “Amazon renewed product”, for full details on this program, read this.
What Does Sold By Amazon Warehouse Mean?
Ok, so I wanted to cover Amazon Warehouse, so many people get confused when they see Amazon selling their product at a discounted price, and I’m not surprised!
Amazon warehouse deals are, of course, a part of Amazon.
If you see an Amazon warehouse deals pop up on your listing, its probably one of your returns or a box that has had slight damage in the warehouse.
When your product is either lost or damaged by Amazon, they will reimburse you for your product. They can either do this in the form of a replacement item or pay you the sales value after all the associated costs.
If the item fits their amazon condition guidelines for warehouse deals, they can resell the item on your listing as an Amazon warehouse deal.
They can also do this if one of your returns doesn’t come back in the perfect condition.
To ensure we are up to date with our lost and damaged products, we use helium 10 to help us generate these reports, here’s how.
What is an Acceptable Amazon Condition?
If you are planning to sell anything but new items, you will need to meet a few requirements.
Let’s look at some of the conditions that need to be met to be able to sell a product on Amazon.
Items need to:
- Work perfectly in every way.
- Not have signs of dirt, molds, stains, or corrosion.
- Be free of damage that affects functionality.
- Include all accompanying material or parts.
- Not require repair or servicing.
- Be created by the original manufacturer or copyright holder.
- Be free of stickers or markings.
- Have a valid “best by” or “sell by” date.
- Be cleared for sale on Amazon.
- Not be intended for destruction or disposal.
Let’s get a bit more specific by looking at some of the conditions for specific product categories.
Amazon Condition Guidelines for Books
Planning to sell new or used books? Here are the condition guidelines:
- New. A book with a cover and original protective wrapping. No labels should be present.
- Like New. Only minor cosmetic defects or marks should be present on the cover, spine, or pages. Bundled media may be missing.
- Used (Very Good). Minor cosmetic defects are present on the cover, spine, or pages. Wrapping, boxes, or dust covers might be missing. Marks need to be listed in product comments.
- Used (Good). Pages and cover are intact, but spine may show signs of wear. Pages may have limited notes or highlighting. Labels may also be present.
- Used (Acceptable). Pages are all intact but may include limited notes or highlighting. Water damage may also be present, but the text is still readable.
If you want to sell collectables, items should not be former library or remaindered books. It also can’t be an uncorrected proof, unpublished book, or book club edition.
Related: Interested in selling books on Amazon? You’ll like this article.
Amazon Condition Guidelines for DVDs
Videos and DVDs tend to sell more quickly when they are sold for lower than the Amazon price.
For a DVD to be new, it should be unopened and unused – basically perfect condition.
Amazon won’t sell any DVDs that were not created by the copyright holder. If you plan to sell rental DVDs, you can only sell them in Used condition.
Here are the specific condition guidelines:
- Like New. In good condition with all codes for digital copies included and unused.
- Used (Very Good). Case may be damaged, or item repackaged with minor markings on the disc.
- Used (Good). The case may be damaged, or item repackaged with markings not exceeding 1.5cm.
- Used (Acceptable). Extensive signs of wear, but still in good working condition. Casing and cover art may be damaged or have markings.
Amazon Condition Guidelines for Video Games
For sellers who want to sell video games, keep in mind that you may require approval for certain products.
Let’s look at the condition guidelines:
- New. Game is in full retail packaging.
- Like New. In good condition, but any activation codes or bonus content may have expired. Might not include downloadable content.
- Used (Very Good). Packaging may have minor defects and any activation codes or bonus content may have expired. Might not include downloadable content.
- Used (Good). Packaging may have minor defects and markings, and any activation codes or bonus content may have expired. Might not include downloadable content.
- Used (Acceptable). Any packaging or instructions that are missing need to be mentioned in the notes field. Any activation codes or bonus content may have expired. Might not include downloadable content.
- Any games without the basic accompanying material cannot be sold.
Amazon Warehouse – A Division of Amazon
As I mentioned, earlier Amazon Warehouse is dedicated to used products or items that are not in great condition. This is a division of Amazon.
Any Amazon Warehouse items are graded using a 20-point process, after which, the product is sold at a discount.
This ensures that buyers are still getting the best quality possible.
Prime members will still be able to take advantage of faster delivery and the 30-day returns policy.
Is It Safe to Buy from Amazon Warehouse?
Most of the items that Amazon Warehouse sell are new; it’s only the packaging that is slightly damaged. The rest of the products are like new or in a very good used condition.
Buyers trust Amazon Warehouse products because Amazon takes their grading process so seriously. Customer satisfaction is important to them, and they want to be able to recoup costs on items that can’t be sold as new.
Let’s Wrap Things Up
Hopefully, you now understand everything there is to know about Amazon’s condition guidelines.
Whilst you are here, I will also mention the FBA Small and Light program, if you are selling products that are “small and light” you can make huge savings on your Amazon fees.
If you’ve got any questions, please let me know in the comments below.
Until next time…
Tags: amazon FBA, amazon reseller, amazon seller, online arbitrage, retail arbitrage
