Every listing includes the option to update it’s product identifier and it has always been possible, however since the Seller Support is telling you otherwise, it is possible that you did something wrong.
If your changes weren’t accepted but required you to open case, have you included some proof supporting the desired update?
I have updated it - but the change hasn’t pushed through. What could I have done wrong?
I did not include evidence. If I show the GS1 listing and the manufacturer website showing the EAN - will they change it? or tell me to again create a new asin?
Are seller support telling me to go against amazon policy for duplicate listings?
Thanks
Ours took a few days to update (seller support told us the same, that it wasn’t possible) - try searching on the new ean on the main site and see if it finds the right product, you then know it is at least in the system somewhere.
Sometimes loading a flat file will give it an extra nudge (it isn’t very consistent, which shouldn’t surprise you!). If all else fails see if you can persuade seller support to do a hard refresh as a last resort.
It now tells me on edit product that EAN cannot be changed and the listing must be deleted and a new listing made. Wouldn’t this be a violation of the duplicate listing policy? its the same item.
If you are the brand owner you have priority and can copy the listing, click “go back and edit”, change the SKU (this is vital), save, and wait 2 mins. Both listings of the same item with different SKU’s will update and you can then delete the one you just created. If this does not work, try any of the following:
a. Use the Amazon Seller phone App to change the details as sometimes this works;
b. Change EAN to UPC or GTIN and see if that works (GS1 UK is a 13 digit GTIN but Amazon only recognises GTINs as a USA 14 digit). UPC is a universal equivalent and this may work;
c. Never list by searching using the ASIN but only the barcode number EAN;
d. You can literally delete the product, wait 24 hours for the system to clear, and relist using the EAN;
e. You can request Seller Support to change it for you, but you may have to jump through all sorts of hoops such as providing your own website page, GS1 Certificate, and be registered on the Amazon Global Brand Registry (holding a Trademark Certificate or similar).
My final tip - persevere, do not give up. It is a nightmare but all learning is useful.
Thank for that.
However is that going to make a duplicate listing in the amazon catalogue? or will it go away?
regarding a ) its no longer possible to edit this field at all
b) you cannot edit this either
d) would this lose all reviews and sales rank for the product?
e) thanks for that. maybe i can send in a request with a lot of evidence.
However I do have quite a few EANs to change so could take a while.
I have eventually figured out that it is only possible now by seller support changing it and it does not affect sales rank or anything like this.
However I sent seller support the ASIN, the GS1 link to the EAN, the brand website showing the product and ean (our website). However seller support also want to see the physical product with EAN showing. We use FBA and use amazons stickers and not the actual EAN number. Would it be a problem if I printed the barcode off of GS1 and showed them a picture of the product in question with that on it? even though we would stick on an amazon barcode for our shipments?
I managed to get one product changed by seller support using gs1 screenshots and physical product pictures. However on the very next case they now wont do this and tell me to create a new listing - which would lose years of reviews/salesrank.
Does anyone know a reliable way to change EANS now?
Copy your listing exactly but put the new EAN code in. Then ask SS to merge the listings, keeping the new listing EAN.
Thanks for that - will it keep the old ASIN and salesranks/reviews?
Its not against the duplicate listing policy?
I feel like copying the listing exactly will get it flagged as a duplicate or something. If i delete the products and recreate the listings - wont that be some kind of review/salesrank manipulation? Plus they would take a long time to build up again.
Seller support themselves said to create a new listing and they would swap over the ASIN. But amazons policy page says i may not create a listing already in the catalogue.
That’s what seller support told me to do, I did it for about 100 listings, worked perfectly. All the photos and reviews came across to the new listing. I don’t see it as manipulation if it’s exactly the same product. It’s in Amazon’s interests for you to ditch the old EANs and replace with GS1, assuming that’s what you are doing. I was just honest about what I was doing, although if you aren’t replacing with GS1 codes, maybe this isn’t the way to go.
And if you create a case to merge the listings as soon as you make the new one, I would be surprised if it were flagged up that quick, none of mine were, and the merges were done within minutes or hours.
Thanks Katy - were these FBA or FBM listings? Did you have to provide any evidence with your merge requests? And did you do these 1 at a time with a case for each? Thanks
I have an FBA and FBM copy of each listing, so I just needed to do whichever one had been created first and had the EAN linked to it. It works for both.
You have to open a case for each individual ASIN but its v easy to do, I have brand registry, so I just wrote as the reason for each merge something like - “these are identical listings and I am the brand owner”.
also - how do SS know which EAN to merge them to? I dont see an option in the merge listings section. do you just need to write it out in the case description?
Yes it will ask you which ASIN you want to keep and which duplicate ASIN you want to remove
Thanks again - where does it ask this? As opening a case in the help section on merge products, it only asks which two to merge and not which should be the primary