Food and Product Safety - A misleading customer review (positive 5 stars!) has resulted in our product being removed - need help!
Hi,
So we have a customer who is completely satisfied with our product and decided to share his story about a health related incident that happened to him 8 years ago in a Customer Review and said that our food supplement has benefited him.
Unfortunately, his story triggered the Amazon bots and our product was removed from the sale.
We have appealed this removal: we have provided information that our product is safe and complies with all regulations. We also explained that the customer review is actually positive and obviously the customer is happy and had no issues with our product.
But the compliance team doesn't bother to read what we say and keeps repeating that the evidence provided is not enough to prove that the product information complies with the EU Food Information Regulation.
And they ask for a Plan of Action (POA) and we want to appeal:
(a) What was the root cause of the problem?
(b) What steps will you take to solve the problem?
c) What steps will you take to prevent future problems?
So now we're forced to falsely admit that our product caused a problem for the customer, and somehow we have to explain that we're going to take steps to fix the problem and prevent it from happening in the future.
I am looking for advice on how to get out of this crazy situation.
For moderators: Case ID 10205417322
Here is a text of a Customer Review: "Die Cholin-Kapseln kenne ich seit 2016 als ich in Hurghada drei Tage vor unserem Rückflug eine TIA hatte.
Nach 10 Tagen Klinikaufenthalt durfte ich in Begleitung eines Flugarztes nach Düsseldorf fliegen. Am Flughafen wurde ich dann mit einem Krankenwagen ins nächstgelegene ev. Krankenhaus gebracht.
Dort wurden mir dann nach der Aushändigung der bis dahin erhaltenen Medikamente sofort gesagt, dass ich die Cholin-Kapseln nicht mehr nehmen soll.
Ich habe sie trotzdem bis zum Ende eingenommen und sie immer wieder bestellt, da sie u. a. meine Wortfindungs-Störungen verhindern."
And translation to EN: "I have known about the choline capsules since 2016 when I had a TIA in Hurghada three days before our return flight.
After 10 days in hospital, I was allowed to fly to Düsseldorf accompanied by a flight doctor. At the airport, I was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.
There, after handing over the medication I had received up to that point, I was immediately told that I should no longer take the choline capsules.
I took them until the end anyway and kept ordering them because, among other things, they prevent my word-finding difficulties."
Food and Product Safety - A misleading customer review (positive 5 stars!) has resulted in our product being removed - need help!
Hi,
So we have a customer who is completely satisfied with our product and decided to share his story about a health related incident that happened to him 8 years ago in a Customer Review and said that our food supplement has benefited him.
Unfortunately, his story triggered the Amazon bots and our product was removed from the sale.
We have appealed this removal: we have provided information that our product is safe and complies with all regulations. We also explained that the customer review is actually positive and obviously the customer is happy and had no issues with our product.
But the compliance team doesn't bother to read what we say and keeps repeating that the evidence provided is not enough to prove that the product information complies with the EU Food Information Regulation.
And they ask for a Plan of Action (POA) and we want to appeal:
(a) What was the root cause of the problem?
(b) What steps will you take to solve the problem?
c) What steps will you take to prevent future problems?
So now we're forced to falsely admit that our product caused a problem for the customer, and somehow we have to explain that we're going to take steps to fix the problem and prevent it from happening in the future.
I am looking for advice on how to get out of this crazy situation.
For moderators: Case ID 10205417322
Here is a text of a Customer Review: "Die Cholin-Kapseln kenne ich seit 2016 als ich in Hurghada drei Tage vor unserem Rückflug eine TIA hatte.
Nach 10 Tagen Klinikaufenthalt durfte ich in Begleitung eines Flugarztes nach Düsseldorf fliegen. Am Flughafen wurde ich dann mit einem Krankenwagen ins nächstgelegene ev. Krankenhaus gebracht.
Dort wurden mir dann nach der Aushändigung der bis dahin erhaltenen Medikamente sofort gesagt, dass ich die Cholin-Kapseln nicht mehr nehmen soll.
Ich habe sie trotzdem bis zum Ende eingenommen und sie immer wieder bestellt, da sie u. a. meine Wortfindungs-Störungen verhindern."
And translation to EN: "I have known about the choline capsules since 2016 when I had a TIA in Hurghada three days before our return flight.
After 10 days in hospital, I was allowed to fly to Düsseldorf accompanied by a flight doctor. At the airport, I was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.
There, after handing over the medication I had received up to that point, I was immediately told that I should no longer take the choline capsules.
I took them until the end anyway and kept ordering them because, among other things, they prevent my word-finding difficulties."
8 replies
Seller_k2X0L9mVRT0pW
sorry but it’s not surprising that the item has been pulled. Buyer went against medical advice to stop but ignored it. I realise he did state there were other benefits though.
Seller_8OyGUqwKdXfCN
The idea is that his 8 years old storry is not related to our food supplement at all, and he never complained about it and never had issues with it, but Amazon Complience Team see it as, Quote: "Reason for removal: Serious side effect reported by a customer.".
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
surely that medical advice would be unique to that particular customer though?
Seller_8OyGUqwKdXfCN
He got that medical advice in 2016, maybe Choline supplements are not suitable with his medication, diet or health condition.
We sell our supplement from 2023 - and he never had any issue with our supplement.
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
yeah my reply was to stillhere who was not surprised it had been pulled - but its the customers own fault.
It would be like someone knowing they were allergic to nuts, complaining they had a reaction to peanut butter.
If choline is a product legally allowed in the market you were selling - this is unfair.
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_8OyGUqwKdXfCN,
I am Spencer with Amazon.
I checked with our partner team and your ASIN has no restrictions in the DE store. That said, the ASIN is inactive as there are listing issues you need to address.
You can fix these issues by going to the inventory on your DE store and choose MANAGE ALL INVENTORY. The instructions are right there.
I hope this helps.
Regards, Spencer