Brands Misusing 'Scent Name' Variations to Combine Fundamentally Different Products
Lately, we’ve noticed a surge of brands using “Scent-Name” variations to group completely different oils like Rosehip, Avocado, and Coconut under one listing. While sizing variations work, Amazon’s Variation Policy is clear: only products with the same base ingredient and minor differences (like scent) can be grouped.
For example:
- Rosehip Oil - Unscented
- Rosehip Oil - Lavender
- Rosehip Oil - Citrus
Amazon explicitly lists “Body oils with different base ingredients (e.g., avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil)” as bad variations here:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201958220
We recently reported such violations but were told:
"Thank you for your report. The variation you reported complies with the ASIN Creation policy: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201844590"
This is concerning as Amazon's ASIN Creation Policy they referenced (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201844590) prohibits variations that mislead customers or combine products that are fundamentally different from each other.
"Adding products that are fundamentally different from the parent ASIN"
Specifically, the policy outlines prohibited practices like adding child variations that differ significantly from the parent product. Grouping oils from entirely different plants (e.g., Meadowfoam and Rosehip) under one parent is misleading and not compliant with policy. This has a negative impact on customer experience and competitive fairness.
Can someone from the Amazon team clarify if policy enforcement has changed? It’s frustrating to see these violations continue while legitimate sellers are left without support.
Complaint IDs:
16323362191
16317907901
Let’s work together to ensure the integrity of Amazon's platform.
Brands Misusing 'Scent Name' Variations to Combine Fundamentally Different Products
Lately, we’ve noticed a surge of brands using “Scent-Name” variations to group completely different oils like Rosehip, Avocado, and Coconut under one listing. While sizing variations work, Amazon’s Variation Policy is clear: only products with the same base ingredient and minor differences (like scent) can be grouped.
For example:
- Rosehip Oil - Unscented
- Rosehip Oil - Lavender
- Rosehip Oil - Citrus
Amazon explicitly lists “Body oils with different base ingredients (e.g., avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil)” as bad variations here:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201958220
We recently reported such violations but were told:
"Thank you for your report. The variation you reported complies with the ASIN Creation policy: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201844590"
This is concerning as Amazon's ASIN Creation Policy they referenced (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201844590) prohibits variations that mislead customers or combine products that are fundamentally different from each other.
"Adding products that are fundamentally different from the parent ASIN"
Specifically, the policy outlines prohibited practices like adding child variations that differ significantly from the parent product. Grouping oils from entirely different plants (e.g., Meadowfoam and Rosehip) under one parent is misleading and not compliant with policy. This has a negative impact on customer experience and competitive fairness.
Can someone from the Amazon team clarify if policy enforcement has changed? It’s frustrating to see these violations continue while legitimate sellers are left without support.
Complaint IDs:
16323362191
16317907901
Let’s work together to ensure the integrity of Amazon's platform.
14 replies
Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL
Again, we have received the same boilerplate response.
We have reported misuse of the “Scent” variation in a listing, yet no action has been taken (Complaint IDs: 16323362191, 16317907901). The seller is using the "Scent" variation to list fundamentally different oils (e.g., meadowfoam, rosehip, and sesame oils) when the only similarity is the bottle size.
Amazon policy is clear that body oils with different base ingredients, such as avocado oil, castor oil, and coconut oil, are bad variations. Listing these distinct oils together is like listing Apple and Microsoft computers as variations – it's misleading and violates policy... or listing Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil and so on as variations also violates policy.
This misuse confuses customers and violates Amazon’s policies. Could you confirm if the policy has changed, or clarify why no action has been taken? Are Parent-Child relations that incorrectly use the "Scent" variation now allowed? It seems Amazon’s Listing Reports team is operating with different policy interpretations, and clarification is needed.
It also appears this policy is inconsistently enforced, creating an unfair marketplace where some brands are penalized while others are not. Could you explain the discrepancy?
"Examples of bad variations: Body oils with different base ingredients (e.g. avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil)"
- See more details below
"Hello,
Thank you for your report of a suspected policy violation. We cannot take action on the report as no violation has been identified on the reported ASINs for the violation type selected. The variation you reported complies with the ASIN Creation policy:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201844590"
@Glenn_Amazon @Micah_Amazon
Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL
Still no word from the community managers regarding the Variation Policy and the use of “Scent” as a variation for products with totally different ingredients.
We've combed through the policy, and everything points to this being against the rules. For example, Amazon's exact wording says that body oils with different base ingredients (like avocado, rosehip, or sesame oils) shouldn't be listed together as variations.
We're waiting for some clarity—feels like the rules are being enforced inconsistently.
Would love some insight.
Manny_Amazon
Hello @Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL,
Thanks for posting to the Forums. I've gone ahead and contacted my partner team and requested their assistance with reviewing this issue. I'll follow up as soon as I hear back from the team.
Regards,
- Manny
Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL
Any Updates @Manny_Amazon?
We have yet to hear about clarification on this subject.
It's kind of ridiculous selling Sunflower oil, Sea Butter, Sesame oil, Walnut Oil and so on under variations of "Scent"
Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL
Hello @Manny_Amazon,
I hope you're doing well. It's been a week and I wanted to follow up. We've found more listings using "Scent-Name" as a variation to consolidate different types of oils (e.g., Rosehip, Jojoba, Olive, Meadowfoam) under a single Parent Listing, particularly in the Carrier Oil category. This practice raises concerns for both Amazon customers and search algorithms, as it causes materially different products to share reviews.
Here’s why this is problematic:
Misleading Reviews: When oils that are materially different are grouped together, reviews for one oil (e.g., Rosehip) appear under listings for entirely different oils (e.g., Jojoba). This gives Amazon customers the false impression that the product they're viewing has reviews relevant to it, when in fact, the reviews are a mix from all variations. Customers are misled into thinking the product has more reviews and a better rating than it actually does.
Unfair Marketplace: Competitors who follow Amazon's guidelines are placed at a disadvantage. Imagine a listing for Apple products where iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks are grouped under one parent listing. A review critiquing an iPhone’s performance shouldn’t impact the rating of a MacBook or iPad, even though they are from the same brand. The same issue arises here: a customer looking for Jojoba Oil might be influenced by reviews for Rosehip or Olive Oil. Grouping materially different oils together leads to misleading reviews—whether good or bad—and creates an inaccurate representation of the product.
It’s important to note that valid variations would be, for example, the same Jojoba Oil with different scents (like lavender or geranium), as the base product remains the same. Similarly, scented and unscented versions of baby wipes or candles make sense as variations because the core product is unchanged.
While we understand that the carrier oil category is evolving, the methods used to manipulate reviews and traffic by consolidating different oils under one parent listing negatively impact customers and create an uneven playing field for sellers who comply with Amazon’s guidelines.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Seller_RW2hhNpmNDVQL
@Manny_Amazon
We’ve reported multiple cases of variation manipulation and prohibited emojis in listings, only to receive the response:
"Thank you for your report of a suspected policy violation. We cannot take action on the report as no violation has been identified on the reported [ASINS] for the violation type selected."
These violations are clear:
"Product bullet points requirements
Bullet points highlight the five main features and benefits you want customers to know about your products. Bullet points help customers quickly understand if the product is right for them.
Do not include below information. Bullet points with below information will be removed or updated:
- Special characters such as ™, ®, €, …, †, ‡, o, ¢, £, ¥, ©, ±, ~, â
- Any emojis such as ☺, ☹, ✅, ❌ "
Variation Manipulation: The reported listings contain variations that group fundamentally different products (e.g., Aloe Vera, Rose Water, Seed Oils) solely based on volumetric size. These products only share the same volume and should not be grouped as variations. This would be akin to listing 32 fl oz Sprite and Peanut Butter together just because of their size—it's misleading to customers and clearly against Amazon’s policy.
The policy for variation violation when product scent is being used for materially different products can be found here:"Examples of bad variations: Body oils with different base ingredients (e.g. avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil)"
Complaint IDs:
- 16574183041
- 16574294941
- 16574273461
Amazon needs to review these complaints as these listings clearly violate policy.
I'll be opening a new post in a few hours if no response is made.
