Thanks to safety concerns, Amazon is cracking down on fidget spinners, a toy originally marketed as an aid for concentration and to relieve "fidgeting." Sellers have until July 28th to show their products have been tested and meet safety requirements.
Here's a letter some sellers reported receiving:
Dear Seller,
We are contacting you because you are selling or have sold fidget spinners. As part of our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible customer experience, Amazon is implementing safety requirements for all fidget spinners offered on the site. To continue to sell existing fidget spinners, sellers have until July 28, 2017 to carry out testing and submit the information below. The safety requirement is now in effect for all new fidget spinner ASINs.
What is a fidget spinner?
A fidget spinner has two or more prongs with a bearing in its center circular pad. It can be made from a variety of materials including plastic, brass, stainless steel, titanium, and copper. The prongs may also be weighted with the same type of bearing. The device is often held between two fingers on the center pad, and spins around the center bearing.
How do I meet the safety requirements to sell fidget spinners?
Please submit the following information to child-safety@amazon.com from the email address associated with your seller account.
1) Your Company Name;
2) Your contact information (email address, phone number);
3) A list of fidget spinner ASINs that you are applying to sell;
4) One of the following: a) documents showing that you are the manufacturer of each of the ASINs you are applying to sell; or b) copies of invoices (or receipts) showing each of the ASINs from your supplier, issued within the last 365 days, showing the quantities purchased; and
5) For each ASIN, documents from a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission-approved Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) showing compliance with testing standard ASTM F963-16 for the U.S. marketplace.
Below please find a list of NRTLs who may be able to help you with testing:
By applying to sell these products, you certify that all of the information you submit is true.
If you have any questions, please contact Seller Support for assistance.
Thank you,
Amazon Services
In some cases, Amazon went further. Sellers have reported that Amazon considers their fidget spinners to be Ninja weapons (a form of "throwing star" with sharp ends), which are against its
Weapons and Imitation Weapons policy.
There have been news reports of children choking on the toys and of battery-powered spinners catching fire when charging, such as
this article in the Telegraph.
Ironically, it's possible that given the crackdown, some fidget spinners may increase
their collectability.
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Amazon Cracks Down on Fidget Spinners
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