Recently, many sellers are talking about their products being delisted because of WEEE non-compliance. Amazon did not even notify them of the information and their products were suddenly delisted. Although this regulation has been promulgated for a long time, many sellers still do not realize its importance. Today we will do a thorough analysis of the WEEE regulation and answer your questions transparently.
What is WEEE, and under what circumstances does a seller need to register for WEEE?
WEEE refers to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC).
According to the German ElectroG regulation issued on March 16, 2005, all electronic products in the EU must be registered for recycling. The local authority has set up a recycling company. On the one hand, the recycling company is responsible for the pollution-free disposal of electronic products. On the other hand, the company will continue to be responsible for the subsequent disposal of the product if the company no longer operates the product in the local market (due to bankruptcy or product recall).
After the merchant signs a recycling contract with the recycling company, the recycling company guarantees the disposal of electronic waste. After the information is submitted to the local authority for review, the local authority issues WEEE-Reg-Number.
If you sell electronic products to EU countries, you need to register for WEEE, especially for the Amazon platform. Amazon has strict requirements for WEEE registration. If you do not register for WEEE, you may be delisted at any time.
Is it possible to register one WEEE registration number, which can be used to multiple stores?
The WEEE registration number corresponds to the store. A store has only one registration number, and one registration number can only correspond to one store. There are multiple stores under a company, even if they sell the same products, each store needs to register for WEEE separately. Therefore, the WEEE registration number cannot be used universally.
What is the registration path of WEEE?
WEEE registration is registered by brand and category. Based on the Amazon store, there can be multiple brands and categories under the store but adding brands and categories will increase the cost. Generally, customers submit one brand and one category to register WEEE.
Which electrical appliances need to be registered for WEEE and how are they classified?
- Heat exchangers
- Display devices for use in private households
- Lamps / Glow-discharge lamps
- Large electronic devices
- Small electrical and electronic devices
- Small IT and telecommunication devices
Which category does the merchant sell the most and what products are there?
The category that businesses have done the most is small electrical and electronic equipment. More than 80% of products fall into this category.
Such products include:
LED flashlights, LED light bars, wake-up lights, makeup mirrors, cameras, alarm clocks, toys, adapters, kitchen electronic scales, drones, pet electronic products, tire pressure meters, wireless chargers, travel chargers, data cables, HDMI Switch, balance bike, electric mosquito racket, stereo, earphone, night light, curling iron, electric toothbrush, electric shaving, vacuum cleaner, mosquito killer, Bluetooth thermometer.
What documents need to be submitted to apply for WEEE? Do you need us to provide samples?
The following information is required for WEEE registration:
1. Application form (we provide)
2. Business license. Can be translated if there is no English business license
3. Product pictures with Logo
No samples are required to register for WEEE.
What is the difference between WEEE registration and WEEE report? Which should the merchant do?
The WEEE report measures the recovery rate of a product, and the percentage of the recovery rate is qualified. The Amazon platform does not recognize WEEE reports. Amazon recognizes the WEEE registration number. Merchants should register for WEEE and obtain a registration number to be recognized by Amazon.
What is the most serious consequence if WEEE required electronic device is not registered for recycling?
The most serious consequence of electronic devices not being recycled and registered is not only to be delisted from Amazon but also face the risk of being wiped out by unfair competitors. In case the competitor buys the merchant’s product for sampling, and if the product is not printed with a compliant recycling symbol or the product is not registered for recycling in Germany, the competitor could entrust a German lawyer to send a letter to Amazon requesting to stop selling the company’s products and apply for court proceedings to destroy all the company’s stock products on Amazon. At this time, the merchant not only lost all the inventory but also needs to pay the cost of the lawyer and the cost of destroying the product, which may mean that the company was basically wiped out of the German market.
As we know, once a product is delisted, it becomes unsaleable, and it takes a long time to restore inventory. According to Amazon’s normal procedures, sellers need to appeal for restoration after registering with WEEE. Amazon will require sellers to provide EAR certificates and require the logo of the trash to be printed on the product packaging. The overall process is undoubtedly exceptionally long. Sellers still need to move their stocks and label them to meet Amazon’s requirements: the trash can shall be printed on the product packaging. In the case of a peak season, if the inventory cannot be recovered before the sales season, it will undoubtedly be a heavy blow.
What is WEEE registration process?
1. Submit documents and sign a service contract with us
2. The merchant pays and signs the authorization letter
3. Submit all documents to us within 24 hours, we provide then a registration ID, screenshots of the German official website, and an acceptance letter.
4. Wait for 8-12 weeks to get a WEEE registration number issued after the EAR review. Then you get a WEEE registration code, which can be verified on the German EAR official website.