by Paul S. Rafelson
BOCA RATON, FL – Imagine waking up one morning to discover that most—or even all—of your Amazon competitors have vanished overnight. For many of our clients, this scenario isn’t just a dream—it’s their reality. Welcome to the world of Weaponized Compliance™.
Serious sellers know that adhering to regulations isn’t just about playing fair—it’s about business survival. FDA labeling, EPA registration, consumer safety certifications, child product safety (CPC requirements), FTC truth-in-advertising, and ingredient transparency are all areas where diligent sellers thrive.
Common Compliance Violations
Many competitors—often overseas, though not exclusively—skip these essential steps. They flood the market with low-quality, non-compliant products, falsely claiming compliance, misrepresenting ingredients, or ignoring mandatory registrations entirely.
Here are some common reasons we’ve used to remove scofflaw competitors from Amazon:
- improper ingredients or missing ingredient panel;
- lack of government registration;
- CPC and consumer safety failures;
- false or improper advertising claims (e.g., curing disease);
- incorrect dosage instructions;
- pesticide claims; and
- review manipulation and inserts.
Executing Effective Takedowns
At our firm, we’ve mastered this strategic approach, leveraging our credibility with Amazon’s legal and compliance teams. Our efforts have helped sellers achieve swift and effective takedowns of non-compliant competitors through meticulous investigations and comprehensive reporting. Our expertise goes beyond standard seller reporting, ensuring prompt action by Amazon.
Protecting Your Identity and Avoiding Retaliation
Our process insulates sellers from potential retaliation concerns. Attorney-client privilege ensures your identity remains confidential. Our communications with Amazon are strategically legal and compliance-focused, eliminating any necessity to identify you as the reporting party. However, it’s important to note that if you’re the sole survivor in a clearly targeted niche with only a few competitors, anonymity may naturally be harder to maintain.
Compliance Check-Up: Don’t Become the Next Target
Weaponized Compliance is also a critical alert for sellers uncertain about their own compliance status. If you’re unsure, you risk becoming a target.
Paul S. Rafelson is managing attorney at Rafelson Law PLLC, Boca Raton, Fla. Rafelson Law will be exhibiting (Booth #457) at Prosper 2026, scheduled for March 10-12 at The Wynn Las Vegas.