Fulfillment Center Western Bid has a clear list of prohibited items for storage and sale, as well as a separate list of items that are only allowed if they are purchased or manufactured by the seller in the United States.
Who this information is for
- For sellers who plan to store goods at Western Bid’s Fulfillment warehouse in the USA.
- For those who want to sell goods from a Fulfillment Center on eBay, Etsy, Amazon, and other marketplaces.
- For entrepreneurs working with products in ‘sensitive’ categories (cosmetics, branded clothing, dietary supplements, fur, electronics, etc.).
Main groups of prohibited goods
List of items not accepted for storage and sale from Fulfillment Center:
- Any goods manufactured in Cuba, in North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Burma, Myanmar, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon and Syria, the Russian Federation, or the Republic of Belarus.
- Any medical and health-related products and medicines for people and animals, including tablets and intravenous injection preparations.
- Any food products for people and animals (including dietary supplements manufactured outside the USA), alcoholic beverages.
- Checks and other payments from affiliate programs, gift cards, certificates, bank checks, money orders, traveler’s checks, bank cards (including expired), and any other payment instruments.
- Any new items bearing the logo of the manufacturer of these goods, including car stickers (decals) bearing logos of car manufacturers, T-shirts with logos, drawings, works of art and handmade items containing logos and/or brand names.
- Any new or active SIM cards, as well as any telecommunication services and contracts.
- Any goods from LPR, DPR, Crimea, made in LPR, DPR, or Crimea, shipped from Crimea, that have any relation to Crimea or contain the word “Crimea” in the description.
- Any items bearing GRU (GRU) and FSB (FSB) markings on the products themselves or in product descriptions, as well as replicas of such items, including uniforms, documents, awards, badges, printed products; goods produced by these organizations or made for use by these organizations, as well as any items or product descriptions that bear markings or mention names of organizations under US or EU sanctions, such as Yandex.Money, VTB24, Sberbank and other companies and organizations on the sanctions list.
- Wild and domestic animals, including live animals, carcasses, body parts, taxidermy, hides, ivory. Also goods made from parts of extinct animals, and body parts of animals that belong to rare, endangered species and are listed in the Red Book.
- Living, preserved or dried insects (except insects in amber, resin and/or encased in other solid substances in jewelry).
- Seeds and plants, living and dried, including medicinal herbs.
- Any new branded apparel of Western brands (for example, such as “ADIDAS”, “PUMA”, “Michael Kors” etc.), if purchased outside the USA.
- Any branded or second-hand clothing, accessories and haberdashery, including footwear and bags over $400 USD, listed for sale without an authenticity certificate. More details here.
- Parts of human bodies, including specimens, models and other imitations of human body parts, organs or tissues of humans, blood and its components, human and animal embryos, human remains, including exhumed remains or those subjected to cremation, teeth.
- Currently circulating currency, coins, banknotes, bonds and bills (it is permitted to sell currency notes, coins, banknotes, bonds and bills that are out of circulation and have collectible value).
- Catalytic converters and test tubes.
- Charity, donations and fundraising, including Kickstarter and Indiegogo (except for campaigns pre-approved with Western Bid).
- Mobile phones sold with service contracts.
- Counterfeit currency and stamps (excluding artworks and souvenirs).
- Narcotics and controlled substances, psychotropic substances, including in the form of medicines, aerosols, smoke, smoking mixtures, including tobacco, tobacco products and smoking accessories, bongs, electronic cigarettes or their parts, as well as hookahs, fillings and mixtures for hookahs and electronic cigarettes.
- Electronic equipment prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
- Goods subjected to an embargo.
- Explosive substances, fireworks or pyrotechnic devices or materials for them.
- Firearms and any of their parts, including exemplars, sights and bayonets; excluding belts, holsters, slings, ammunition pouches, pistol pouches and other accessories for carrying and storing firearms.
- Government documents, identity papers and licenses, including passports, employment records and other important documents, including copies of documents and certificates issued by notaries.
- Goods related to the operation of U.S. government agencies and the military, including aircraft operation manuals, subway employee uniforms and the United States Postal Service (USPS), police badges and uniform parts, and mail bags.
- Hazardous materials, fuels, caustic substances.
- Strategic materials, diplomatic or confidential materials.
- Pornography and products or access to products that are pornographic in nature or content.
- Real estate ownership certificates and other securities.
- Stolen property and property with removed registration numbers.
- Sales of any valid tickets, including lottery, travel, event tickets, airline tickets, tours and travel.
- Items made of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), as well as precious metals in the form of ore, ingots, powders or scrap. Payments via Western Bid for coins, precious metal jewelry are allowed after prior interview.
- All types of edged weapons, including folding knives, spring-assisted knives and pocket knives with blades longer than 9 cm.
- Paintball/airsoft pistols, parts of them, stun guns, gas and stun pistols, self-defence items such as gas canisters and sprays containing pepper liquids, cuffs, clubs.
- Materials that are radioactive and toxic, as well as absolutely any reagents and chemical compounds, compounds containing poisons.
- Flammable substances and liquids, including zinc powder, acetone, any type of lighter refills, solvents, conventional perfume in the form of perfumes, colognes or eau de toilette (except nail polish), enamel and glue.
- Explosive goods (including those under pressure, such as fire extinguishers, airbags, scuba cylinders, etc.).
- Ozone-depleting substances and substances that pollute the environment (any type of aerosol, sprays, disinfectants, motor oils, dry ice, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, household and medical waste, and other hazardous waste).
- Pathogenic and infected substances.
- Items prohibited for trade under the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), for example: taxidermy mounts, hides, bones, tusks of rare animals.
- Hazardous rechargeable batteries (including used), such as lead-acid, alkaline, including car batteries, lithium without devices, damaged or worn batteries of any type and those that have reached end-of-life — alkaline, nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) or nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries (excluding batteries for mobile phones, digital cameras and laptops).
- Works of art and cultural valuables that require mandatory certification.
- Adult information on printed, audiovisual and other media that may be classified as pornography.
- Information on printed, audiovisual and other media aimed at promoting Nazi propaganda or symbolism, or symbols or insignia similar to Nazi symbolism, as well as any product aimed at promoting discrimination on any grounds, including anti-Semitism.
- Goods prohibited for shipment under the Universal Postal Union acts and the customs laws of the sending/receiving country.
- Things and items that may damage the postal facility or pose a danger to postal workers, including contaminating or spoiling (damaging) other postal items and postal equipment (graphite powder, sand, dry gypsum powder without proper packaging, etc.).
- Goods containing calls for extremist and terrorist activity or public support and promotion of terrorism, items with a swastika, or the letter “Z”.
- Cultural antiquities and other items of archaeological significance.
- Any poisons and chemicals.
- Specialized devices and technical means that allow penetration into and inspection of any premises, as well as unauthorized entry into transportation; other goods and technologies enabling breaking and bypassing locks, excluding ordinary handyman and carpentry tools.
- Any liquids.
- Orders, state decorations and documents to them (including award badges and insignia), as well as orders, badges, medals and other insignia that promote Soviet and/or communist values.
Fulfillment Center Prohibited Items: Quick Answers
| Category | What this means |
|---|---|
| Dangerous goods | Explosives, flammable, toxic, radioactive, pathogenic and other dangerous substances are not accepted. |
| Weapons and self-defence items | Prohibited firearms and bladed weapons, weapon parts, stun devices, pepper spray, traumatic devices and similar items. |
| Medicines, food, alcohol | Medicines, food products for people and animals, dietary supplements and alcoholic beverages are not accepted. |
| Sanctioned and embargoed goods | Goods from certain countries, territories or bearing signs of sanctioned brands, names and markings are not accepted. |
| Living organisms and body parts | Living animals, body parts of animals and humans, plants, seeds, insects and products made from rare species are prohibited. |
| Payment and official documents | Cheques, cards, certificates, official documents, IDs, securities and other payment instruments are not accepted. |
| Problematic branded goods | There are separate restrictions for new branded goods, as well as for branded or used clothing, accessories and leather goods priced over 400 USD without a certificate of authenticity. |
How to quickly check a product before sending it to Fulfillment
- Check that the product is not dangerous, toxic, flammable, or explosive.
- Confirm that the product does not contain batteries, chemicals, aerosols, alcohols, or reagents.
- Check the country of origin of the product and any sanction restrictions.
- Also verify the brand, logos, names, and authenticity documents.
- Ensure that the product does not belong to the categories of food, medicines, weapons, SIM cards, payment instruments, or living organisms.
- If the product is expensive, branded, or unusual, inspect it manually before sending it to the warehouse.
Main groups of prohibited goods
Dangerous and regulated goods
- Explosive substances, pyrotechnics, fireworks.
- Toxic, radioactive, pathogenic, contaminated, and chemical substances.
- Flammable liquids, aerosols, solvents, fuels, glues, perfumes, sprays.
- Hazardous batteries, damaged or used batteries of certain types.
Medical, food, and consumer goods subject to restrictions
- Medicines, medical and wellness products for people and animals.
- Food products, feeds, supplements, alcohol.
- Tobacco, electronic cigarettes, hookahs, and smoking mixtures.
Weapons, self-defense tools and related goods
- Firearms and their parts.
- Bladed weapons and individual knives.
- Stun guns, impact devices, tear gas canisters, brass knuckles, batons.
Sanctions, branded and legal restrictions
- Goods from certain countries, territories or under embargo.
- Goods bearing markings or mentions of sanctioning organizations and companies.
- New goods with foreign logos and some new branded goods purchased outside the USA.
- Branded or used clothing, accessories and leather goods over 400 USD without a certificate of authenticity.
Please pay special attention
- Brand and logo may be a reason for rejection even for a new, at first glance ordinary product.
- Perfumes, sprays, aerosols, glue, solvents often fall under the category of dangerous or flammable goods.
- Batteries and accumulators require separate checks, especially if they are damaged, used or sold without a device.
- Animal materials, bones, hides, rare species may fall under CITES and other international restrictions.
- Sanctioned terms, markings or origin should be checked not only on the product itself, but also in the description.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prohibited Items for the Fulfillment Center
What items does the Fulfillment Center not accept for storage?
Items that fall into the categories of dangerous, sanctionable, regulated, medical, food, explosive, weapons, payment instruments, official documents, as well as certain branded, animal-derived, and other restricted items are not accepted.
Can food, medicines or alcohol be sent to the Fulfillment Center?
No. No medical and health-related products, medicines for humans and animals, as well as food products for humans and animals, supplements and alcoholic beverages are not accepted.
Are there restrictions for branded goods?
Yes. There are separate restrictions for new items with company logos, for certain new branded items purchased outside the USA, as well as for branded or pre-owned clothing, accessories and leather goods priced over 400 USD without an authenticity certificate.
Can items with batteries or chemicals be stored?
A very careful inspection is required. Prohibited are dangerous batteries, used or damaged batteries of certain types, as well as toxic, chemical, flammable, aerosol and similar items.
Are animal-origin products accepted?
No, if it concerns live animals, body parts, skins, taxidermy, ivory, rare or endangered species, and goods that fall under international wildlife conservation restrictions.
What should I do if I’m not sure whether my item is allowed?
The best approach is to check the item before sending it to the warehouse: its composition/origin, brand, presence of batteries, signs of hazardous substances, authenticity documents and sanctions mentions. If the item is non-standard or risky, it should be checked separately before dispatch.
What to do if you have doubts
If you are not sure whether your item falls under prohibited or allowed categories, be sure to contact Western Bid customer support before you ship the item to the Fulfillment Center or list it for sale.
This will help prevent rejection upon receipt, additional costs for return shipping, and potential violations of customs and sanctions requirements.