Foreign Seed Sales Banned On Amazon As People Get Suspicious Packages From China - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2020) Amazon has prohibited the import of plant and seed products into the US after Americans received suspicious packages this summer with seeds they did not order, The Wall Street Journal reports.

"Moving forward, we are only permitting the sale of seeds by sellers who are based in the U.S," an Amazon spokesperson said as quoted by the newspaper on Saturday.

According to the spokesperson, sellers who violate the new guidelines (effective September 3) could have their Amazon account removed.

Apart from the import of seeds into the US, the sale of seeds within the US by non-US residents is now also prohibited by Amazon, according to an email viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The new move from Amazon comes after thousands of people in the US, as well as France, Canada and the UK, received suspicious packages, many postmarked from China, with seeds they did not order. The packages were instead marked as jewelry, toys or other products, according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to the Chinese authorities, the mailing labels on the suspicious packages were forged.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said earlier this year that the seed packages were most likely part of a "brushing scam," which involves a seller sending someone an unsolicited item to then post a fake customer review and improve its rating and sales.