Accepting lab test reports from suppliers at face value can be extremely costly. We have dealt with many cases in which importers have assumed the validity of lab test reports that later on turned out to be completely useless.

When using existing test reports, you need to be absolutely certain that it’s not only an authentic document – but also valid for your supplier and product. Often that is not the case.

In this guide, I’ll explain how to “read” and verify lab test reports. Continue reading How to Verify Lab Test Reports & Product Certificates: A Practical Guide

Selling products on eBay in the US, EU, UK, and Australia requires that your products are safe and compliant. In practice, this means that you need to arrange lab testing, create label files and certain documentation – before you list your items on eBay.

In this guide, we take a closer look at the eBay Product Safety Policy, and what it means for sellers. We also cover recalls, actions against non-compliant products, and seller pre-approvals. Continue reading eBay Product Compliance & Safety Requirements for Sellers: An Overview

In 2021 we started receiving reports from Etsy sellers having their products removed from the marketplace. We have recently studied Etsy’s seller and product compliance policies, and their reasoning for removing certain items.

In this article, we share our findings to help Etsy sellers better understand their product safety obligations – and why it can be challenging to make the numbers work when it comes to lab testing and certifying handicrafts, and limited production runs. Continue reading Etsy Product Compliance & Safety Requirements for Sellers: An Overview

Alibaba suppliers often upload lab test reports and product certificates on their company pages. Some buyers assume that this indicates that the supplier in question is by default “compliant” or “certified” in the sense that they exclusively make products in compliance with safety standards and regulations in the US, EU, and other countries.

However, this is far from the truth – and misunderstanding what test documents mean spells disaster for importers that are less experienced with product compliance. Continue reading Test Reports and Product Certificates on Alibaba: A Complete Guide

ISO 17025 is a globally recognized standard aiming at determining the capability of testing and calibration laboratories. It serves the purpose of demonstrating the competency of lab activities, such as providing accurate and timely results.

Using an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory can also help importers and manufacturers to ensure that their products’ testing results are reliable. Also, some marketplaces such as Amazon only accept ISO 17025 accredited labs, for certain product listings.

In this guide, we introduce the scope of ISO 17025, the accreditation process, and list some ISO 17025 accredited laboratories.
Continue reading ISO 17025 Accreditation for Product Testing Labs: A Complete Guide