Andon Cord

Andon Cord is an internal Amazon safety and quality control mechanism, inspired by a concept from lean manufacturing (where pulling a physical “andon cord” stops the assembly line to fix a problem).

On Amazon, if customer service agents or systems detect recurring serious issues - such as:

• Reports of the product being unsafe or hazardous
• Repeated complaints about damaged deliveries
• Incorrect or misleading listing content
• Pattern of poor customer experience

- they can “pull the Andon Cord”, which means:

• The product listing is deactivated immediately
• It’s removed from the marketplace until the root cause is investigated
• The seller or vendor is notified and may be asked to submit documents, photos, or corrective actions

This can happen without warning and is typically not a permanent suspension, but rather a temporary hold for investigation.

Why it matters:

• It protects customers from unsafe or defective products
• It prevents reputational damage to Amazon
• Sellers need to monitor customer feedback closely to avoid Andon Cord triggers

Common triggers:

• “Item injured me / shocked me / burned me”
• “Product leaking or broken in package multiple times”
• “Wrong product being shipped repeatedly”

In short:

Andon Cord = Amazon’s emergency stop button for listings that might hurt the customer experience or safety. Fix it fast or risk delisting.