The Issue of Agency in Purchasing from Non-Jews
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Question
I saw in stores with a strict kosher certification a note about agency, and they asked me to sign it. What does this mean?
Answer
The buyer writes an appointment of agency in which he appoints the seller as his agent to purchase from the non-Jew [and the seller writes an additional appointment of agency in which he appoints the agent to be his representative to purchase from the non-Jew], and through this, the purchase does not violate the prohibition of commerce, as the goods are not bought from the seller [see Sukkah 39], but rather the expenses of the goods as they cost the seller, and the payment for the effort, place, and losses of unsold goods are paid. Therefore, there is also no prohibition of measurement and weighing, as it is merely a clarification of the shares of the partners who bought through an agent from the non-Jew.
Source
Azmera Leshimcha (Shemita, Issue 2).