Amazon Account Suspension
If you’ve ever experienced an Amazon account suspension, you know how badly it hurts. I still have deep scars from my last suspension in February 2014. On that fateful day, I logged into my Seller Central account only to see the dreaded “Your Account Has Been Deactivated” banner. Every listing was simultaneously removed from Amazon, and my daily sales dropped to $0. That’s right, ZERO!
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Book a Discovery Call and lets go over the details.
Step 2
Purchase your desired Reinstatement Service.
Step 3
Get reinstated & revamp to avoid any future issues.
Amazon Account Appeals
My Order Defect Rate (ODR) had been so bad for so long that Amazon finally shut down my account. Amazon had warned that my Late Shipment Rate and Pre-fulfilled Cancel Rate had exceeded the limits, but I ignored them. About 30% of my business was drop ship (FBM/MFN or Merchant Fulfilled) back then. It was a magical cash flow business model where we sold products first and then had the vendor ship orders directly to the Amazon customer.
Unfortunately, many drop ship vendors were Order Defect machines that shipped late and often shipped the wrong items, pissing off Amazon customers along the way. We fixed the issue by killing our drop ship business and carrying the inventory we sold in either our own warehouse or Amazon FBA. Then I begged for forgiveness with three Amazon account appeals, and my account was reinstated FORTY-FIVE days later. That hard lesson cost me $1.5 million in revenue. It forced me to change how we did business which ultimately made us better at serving our Amazon customers, not to mention staying out of Amazon jail.
There are many Amazon account suspension reasons beyond ODR, including repeatedly violating terms of service, failing to meet minimum performance standards (as I had), selling poor-quality products with continual bad ratings and reviews, and repeatedly violating the intellectual property rights of other brands. Also, if you have multiple accounts, all of your accounts can get taken down due to a related account suspension on Amazon, regardless of your product offerings.
The best path to Amazon account reinstatement is to prevent it in the first place. First, don’t break the Amazon rules. Read, study, and comply with the Amazon Terms of Service (TOS). It’s not exactly page-turning reading, but what you don’t know can kill your account, so do your homework.
Amazon Seller Central Account Health
Constantly monitor your notifications in Seller Central Account Health and your main seller account email address. Knowing early and taking quick action can stop a suspension before it begins.
Comply with listing requirements and don’t make claims you cannot support with federal or state registrations, testing, or studies. Remember, government agencies are also watching Amazon, so you (and Amazon) must comply with the various state and federal regulations.
Don’t create and sell the same product on multiple accounts. In fact, just keep one Seller Central account and treat it as if your business depends on it. Because it does.
Be in the know regarding your impact on the Amazon customer and their experiences. Strategically addressing your product, adhering to regulatory compliance and listing can greatly improve the customer experience and help navigate your path towards building your brand and sales on Amazon. However, I highly recommend speaking to compliance experts regarding what’s allowed in listings and on packaging. Getting this wrong could force an Amazon takedown that would require a new listing. If you have great reviews and selling history, you’ll lose it all if you don’t get this right from the start and Amazon forces you to launch a new ASIN.
Lastly, don’t break the law. Committing fraud or doing things like paying for fake reviews is illegal. Additionally, own your own Intellectual Property (IP) and don’t copy or violate other brands’ IP, including trademarks, copyrights, or patents. This one seems obvious, especially the don’t commit fraud part, but you’d be amazed by how many calls we take from good people who made dumb mistakes and didn’t realize they had violated the law.
Book A Discovery Call
If you’re looking for a reliable and trustworthy Account Reinstatement Service, Avenue7Media’s team of reinstatement specialists are able to assist you. If your Account is suspended and you’re losing daily sales, now is the time to get expert help.
Our Proven Process Works
Amazon Account Reinstatement Services
OK, you did the best you could to prevent suspension, and you got suspended anyway. Now what? First, investigate. Read every Amazon correspondence and notification related to the issue and identify the type of issue that got you suspended. Recently Amazon has improved their explanations of the violations as they see them. Gather your information, and if you’ve made a mistake write down the steps you took that led you to this suspension, including as much detail as possible. Then capture the corrective actions you’ll take to remedy the situation. This will be the basis for your Plan of Action (POA) in your appeal, which can be accessed from links in the notification email or via the Account Health Dashboard in Seller Central. Sometimes the notification will require you to respond to an Amazon Team email along with supporting documentation. Explain clearly what happened, what you’ve done to remedy the situation, and assure them it won’t happen again. Then once you’ve corrected it, DO NOT repeat the mistake.
Also, if you did nothing wrong, explain and share supporting evidence proving your point. Carefully review your Performance Notification and/or Amazon email – contained within it is sometimes a link to appeal the violation within your account, and sometimes there is a specific team to address. One last thing. Don’t be a jerk. Yes, Amazon is a big trillion-dollar behemoth half run by machines, software, and robots, but treat them like a respected family member. Amazon has feelings too! Pissing them off just guarantees that your request will be pushed to the bottom of the very large stack of appeals your contact will have to process that day. So remember the golden rule you learned in elementary school. Treat others how you’d like to be treated.
Lastly, sometimes a simple appeal won’t solve the issue, and that’s where an agency that specializes in Amazon account reinstatement services, like Avenue7Media®, can help. Our team of experienced Performance, Compliance, Catalog, and Amazon Account experts can diagnose the problem and move quickly to fix it. They solve these issues daily, and they are really good at it. Our full-service clients get this work included in their plan, but you can also contact our team for one-off or ad hoc support.
If Amazon still denies your appeal after you try yourself or work with an agency, you must wait months before starting a new account. I suggest contacting an Amazon Account Reinstatement agency like ours for help opening a new Amazon account after suspension. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but with the right support, even this is solvable.
COMPLIANCE ISSUES
By far one of the most common issues we see is when customers complain that there is a safety problem with the product, and Amazon requires you to show documentation proving that the product is labeled correctly, has been tested properly, in order to ensure that it was customer error, not the product itself.
IP INFRINGEMENT
If you’re selling something that you are not authorized to sell, or presenting something in such a way that you’re using another company’s intellectual property without permission, the suspension would be a result of a complaint from the rights holder. It’s essential to resolve these quickly as failing to do so could put your entire account at risk of suspension.
PRODUCT/ITEM QUALITY ISSUES
Are you consistently receiving returns due to the product not being as expected by the customer? Has it injured someone? It’s got quality issues. Amazon uses terms like “used sold as new”, inauthentic, expired, safety incident or material difference to describe these types of problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on the reason for the suspension, we succeed in reinstating 89% of the accounts we’ve worked on. Our success rate with related accounts, which are especially difficult, is over 70%. For suspensions about inauthentic warnings, we succeed more than 95%.
We can always help, but certain kinds of IP infringement claims and account verification issues are particularly difficult to solve. With these, it is key to prevent suspensions by verifying your documents before account shutdown and updating and correcting listings before they are taken down. Once your account is shut down for IP infringement, it’s really tough to get it back.
Our team of Amazon reinstatement experts understand the intricacies of Amazon’s policies and procedures. Our approach is tailored to the specific situation and needs of each client. We lead our clients through communicating with Amazon, obtaining the required documentation, submission and even the implementation of better business practices to maintain and ensure compliance. Our proven track record of successful reinstatements underscores our commitment to achieving positive and lasting outcomes for our clients.
Common reasons for Amazon account suspensions include policy violations, poor performance metrics (such as high order defect rate, cancellation rate, and late shipment rate), selling counterfeit products, infringing on intellectual property, and failing to address Performance Notifications. Proactively managing these aspects can help prevent suspensions.
Your appeal to Amazon should include a clear explanation of the issues that led to the suspension, a detailed plan of action addressing these issues, and steps to prevent future occurrences. Ensure your appeal is well-organized, factual, and demonstrates your commitment to adhering to Amazon’s policies. Avenue7Media’s Presence services can help you craft a strong appeal to increase the chances of reinstatement.
Yes, you can usually still access your Seller Central account information, such as reports and performance metrics, even if your account is suspended. This allows you to gather the necessary data to address the issues and prepare your appeal.
A Performance Notification on Amazon is a message alerting you to issues with your account or listings, such as policy violations or performance problems. It is crucial to address these notifications promptly, as failure to comply can lead to account suspensions. Even if you no longer intend to sell the affected products, it’s important to resolve the notifications to maintain account health.
When your Amazon account is suspended, your listings become inactive, preventing any sales. This can severely impact your business, causing loss of revenue and customer trust. The suspension usually occurs due to policy violations or performance issues. To resolve this, you need a well-crafted appeal that addresses Amazon’s concerns. Avenue7Media’s Presence services can assist you in reinstating your account by navigating Amazon’s complex compliance requirements, ensuring minimal downtime and guiding you back to full operational status efficiently. Learn more about our comprehensive support at Avenue7Media.
To get your Amazon account unsuspended, you need to submit a comprehensive appeal to Amazon, outlining the issues and the steps you’ve taken to resolve them. This includes identifying the cause of the suspension, providing a detailed plan of action to address the issues, and ensuring future compliance with Amazon’s policies. Avenue7Media’s Presence services offer expert assistance in crafting effective appeals and navigating Amazon’s reinstatement process, helping you get back to selling as quickly as possible. Discover how we can help at Avenue7Media.
The time it takes for Amazon to unsuspend your account can vary. It typically ranges from a few days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the issues and the thoroughness of your appeal. To expedite the process, it’s crucial to submit a clear and detailed plan of action. Avenue7Media’s Presence services can help you craft a compelling appeal and navigate the reinstatement process efficiently, minimizing downtime. Learn more about how we can assist at Avenue7Media.
To avoid an Amazon account suspension, it’s essential to adhere to Amazon’s policies and guidelines meticulously. Here are some key steps:
- Maintain High Performance Metrics: Ensure your order defect rate, cancellation rate, and late shipment rate remain within acceptable limits.
- Comply with Policies: Regularly review and follow Amazon’s policies on product listings, customer service, and prohibited items.
- Monitor Account Health: Use Amazon’s Account Health Dashboard to stay on top of any issues.
- Provide Excellent Customer Service: Respond to customer inquiries promptly and resolve issues effectively.
- Avoid Counterfeit and Infringements: Ensure all products are authentic and listings are accurate.
- Address Performance Notifications Promptly: Never ignore Performance Notifications from Amazon. “Failure to Comply” is a top reason for account and listing suspensions, even if you no longer intend to sell those products. Always address and resolve these notifications to maintain account health.
Avenue7Media’s Presence services offer proactive account management and compliance monitoring to help you stay within Amazon’s guidelines and avoid suspensions. Learn more about our comprehensive support at Avenue7Media.
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