Amazon Account Suspension
An Amazon suspension has the potential to cause irreparable harm to any e-commerce business. Unfortunately, most Amazon business owners rely upon Amazon sales as their main source of income. In every case of suspension, it’s our goal to acknowledge this fact, provide the best appeal plan possible, and advise suspended sellers towards a successful and sustainable reinstatement of their selling privileges. Because of the high risks involved with submitting anything less than the best, we advise any seller who receives a notice of account suspension to seek assistance immediately.
Why Sellers Choose Our Appeal Services
It’s best for sellers to avoid submitting their plan of action in almost every suspension case. When sellers quickly submit their appeal before seeking the help of an experienced Amazon seller consultant, their chances of reinstatement decrease. Sometimes, an improper plan of action can even completely remove the seller’s option to appeal the suspension.
Our suspension appeal team has developed a highly effective strategy of rewriting the traditional POA. We have developed a pioneering approach to the average plan of action over the past several years. Our appeal process is professional, quick, and most importantly, successful.
When sellers reach out to our team due to a suspension, we understand how urgent the situation is. We take the proper time and effort to understand every suspension case, while simultaneously planning how to write an appeal plan that works. Our goal is to achieve successful reinstatement of selling privileges 100% of the time, no matter what the reason for suspension might be.
Suspended Accounts and Frozen Funds
A suspended Amazon account can bring even the best e-commerce operation to a screeching halt because of one crucial fact: until the account is reinstated, all disbursements will be held. Amazon places a disbursement hold on the funds pending in suspended accounts for a few reasons. Primarily, it’s because of any potential damages, customer refunds, and other suspension-related fees. By holding seller funds, these fees can all be covered by the seller’s pending disbursement.
This is a major issue for sellers, and it’s a common reason why so many sellers attempt writing their POA immediately. Regular Amazon disbursements become routine. Sellers don’t realize the damage that occurs when the disbursement doesn’t come until the situation happens to them. It’s normal to panic — but don’t let this compromise the chances of reinstatement. Submitting a hastily-written plan of action is still one of the worst things to do when suspended.
Why Does Amazon Suspend Seller Accounts?
Amazon is a company that prides itself on customer satisfaction. The first Amazon Leadership Principle is Customer Obsession. It’s true: the buyer experience is more important to Amazon than anything else. The standard regulations for suspended seller accounts constantly stem from the company’s dedication to preserving marketplace integrity.
Amazon’s dedication to the consumer means a few things when it comes to suspended accounts. First of all, understand that it is a seller’s sole responsibility to honor the commitment to buy and sell. That means a seller’s level of dedication to the buyer experience should align right with Amazon itself. If an account is getting buyer complaints every other day, the seller can certainly expect to receive a suspension shortly.
Second, it’s important to understand that a successful appeal plan needs to address very specific points. These points do not include a tragic tale of playing an innocent victim — rather, they include strategic, measurable actions that reassure Seller Performance that any issues (especially anything that has compromised the buyer experience) have been resolved in full.
This is another reason as to why it’s much better to take a few days before submitting an appeal plan. Think logically: when an account gets suspended, the seller needs some time to ensure that the problems that caused the suspension have been resolved. Firing back immediately with a complete plan that addresses every single issue is not a logical action. Most issues won’t be resolved in such a short time frame.
Your Amazon Appeal Plan
Sellers who must deal with the task of providing a perfect appeal plan face even more frustrated by the lack of disclosure about the reason for a suspension. Why was my seller account suspended? Pinpointing the root cause of suspension is one of the most difficult parts of writing a successful POA. This is an optimal time to call in elite assistance. Our seasoned consultants have successfully reinstated thousands of seller accounts. If your seller account is suspended or you suspect it is at risk of suspension, get in touch with us today to find out how to handle the situation.
Types of Suspensions
Though we come across a curve ball every so often, there are still several most common reasons for Amazon suspensions: intellectual property violations, inauthentic complaints, listing errors, pricing errors, and items not as described.
Intellectual Property
This is a major problem for sellers all over the world. As we stated previously, Amazon is now turning their focus towards big brands. These brands can take down listings of unauthorized third-party sellers with the click of a button – even if the seller isn’t aware they may be infringing on someone else’s copyright, trademark or patent.
Inauthentic Items
What makes an item inauthentic? An item is inauthentic when it is not purchased from an authorized supplier. Inauthentic suspensions happen because a seller’s inventory includes a product that’s not quite counterfeit – but still not quite up to Amazon’s standards. The inauthentic issue is still evolving daily.
Pricing Errors
Amazon has established MAP pricing to avoid price wars with other platforms. Amazon policy states that no product may be offered at a price that is not in line with MAP guidelines. The A9 algorithm constantly scrapes the entire web to establish the most competitive price for any given item so they can adjust accordingly.
Item Not As Described
Buyers are so accustomed to the convenience of one-click ordering these days, so it’s natural that a customer may skim over important details on your listing. This happens, either way, so checking each listing for accuracy is an essential precautionary measure. “Not as described” are three deadly words for an Amazon seller, and all too often, these situations lead to an account suspension.
Performance-Based Suspensions
Although we see more unique types of Amazon suspensions these days, there are still many suspensions that happen because of poor performance (i.e., High ODR, Late Shipping for Merchant-Fulfilled Sellers) Generally, if your suspension is performance-based, reinstatement should be smooth, but refining your operations after that is crucial.
ASIN-Level Suspensions & Listing Errors
Many account suspensions happen because of the infamous Amazon Catalog. This type of suspension generally has to do with a particular seller’s authorization to sell their products on a certain ASIN, if they are offering the correct item on that ASIN in question, and how the listing displays to buyers.
Review Manipulation
There is nothing Amazon hates more than Review Manipulation. Why? Because it is a clear and outright manipulation of the buyer experience. Let’s think logically again: if a seller manipulates one of the main aspects of a product listing that customers rely on, how can that customer be sure they are going to get the right product?
Linked Accounts
As a seller, you probably know it is highly against Amazon policy to operate more than one Amazon seller account. There are some sellers who apply and get approved to operate a second account, but only under certain circumstances. Generally, it’s a direct road to a permanent suspension — stealth accounts may seem great, but sellers who use them are playing with fire.