Sellers get suspended on Amazon every other day for seemingly no reason yet suspension isn’t a joke and it should be treated as soon as possible to avoid complete account deactivation.
Amazon really strives to provide the best customer experience and that’s why they have put in place strict policies that sellers ought to follow. Any seller who violates these policies either gets suspended or they are banned permanently.
Basically, Amazon seller accounts are suspended for violation of Amazon’s policies. Things like selling prohibited items, having multiple accounts, selling counterfeit products, and late shipment rate can lead to Amazon suspension.
Unfortunately, Amazon suspensions affect not just the bad actors on the marketplace, but they also happen to legitimate businesses. While a suspension may throw you into a state of panic, you can have your seller account reinstated through Amazon suspension appeal.
Below is an image of how your account status look like when your seller account gets suspended.
So, what are the implications of an Amazon account suspension?
When Amazon suspends your seller account, they simply remove selling privileges and this can be a major risk to your income especially if the suspension lasts for a long time. Every minute your seller account is suspended, you’re losing money.
Suspension can also crush your Amazon sales more so when reinstatement takes too long. Removal of selling privileges affects your rank on Amazon and this could significantly lower your sales in the long-term.
Your reputation as an Amazon seller is also on the line when you get suspended.
In this blog post, we’ll cover Amazon suspension in detail, including the main reasons why sellers get suspended, what to do if you get suspended on Amazon, and how to prevent suspensions as an Amazon seller. If your seller account is currently suspended and you want Amazon to reinstate your account, or you’ve ever encountered the unfortunate situation having your Amazon account suspended, you’re at the right place.
The 3 Main Reasons Why Sellers Get Suspended on Amazon
Due to the massive scale of Amazon’s ecosystem, mistakes happen on a fairly regular basis. So, how can you tell if the reasoning behind your suspension even made sense?
Most sellers whose seller accounts are suspended are caught by surprise when they receive the suspension notification. To avoid the dreaded account suspension on Amazon, you need to understand the top reasons for suspensions.
Here are the top three reasons why sellers get suspended on Amazon:
Suspension Reason #1: Disobeying Amazon Policies
Amazon cares more about customer satisfaction and the integrity of its platform and that’s the reason they have strict policies in place. Everything from product policy compliance and customer service performance to listing of products and intellectual property infringements is placed under scrutiny.
A violation of any of Amazon’s policies could cause your Amazon seller account to be suspended. You can read more on Amazon’s policies here.
Suspension Reason #2: Poor Customer Service Score
Amazon uses a number of metrics to evaluate sellers’ performance. If any of the metrics are not fulfilled, Amazon may suspend a seller’s account.
Suspension Reason #3: Selling Counterfeit Products
The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited. Selling counterfeit products on Amazon is an offense that will lead to account suspension.
Below is an example of a notification you’ll receive for selling counterfeit products.
Other reasons for Amazon account suspension include:
- Sale Of Restricted Products
Selling unsafe, illegal or other restricted products on Amazon is strictly prohibited and failing to abide by this policy could get you suspended from Amazon. - Operating Multiple Amazon Seller Accounts
Amazon prohibits sellers from operating and maintaining multiple Seller Central accounts without seeking their permission. In fact, this is one of Amazon’s most strictly enforced polies; hence violating this policy will most likely lead to Amazon suspension. - Copyright Infringement
This is an intellectual property issue which means using another seller’s artistic work (images, text, music, books, etc.). You can report copyright infringement here.
Learn more on how to get rid of unauthorized sellers on Amazon.
- Using Unscrupulous Methods To Get Feedbacks and Reviews
Buying positive reviews in exchange of products and manipulating feedback can have an Amazon seller account suspended. In some cases, sellers can face lawsuits. - Guiding Buyers Out Of Amazon To Different Marketplaces
Some sellers use Amazon as a promotional platform and entice buyers to buy from other marketplaces. - Hacking Of Seller Account
If your seller account is hacked, Amazon will suspend your account so that the seller does not suffer any loss.
Amazon follows strict policies and violation of any policy can have your Amazon seller account suspended. The good news is that you can get back on Amazon after being suspended.
What To Do If You Get Suspended On Amazon
When you’re dealing with an Amazon suspension, you want to start with the reason why they suspended you and work your way backwards to either fix the error or inform of a mistake.
Amazon account suspended? Here is how to get it back
The first thing to do is to take your time to create a thoughtful plan of action that is sure to convince Amazon to reinstate your account. Do not rush to submit your first appeal because you could end up wasting your appeal button.
You should submit an appeal when you’ve determined the background reasons that led to the suspension.
To maximize the chances of your Amazon account getting reinstated, you must reassure them that you’re safe to reinstate.
In your Amazon appeal suspension and plan of action, be sure to point out the root causes explaining why and how those mistakes happened. Also, explain in detail the corrective actions you’ve taken and the measures you’ve put in place to ensure those mistakes do not happen again.
Generally, you must convince Amazon that you can be trusted with their buyers. A convincing and fact-based plan of action will increase your chances of reinstatement.
The only way you can speed up the process of having your Amazon account reinstated is preparing a solid and convincing plan of action, and then wait for Amazon to respond. Unfortunately, you cannot compel them to review your suspension by making multiple appeals or sending multiple letters to seller performance.
It’s a good idea to consult with a professional Amazon brand management service like Sunken Stone to guide you on how to appeal Amazon suspension and increase your chances of success.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get back on Amazon after being suspended:
Step #1: Understand Why Your Amazon Account Was Suspended
Amazon will send you a notification indicating the reasons why your Amazon seller account got suspended.
Step #2: Investigate The Claims
The second step is to investigate those claims and determine if they are right. Review your seller information and the complaints customers had so that you are able to create a fact-based appeal. You can find this information in the “Customer Metrics” section.
Step #3: Create A Convincing Plan Of Action
Your plan of action should offer credible content that assures Amazon that those mistakes will never happen again. Address the problem in detail and explain the actions you’ve taken to fix the problem.
Step #4: Write Your Appeal Letter
This is your opportunity to convince Amazon to reinstate your account. Be sure to present all the facts you’ve gathered from your investigation.
It’s common for sellers whose Amazon accounts have been suspended to let emotions get in their way when writing a suspension appeal letter. It’s not a good idea to involve much of your feelings when writing an appeal letter because emotions won’t help in a such a situation.
You can consult with an agency with experience in writing Amazon suspension appeals to ensure your appeal is written the right way.
Keep these in mind when writing your Amazon suspension appeal letter:
- Do not give excuses because Amazon do not tolerate such. If you have sufficient proofs, back up your claims with facts
- Do not blame the buyer or Amazon; instead focus on explaining how you plan to prevent the problem from happening again
- Take responsibility for the policy violations by explaining the root causes of the problem
Step #5: Send Your Appeal Letter And Wait For Amazon To Contact You Regarding Their Decision
Go to the “Customer Metrics” section and click on “Notification” and then click “Appeal Decision”. Copy and paste your appeal into the text field provided and send. Amazon will review your appeal and get back to you within 24-48 hours.
Please note that these steps are provided to the best of our knowledge but there is no guarantee that your account will get reinstated depending on the reason why it was suspended.
How To Prevent Further Suspensions As An Amazon Seller
If you were able to get unsuspended or want to avoid any further mistakes on Amazon’s part, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the risk of suspension, including significant loss of revenue.
- Provide The Best Customer Service.
As we’ve already mentioned, poor customer service can lead to account suspension. To be on the safe side, strive to provide excellent customer service.
Keep cancellation rate, defect rate, and late shipment rate low to enhance seller performance and get positive feedback and reviews.
To view your account health:
- Go to Seller Central homepage.
- Under Performance, click Account Health.
- Sell Genuine Products
Selling counterfeit products will not only lead to Amazon account suspended but it’s also unethical. Ensure you sell authentic products to avoid suspension. - Check Amazon Report Regularly and Respond To Product Quality-Related Notifications
Amazon may send you notifications regarding things like buyer complaints, too many returns, category mapping and so on. Though most sellers tend to ignore these notifications until it’s too late.
It’s a good preventive measure to check these reports and abide by the instructions they give you.
- Read and Understand Amazon’s Policies and Ensure You Stay Updated
Some sellers get suspended simply because they don’t bother to read Amazon’s policies and guidelines. Ensure you read these policies and guidelines and stay updated to be on the safe side. - Update Your Listing
List your products in the right category and ensure your product description reflects actually what you sell.
Learn more on how to optimize your listing.
- Don’t Piggyback
Piggybacking, which refers to underselling hot selling items on Amazon can cause your seller account to be suspended if the other sellers reports your products as counterfeits. Many sellers have had their accounts suspended for piggybacking. - Do Not Open Multiple Accounts
If you have legitimate reasons to open a second Amazon account, you can seek Amazon’s approval and avoid getting suspended.
There you have it. These are some of the practices that will help you prevent Amazon suspension. Learn more on how to protect your Amazon brand.
Getting suspended on Amazon is something any seller dreads, yet more and more seller accounts are getting suspended every day. Although getting suspended isn’t completely avoidable, you can avoid it with a good risk management strategy.
Ensure you stay updated with all policy changes, check the reviews your customers are leaving and stay on top of things.
Don’t Let Your Brand Fall Prey Of Amazon’s Pitfalls
While Amazon is a great marketplace, it has its pitfalls. If you believe your brand has done nothing wrong to deserve a suspension (and will never do anything wrong), you have the right to appeal.
However, the Amazon suspension appeal process can be lengthy and frustrating. Sometimes Amazon may take too long to respond to your appeal and that means losing sales.
They may even reject your appeals repeatedly depending on why your account was suspended, making the process time-consuming and tedious.
One thing about Amazon is that they do not take prisoners when it comes to seller accounts that violate their policies. Your account can be suspended repeatedly and even get banned permanently at some point.
Nothing can be stressful like Amazon suspending or banning your seller account which you’ve taken so much time and invested a lot of resources to grow. For many Amazon sellers, a suspension is a major risk to their income.
Learn more about an Amazon ban and how to prevent it.
Generally, your best defense against an Amazon suspension is taking a proactive approach to preventing the suspension before it happens. One of the measures you can take is working with a professional service as a potential long-term solution.
A professional service that Emplicit provides can accommodate you with strategies that will ensure you don’t get suspended. In case you got suspended and you’re looking to get back on Amazon, Sunken Stone can guide you on how to appeal Amazon suspension and get reinstated.
Emplicit is a top-tier, results-driven Amazon marketing Agency for growing eCommerce brands, that helps sellers to get back on Amazon after being banned.
Whether you’re looking for assistance with getting back on Amazon after getting banned or other brand management services, get in touch with Emplicit today.
