Amazon has grown into one of the largest eCommerce marketplaces in the globe, providing a platform for sellers to sell their products to a global audience. However, as the platform continues to grow, Amazon has become more strict about its policies and guidelines in order to maintain a fair and competitive marketplace. Seller Central account suspension is one of the consequences that a seller would face if Amazon found out they were violating any of their sellers’ policies.
A suspended seller account can be a devastating blow for any seller, regardless of their business size and selling experience on Amazon. Account suspension can lead to a significant loss of revenue and reputation. Luckily, there are several ways to reinstate your seller account.
In this post, we will talk about Amazon’s suspended seller account and the reasons for account suspensions. You will also explore what you can do to get your account reinstated further in the article.
Let’s dive right into the post.
What Does It Mean To Have An Amazon Suspended Seller Account?
In short, an Amazon suspended seller account means that your account has been deactivated by Amazon, and you no longer have access to the seller’s privileges. Once your account is suspended, you will not be able to sell on Amazon. A seller’s account suspension can be temporary or permanent, depending on the reason for the suspension and the severity of the violation.
When Amazon suspends a seller’s account, they typically send an email notification outlining the reason for the suspension. Additionally, they also include the steps you need to take to appeal the decision. The email will include a plan of action that the seller must complete before the account can be reinstated by Amazon. If you fail to complete the action given by Amazon, your account will remain suspended or be permanently deactivated.
Amazon has different levels of account suspensions:
1. Suspended Account
As mentioned above, a suspended account is unserviceable. It can be temporarily suspended due to certain reasons, or you have unintentionally done something wrong, which is prohibited according to Amazon’s guidelines. All you have to do is contact Amazon to discover the reasons behind your suspension. Once you acknowledge the reasons, you can appeal the decision to Amazon in order to reinstate your account.
2. Deactivated Account
If a seller’s account is deactivated, they will be prohibited from all selling activities on Amazon. Whether it is a mistake from Amazon’s side or you have violated Amazon’s policies or guidelines, it is crucial to contact Amazon and file an appeal within 90 days of deactivation. It can happen when a seller’s account is associated with another account that is restricted from selling on Amazon.
3. Account Denial
Account denial refers to a situation when your appeal for reinstatement is rejected by Amazon. However, you still have a chance to reform your appeal to Amazon.
4. Banned Account
Banned is the worst-case scenario of all. It can happen when your appeal is rejected by Amazon several times. Once your account is banned, Amazon will no longer read or respond to your appeals, no matter how many times you send them.
Why Would Amazon Suspend A Seller Account?
Amazon has strict policies and guidelines that all sellers must adhere to when selling on their marketplace. When a seller fails to comply with these rules and regulations, Amazon can suspend their account according to the intensity of the violation. Here are some of the common reasons why Amazon might suspend a seller account:
Product Quality
Amazon takes product quality very seriously. If any seller is found selling counterfeit or low-quality products, Amazon will suspend their account. Counterfeit products and any product that does not match your product listing or description can lead you to a suspension. Some restricted products, such as explosives, alcohol, coins, currency, and tobacco, are prohibited from selling on Amazon.
Seller Performance
Besides selling high-quality products, Amazon wants your performance to be up to the mark as a seller. Amazon believes in providing the best shopping experience possible. So they expect you to provide a better customer experience by keeping all the seller’s metrics top-notch. If Amazon detects poor performance, such as poor feedback, multiple order cancellations, returns, or late shipments from a seller, their account will be subject to suspension.
Order Fulfillment Issue
Amazon requires FBM (Fulfillment by Merchants) sellers to ship their products on time as they take complete responsibility for order fulfillment and customer service. They also need to provide tracking information for each order to their customers and Amazon. Failure to do so can lead sellers to negative feedback and, ultimately, a suspension of the seller account.
Policy Violations and Infringements
Policy violations are the main reasons for a seller’s account suspension. Amazon also has a Seller Code of Conduct. Beneath this code, sellers must act fairly and not attempt to abuse or damage another seller’s ratings or listings. If a seller breaks this code or gets reported by another seller for infringement, Amazon will take necessary actions, which also include account suspension.
Intellectual Property Issues
Selling products that infringe on the intellectual property rights of other sellers or businesses, such as trademark or copyright violations, can result in a suspension of the seller’s account.
Multiple Accounts
Amazon doesn’t allow sellers to possess more than one Seller Central account while they sell the same kind of product in other accounts. It is considered a violation of Amazon’s policies. However, you can seek prior approval from Amazon to have another account in possession. Otherwise, your Amazon seller account is bound to get a suspension.
One more thing you should remember is that you can’t create a new account if your one account is facing a suspension. You might be eager to get back on track as an Amazon seller, but creating a new account can restrain you from reinstating your main account from suspension. And if Amazon finds out, your new account will also get suspended, so you better not do it.
Things To Do If Amazon Suspends Your Seller Account
If Amazon suspends your account for a specific reason or policy violation, the first step you should do is review the email Amazon sent you after your seller account suspension. By reviewing the email, you will outline the reason why your account is suspended. The email will also include a series of actions that you must follow in order to reinstate your account.
This plan of action will vary depending on the reason for the suspension. For example, If the suspension occurred due to product quality issues, the plan of action might include steps to improve your products’ quality. Or they might also provide you with certain documentation to prove that your products are not meeting Amazon’s standards. Similarly, suppose your suspension is regarding infringement of intellectual property. In that case, the plan of action might include steps to remove infringing products from your listing, and you may have to provide proof that you have followed certain steps to prevent future infringement.
After reviewing the email notification and the series of actions, you must address the issue and create a plan to appeal your suspension. Here are some additional steps you can take apart from this:
- Respond to Amazon’s Email: After reviewing the email and acknowledging the issue, you must provide a detailed response that addresses every issue outlined in the email.
- Review Your Account: As soon as you receive the email, you must closely examine your account to find out the reasons that led you to a suspension. This may include checking your order fulfillment metrics, product listings, and customer feedback.
- Contact Amazon Support: If you have any doubts or need any additional information regarding addressing the issues for your suspension, you can contact Amazon support. They will likely provide you with guidance on how you can address the issue and may be able to speed up the reinstatement process.
- Appeal the Suspension: Once you have followed the plan of action, you can submit an appeal to Amazon. With your appeal, make sure to provide a detailed explanation of what you have done to address the issue and how you will prevent it from happening in the future.
- Follow Up: If you don’t hear back from Amazon with a proper explanation or anything regarding reinstatement, follow up with them to check on the status of your appeal. Be persistent but keep your cool and behave like a professional with your follow-up.
6 Proven Tips To Prevent Amazon Seller Account Suspension
As people say, “Prevention is better than cure.” This also applies to your Amazon business. If you follow certain guidelines and maintain your standards on Amazon, you can prevent the seller account suspension from happening in the first place. Here are some tips you can follow to prevent suspension:
1. Follow Amazon’s Policies And Guidelines
If you are starting as a beginner or running your business for a while, make sure to be familiar with Amazon’s guidelines and policies. It includes product quality, maintaining selling standards, on-time shipping, providing a flexible shopping experience, and top-notch order fulfillment requirements. You need to make sure you follow all the rules and regulations closely.
2. Monitor Your Inventory
You need to track your inventory often to check whether your supplies are in stock or need replenishment. And also, check your existing listings to ensure they don’t have any potential flags. If you are an FBM seller and want to switch to FBA, make sure to delete or switch problematic ASINs.
3. Maintain Good Performance Metrics
Your aim should be maintaining a high level of performance which you can do by providing exceptional customer service, shipping orders on time, and keeping your ODR (Order Defect Rate) and cancellation rate low. This will also prevent you from getting negative feedback from your customer, and you can improve your product’s ranking.
4. Use FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon)
If you are unable to provide a better shopping experience, such as on-time shipping, customer service, etc., on your own, consider choosing FBA as your fulfillment method. By choosing FBA, you can relieve yourself from the burden of order fulfillment. And Amazon will handle this part on your behalf. Since Amazon is taking care of order fulfillment, you can ensure lightning-fast deliveries and top-notch customer service. All you have to do is send your FBA inventory to the Amazon fulfillment center when it is necessary.
5. Keep Records
As an Amazon seller, you must keep detailed records of your business transitions, such as receipts, invoices, and shipping documentation. It will help you provide proof of your compliance if necessary.
6. Be Transparent With Your Customers
You need to provide clear and accurate information about your products, such as product descriptions, shipping information, compatibility, and pricing, to your customers. Keep your listing and pricing competitive, so customers prefer your products over your competitors. And also, make sure to respond promptly to any customer issues or inquiries.
Conclusion: Address the Issues, You Can Get Back Your Seller Account
A suspended Amazon seller account can be a stressful and costly experience for any seller. It can happen to any seller regardless of their business size and popularity. However, by following Amazon’s guidelines and policies, addressing any customer’s issues promptly, and maintaining ideal standards, you can reduce the risk of seller account suspension.
If somehow your account gets suspended by Amazon, take immediate action to address the issue and create a plan to appeal the suspension. You can follow the methods mentioned above to appeal the suspension and reinstate your account as soon as possible. If you haven’t been suspended yet, constantly monitor your performance and account health to prevent this from happening and keep growing your Amazon business as an honest seller.
- Amazing Selling Machine Review 2024: Does It Help Sellers? - March 28, 2024
- How To Calculate Sales Using Jungle Scout Sales Estimator? - March 22, 2024
- How Many People Shop Online In 2024 (Numbers & Trends) - March 11, 2024