This is a continuation of an ongoing series of Amazon Seller Performance Related information.
The goal of these articles is to try our best to avoid compliance issues and best deal with them when we do get into trouble.
• When dealing with related account suspensions, I think more than other suspensions, the first appeal is very crucial. They don’t seem to want to kick it back and forth like they do in other suspensions. Please make the first one a solid one. Do not ask them to “check again if perhaps a mistake was made”. Even if it is a mistake and you cannot figure out who they connected you with, your case must still be well documented for a chance. Consider reaching out to someone whose done this before.
• “We received your plan to address the problems we identified with ASIN : XXXXXXX . Please reply to this message after you have implemented all of the remedies outlined in your plan. Once we receive your email, we will review your account and decide whether you may sell on Amazon.com again.” They doing this for asin reinstatements. They used to just trust you that it will be done. They now asking to tell you when it’s done which makes sense.
• If you get this email. “You currently may not sell on Amazon.com because you are offering items that may infringe intellectual property rights or may be inauthentic. Examples of these items are at the end of this email.
These do not seem to happen based off customer complaints. It happens to new sellers selling brand name items for cheap. It’s clearly not initiated by the RO cause no RO is cited. It’s also not based off a customer complaint because it’s often many ASINS of the same brand with no issues at all. You need to either provide invoices or a Plan of Action. Many of these have gotten reinstated.
• There seems to be 3 levels of “related account” suspensions
a) “We took this action because our records indicate that this account is related to another selling account that was closed by Amazon.” – That’s have a nice life. The keyword is CLOSED. Another account was banned a long time ago and you tried to open a new account which is confirmed related.
b) “We found that your account is related to another account that may not be used to sell on the site” – You better have good documentation or you’re in trouble. This is less harsh. “We found…” and “may not be used to sell on the site”. They are kind of sure because they said “IS RELATED”
c) “We found that your account may be related to an account that cannot be used to sell on our site.” – This is your best related account suspension. “We found” and “MAY BE RELATED” which means they are not sure. Provide good evidence and you should be back.
• For professional sports clothing, I’ve seen where Amazon is asking for proof that your licensed to sell the item on Amazon even after your selling this for many years. This is very different then an “inauthentic” complaint. It’s also not a rights owner complaint that initiated from the brand.
• Here is a new one from Seller Performance against drop shipping. ” We understand that you may not have complied with our Drop Shipping policy. Sellers on Amazon.com are not allowed to use Drop Shipping to fulfill orders without meeting certain requirements, including:
Identifying themselves as the seller of record on all packing slips and other information included with the order.
Managing all returns and refunds for their orders.”.
• Be careful when changing phone numbers on your account. This can cause an unintentional link to another seller similar to other major changes on your account. Don’t change unless you must.
• If your suspended, do not change store name or important information UNLESS you have a reason to do as and your able to explain it. If you get suspended mistakenly for related account after changing credit card information for example, then disconnect yourself by changing your credit card information. Then explain in your POA why you changed your credit card after you were suspended.
Ed Rosenberg – to join an incredible sellers group of like-minded sellers, e-mail [email protected]
Previous articles from same author
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/12/amazon-sellers-compliance-issue-10-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/11/amazon-sellers-compliance-issue-9-by-ed-rosenberg-video-of-recent-event.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/09/amazon-compliance-issue-8-amazon-professional-sellers-event-sept-26-passaic-nj.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/09/amazon-sellers-compliance-issues-7-by-ed-rosenberg-video.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/07/amazon-sellers-compliance-issues-6-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/07/amazon-compliance-issues-5-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/05/amazon-compliance-issue-4-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/04/amazon-compliance-issues-3-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/01/heimishe-amazon-sellers-support-group-formed.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/03/amazon-selling-compliance-issues-by-ed-rosenberg.html
• https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2016/03/video-ed-rosenberg-speaks-with-former-amazon-sp-czar-chris-mccabe-for-amazon-sellers.html