Amazon accounts are a valuable resource. You have access to the largest online marketplace in the world, and the opportunity to make a living. A suspended account can be a huge blow to your company.
You can only have one Amazon account. Except in rare cases where permission is granted to open another account, you can only use the one you already have. If you have a suspension, you must do all you can to lift it.
Reasons Your Account Might Get Suspended
Amazon is very serious about its reputation and holds their sellers to high standards. They will suspend you if you don’t meet certain benchmarks or violate their policies.
These are the top reasons accounts can be suspended.
Poor Seller Metrics
Amazon keeps track of all your statistics including customer complaints, order defects rate, late deliveries and delivery delays. Your account could be suspended if they see too many problems.
These are the benchmarks that you must meet to ensure your account is safe.
Order Defect Rate Below 1 %
Pre-Fulfillment Cancellation Rate: Below 2.5%
Late Shipment rate: below 4%
Buyer-Seller Response time: Within 24 hours
A reliable fulfillment service is essential if you want to sell high quality products. You should also be able to respond quickly to customer questions.
Selling Restricted or Counterfeit Products
Amazon has strict guidelines about what you can and cannot sell. Amazon has a variety of restrictions regarding items such as weapons and hazardous items. They have a zero tolerance policy for counterfeit goods.
Most items will be flagged during listing if they have policies that violate. If your item somehow passes Amazon’s filters, and they find it later on, it might be suspended.
Violating Amazon’s Policies
To keep your account in good standing, there are certain policies that you must follow. You could be subject to suspension if you break any of these policies.
Here are some of the policies that you need to be aware of:
- Do not misrepresent yourself.
- You should act in a way that makes sellers feel confident.
- Do not list products that could cause harm to customers.
- Don’t manipulate customer reviews
- Do not try to manipulate Amazon’s sales rankings or search results.
What to Do if Your Account Gets Suspended
It is possible to save your Amazon account from being suspended. You will have the opportunity to appeal your suspension, and to present a plan for correcting any problems. If you follow all the steps, you should be able to get your license reinstated so you can start selling again.
Determine Why You’re Suspended
Amazon will notify you when your account has been suspended. These emails can be vague, so it is possible to dig deeper to find the root cause.
Your performance metrics are the most likely cause of a suspended account. So make sure you check them first. Compare your stats to the benchmarks above. If you see anything that is not within the acceptable range, it’s likely that there’s a problem.
Also, you’ll want to inspect specific products. You should also check specific products. For instance, if an item has a high defect rate and is affecting your overall score, you can remove it from your inventory. This will let Amazon know that you are serious about solving the problem.
For clues regarding your suspension, you can also check your customer feedback, messages and performance notifications.
Contact Amazon
If you don’t understand why your suspension was granted, but you have access to the support services you need, you can open a Seller Support ticket to receive clarification. Although it may seem difficult to wait and see if you get a response, you will not be able to make an appeal until you have the facts. Amazon Seller Support will assist you in the further process
Appeal Your Suspension
Once you have determined the reason for your suspension, and you can appeal to Amazon. Go to the Performance Notification section on your account and locate your suspension. Click “Appeal”
These are some ways to create a high-quality appeal.
- Even if it isn’t your fault, try to take responsibility for what caused you to be suspended.
- Do not criticize Amazon.
- Customers and Amazon are not to blame for your suspension.
- Include an action plan detailing all steps that you will take to solve the problem.
Keep your action plan professional and as specific as you can. Do not just tell them that you are going to reduce your order defect rate. Tell them what you will do. If an item has a high defect rate, tell them that it’s been removed from your inventory. Also, describe how you plan to improve quality control going forward.
Amazon employees are often busy so it is a good idea for you to make your action plan but try to make it in bullet points. This makes it easy for employees to quickly read and understand your plan.
How to Prevent a Suspension
- Quickly Answer Customers’ Questions: It is a great way to keep customers satisfied and to make them happy. To speed up your response time, download the Amazon Seller App. You can reply to customer messages from your smartphone.
- Archive, Close, or Delete Old Listings: Don’t leave outdated listings up if they’re not being sold anymore. It could lead to negative feedback. Close them so that they don’t appear in Amazon searches.
- Do not argue with customers: Customers who want to return an item or request a refund should just give it to you. Amazon’s buyers hold the power and it is usually not worth getting into a fight.
- Selling Quality Products: You won’t need to worry about any complaints or defective products if you sell high quality products. SellerApp has the best Amazon product search tool that will help you find amazing products that your customers love.
- FBA: Amazon will fulfill your orders. Late deliveries are no longer your responsibility.
Conclusion
Although it can be very distressing to lose your Amazon account, but it is possible to have it restored. You can get your Amazon account reinstated by doing your research and appealing the matter.
