11 Top reasons of your Amazon account suspension

Linda Heidi

Let me tell you your biggest fear as an Amazon seller. It’s an Amazon account suspension, right? You surely know how important your Amazon account is. I mean, you could make a living off of selling things on Amazon, or it could be your full-time business. But here’s the tricky part: what if your Amazon account gets suspended? Worst nightmare ever! It’s not something you want, believe me. Let’s talk about some no-no’s to make sure your Amazon Seller account doesn’t take an unexpected suspension.

First, let’s understand the different types of Amazon account suspensions, and then we will discuss the reasons in detail and why you need account management service.

What does an Amazon account suspension mean?

Getting your Amazon account suspended means you’re out of the selling game. If Amazon terminates your seller central account, you may forget about making any further money. It happens when a seller violates Amazon’s policies, terms, or conditions. Then customers won’t be able to find your products, and it will be as if your Amazon life has been put on hold.

Wait! Your life doesn’t end here, because there is a bright side. You have the option to file an appeal for the suspension, and if successful, your account will be reactivated. When a suspension is approaching, Amazon always notifies sellers via email. If you know the specific reasons for your suspension, you can craft a more persuasive suspension appeal.

1-Account Suspension

A suspended Amazon seller account means the end of business as usual. Your first step should be to get in touch with Amazon and ask them what occurred. Perhaps you did something wrong without realizing it, and other times the cause may be unclear. After you have a firm grasp of the reasons why, you can begin formulating a strategy. If Amazon accepts your plan, they will reinstate your account, and you can continue doing your business as normal.

2-Account Deactivation

A temporary ban on selling occurs when your Amazon Seller account is deactivated. If you think Amazon made a mistake or a policy error, you should contact them as soon as possible. Be sure to appeal within the 90-day time limit. In many cases, Amazon deactivates a user’s account because it is linked to another account that has been terminated.

3-Account Denial

The denial issue, however, is somewhat complex. This is what occurs following an unsuccessful reinstatement request to Amazon. But it’s not time to give up hope yet. You can still recover from the situation by revising your action plan and resubmitting it.

4-Account Ban

This is the big time, no-bail suspension. You may forget about ever selling on Amazon again; the Amazon staff won’t even bother reading your pleading emails. It’s a difficult situation to be in.

Let’s talk about the main reasons that can lead to Amazon account suspensions and what you can do to avoid that happening.

Reasons of your Amazon account suspension

Numerous factors could lead to the suspension of your Amazon account. Identify the primary reason behind your Amazon account suspension

1-Sales of restricted products / selling counterfeit items

If you use your Amazon account to sell restricted products, Amazon will suspend your account. To begin, it’s a bad idea to try to sell products that Amazon has marked as “No-Go.” There are rules in place, and it is against the law to sell prohibited items. Doing something that is dangerous, against the law, or just not allowed can get your account shut down.

Let’s discuss the counterfeiting scam now. To put it bluntly, Amazon is not going to be your biggest friend if you’re selling counterfeit goods. They have robust systems in place to identify fake products, and if you get caught selling them, you can say goodbye to your account. More than merely breaking Amazon’s rules, this might get you into some serious issues with the law. To minimize this confusion, you should only deal with reputable suppliers, check all products for authenticity, and maintain ethical standards in their product descriptions.

2-Products are not accurately presented

Amazon is very strict about verifying that the products you offer are exactly what you say they are. Having inconsistencies between the product’s description and the real thing’s photos is a huge red flag. Amazon values its consumers’ ability to have faith in their purchases. If Amazon determines that your product descriptions are giving customers false hope, they may suspend your account until you can prove otherwise.

So, it’s not just about regulations; it’s about preserving the legitimacy and trustworthiness of your Amazon shopping experience. That’s why, prior to publishing your product listing, you should verify the item’s condition, model number (if applicable), color, UPC code, ASIN, quantity, and read the listing.

3-Not having invoices

Invoices are a special interest of Amazon’s, and you may occasionally get the nod to present them. A missed shipment or doubts about the legitimacy of your product are common triggers for them to inquire further.

Now, Amazon can put the brakes on your listing if customers start questioning the legitimacy of your goods multiple times. Is there a catch? Those invoices need to back up your claims. You risk having your Amazon seller account temporarily suspended if you are unable to satisfy their requests.

4-Fulfillment by merchant (FBM) problems

If you’re not using FBA, there are more aspects to consider:

DELAYED SHIPMENTS
UNRECEIVED SHIPMENTS
ORDER CANCELLATIONS
REFUNDS AND RETURNS

These are crucial factors for merchant sellers. Occasionally, buyers may file dishonest claims to get refunds, not realizing how essential each sale is for the seller. Such claims can jeopardize your seller’s account. While these are ten ways to risk an Amazon Seller Account suspension, I’m sure there might be more. If you consistently offer top-notch products and adhere to Amazon’s terms and conditions, you should be in good shape. Got questions? Feel free to reach out to eComFist anytime.

5-Copyright infringement issue

If you delve into copyright infringement, you may find that your Amazon account is suspended. Using photos or content that are not legitimately yours while building an Amazon product listing is like dipping your toes into someone else’s intellectual property pool. Before using someone else’s words or images in their listings, you should get permission from the rightful owner. If you don’t do that and the owner decides to complain to Amazon, your account could be suspended and a performance notification sent to you explaining the copyright infringement.

6-Operating multiple seller accounts

When you sign up to sell on Amazon, you also agree to their rules of service, which make it illegal to create multiple seller accounts without their approval. Amazon prefers that all sellers use a single account and do business in an honest and trustworthy manner. If they catch wind of a seller trying to manage several accounts without a solid cause, it raises concerns about fairness, competitiveness, and adherence to the regulations. As a result, Amazon may decide to terminate the guilty users’ accounts in an effort to protect the site’s reputation.

7-Poor customer service score

Amazon places an emphasis on satisfied customers, and as a result, they have increased the pressure on sellers by setting high standards of excellence. The order defect rate, which must be less than 1%, the pre-fulfillment cancellation rate, which must be less than 2.5%, and the late shipment rate, which must be less than 4%, are all measures they are keeping a careful eye on. Sellers who fall short of these goals receive a performance notification from Amazon, and in the worst situation, their accounts are suspended.

To get back in the game, you need to send an email to the Amazon seller performance team detailing the score and requesting another opportunity to sell on their platform. It’s like receiving a do-over on a poor performance review.

8-Guiding buyers out of Amazon

Many sellers on Amazon broaden their market by also offering their products for sale on other online marketplaces. When customers search for a product on Amazon, some sellers use it as an opportunity to promote their own websites or other marketplaces. They use the following ways to send buyers out of Amazon.

Email communication with external links
Redirecting buyers to external websites
Encouraging off-platform transactions
Providing contact information for transactions outside of Amazon
Including links to external payment methods in product listings

If Amazon finds out about it, they will issue a warning and investigate the seller’s account. If the seller continues to participate in this behavior after receiving a warning, Amazon may suspend their account and revoke their right to sell on the site.

9-Use of underhand methods to get feedbacks and reviews

It’s not exactly a top secret that Amazon has cracked down on sellers that pay for positive ratings in exchange for higher product rankings. Using dishonest methods to gain an advantage, such as buying reviews or manipulating customer feedback, damages Amazon’s reputation.

More and more seller accounts have been deleted in recent months due to suspicions of manipulating seller ratings and feedback. Under the new policy, suspension is no longer the only possible outcome; instead, sellers could expect legal action.

10-Taxation changes

Tax laws change all the time, and they are different in each country, so sellers need to keep up with them. Sellers need to be careful, or their accounts could be closed. In Germany, for instance, businesses that are registered for VAT now have to give extra proof to sites like Amazon. Every account is being closely examined by the German government to look for early registration dates.

Because of this, it is very important for sellers to stay in the loop to avoid any problems with their accounts.

11-Amazon seller account hackers

Account hacking is a common cause of Amazon suspending seller accounts. There has been an uptick in the number of incidents in which hackers gain access to seller accounts, alter the seller’s bank account details, and then withdraw money from the victim’s account.

If Amazon detects fraud or other suspect behavior, they will freeze the account without notifying the user. This is done to ensure that the seller faces no financial loss as a result of the hacking incident and that the seller can resume selling as soon as the matter has been rectified.

So, stay mindful during the entire journey on Amazon

Because Amazon is constantly improving the shopping experience for its customers, the company keeps a close eye on its sellers. It’s incredibly crucial for sellers on Amazon to be extra careful not to mistakenly break the rules. However, if, for any reason, your Amazon seller account is suspended, this is nothing to be sad about. If you need professional help, all you have to do is contact eComFist. We’re here to make you smile again.