What Documents Do You Need to Get Your Amazon Account Suspension Lifted?

Last updated on June 5th, 2023

Written by Himanshi Raj

Being an Amazon seller is a great way to earn money through retail. Why not? With the 112 million Amazon Prime members in the US alone, it looks like there are a lot of potential buyers for your products. On top of that, Prime members spend $1,400 annually as opposed to only $600 for non-Prime buyers. It’s great until you receive a letter informing you of your Amazon account suspension.

The appeal process is pretty straightforward. Amazon usually specifies the reasons for your suspension and details what they’ll need from you -- a plan of action, an appeal letter, and some documents specific to the reason for your deactivation. 

However, there are cases when sellers have submitted the documents asked by Amazon and still haven’t received the reinstatement they were hoping for. Let’s dive into several common scenarios for getting an Amazon account suspension and what documents you might need to start selling again, as advised by our experts in Amazon account reinstatement service.

Amazon Account Suspension Due to Poor Seller Metrics

There are several reasons why Amazon would suspend your account based on poor seller performance. The reasons can be a high order defect rate (ODR), late deliveries, not answering customer queries, or in some cases, the customers complained to Amazon directly. In these cases, you only need to identify the root cause of the problem, submit a plan of action that addresses it, and contingencies so it doesn’t happen again. There were cases when this kind of suspension was lifted in 24 hours or less. 

Multiple Seller Accounts

Unlike getting suspended for poor seller performance, this issue is a little tricky. You have to follow a specific process. This is  part of the terms and conditions when you’re opening a seller account with Amazon. This policy prevents unscrupulous sellers from flooding the online platform and doing fraudulent activities. 

Several scenarios can trigger this type of suspension. If two sellers live in the same house using the same IP address, you might need experts from an Amazon suspension appeal service because your account will be deactivated. If this is the case, you should inform Seller Performance before opening a seller account as this will be triggered every time one of you accesses his account. 

It’s also the same for sellers who work at the same office or another seller who accessed his Amazon account using your device (because of the MAC address). Submit proof of identity and evidence that you work in that office. Then, submit the same information from the other seller. After giving them the necessary documents, it’s still Amazon’s decision if they’ll lift the suspension.

Selling Counterfeit or Inauthentic Items

This can happen more often than you think, and it could happen to brand owners, manufacturers, and authorized resellers. There were cases when customers complained about your products being inauthentic, or a competitor did the complaining. 

When you’re slapped with an account suspension violating their anti-counterfeiting policy, you need to submit the following documents:

• Copies of invoices, contracts, receipts, or delivery orders from your supplier issued within the last 90 days. The number of items on the documentation should match your inventory.
• If you’re not the owner of the brand, provide a Certificate of Authorization from the owner
• If you’re the brand owner, give a copy of the brand registration certificate and your business license or an ID.
• Any additional documentation that’s relevant to your case.

The best-case scenario is for your account to get reinstated, though it doesn’t always end that way. In some cases, your suspension will be lifted, but the listings of the inauthentic items will be removed. What you don’t want to happen is for your account to be permanently deactivated.

Incomplete or Incorrect Documentation

Sometimes, your account may be suspended several days after opening it due to insufficient documents, or the information you submitted doesn’t match the one in Seller Central. Make sure you double-check all the information you’re inputting in Amazon’s records. Your name, home address, and business address should match what’s in your IDs, utility bills, bank statements, and the like. 

There were cases when accounts were suspended because the seller used the new extended zip code for Amazon’s records, and the home address on his ID used the old 5-digit zip code.

Amazon Account Suspension Due to the Sale of Restricted Items

There are numerous categories of items that need approval from Amazon before you start selling products included under them. The categories range from coins to watches. Plus, there’s a different process to follow for each one if you intend to start selling products under these categories. For some, you’d need to be a professional seller (pay $39.99 a month).

For example, to sell items under the automotive and power sports product category, you need to follow these guidelines. 

• You need to be a professional seller
• You should have compliant product images that can be reviewed on another website or an image hosting site.
• All major product brands must have universal product codes (UPCs).
• All certified refurbished products must be allowed by the manufacturer.
• You have to review the whole  Automotive & Powersports Part Finder and Fitment Data page if you’re planning to sell products that only fit certain vehicles. 

There are other categories that require an independent website, too. For private label sellers, this is simple because most of them already have one. However, this can be a problem for resellers. It’s also important to note that some restrictions apply only during specific seasons (e.g., Christmas, summer, etc.).

Failure to Address Intellectual Property Complaints

For this situation, you might need to consult an Amazon suspension attorney. Intellectual property law includes the enforcement of trademarks, patents, and copyrights. The copyright owner usually files a complaint with Amazon, and your seller account will be suspended pending an investigation. You’ll be instructed to communicate with the owner of the rights and have the complaint retracted. 

While many sellers feel the easiest way to deal with this issue is to ignore it and just stop selling the said item, unresolved intellectual property complaints could lead to a permanent account suspension if you’re not careful. It’s better to deal with the owner of the rights directly and have their complaint withdrawn.

Where Can I Get Expert Advice About My Suspended Account?

For these situations, you’ll need people with the knowledge and experience in dealing with Amazon suspended accounts. Please email us at [email protected] or [email protected] for more information on Amazon’s suspension appeal process.