Keeping your Amazon seller account in tiptop shape is no easy feat. Taking care of business (fulfilling orders, optimizing your product listing, and managing product queries) takes so much time that most people forget about making sure that their seller accounts follow Amazon’s policies. When you receive the letter informing you that your account is suspended, the best course of action is to look for Amazon appeal services to give you the lowdown on how to appeal an Amazon seller suspension as soon as possible.

Can I reactivate my Amazon seller account?

More than 24,000 small and medium-sized businesses surpassed $1 million in sales in Amazon in 2018. That’s why if you’re a serious Amazon seller, it’s important to be prepared for anything. For most e-commerce sellers, Amazon is their most lucrative sales platform. A suspension of their account, even for a few days, will have severe repercussions on their cash flow. 

The good news is, Amazon not only takes care of the buyers but the sellers too.There’s a clear process on how to appeal a seller account suspension. You must review the suspension letter or notice carefully. Understand all the critical details and set yourself a goal on when this issue should be resolved.

Why was my account suspended?

This is the question that instantly pops into a seller’s head the moment they receive the account suspension email. The truth is, it’s easy to make mistakes, especially when you’re so busy handling order fulfillment. There are numerous possibilities for an account suspension. Some of the most common reasons are:

• Multiple accounts by the same person
• Listing is against Amazon condition guidelines
• Seller advertised own e-commerce website in Amazon
• Listing reported as an inauthentic item
• Listing reported as a counterfeit item
• Product safety complaints from customers or competitors
• Restricted images on your listing’s details page
• Used item was sold as new
• Expired items
• Item is not as advertised
• Selling prohibited items
• Order defect rate is too high
• High negative customer experience rating (NCX)

Remember that these are only the most common reasons. Some suspensions are caused by multiple issues, and that’s where it gets complicated. Amazon experts can help determine the reasons for the suspension, so you’ll know how to handle the situation. If you don’t remember Amazon’s Terms and Conditions, now would be a good time to review them. Knowing where you stand is vital for the next step: creating a plan of action.

Can Amazon appeal services help me create a plan of action?

Creating a plan of action needs experience and skill. Several things need to be considered when formulating this plan. First, you need to provide the information that Amazon needs before they can decide on your account’s reinstatement:

• What was the root cause that led to the issue?
• What will you do to resolve the problem?
• How can you prevent future issues? 

Determining the main issue is not hard, as it’s specified in your suspension letter. What’s more challenging is finding out the root cause. Then, you need to formulate a plan of action that completely follows the guidelines of Amazon and prevents any further issues from happening. Remember, a lot depends on the plan of action you’ll be submitting to Amazon. 

Amazon’s performance team will evaluate your action plan, so make sure that it’s as comprehensive as you can make it. Include all the documents needed to support your claim. Any missing information can prolong the appeal process and ultimately affect your revenue.

How do I write an appeal letter?

Now that you’ve formulated a plan of action, the next step is to write an Amazon seller suspension appeal letter. It’s important to know what the Amazon Performance Team’s expectations are. Amazon appeal services can help you write an effective appeal letter following these guidelines:

• Be clear and concise. Your plan should be factual and direct. There’s no need to give an elaborate introduction of your product or customers. Don’t ask other questions or reference ongoing support cases connected to your submission. Lastly, be calm and composed. Avoid using emotive language.
• Give an explanation for all issues. Some suspensions are caused by several issues (e.g., a High Order Defect Rate can be caused by negative feedback and undelivered orders). You need to provide an answer for each root cause in your action plan.
• Put supporting evidence for all the items. Amazon needs the evidence you have for all items or ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Numbers) under review. The list of the products can be found at the bottom of the suspension notification. Make sure to note the timeframes specified for the documents as some require the invoices in the last 365 days.
• Highlight the important details in your supporting documents. To make your documents easy to review, it’s a good idea to highlight the key details such as ASINs, details of the supplier, or clauses in your Terms and Conditions.

You can see the issues that led to the suspension on the Account Health page. You can also submit your suspension appeal on that page.

How long does an Amazon appeal take?

The time frame is different for every issue. However, it mainly depends on the quality of your plan of action, appeal letter, and supporting documents. There are instances when seller accounts, with the help of appeal experts, have been reinstated in 24 hours, but there are also instances when an appeal took weeks and even months because of an unsatisfactory plan of action, poorly-worded appeal letter, or insufficient documents. To ensure a positive outcome, prepare for everything.

What’s the worst-case scenario?

An account suspension might not be the worst that can happen. If this situation isn’t quickly resolved, there is the possibility of Amazon taking legal action against you. It’s important to remember that Amazon has the right to address any gross violation of its Terms and Conditions as it sees fit. It’s on you to make sure that you follow their policies the best way you can.

From there, things can escalate pretty quickly. Fighting a legal battle can be financially and emotionally draining. Grab the bull by the horns and take care of the account, pronto! If you have no idea where to begin, get some advice on how to appeal your suspension quickly and efficiently.

How can I avoid having my account suspended in the future?

As a business owner, taking care of orders and guarding your listings from the possibility of suspension can be overwhelming, especially for a thriving business. The truth is, you can’t monitor your account all the time, especially if you have a lot of products and listings. Furthermore, there are instances when the reasons are beyond your control. The real question for most sellers is not if your account will get suspended but when. In this case, prevention is definitely better than a cure.

That’s where expert advice can be a big help. These companies have Amazon experts that can actively monitor your account for items that may cause your account suspension. Furthermore they can aid you in the appeals process if the reason can’t be prevented (like a rival business reporting your products as inauthentic or counterfeit). 

Compliance is Good For Business

Amazon, like any other e-commerce platform, guarantees customers a superior shopping experience, and their guidelines are there to maintain their standards. However exacting these standards are, being a seller in Amazon can be the key to a more robust future in e-commerce.
If your Amazon seller account has been suspended and you need expert advice on formulating a plan of action and appeal letter, you can email us at [email protected] or [email protected] today.