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Last updated on December 21st, 2022
Written by Mark Salvania
There are many possible reasons why your seller account could be suspended. You might have low seller metrics, more than one seller account, copyright infringement accusations, etc. What you need to write after suspension is an Amazon reinstatement letter. After sending an Amazon suspension appeal letter and a plan of action, you’ll have to wait for the decision. If successful, Amazon will send you a letter informing you that your seller account has been reinstated, and your selling privileges have been restored.
The usual question you’d ask is, “What now?” You know how that suspension has affected your business, whether it was a day or several months. It could make a serious dent in your cash flow and it’s essential that you make your account so secure that no Amazon seller account suspension will happen in the near future.
As with everything, try to brainstorm and determine what your goals are after the suspension. Compute the lost revenue and give yourself a timeline on when you can recoup all the losses. Remember, setting goals is necessary to make sure you don’t get sidetracked by everything you’re doing. Make sure your goals are achievable, as goals that are almost impossible to achieve just dissuade you from going through with your plans. When your account was suspended, you were asking yourself, “How long does an amazon appeal take?” Now, it’s time to ask, “How long do I have to protect my account from suspension in the future?”
My favorite saying has always been, “Wise people learn from the mistakes of others. Average people learn from their own mistakes, but a fool never learns.” Be an average person, at least. Do some research regarding what happened. Was the situation caused by something you did, neglected, or overlooked? Was the situation unavoidable or could it have been avoided by doing some key actions? If it was possible to prevent this, what actions could have helped you avoid the suspension?
Asking these questions can help you determine which areas need improvement, and what the possible courses of action may be. Remember, getting an Amazon reinstatement letter is just the beginning.
This step isn’t too difficult for sellers with a small number of products. But, what if you have hundreds of products and listings out there? Just reviewing all your listings would require a huge amount of time. Plus, how would you know if all of your listings are following Amazon’s policy. In this case, getting Amazon marketing experts to review all your listings might be a good idea. These experts can determine if your listings are complying with Amazon’s guidelines and make sure your seller account is as protected as you can make it.
Wouldn’t you feel better if you knew that there is a team of people watching over your account and making sure it’s well-protected? Why do you need them? Besides unknowingly violating Amazon’s policies, there are external factors that can cause your seller account to be suspended. You might be a victim of black hat tactics, hijacking, counterfeiting, etc. You can have peace of mind knowing that your account is in good hands by having experts who can recognize these dirty tricks early on and proactively address them.
It’s not unknown for competitors to report your account for copyright infringement. It’s also possible for other people to report that you’re selling counterfeit products. When these reports come, Amazon will put a preventive suspension on your account pending an investigation. The curtailing of your ability to sell your products, even for a few days, can have a huge effect on your sales.
You might need some legal experts in these situations who can help you file legal claims and recover damages from brands falsely accusing you of copyright infringement or counterfeiting. These experts can coordinate with Amazon’s legal team to make sure these unscrupulous characters learn their lesson.
It’s a challenge to keep track of your seller performance. If your account has been suspended because of poor performance, it’s vital to have a plan that addresses this particular issue. Amazon prides itself in providing quality products and service to its customers. You can be suspended for not meeting the requirement for these metrics:
These metrics are used to paint an overall picture of the seller’s performance, as well as the emphasis on customer service and quality of the products. Continuously getting low scores in these metrics could result in the permanent loss of Amazon selling privileges.
Given the gravity of the sanctions surrounding these metrics, it’s vital to have people who know how to improve your performance and give you valuable advice on how to prevent negative feedback, in general.
Intellectual Property Rights is a slippery slope, especially if you don’t have the legal know-how. What’s worse, any complaint touching on IP rights can have legal implications, not just the suspension of your seller account. The best course of action is to commission skilled IP lawyers to get these complaints withdrawn, get Amazon’s legal team to review your account, and have them send you an Amazon reinstatement letter right away.
If your account has already been reinstated, that means the appeal process went well. However, the biggest reason why you received that reinstatement letter is your documentation. Many reasons for suspension (e.g., counterfeiting, copyright infringement, seller identity, etc.) can be resolved by submitting the proper documents to Amazon, together with a viable action plan. Without proof, Amazon will just throw your appeal out the window.
In this business, always remember to protect yourself. Shy away from shady practices and maintain a spotless reputation. If you document everything, any issue like an account suspension can be easily resolved.
Prevention is better than a cure. The surest way to avoid suspension is to make sure that your account is in good condition, and no one can penetrate your defenses. If you have any questions about how to protect your account, you can contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]. We can discuss the best ways to protect your account and prevent future account suspensions.
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