One of the most concerning issues that Amazon sellers face is when Amazon shuts their accounts or listings without a reason. This is a valid reason to be worried about, given that such suspensions result in the loss of investment in terms of money, energy, and time. It would bother anyone, so much is at stake. But don’t worry, with this extensive guide, you will be able to navigate better through such a situation.
What happens when you get suspended by Amazon?
To list, there are four types of Amazon seller account interruptions and you should not talk about them in detail.
ASIN Suppression
Not just your account, you may also lose the ASIN number which is a unique Amazon ID. When that happens you cannot sell through, even though the product is yours. You can still request for your ASIN to be reinstated. To find out how to do that, check the ‘Plan of Action’ (POA) below.
Suspension
It might sound discouraging, but being suspended gives you a chance to challenge the suspension. If you are fortunate enough, Amazon would revert and explain why they suspended your account in the first place, they would also provide you a timeframe for you to appeal which is usually around 7 days.
If that’s the case, you need to respond to Amazon’s concerns by writing a letter called a “Plan of Action”. This letter explains how you intend to resolve the issues with your account. Later in the article, you will learn how to write this letter.
Denied
We have come across discussions on seller forums where sellers mention that they’ve sent multiple appeal letters until they finally provided the type of POA Amazon wanted.
You don’t have to worry if your POA gets rejected, you can revise and send it over again. The best part of it is that there is no specific limit to the number of appeals you can resubmit.
Banned
The worst-case scenario is getting permanently banned. If this happens, Amazon won’t listen to any of your pleas. Simply put it –
You may want to create a new account, but Amazon can detect a fake account, and thus a ban usually marks the end of your journey as an Amazon seller.
How Amazon Will Notify You if Your Account Gets Suspended
When Amazon suspends your Seller Account, you receive a notification within Seller Central and likely to your email address on file. Make sure that you frequently monitor the Account Health Section in Seller Central to see the status of your Amazon Seller Account. Note that Amazon does not send you a text so make sure that you do not click on any suspicious link sent to your phone
Note: It is important to think before you act on something. No matter what kind of account issue led to your suspension, you should not rush into a response. All the more, reacting impulsively can often make things worse than they are. Follow the steps below:
What can you do if you’re suspended/suppressed on Amazon?
When stuck in a situation like that of your account suspension, you would think what can I do if my Amazon Seller central account gets suspended, well, first of all, you shouldn’t panic which in our human nature is inevitable. Just take a deep breath and follow the steps listed below.
Step 1. Think About What Led to the Suspension of Your Account.
Sometimes, Amazon’s explanation can be vague. If you do not get a clear explanation from Seller Support, then you should think instead of reacting promptly. The issue might be something you can control, or it could be beyond your control.
- Things that you can control:
- Customer service performance and order defect rate.
- Product policy compliance.
- Shipping performance.
Your order defect rate is a measure of how well you satisfy your customers. It goes up if you receive negative feedback, A-to-Z Guarantee claims that are not denied, and credit card chargebacks. Amazon’s rule is to aim for an order defect rate of less than 1%.
Step 2: Create a ‘Plan of Action’ letter
If Amazon gives you a chance to explain your plight, you need to create a Plan of Action and send it to them. The content of your POA letter may vary depending on the reason for your suspension or denial, but these essential elements should be included:
^ Address the issue: Since Amazon’s explanations can be vague, you need to make guesses. After careful consideration of all the possible reasons, you should then emphasize the one that seems most likely. For example, you can say, ” I listed a product stating that it is 100% natural, which is not allowed on Amazon.”
^ Explain the actions you have taken to resolve the issue: Before you send in your Plan Of Action letter, make sure that you have evidence of the actions that you have put in to resolve the issue.
^ Explain how you strategize for preventing similar problems in the future: This makes the core part of your ‘Plan of Action’, which outlines how you are going to avoid making the same mistake again.
You should take full responsibility regardless, wrongly blamed. Amazon wants you to be serious and commit to fixing your errors.
You can attach receipts, email copies, screenshots, or any other evidence that supports your plea for reinstatement with your Plan of Action letter. After all these materials are going to strengthen your case.
Step 3. Submit your Plan of Action and make any necessary adjustments
Once you submit your Plan of Action to Amazon to get your account reinstated, only these two things can happen. One, if it gets approved, you can resume your business with the proposed changes. Two, if it gets denied, then you carefully read and analyze the rejection letter for clues, address the issues, and maybe consider seeking assistance from a third-party mediator if need be.
What happens if your Plan of Action doesn’t work?
If your Plan of Action doesn’t work, you shouldn’t stress out. It is always a good idea to get help from a third-party specialist who is well-versed in Amazon account management and can deal with account suspensions.