Many Amazon seller accounts get suspended for a whole string of different reasons, just don’t let it be yours. Having your Amazon seller account suspended is not an ideal scenario, as it will prevent you from trading. You will have to submit an appeal regarding the reason for the suspension, and the whole process can end up taking weeks, even months, to get through.
If they reject your appeal, then your account could face permanent suspension. If your Amazon business is your primary revenue source, then a suspension could be extremely detrimental.
By understanding why Amazon might suspend your seller account, you can work to prevent it from happening, so you can carry on with business as usual.
What to do if you get suspended?
If you do have your account suspended, it’s best to go straight to the experts. Amazon consultants will handle your Amazon suspension with the expertise only they have. They know the fine print and will give you a better chance of having your account reinstated than if you submit an appeal yourself.
Here are the most common reasons Amazon seller accounts face suspension.
Intellectual property complaints
An intellectual property complaint is when a company complains that you are selling a product under their trademark or copyright. When you sell anything on Amazon, you have to abide by their rules, one of which is not selling other companies’ products. While you can legally sell anything that you own according to the first sale doctrine, you can’t on Amazon. Instead, opt to sell via wholesale channels if you still want to sell that product. Otherwise, avoid selling it at all or risk account suspension.
Late shipping
If you continuously ship your products out late, then you’ll likely have your account suspended. One thing that Amazon prides itself on is getting products to the consumer fast, and they won’t allow that reputable to be continuously tarnished by a seller that can’t ship their product on time. Make sure you always send your products out by the deadline to avoid getting a suspension for this reason.
Counterfeits
If you’re selling counterfeit products, aka knockoffs, on Amazon, you’re going to get caught. Even if your product isn’t counterfeit, all a customer has to do is report that it is, and you’re at risk of having your account suspended. It’s hard to ensure that your customers don’t assume your product is a counterfeit, and there’s not much you can do to control it. What you can do is make sure that the product is always sent out in its original package to reassure the customer that it’s genuine.
Not as described
One of the most common reasons for Amazon seller account suspension is when items are constantly returned because it wasn’t as described. It is not an immediate suspension, but when multiple customers are returning items, Amazon will likely issue a warning. Not as described could mean a variety of things such as the color was off, it didn’t function as they thought it would, etc. If your account faces suspension, for this reason, it is generally easy to make a successful appeal and get your account reinstated.
