What’s the deal with all these account suspensions?
Is it just me or have you been hearing about lots of Amazon account suspensions lately?
Between the Amazon Seller Forums and Facebook Groups to sellers reaching out to our Account Rescue team, I’ve heard about at least a half dozen suspended accounts in the past few weeks.
Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on and how to stay safe.
Know and Obey the Rules
The biggest issue I’ve been seeing lately has been sellers who are breaking rules either because they don’t know better or because they have a rationalization for doing so.
My advice is very simple: Don’t break the rules!
- Ignorance of a rule isn’t an excuse and it isn’t a justification that will get Amazon to reinstate your account.
- Just because another seller is selling an item or breaking a rule doesn’t mean that you can, too.
- Make sure to read every email from Amazon and every notification in Seller Central. They’re there to make you aware of changing rules and policies.
Frozen
Frozen, for some reason, is still a huge hit and Frozen related merchandise is red-hot. However, recently, Amazon has required sellers to request permission to sell many Frozen-themed items. This is to prevent bad customer experiences related to counterfeit goods.
So, do not attempt to sell any Frozen-related items without approval from Amazon. It’s not worth risking your account.
Gated Groceries
Amazon recently started gating the grocery category, as well as several others. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on this list and only selling items that you’re approved to sell. Ask our Services team for tips on getting approved.
New Sellers
I think that we’re also seeing a lot of new sellers lately. And new sellers, in my experience, tend to be sloppy sellers (no offense intended). They may be experienced ebay sellers migrating to a new platform, or they may be brand new to online selling in general. For whatever reason, they’re not familiar with Amazon’s rules and how to interact with Amazon customers. Again, it goes back to my first point of knowing the rules. If you’re just getting started, you’re at the biggest risk for suspension. Make sure you’re answering Amazon emails quickly, responding to your customers and keeping that ODR low.
Ask For Permission Not Forgiveness
It’s tempting to just barrel ahead and hope for the best. This works in a lot of situations but not on Amazon. Remember that if you get shut down by Amazon, that’s it. You’re unlikely to get a second chance you and almost never get a third chance.
If you’re confused about a rule or policy, ask Seller Support. Get an answer in writing. Make sure you understand their answer and make sure there aren’t any grey areas. Amazon sees most issues as black and white.
The responsibility to be a great seller is on you.