Have you ever received a warning from Amazon about counterfeit items? It’s one of the most common reasons that Amazon gives for suspending sellers, so it’s very important to take these warnings seriously.
Today Carmen, from the SellerEngine Services team, shares her knowledge about where these notices come from and what Sellers need to do when they receive them.
Keep reading to learn more.
Where do counterfeit item warnings come from?
Based on our experience, we’ve found that 90+% of fraudulent/counterfeit item warnings originate from a form on Amazon.com.
Other ways that counterfeit item complaints can be made:
- The email address copyright@Amazon.com.
- By reporting an item directly to an Amazon support rep on the phone or through chat.
- In some cases, Amazon may investigate themselves based on a series of negative product reviews.
What should you do when you receive a warning?
Identify the Item
First, determine the item that Amazon is writing to you about. Have you ever actually sold this item? Believe it or not, Amazon can send these messages in error, but the onus is still on you to prove your innocence.
If you have sold the item, review your records and see if any customers ever wrote to you with complaints about the item.
Check Buyer Reviews
Review the Amazon product page and read reviews from other buyers. If there are widespread problems with the item, the issue might be with your source, or with the product listing itself.
If the problems lies with your manufacturer or distributor, then you may want to remove all items in your inventory from that source. Contact your source directly and ask them if they’ve had any complaints.
Respond to Amazon
No matter what you’ve found, you’ll need to contact Amazon and respond to their warning.
Review our guidelines on writing to Amazon, and make sure to:
- Succinctly lay out the facts.
- The actions you took in direct response to their warning. Investigated inventory, reviewed product sourcing methods, etc.
- The proactive response plan you have put in place to make sure you never receive another warning again. Stop selling this type of product (highly recommended), be much more conservative in your product sourcing, educate yourself about the most commonly counterfeited items, etc.
More Questions
Do you have any more questions about Amazon counterfeit item warnings? Need advice on how to respond to an email from Amazon? Want to know more about how to keep your Amazon account in good standing? Email one of our Amazon experts at services@SellerEngine.com.
Or learn more about how they can help your Amazon business at SellerEngine.com/Services.
