So, Amazon suspended your account, did it? Reinstating it is probably going slower than you’d like, but we have a few ideas to get your account back up and running in no time. Here’s what you need to know…
If you’ve received that dreaded notice from Amazon saying that your privileges have been revoked, the ‘bad, bad day’ song probably strikes a chord. Unfortunately, Amazon will need some serious convincing to reconsider the account suspension.
Not to worry, we have a few tips to get you back on track, and they’re nicely drawn out in a step-by-step approach:
Step 1. Wait
Resist the urge to reply to Amazon right away.
You have a 17-day window, which means that you can take your time getting to the bottom of things. You can also send several replies, but try to carry out all your investigations early, to help speed things up.
Step 2. Research
Amazon must have specified a reason for the suspension, so check that email.
If any ASINs are mentioned in the suspension email, it would be wise to check your records for the sales history and customer feedback for those products.
Then check your old notifications and warnings, and try to find a pattern. Is there a transgression that Amazon keeps bringing up, or is this a one-time event? It could be something as simple as a large shipment being damaged in transit, which triggered a suite of complaints and warnings for non-compliance with condition guidelines over the course of a few weeks, even if it was the only time you’ve had a damaged shipment.
Step 3. Find Hidden Clues
After checking the obvious (i.e. orders, feedbacks, notifications), check whatever else could be an indicator. Some of the best places to look at are: the imperfect orders report, product reviews, your returns, and your supplier’s background. Check that all your parameters are ‘green’.
If the issue has not been brought to your attention before, analyze your Amazon business and its performance. Doing so could help you understand how you could prevent situations like these, when you’re caught off-guard.
Step 4. Prepare a Plan
Once you’ve found your weakness, trace it back until you find the reason behind it, the number of times it happened, and the way you responded after every warning. Then, put pen to paper and make sure that you show Amazon how you’ve tried to resolve the matter before.
Prepare a draft of your main points.
Be concise, address all the relevant issues, and formulate your sentences coherently and orderly. If it’s not related to the suspension, then it’s not worth mentioning in the appeal.
If you want Amazon to give you another shot, you have to prove that you have a plan, and that you won’t repeat this mistake. Find corrective and preventive measures for every one of the issues you identified in Steps 2 and 3.
Step 5. Make Last-Minute Changes
Depending on the reason behind the suspension, you may be able to show Amazon that you mean business, and score some bonus points, if you begin to enact some of the ideas in Step 4. It could be a series of small changes, like upgrading your inventory management system, or as important as switching courier and hiring more shippers.
Step 6. Submit Your Appeal
Once you hit that ‘Appeal Decision’ button, it’s time for the waiting game, again. It can take weeks for Amazon to give you the green light, so try to stay on top of your customer communication and performance metrics until then, however long the downtime.
While you’re on standby, continue putting into practice what you’ve set out to do in the ‘plan of action’, so that Amazon’s verdict doesn’t catch you off-guard. Also, be aware that from this point on, you’ll only be able to reach Amazon by contacting the Performance Team via email, or submit a case.
You’re probably not feeling optimistic just yet, but that’s what SellerEngine’s here for. Drop us a note to find out what your options and solutions could be.
ICYMI: Check out our Safety Guidelines Infographic – How to Keep Your Amazon Account Safe from Suspension
