You can’t have your cake and eat it too on Amazon. Open a second seller account, and you’ll find that out in a heartbeat. If you’d like to know how to avoid a suspension, and what to look for in the event that your selling privileges are revoked, we may be able to offer some pointers.
To find out what to look for when Amazon suspends you for having two accounts, please read below.
One of Amazon’s General Guidelines prohibits sellers from having more than one seller account on a single venue at any one time. We’ve come across cases where sellers didn’t know about the policy until they were shut down, and they genuinely didn’t intend to break the rules.
While Amazon’s algorithm for filtering linked accounts is undisclosed, some of the details they use to match two different accounts could be:
- your device’s IP address;
- your network adapter’s MAC address;
- the registered company information;
- the email address on record;
- owner details;
- the bank account number on file.
What Can You Do?
1. Try to find the incriminating factors, and address them in your appeal.
Look at the elements in the list above and try to see what triggered the suspension. Amazon will notify you that your selling privileges are revoked for one of two reasons: operating on multiple merchant accounts, or having an account that’s been linked with a closed one. Match the information you have on file for these two accounts, and you’ve got your culprit.
The reason may not be all that clear, and you may feel it’s unfair. Be that as it may, remember that Amazon enforces this one-account rule to protect both you and its customers from dealing with unreliable sellers. If all sellers were allowed to open new accounts whenever their performance started to decline, with complaints and negative feedbackA performance rating on a scale of 1 to … More piling up, then customers would be mislead into buying from disreputable sellers, and there would be unfair competition for you.
2. Stick to the subject and the facts; don’t get emotional.
Trying to appeal to Amazon for a reinstatement in either one of these two cases is one of the hardest battles an Amazon seller may ever face. Also, unless you have a legitimate reason for having two accounts, it’s probably a losing battle. Still, keep an open mind and a positive attitude when addressing Amazon. Remember that the account closure was automatic, and Amazon has no interest in closing your account if you’re a reputable seller.
If you were knowingly operating on two different accounts, all is not lost. Contact Amazon to demonstrate that the two accounts are essentially separate and independent. You’d need to prove that they operate with different products, product categories, suppliers, fulfillment means, and even business models. Basically, mention anything that would justify the need to run a second account separately from the first one.
Remember that you broke the rules for having operated two accounts without permission, whether it was intentional, or not. Still, you may just get away with a restriction from using one of the two accounts from here on in.
3. If Amazon gave you their approval to have two accounts in the past, provide them a record of the approval.
Amazon may have been persuaded to bend the rules in your case once, and they may do so again. It’s not unheard of for Amazon to grant sellers permission to use two accounts for a while, but then change their mind, and ask them to shut one of them down. In fact, they may even suspend the remaining account after a while, just for having been tied up to the old one in the past.
You’ll find that it pays to keep a record of all your communication with Amazon on this matter. Use your email record and the case number you were given every time to increase your chances of making a successful appeal.
For more information on how you can avoid Amazon account suspension, please feel free to download our complimentary Safety Guidelines infographic.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments, and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed
12 Responses
I got suspended from Amazon and I’m losing everything. Lesson learned and now I’m stronger than ever but still can’t get back on my feet because my main source of income was Amazon. Please advise
Hello, Hana!
Thank you for following our blog.
We’re sorry to hear that your Amazon account has been suspended.
For further help please contact us at services@SellerEngine.com and we can schedule a call to detail the aspects you are interested in.
I hope it helps,
Roxana SellerEngine Services Team
I was suspended by Amazon because of a fraudulent buyer dispute. They didn’t even bother to acknowledge the evidence provided to the which clearly shows buyer signed for it and received it. Buyer then tried to dispute that and ended up winning. They got their money back, kept the item and I am hit with a negative feedback and my account permanently closed.
I tried using several appeal services with no success. I have no other option left and Amazon makes up a good chunk of my revenue. I tried creating a new account, but it was suspended immediately.
I am wondering if anyone had any success in getting back on? I came across this guide: https://www.slideshare.net/AuctionEssistance/ebay-incognitostealth
It is mainly for eBay, but I am wondering if anyone have used it to create a new Amazon seller account?
Hello Melanie,
I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve been having with Amazon. With these types of situations we never recommend opening a second account. There are too many ways that Amazon has to detect them, and fighting those types of suspensions is nearly impossible. We would be happy to do a free assessment of your old account to see if there is any way we can help get that one reactivated. If you’re interested in learning more, or if you have any questions please email us at services@SellerEngine.com and we will get back to you right away. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Vanessa
SellerEngine Software Services Team
Amazon suspended my VERY successful company in February 2017. After months of going back and forth with them through email (which it seems like they love just raping people who are genuinely good sellers), they constantly reply “you may not sell”. They will not provide a contact phone number for the department that is the grand jury and executioner of your account. Amazon is a total bully. Their metrics are impossible to maintain. Their policies seem simple enough, but in our situation a competitor flagged a listing and Amazon took their word for it and took down our $50,000/mo. business. There is nothing I can do, Amazon doesn’t have seller loyalty, they simply do not give a rats ass about anyone but themselves. They even outsource their customer service to Asia… when they are making BILLIONS of dollars. Like they can’t afford to hire Americans to answer a telephone?? Amazon needs some major help. I literally hate them and what they did to me.
Hi Wendy,
We’re sorry to hear of your experience with Amazon. You’re completely right. They do favor the buyers over sellers. It’s been that focus that has propelled them to become one of the biggest buisnesses in the world. With that in mind, Amazon acts like selling with them is a privilege and you’ve got to prove yourself worthy. Hence all the tough rules and metrics and strict enforcement. That’s why Amazon can be a bad for some businesses. If it’s not possible to follow all of their rules, no matter how harsh, Amazon sees you as a bad fit for their business model too, and that’s how suspensions happen. We usually recommend working with a professional services team (such as our own) to help guide you through the appeal process. Appealing using Amazon’s strict requirements the first time will greatly maximize your success rate for reinstatement. It’s sort of like taxes, we all the ability and opportunity to do them on our own, but, most of the time, it’s far less frustrating to hire a professional. It sounds like you may not have much of a chance now to get reinstated on Amazon but our Services team is always willing to offer a free assessment of your situation and account to see if we might be able to help out.
Please do reach out if there’s anything we can do to help. Sorry again for your experience and best of luck moving forward.
Kate
I am from india ….Amazon.com suspended my account then i register on Amazon.in with new detail on same device which was i using for Amazon.com ….so my question is can Amazon.com will suspend my seller account again if i will use same bank detail of Amazon.in accounts on another device which is new device and i never used this device for sell on Amazon.com..
Please reply your help is vital for me
Thanks.
Hi there, thank you for your question. Let’s recap your situation here. Your Amazon.com account got shut down, and you opened an Amazon.in account afterwards. So far so good. Your Amazon.com account was most probably unified with Amazon.ca and Amazon.mx (but not with Amazon.in too). The only thing Amazon cares about is that you don’t open another account on the same venues where they shut you down (so that would be all marketplaces in your suspended account, namely .com/ .ca/ .mx). To conclude, your Amazon.in account won’t be affected, even if you use the same device to log in or the same account details. Hope this makes sense. Please email us if you need further help at support@SellerEngine.com. Thank you
OK, so basically no help here just a sales pitch….
Hello Liz, thank you for your comment.
This is in no way a sales pitch- more like some minimal advice on where to start from in case you get suspended for related accounts. Our Account Rescue Service actually has a free-assessment phase after which we confirm whether we can help a seller or not, and 99% of the time we do not take Related Account Suspension cases. It feels unfair to charge when we don’t feel we could build a strong enough appeal, that’s why we stick to recommendations only. This article’s sole purpose is to give pointers of what to look for when in such a difficult situation. Feel free to email us if you’re struggling with a suspension too, and we could at least share suggestions on how to put your best foot forward. Thank you.
What if I work for a company that runs an Amazon store, and I want to open my own, at home? If I’ve used my work computer to check my email (the email i’d be using to open my account) will this cause me to get denied?
Hello,
Thanks for your question. It’s good that you’re being cautious about this. As far as we know, Amazon doesn’t track IP logins for email addresses. As long as it’s your personal email address, and is in no way associated with your work email, then it should be fine. You can also create a new email address specifically for your Amazon account if you’re feeling nervous about it.
Furthermore, we would recommend logging in to the work account only from your place of work and only from your work computer. The same goes for your personal account. Use your personal computer and only log in from your home. If you have any further questions please feel free to email us at services@SellerEngine.com.