Account suspension is an everyday occurrence on Amazon, but to merchants it can still come as a shock. Few sellers know if they’re on the ‘light’ or ‘dark side’ of Amazon when it comes to the integrity of their accounts. That’s why we’ve put together a list of possible triggers for listing closures and account suspensions, along with an explanation of how policy robots can enforce them. If you’d like to continue being in Amazon’s good graces and keep clear of the Amazon bots, please carry on reading.
With so much time and effort put into running an Amazon account, many third-party sellers take account suspension and listing closure personally. But we’ve found along the years that Amazon representatives have very little to do with it, and that policy Amazon bots (aka amabots) are the ones that generate notifications.
Amazon’s bots can make mistakes, so it’s important to keep calm, and focus all your energy into proving them wrong. Remember that notifications sent by Amazon are based on an automated keyword identification. So, clearing your name and reinstating your selling privileges for the whole inventory or for a specific item can be as easy as identifying those tricky blacklisted keywords.
Here are some examples of keywords and their corresponding suspension notifications:
- the term ‘fake’ or ‘counterfeit’ would lead to a suspension notice for an ‘Inauthentic item’;
- ‘damaged’ could lead to ‘Used item sold as new’;
- ‘missing’ would trigger an ‘Incomplete item’ notifications;
- ‘testers’ can prompt ‘Restricted item’ notices when mistaken for samples (as in perfume tester).
Amabots can overlook the words ‘not’, ‘no’, ‘without’, ‘any’, or even common abbreviations, such as ‘w/o’. So phrases like ‘not fake’, ‘without any missing parts’, ‘no damaged components’, etc., can trigger a notification. Furthermore, if amabots match words in your listings with keywords designating a hazmat, such as ‘oxidizer’, ‘flammable’, ‘explosive’, ‘corrosive’, etc., you could be facing a Restricted Items notification.
For example, we know of one Amazon seller who’s had his listing shut down for selling a book with the word ‘asbestos’ in the title.
Keep all these words in mind when you investigate the reason behind your suspension, and search for them in every section of your account, including emails, feedback, product reviews, condition notes, product descriptions, bullet points, and titles. If amabots pick up on a complaint, but you’re not sure why your customer is dissatisfied, our Amazon suspension infographic could help you get to the bottom of it.
If the reason behind your notification isn’t that obvious, and you’ve had no complaints recently, try to look back at any changes you may have made to your listings in the past few days. Keep in mind that the blacklist can be very confusing, and it always pays to carry out a thorough investigation.
What’s more, each notification needs to be dealt with individually and promptly, even if Amazon’s mistake is obvious. Also, however confident you may be that your product complies with current policies, don’t put it back up for sale until Amazon agrees to lift your restriction.
That being said, we look forward to hearing about your own experiences with Amazon, and giving you a helping hand, if needed. May the Amabots be with you!
Irina is part of the Business Development Team at SellerEngine Software. She’s an expert in bringing back to life Amazon Selling Accounts. Her motto is: everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, then it’s not the end.