Unfortunately, Adam received an email on the weekend asking for a plan of action, and there was a suspected restricted product in his account, and he needed to put a plan of action in. 

Due to a sequence of events, his account was suspended – some critical errors were made. This is where we learn. Adam has learned so much, and here at Systemise Fulfilment, we have learned so much as well.  

In this blog post, I will give you as many tips as possible to help prevent Amazon suspensions.

Don’t Do Anything Out Of Emotion

If anything occurs in your account, anything like a plan of action, suspension, anything serious, any type of claims, or anything to do with your performance notification, always pause and don’t do anything out of emotion. I know that this is easier said than done, but please have a clear mind before you intentionally act on something. 

If you do something incorrectly, Amazon will suspend you. 

Amazon Expect You and I, Amazon Sellers to be Proactive to Stay Informed

It is our responsibility to ensure that you know Amazon’s policies and the marketplace’s laws. The sections in your Amazon account, the help sections, the help pages, where you go into the policies, please do what you can, and check those pages out. 

If you are interested in a case study giving you a checklist of all the things you can do to protect yourself from being suspended, you can check Suspension Defence.

Amazon policies and marketplace laws are very important. You need to make sure that you keep up-to-date with this. 

Do Whatever You Can to be Proactive

Do everything you possibly can to be proactive before any type of suspected restricted product goes into your account. By this I mean, putting as many automated systems as possible to prevent any type of potential restricted product from going into the account.

So, we know there are some very obvious restricted products, and you’re not able to sell anything obvious like alcohol, drugs, dangerous products, unlicensed medicines, etc.

Additionally, your pricing approach may also benefit from an automated system. By using an AI repricer, you can avoid infractions to Amazon’s fair pricing policies that could also lead to account suspension. 

Have Extra Layers of Protection 

If you have multiple layers of protection in your business, for example, sourcing assistants, reviewing assistants, senior assistants, this can give you extra protection. If you then have a warehouse team or a prep service, then this then gives you three layers. 

If you have a prep service right now, we will talk to your prep service partners and inform them of any concern detrimental to your business. We can perform this task on your behalf because it is one of the things we do at Systemise Fulfilment. We have the experience and a highly competent team to deal with it. 

This is super important. If you are in a prep service right now, have a conversation with them about potential restricted products. 

If you have got performance notifications in your account, if you go to account health, it starts to tell you your IP claims, restricted policy notification – Amazon states in the email which you get that you have 48 hours to action, but it is actually 24 hours. 

At this point, go into your account across all marketplaces, whether that is the EU or UK, go in and search for the ASIN, search your activity, and delete. Delete it from your account completely.  

Create Automated Email Sequence

If you get some very important Amazon emails, for example, Amazon product compliance email addresses, or any type of performance notification alerts, whatever it is, you can create what we call automated email sequences. 

If you get any email in your business whatsoever which is really important, you can set up a zapier to go into your Slack account, and it will notify your entire team. 

Have a Restricted Products List

A part of our master spreadsheet, we developed this back in 2017. We have automated formulas across all of our spreadsheets, from our purchasing, from our sourcing, and pre-purchase. We have product lists. 

If there is anything that is a potential blackflag, where it has been restricted before, it will flag up black immediately. So it highlights to everyone that it is a big blackflag. 

Make Sure That You Are Using Reputable Suppliers 

Make sure that you have all the documentation in place. Amazon can ask you for documentation. They can ask you for your invoices, so make sure that you have a system to get your invoices. Store your documents correctly so that if Amazon does request them, you have them ready to send. 

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About The Author:

Systemise Fulfilment is an eCommerce, Amazon FBA, 3PL partner that passionately help eCommerce businesses and brands achieve life changing goals by creating an empowering ecosystem for massive success.

Amazon is typically upfront about its seller rules and regulations. Still, many sellers are surprised when their account gets suspended. Amazon account suspension isn’t just a headache. 

It can cost your business thousands of dollars in lost revenue, wasted warehouse costs, and employee wages. Fighting to get your account back in good standing can be frustrating and draining. 

The best way to handle Amazon seller account suspensions is to avoid them in the first place. Appeal experts like Appeal Wizards can help you get your account back up and running quickly. 

Before we dive into the best ways you can avoid that dreaded account suspension email, let’s recap the most common reasons account suspensions occur. 

4 Common Reasons for Amazon Account Suspension

Most Amazon sellers work hard to keep their accounts in good standing because even the slightest mishap can remove your selling privileges. Almost all account suspensions fall under one of two categories. 

Listing suspensions remove a specific product listing from your account. On the other hand, account suspensions shut down your seller account entirely, removing your selling privileges across Amazon’s entire platform. 

The best way to avoid account suspensions is to understand the following common causes:

1. Poor Performance

Since Amazon is the leading eCommerce platform in the world, they hold their sellers to high standards. When seller performance rates drop, Amazon worries about your account’s effect on their ability to provide their customers with outstanding service. 

Amazon monitors your performance using a metric rating system to continue on its path of astronomical business growth. If you fail to meet their rating requirements, you will find yourself at risk of suspension. The powerhouse company uses the following categories to rate your overall performance:

• Order rate
• Late response rate
• Late shipment rate
• Negative return feedback rate
• Pre-fulfillment cancel rate

2. Policy Violations

Another common cause of Amazon suspensions is policy violations. Amazon implements a strict set of rules to prevent fraud and ensure quality service. Since Amazon’s policies were developed to optimize business success, the company takes violations very seriously. 

Read through your Amazon seller guidelines to ensure you stay away from policy violations. You should also check back regularly for updates and policy changes. 

3. Selling Restricted Products

In addition to its strict set of rules, Amazon forbids the sale of restricted, counterfeit, and inauthentic products. Anyone caught selling illegal, unsafe, or restricted products will be immediately suspended. 

Failing to provide customers with the products you’ve promised will also result in an account suspension. Make sure you stay on top of Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy and list of restricted products to avoid this common cause of account suspension.

4. Owning Multiple Seller Accounts

Finally, sellers with multiple accounts often find themselves suspended by Amazon. Creating more than one seller account clearly goes against Amazon’s terms and conditions. 

If you believe you have the right to create a second seller account, make sure you apply for an exception and talk to an Amazon appeals professional to avoid suspension. You can also reach out to our third-party Amazon appeals experts at Appeal Wizards for assistance. 

5 Tips to Avoid Amazon Account Suspension

Amazon account suspensions are a serious matter. The appeals process is lengthy and complicated and requires a lot of work to overturn a suspension. 

Appeal Wizards has helped countless sellers reverse their suspension and get their accounts back up and running quickly. Let’s cover some practical tips from our appeal experts to help you prevent a suspension entirely. 

1. Manage Your Metrics

As an Amazon seller, it’s crucial to know where you stand in seller account metrics. Keep an eye on your Seller Central dashboard. Customer feedback drives a significant portion of your metric success. 

During high-volume seasons like holidays, make sure to pay extra attention to your metrics. Amazon will suspend your account if your metrics don’t meet the following ratings:

• Order defect rate <1% 
• Negative feedback <5%
• Pre-fulfillment cancel rate <2.5%
• Late shipment rate <4%

You should also watch for metrics such as late response and invalid rejection rates to ensure your ratings stay in good standing. If you notice a rating drop, talk to an Amazon seller expert immediately for help. 

2. Be Responsive

Since some of the most crucial metric markers come from your customers’ experiences, it’s vital to be responsive to your customers. Amazon is a customer-obsessed company. As a seller, you need to prioritize the customer experience as well. Work hard to provide exceptional customer service. 

If you encounter a disgruntled customer, find a solution that will change their perception of your business and improve their experience. Whether dealing with new or loyal customers, treat them well and find new and innovative ways to enhance the shopping experience. 

Keep a close eye on your customer review section. Respond promptly to feedback, be it positive or negative. A prompt reply communicates to customers that you care about their sentiments. 

Manage your shipments and returns effectively. Customers want great products at affordable prices with fast delivery service. If you fail to deliver on time, do your best to make it right. Personally reach out to your customers to apologize and provide them with an incentive to keep them happy. 

If third-party services are the problem with your shipping, you’ll need to evaluate your partnership. While some delays and technical issues can’t be avoided, you should find a new shipping provider if the problem persists. 

3. Optimize and Audit Your Product Listings

One of the biggest challenges for many Amazon sellers is the competition. Amazon does not prevent other sellers from offering the same product as you do. Amazon merges into one product listing duplicate or identical product pages. This means anyone can modify the information on the listing page. 

To avoid this issue, take control of your online store with regular audits. Monitor your listings, and make sure there are no changes in your images, bullets, or descriptions. 

Once Amazon receives a “wrong item sent” complaint from a customer, they will quickly suspend your account, even if it wasn’t your fault. Amazon considers the following factors when merging product pages:

• Product brand
• Quantity of package
• Products’ UPC, EAN, or ISBN
• Products’ color, size, fragrance, or flavor

Optimize your product listings every time Amazon announces new features with its marketing or advertising practices. You should also take advantage of a third-party Amazon Repricer like Seller Snap for price optimization. 

The AI algorithmic repricer can automatically optimize listing prices and help you avoid price wars, win Buy Box, and maximize profits. Combined with strong seller analytics, these third-party services provide you with the insight you need to grow your business in the ever-evolving Amazon space effectively. 

4. Follow the Rules

Although the Amazon seller competition is fierce, don’t try to hack the system. While the thought of 2.2 million Amazon sellers worldwide can be overwhelming, Amazon is a powerhouse. They will easily detect if you are trying to cheat the system to find your success. The Amazon spies will easily see even a minor glitch. 

Avoid black hat techniques like exchanging free products for good reviews, piggybacking on high-converting listings, and selling fake products. Operate your business with the values and principles necessary for future success. 

Put your customers first, earn the trust of all involved, deliver results, take pride in your account, and follow the highest standards in the business. This won’t just help you keep your seller space. It will also help you capitalize on the revenue potential of the largest online marketplace in the world. 

5. Protect Your Brand

Speaking of standards for success. You’ll also want to protect your brand. With so many rules to follow and other sellers to compete against, you need to keep a close eye on your Seller Central. 

Black hat sellers and crooked third-party business owners can try to ruin your reputation and eliminate your brand from the Amazon marketplace. 

Consider registering your business in Amazon Brand Registry. This brand protection service gives you complete control over your listings and content. It also reassures your customers that your listing is trusted and accurate. 

To join, you’ll need an active registered trademark. Since the trademark application process can be time-consuming, consider signing up on Amazon I.P. Accelerator.  

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About the Author:

Appeal Wizards is an expert Amazon suspension appeal service. Appeal Wizards can help get you reinstated quickly if your Amazon account is suspended or deactivated.