Suspended Amazon Account? Don’t Do These 4 Things

Panicking in the midst of an Amazon account suspension is normal. We see it all the time as Amazon seller consultants. Clients come to us looking for help with seller account reinstatement, terrified of being driven out of business in a few days if they don’t get help.

If your Amazon account has been suspended, here is the best piece of advice we can give you.

Don’t panic!

Step back and take a breath.

An account suspension is definitely something to be concerned about, but it’s not the end of the world.

Panicking will not help solve the problem.

In fact, it could make matters worse.

To illustrate the point, here are four things you should NOT do following an Amazon account suspension.

1. Immediately Open a New Account

Panic and fear has led many Amazon sellers to deal with their account suspension by immediately opening a new account with a different email and bank account information. 

If you have no valid or legitimate business reasons to own or operate a second seller account, or you are not required by an Amazon program (like Amazon Renewed) to have a separate account, you will most likely be in violation of Amazon’s Multiple Accounts selling policy.  Not complying with Amazon selling policies and the Seller Code of Conduct usually results in Amazon taking action against your related seller accounts. You’ll be looking at forfeiture of payments, cancellation of listings or complete account deactivation.

Spinning up a second account may work in the short term, but Amazon’s automated systems are very good at linking multiple accounts by the same user. Their system will ultimately figure out what you’ve done.

What happens then? Your secondary account will be suspended. Getting it reinstated, while possible, will be next to impossible. Worse yet, you will be making it exceedingly more difficult to get your original Amazon seller account reinstated.

2. Immediately File an Appeal

Filing an appeal is a normal part of our Amazon reinstatement services. However, we believe it is not wise to rush into things. An appeal doesn’t have to be filed within the first 30 minutes of discovering your account has been suspended. It is better to take a little bit of time to investigate, gather the necessary proof, and submit an appeal that is likely to be accepted.

The truth is that Amazon suspends thousands of accounts every day. Furthermore, it is rare for an account to be reinstated on the very first appeal – except for very minor infractions. So it’s better to come up with a properly written plan of action prior to that first appeal in order to increase your chances of getting reinstated the first time.

3. Communicate in a Threatening or Abusive Manner

There is always the temptation to take an aggressive stance under the assumption that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Where Amazon is concerned, being aggressive isn’t helpful. You should avoid the temptation to communicate with any Selling Partner support team member in a threatening or abusive manner. You will not get anywhere by using language or tactics designed to intimidate.

Amazon Seller Performance is the only department within Amazon that can help you with account reinstatement. Seller Performance specialists are not looking to unnecessarily punish sellers. They are looking for sellers to take responsibility for their accounts and their actions while selling on the platform. Show them you are responsible by communicating in a professional and polite manner. Treat Seller Performance specialists with respect and they will treat you in kind.

4. Expect an Immediate Response

In the ‘good old days’ of Amazon’s early years, sellers could expect responses within 12 to 24 hours. Those days are long gone. With thousands of accounts suspended daily, Amazon’s support volume has increased exponentially. It can take a week or longer for your appeal to result in meaningful action. And remember this – Amazon will probably not send confirmation that your appeal was received. All of this is to say that you should wait at least a week or two before following up.

Our Amazon account reinstatement services are designed to help sellers like you. If your account has been suspended, don’t panic. Take your time and go through the appeal process in an orderly fashion. We are here to help if you need assistance.