The 3 Most Common Amazon Suspensions
Due to the pandemic, and the lockdown that ensued, buyers and sellers flocked to the Amazon Marketplace in 2020 in greater numbers than ever before. It is not surprising, therefore, that the year 2020 saw a dramatic increase in common Amazon suspensions. It would be natural for the growth in Amazon’s user base to lead to an increase in suspensions, but growth alone does not account for the disproportionate rise in Amazon seller suspensions.
If you are an Amazon seller and you have recently been notified of an Account or ASIN suspension, you are not alone. If you are confused about what you need to do now, why the suspension happened, or how you can avoid another suspension in the future, you are not alone. The process is so opaque that the average Amazon seller isn’t sure what they can do to protect themselves.
To that end, we have compiled the three most common reasons for Amazon seller account suspensions.
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Seller Performance Metrics
Amazon is serious about maintaining the quality of their marketplace, and as such they have strict quality and performance metrics that all sellers must meet to maintain their seller accounts. If your Amazon seller performance metrics keep slipping, or dip below a certain score, your account will be suspended.
The key metrics to focus on are:
- Order Defect Rate, which includes negative feedback rate, guarantee claim rate, and credit card charge back rate, and should be less than 1% at all times
- Pre-fulfillment cancel rate, which includes only orders cancelled by the seller, should be no more than 2.5%.
- Late shipment rate should be under 4%
If your metrics fall below these thresholds, you will receive a warning from Amazon that your account could be suspended. If you act fast, you may be able to improve your metrics and avoid a suspension. However, if your account is suspended, you will likely require the assistance of an Amazon suspension appeal consulting service like Appeal Wizards.
Product Listing Violations
There are many restrictions when it comes to products that you can list on Amazon. For instance, sellers cannot sell certain supplements or medical supplies without meeting strict criteria. (The new March 2021 policy regarding seller testing of CBD and hemp products is a good example. You can read more about this topic in our blog located here.
There are also products you simply cannot sell on the Amazon marketplace, due to their regulations in different countries, states, territories, etc. Some of these exclusions are obvious, such as alcohol and other regulated or illegal products, but some are not so cut and dry. For instance, you may be restricted in home decor, fine art, or products made from composite wood.
If you are not sure whether or not your product category is restricted or disallowed, you can get more information about restricted products here. If you can prove you are within Amazon’s strict guidelines, you can appeal to reinstate these ASINs.
Amazon also strictly enforces policies regarding copyright, trademark, and other licensing infringement. Make sure that any merchandise you sell also meets these strict standards, even if you are not the manufacturer. This is one of the most common Amazon suspensions.
Violations of Amazon’s seller policies
Every Amazon seller must agree to Amazon’s policies for selling in the marketplace upon opening their account. Even if you did not read these terms before now, you still agreed to them. If you break them, you will be punished up to and including a permanent Amazon-related account suspension.
Ignorance of Amazon’s policies is not an excuse for new seller accounts, even though Amazon seller policies can be somewhat convoluted. The best way to make sure you that you are not violating policies, and can keep selling on Amazon, is to have a trusted Amazon appeal service audit your seller profile and product offerings, and consistently monitor you Amazon seller account.
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If you want to avoid having your Amazon seller account suspended, we at Appeal Wizards are happy to monitor it for you. We will alert you to any concerning notifications, trends, or metrics before they cause an Amazon suspension. Additionally, if you are one of the many unfortunate Amazon sellers to be recently suspended by Amazon, we understand how frustrating it can be to navigate the appeals process, and we are here for you. We will work with you to quickly get your suspended Amazon account reinstated as quickly as possible. Contact Appeal Wizards today for assistance.