Amazon Sellers’ News 10/16/19 with Dana Rodriguez: ASIN Variations, Amazon Denying Inauthentic Appeals, Trouble Verifying Suppliers, Related Account Suspensions & more.
According to Amazon policies, variations are sets of products that are related by size or color. So for example, if I’m wearing this sweater and I decide that I want to list it on Amazon, I can create a variation of the same sweater, but in the color red. However, variations can also be abused. When it is not a true variation of size or color, different products being linked on the Amazon platform. So, and as an example, if I decide to link this blue sweater with a Tommy Hilfiger blue sweater, then I am now linking my product to the reviews of the Tommy Hilfiger sweater. This is something that Amazon looks for when you receive that warning regarding your ASIN variations because you are using another product to boost the sales of your own. So it is essential that you are reviewing your variations, the ones that you created, as well as the warnings that you are receiving from Amazon. The longer you ignore them, the harder it is to appeal for your account once suspended.
The next thing we’re seeing is an influx of Amazon denying inauthentic appeals due to them not being able to verify suppliers. So as we are approaching the holiday season, and please make sure that you are obtaining authorization letters from your suppliers as well as keeping track of those invoices. For you big drop shippers out there, you may want to think about sourcing your products from Sam’s club or big group retail locations like this that can provide you sales summary reports that show the item, price, quantity and the date purchased without showing where the product was actually delivered.
Increase in related account suspensions. We are approaching the holiday season, it is very important to watch out. If you do operate a related account or you do have a second or third seller account on the Amazon platform, make sure that you are the one that is in charge of the login information. Do not give your information out to anybody else. We have seen many times, especially over the holidays, where friends or business partners are actually logging into accounts and getting the accounts flagged because they signed in from a different IP address. Also, make sure that if you are operating multiple accounts and you need to submit appeals that you are giving yourself time. So if I have one account that’s suspended, it’s a good idea to put in the appeal for that, submit the appeal for that account, give it a few days, wait for Amazon to respond, and then if you have a second account that is suspended, also submit an appeal after waiting a few days from the first appeal that was sent out. It is very important that while we are approaching the holiday season, those sellers are just being very wary of warnings and their accounts. How their account is being operated.
