Seller Suspensions for Amazon Listing Errors:
Amazon upholds strict listing policies “established to ensure that each product detail page represents a unique item in order to deliver a single page per product and optimize the buying experience.”
Within these policies are specific restrictions including false identification of a product, using an incorrect product name to cross-merchandise items, or inaccurate representation of pricing.
If an Amazon seller posts a listing incorrectly, Amazon reserves the right to suspend the listing, the seller account, and withhold the suspended Amazon seller’s funds.
“Avoiding suspended Amazon accounts should be part of every Amazon seller’s business activities. Actively avoiding account and listing suspensions is vital for sellers. Amazon sellers should do everything they can do to avoid needing a Plan of Action, Appeal or Bezos Escalation.” CJ Rosenbaum, Esq.
Improper listing suspensions are common. Suspended Amazon sellers need to know what their Plan of Action should include to obtain reinstatement of their suspended selling privileges.
CJ adds that “if your Amazon account is suspended for a listing error, the Plan of Action you need is fairly simple. You need to draft an appeal that is concise and persuasive. Clearly identify in your Amazon Plan of Action how you are going to do a better job with your listings. Be persuasive.”
Successful Reinstatement Following a Listing Error Suspension:
A Plan of Action should describe the root cause of the issue and your corrective actions. The faster a suspended Amazon seller can provide a persuasive Plan of Action, the faster their seller account will be reinstated.
REINSTATEMENT SUCCESS:
We have had recent success reinstating a suspended account caused by the seller “listing a generic or different product than described.”
A suspended Amazon seller recently retained us to help them recoup the suspended selling privileges due to a listing error. The suspended Amazon seller failed to adequately list their product – they posted the listing with a typographical error. The seller’s Amazon account was suspended. We were retained to review the account and draft a Plan of Action for the suspended seller to submit. Our goal is always the same with every Plan of Action – persuade Amazon’s staff to reinstate the suspended seller’s account.
In the Plan of Action we provided to the suspended Amazon Seller, we were honest and specific in identifying the root cause of the improper listing. The Plan of Action we drafted was structured so that it was persuasive and concise. We structured the Plan of Action to accept responsibility for the typographical error and then focused on the corrective actions taken to ensure a listing error does not occur in the future.
Considering this error is commonly caused by one person, we have found through our experience that the most effective Plans of Action for suspended Amazon sellers include the appointment of an employee to perform secondary reviews of all listings prior to posting.
In this case, our suspended seller accepted our advice and hired an inventory supervisor to overview their listings prior to the actual posting. We then placed this information into the Plan of Action. In addition, the seller required his staff to take seminars on Amazon’s policies. Shortly after the Plan of Action we drafted was submitted to Amazon, the suspended seller’s account was reinstated.
The takeaway for Amazon sellers: When dealing with listing detail suspensions, it’s important that the suspended seller take responsibility. Accepting responsibility is one of Amazon’s Leadership Principals.
CJ Rosenbaum states that “accepting responsibility in your Plan of Action does not mean admitting fault. Your Plan of Action can be 100% effective by describing how you can draft your listings better. Focus on positive changes in your Amazon appeal.”
Kerry McDonald, Senior Managing Paralegal at Rosenbaum Famularo, PC states, “Amazon holds each seller responsible for ensuring the products sold on their site are advertised 100% accurately. Taking responsibility for any listing errors assures AMZ that you understand what to look for so it will not happen again.”
Amazon account suspensions for improperly listed products are common.
It is extremely easy to make a typographical error when creating your detail pages. If your account is suspended, accept responsibility and focus on actions to correct and prevent listing issues going forward.