Amazon’s New Terms of Service for Sellers: Paragraph 1: Business Verification Suspensions
Amazon seller suspensions, Plans of Action, and appeals for business verification suspensions have changed under Amazon’s new contract.
The issue for suspended sellers in this paragraph is business verification. Amazon business verification is where Amazon suspends your account because of Amazon’s inability to verify your information, your credit cards, your identification, or your utility bills. We start with the new provision in the business solutions agreement and what Amz sellers need to know about in terms of winning POAs and appeals when you are suspended.
When it comes to business verification, specifically this new BSA agreement, Amazon can ask for additional information and it lists information Amazon may request. Amazon’s new contract with sellers is vague and could present problems. An example would be not having a utility bill, and we feel this may actually be enforced more by Amazon going forward. When it comes to business verification issues, it used to be that we could get around the need for utility bills by providing Amazon with reasons why suspended sellers don’t have a utility bill (shared living space with a spouse or parents or working out of someplace else that provides lights and electricity). Fortunately, we are winning these suspensions for sellers. But with the language in the new BSA that says, “any information” there is a concern that Amazon could ask you for things that you don’t have.
What this means is that we’ve got to come up with better, creative arguments. There’s more that is vital about the changes to this particular paragraph, starting with the fact that Amazon also states in this new agreement with sellers that any personal data the seller provides will be handled in accordance with Amazon’s privacy notice.
In other words, this is just another way for Amazon to avoid liability for data breaches. Amazon essentially wipes away any responsibility.
As time has shown, Amazon is an incredible company when it comes to data, but also an incredible company when it comes to covering their own behind. All Amazon sellers are going to be asked to give Amazon more and more information. Amazon is retaining for itself that Amazon can do whatever they want to sellers at its sole discretion.
Here’s what Amazon sellers need to know about Amazon trying to retain sole discretion:
We think this will definitely go back to arbitration, which is the end process when POAs, appeals and Bezos Escalations have failed. Specifically, we think that our efforts can deem Amazon’s contracts unenforceable, which is probably why they’re now insinuating that this needs to be put into play.
If you’ve been suspended on Amazon, call us for a free consultation: 1-877-9-SELLER.
Make sure you watch all of our videos regarding the loopholes Amazon created in the new TOS.