WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AMAZON IN RESPONSE TO A POA
In response to a Plan of Action sent to Amazon, you can expect one of three emails back:
1. A request for more information. This is a very common response to an initial POA.
2. An email reinstating your listing or account (this is also very common).
3. An email stating that Amazon is not reinstating your selling privileges (don’t despair yet, most sellers can still submit additional appeals to the Policy Team, the Jeff Bezos’ escalation team and, in some circumstances, to the legal department. Also, if Amazon refuses to reinstate your account or refuses to release your money / inventory, you can file for arbitration against Amazon, and take the decision-making out of Amazon’s hands).
How to Handle Requests for More Information
When Amazon requests more information, the notice usually comes in one of two forms: a request for specific information or a mind-boggling and frustrating request for all the information already provided in the initial or prior POAs.
When you receive a request for specific information, you should simply provide the information requested: no more, no less. If Amazon requests invoices or documents pertaining to a specific listing or ASIN, provide those documents and demonstrate that they include the requested information, nothing more.
When you receive a request for the same information you already sent in, the information often just needs to be reworded, reorganized, or better supported by documents. If you rewrite the POA yourself, remember that a Plan of Action is an exercise in persuasive writing. You need to carefully persuade Amazon that you have provided the information they requested, and there is no reason for them to have concerns about your performance moving forward.
In some cases, Amazon in response to a POA, might request information/documents you do not have readily available. In this case, do not panic. There are many ways to demonstrate that your product is authentic, or that you have not violated policy.
For example, a recent client had his account suspended due to accusations of selling inauthentic products.
Although this client is well-respected and very thorough with his business dealings, he made the simple mistake of losing an invoice for one of his products which Amazon insisted be provided. Instead, through creative collaboration between our staff and our client, we were able to explain to Amazon in our Plan of Action that although we did not have the single invoice they requested, our client had taken appropriate initiative by discontinuing all relations with the former supplier and had already acquired a new distributor.
With the new distributor, our client’s account was reinstated and he was able to provide new invoices.
If you’ve been suspended on Amazon, contact us for a free consultation: 1-877-9-SELLER.
The law firm of Rosenbaum, Famularo & Segall, PC is required by law to assure you 100% confidentiality. We protect your privacy under the Attorney-Client Privilege.
Read about our law firm’s wins and reinstatements for Amz sellers.