What does blocking an Amazon account mean?

Blocking the Amazon account means that all sales rights are lost. This means that sellers no longer have the privilege of offering their own products on the marketplace. In some cases, the account may also be partially blocked. This can mean, for example, that you are blocked from shipping on your own (Fulfillment by Merchant, FBM) and can only sell via Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Amazon can also block parts of the product offering if the corresponding products meet the criteria for blocking.

It's important to note that if an account is suspended, Amazon will freeze any outstanding income for around 90 days to deduct any refunds. However, pending orders can still be shipped during this time. An Amazon seller whose account is suspended will not receive the payment due from Amazon. In such a case, he must wait until the account is unlocked again to access the so-called Amazon balance.

If an account is suspended, the message “Your account has been deactivated” appears in Amazon Seller Central. In addition, Amazon notifies the affected seller of the deactivation via email and lists the reasons that led to the suspension.

How does an account suspension occur?

Amazon sets high standards for retailers who sell on the platform. This applies to all aspects of the sales chain, from product authenticity to shipping and processing returns to customer communication. Amazon evaluates the seller's performance in all of these areas. The e-commerce giant reacts extremely sensitively when retailers do not meet these requirements. Violations of these requirements therefore often result in account suspensions.

Specific reasons that can lead to a suspension include:

· Poor seller performance: If a seller's performance does not meet Amazon's requirements over a period of time, this may result in a suspension. This could be caused by an order defect rate of over 1%, too much negative feedback, A-to-z Guarantee claims, or credit card chargebacks.

· Sales Policy Violations: Merchants who violate one or more of Amazon's policies may also be suspended. For example, sending marketing-related emails to customers or requests for positive reviews can trigger a suspension.

· Incorrect seller information: False information about the Amazon seller can also result in suspension. This often includes false founding documents or outdated company addresses. In addition, it is often neglected to correctly identify all beneficial owners. Anyone who owns more than 25% of the shares must be named to Amazon.

· Allegations of patents and plagiarism or counterfeit goods: The distribution of copies or similar products is not uncommon on Amazon. Amazon treats such cases rigorously by blocking relevant products or even retailers.

· Compliance violations: Retailers or resellers must be extremely careful when setting prices in competition for the “BuyBox”. If Amazon recognizes a pricing agreement, this is considered a violation of antitrust law and may result in the suspension of the respective retailer.

· Existence of dual accounts: Amazon can recognize merchants who have two Amazon accounts using data such as the sales tax identification number (VAT ID), the name of the shareholders, and other identifiers. If this data overlaps, both accounts will be suspended.

What can be done about an account suspension?

Seller account recovery is a process that can be completed by submitting an action plan via the Amazon process.

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The action plan should include answers to three key questions:

• What are the causes that led to the lock?

• What measures has the seller already taken?

• What measures will he take in the future to avoid these problems?

• When preparing and implementing the action plan, the following points should be considered:
 

Be clear and precise.

Give an explanation for each issue.

Add evidence for all points.

Highlight important areas in your supporting documents.

If you're referring to specific processes, name them in the plan so that the Amazon employee can access them (e.g. case ID, batch ID, return ID).

Write concisely and concisely. An action plan should not be longer than one page.

For more information on how to create and implement the action plan, visit Seller Central.

What can you do in advance to prevent an account suspension?

Not every violation immediately results in account suspension. Amazon usually gives a warning in advance. Experience has shown that Amazon warns the seller concerned in around half of all cases before a suspension occurs. In these alerts, Amazon notifies that certain metrics have been exceeded and gives the seller time to fix the problem.

For example, if there are violations due to late deliveries, you can increase the processing time of your items to lower the late delivery rate again.

We are always available for inquiries about e-commerce

by e-mail at: support@metaprice.de

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by telephone at: +49 214 33010250

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