Amazon Seller Suspensions: Listing Error Suspension
By: Travis J. Stockman
Travis is a third-year law student and paralegal at Rosenbaum Famularo, P.C., the intellectual property law firm behind AmazonSellersLawyer.com
Amazon sellers are often suspended for listing errors. If your sellers account is suspended for a listing error, you need to know issues and how to get your suspended Amazon seller account back online.
Amazon sellers are required to comply with 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.”1 Within Amazon’s seller policies are specific restrictions including the use of a false identification of a product, using an incorrect product name to cross-merchandise items or inaccurate representation of pricing.
In the event a suspended Amazon Seller posted a listing incorrectly, Amazon reserves the right to suspend the listing, the Amazon seller’s account and withhold the suspended Amazon seller’s funds.
Improper listing suspensions are common on Amazon. Suspended Amazon sellers need to know what their Plan of Action needs to include to obtain the reinstatement of their suspended selling privileges.
Successful Reinstatement Following a Listing Error Suspension:
The suspended Amazon seller’s Plan of Action should describe the “root cause” of the issue. The “root cause” should include an analysis of whatever caused the problem phrased in a manner whereby the suspended seller describes how he or she can be a better seller. The second section of a suspended Amazon seller’s Plan of Action for a listing error should describe the suspended immediate corrective action. The third section should describe what the suspended seller is going to change about their business for the long-term.
The faster a suspended Amazon seller can provide a persuasive Plan of Action, the faster the suspended sellers’ account will be reinstated.
We have had recent success reinstating an account following an Amazon suspension 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, posted the listing with a typographical error. The sellers account was suspended.
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 Amazon seller accepted our advice and hired an inventory supervisor to overview his listings prior to the actual posting. In addition, the suspended Amazon seller required his staff take seminars on Amazon policies. Shortly after the Plan of Action we drafted, the suspended Amazon account was reinstated.
Takeaway for Amazon Sellers:
When dealing with listing detail suspensions, it is important that the suspended Amazon Seller take responsibility. Accepting responsibility is one of Amazon’s fourteen Leadership Principals.
Second, when drafting your Plan of Action after being suspended, it may be helpful to include new procedures of account review to ensure no error is made going forward. Be sure to list in your Plan of Action that you now have a second, qualified individual overviewing your listings prior to its publication.
Amazon seller account suspensions for improperly listed products are common for Amazon Sellers. It is extremely easy to make a typographical error when creating your detail pages. If your sellers account is suspended, accept responsibility and focus on the actions you have taken to correct and prevent listing issues going forward.
In the event you are unable to successfully appeal your suspension you may contact us to assist you…as always, we provide free consultations with an attorney.
To learn more about addressing Amazon seller suspensions and Plans of Action, contact CJ Rosenbaum, Esq., at Rosenbaum Famularo, P.C., the law firm behind AmazonSellersLawyer.com.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200414280
