Amazon Seller Suspensions: Listing Error Suspension
Amazon seller suspensions are often caused by listing errors. If Amazon suspends your seller account for a listing error, then you need to know how to get your suspended Amazon seller account back online.
Amazon requires sellers 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.”
Within Amazon’s seller policies are specific restrictions. These include the false identification of a product, using an incorrect product name to cross-merchandise items or inaccurate representation of pricing.
If Amazon believes that the seller posted a listing incorrectly, then Amazon can do three nasty things.
- Amazon reserves the right to suspend the listing
- It can also suspend the Amazon seller’s account
- Amazon can also withhold the suspended seller’s funds.
Not fun!
Amazon seller suspensions caused by Improper listing are common on Amazon. Suspended Amazon sellers need to know what their Plan of Action needs to include in order to get back their suspended selling privileges.
Successful Reinstatement Following an Amazon seller suspension for a Listing Error:
The suspended Amazon seller’s Plan of Action is divided into three parts:
Section 1: firstly, the seller 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.
Section 2: The second section of a suspended Amazon seller’s Plan of Action for a listing error should describe the immediate corrective action.
Section 3: 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 Amazon will reinstate the suspended seller’s account.
Case Study of a successful Plan of Action
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. Amazon suspended the 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. We then focused on the corrective actions taken to ensure a listing error does not occur in the future.
Considering it is normally one person who causes this error, this implies a simple solution. In our experience, 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, Amazon reinstated the suspended account.
Takeaways for Amazon Sellers:
- Take responsibility: 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.
- Include new procedures: Second, when drafting your Plan of Action after being suspended, it may be helpful to include new procedures of account review. That’s there to show how you’ll make sure you (or your employees) don’t make more errors in future. 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.
By: C.J. Rosenbaum, Esq. & Travis J. Stockman
CJ Rosenbaum is a founder of and Travis is a paralegal at Rosenbaum Famularo, P.C.,
The Intellectual Property Law Firm behind AmazonSellersLawyer.com.
To hear more from CJ Rosenbaum, click here for podcast interviews…
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.
This is a great post that clearly explains what Amazon Sellers should do with a listing suspension.