What if Amazon gets it wrong?

Photo by NEOM

Amazon has been on a rampage lately hitting sellers who are selling authentic products with violations, account health issues, performance notifications, selling application rejections, brand shutdowns, and even storefront shutdowns. (Yup, that time of year again). I remember the first time I realized that when Amazon erroneously takes down a listing, I didn’t have to just accept it and walk away (this was about a month into my Amazon selling experience). Don’t get me wrong, it is essential to follow the policies of the government as well as the platform. I’m not saying to go all black-hat here, or sell tainted or counterfeit products. But when Amazon gets it wrong, don’t give up on pushing back. Push back with logic, with proof, and with respect.  Going ballistic with seller support is not the answer.  Nor is it the answer to just accept the templated responses that seem to endlessly push you towards the edge.  Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years:

  • Take screenshots of the Edit Detail page showing your contributions when they say you put something into the listing that you did not.
  • Get screenshots from official government websites showing Amazon is misinterpreting regulations.
  • Send emails (from your root account) to escalation paths.
  • Ask kindly for clarification on specific points that seem to be a hang up.
  • Read every word of their response – there are occasionally hints buried somewhere in the response.
  • Access and review the links in Amazon’s response, and then reference how you are specifically adhering to that policy.

Don’t give up. If you need help, please reach out. We are always happy to jump on a quick call and brainstorm ideas.