You have had an Amazon account that has been providing top-quality service to your customers for many years.
However, one day, you are surprised to receive a notification that your account has been suspended.
This is the most shocking thing that no merchant will ever like to see. Unfortunately, suspension of Amazon seller’s account happens regularly and you never know if you are the next victim. In this article, we are going to have a close look at why Amazon suspend seller’s account and what you can do to get your account back to normal.Why do Amazon seller’s accounts get suspended?
Although Amazon is a reputable online marketplace, it is not free from imperfections. Their actions may seem justified to many online sellers. They use a highly sophisticated computer program to make the decision whether or not they will flag off the seller’s account. Here are things that Amazon considers before the suspension of the account.
The reputation of the account: if you want to continue selling on Amazon, your account should not have the history of poor performance. If Amazon feels that you have been reluctant, they will definitely suspend your account. This is a measure taken by Amazon to keep the marketplace competitive and purge out sellers who are not serious.
Infringement: before joining Amazon, there are terms and conditions that you must accept in order to continue selling your items. Agreeing to the terms and conditions means that you have read and understood the same. If you break any of these rules, Amazon will step in and suspend your account.
Selling prohibited products: at every marketplace, the sellers are strictly prohibited from selling certain things. At Amazon, you are not allowed to sell things that are restricted by the authorities. If you are found selling such items on Amazon, your seller’s account will be automatically suspended.
Upon suspension of your account, Amazon will provide you with reasons for the same. They will post the information regarding your account suspension on the performance notification section. In this case, you will know why your account was suspended based on the categories mentioned above.
What is your next game plan?
The best thing about Amazon is that they understand how it feels like to be a merchant. However, they may not have time to sit down over coffee and discuss some issues with you. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reverse your account depending on the infraction that has led to the suspension of your account.
If the suspension results from infringement, your first step is to know which rule you have broken. It is important to read the Amazon’s selling policies on what you can and what you can’t sell on Amazon.
If it the suspension results from poor performance, you will need to revisit your account and establish why you have been lagging behind. Sometimes, you could be promising customers about delivering items on time. If there are customer complaints about delayed shipments of the items, your account will be at risk of suspension. In this case, you will need to look at your shipping process in order to fulfill the promises to make to your customers. Another thing that may land you in problems is if you are selling defective items.
Appeal your suspension and provide a plan of action to show Amazon of what you are capable of doing
As mentioned earlier, Amazon quality team is keen to listen to what you can do to prevent the suspension from happening again. When you appeal after the suspension of your account, you have to show them that you can really provide quality service to your customers. In your plan of action, you have to demonstrate your understanding on why your account was suspended and steps you will take to make sure it won’t happen again. While making a plan of action, you should be specific as much as possible.
In the case where you have been able to deliver items on time, let Amazon know that you have staff dedicated specifically to look into the process of ordering up to the delivery of items to the customers. Tell Amazon on how you will make delivery of items within the stipulated time. Since Amazon has a number of shipping options, mention your preferred option that will make sure customer orders are well taken care of.
If the customers say that you ignore their complaints and questions, Amazon will like to know the course of action of rectifying the problem. In this case, Amazon will demand to know if you offer customer service that provides ultimate satisfaction to your clients. Provide Amazon with details of how you will get back to your clients. This will include the time-frame for responding to customer queries, language options, and other aspects of customer support.
If the defect rate of your items is high because of the high rate of pre-fulfillment order cancellation. In this case, you must tell Amazon on how you manage your stock. You should tell Amazon on the steps you have taken control your inventory.
If you are selling items that are prohibited by Amazon, remove them immediately. Selling illegal goods is forbidden in the laws of the land. You should avoid buying items from rogue suppliers as this will damage your Amazon’s sellers account reputation. In this case, you should consider looking for another supplier if you suspect that your current supplier is not genuine. You should let Amazon know that you have found a new supplier.
After submitting your plan of action to Amazon, it is now time to wait. This could be challenging for most people, but you should have a lot of patience. However, Amazon will reinstate your account if you convince them that you will provide ultimate satisfaction to your customers. Although it is upon Amazon to reinstate your account, all you need is to wait. With these things in mind, you are now an improved Amazon seller.
Conclusion
Becoming an Amazon merchant can be a challenging experience and some people may get frustrated. In some cases, Amazon may suspend your account and can negatively impact your business. However, Amazon can be rewarding if you are knowledgeable about the Amazon’s terms of use.
If your customers are satisfied with your services, you will not have to worry about getting your Amazon account suspended again.
Resources:
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-cites-progress-crackdown-fake-online-product-reviews/
