If your Amazon seller account has been suspended, there are several steps you will need to take to have it restored. First and foremost, you will need to identify why your seller account was suspended and make a Plan of Action or POA. This is a detailed plan outlining the steps you will take to restore your account.
As you are developing your POA, keep in mind that Amazon investigators receive emails like yours on a daily basis. Rather than resorting to flattery, focus on making a compelling argument for the restoration of your account. Here are a few other guidelines to keep in mind as you write the POA:
DO NOT respond right away.
Although it may be tempting to click the “appeal” button right away, it is important to take some time to formulate your response. I often find that quickly composed POAs fails to address the inventory, supplier or operational issues that caused the account to be suspended in the first place.
DO address all of the factors.
Before submitting your POA, make sure it carefully addresses all elements of your suspension notice. While you do not need to list each itemized complaint, you should emphasize solutions that you have put in place to fix these problems for each item you sell.
I’ve seen many sellers present appeals arguments that were unclear or difficult to read. If I can’t read them, chances are that the investigator working your case is not going to bother trying to understand what you mean. Things like poor grammar, spelling and lack of punctuation can make your POA impossible to follow. In some cases, I’ve received pleading messages containing no real information while stressing the urgency of the matter due to the number of employees involved.
Unfortunately, these confusing or poorly written POAs fail to address the reasons behind the suspension. If submitted as is, none of these examples would lead to a reinstatement. With my help, I am able to intervene on behalf of my clients and write a real POA. With my help, you can submit a carefully constructed case that compels Amazon to reinstate your account.
DO NOT waste time on giving Amazon unsolicited advice about their processes: No matter how frustrated you may be with Amazon’s processes or customer service, your appeal write-up is no place for this commentary. Avoid snide remarks about the slowness of their teams or how heartbroken you are to have your account suspended. Do not do anything that would give them a reason to skip over the main content of your POA.
DO be as clear and concise as possible: Your POA should focus on the facts of the case. Try to center your POA on matters of policy rather than performance metrics.
DO format your POA neatly: The format of your POA should be simple and easy to read. Bullet points or numbered lists are typically easier on the eyes than writing in paragraph form. This clean, organized format allows you to communicate your understanding of what went wrong and the steps you have taken to correct the problem.
DO include a brief introduction: At the beginning of your POA, it is always a good idea to include a short introductory paragraph. Not only does this show the reader that you have a firm grasp of what happened, but it also give them a brief overview of how you have already addressed the problem. Make sure to emphasize that you took action as soon as you received the suspension notice. This allows investigators to see that you swiftly took action to resolve the issue rather angrily speaking out against amazon.
Professing your love for Amazon or expressing how much you enjoy being part of the seller’s marketplace is nice, but it will not aid your case any more than complaining will. Remain clear and organized as you present your case.
DO evaluate what you really know about how your account operates: Are you absolutely positive that all of your listings match the products you send to FBA? Do they also adhere to Amazon’s listing policies? Is there an employee on your team designated solely for monitoring compliance and tracking policy/ASIN changes? How much do you know about your suppliers?
DO NOT blame your customers: Upon receiving the suspension notification, many sellers instantly begin to blame the buyer. Whether the issue is too many “not as advertised” warnings, inauthentic items or different item condition warnings, many buyers instantly resort to pointing fingers.
In many cases, blaming the issue on the buyer will not help your case. It can only cover so many complaints before it becomes indicative of a larger issue. I strongly recommend taking some time to delve into the complaints. Treat each complaint as though there might be an actual legitimate reason behind it. Start at that point and evaluate the facts of each complaint with an open mind.
DO NOT include unnecessary information: I have seen many cases where sellers include copies of feedback screenshots or meeting minutes along with their POA. If the reason for your suspension is based on policy rather than seller performance, these metrics do not address the issue at hand.
In Closing:
All sorts of things will run through your mind when you discover that your Amazon account has been suspended. While you may be tempted to counter each warning as quickly as possible, this is not going to get your account reinstated any more quickly. Instead, take some time to focus on what caused the suspension and what changes you need to make. Once you have reviewed the facts and implemented a plan, you can focus on communicating the effectiveness of your improved measures.
Keep in mind that you are selling your case to Amazon investigators. Make them understand why restoring your seller account is the right course of action. Show them that they will not incur any risk in doing so because you have already implemented new processes.
If you need assistance with your POA, consider asking a professional. Everyone needs an Amazon account expert at some point. (My trusted partner for this is Scott from FeedbackRepair.net . Tell him Jordan Malik sent you)
Good luck!
-Jordan
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Suspended by Amazon? Don’t do this was first posted on March 24, 2016 at 11:53 am.
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