Amazon Suspended Account

If you’ve fallen victim of an Amazon Suspended Account for the very first time, it can be a daunting period for your online business.

But there are straight forward steps which work that you can take immediately to help get your business selling again quickly. Craig Gedey is the managing partner of Thompson and Holt, a company that successfully specialises in doing exactly that. Gedey has vast experience of what to do in the aftermath of an Amazon Suspended Account, from the moment it happens through to the day your deactivation is overturned.

Here Gedey provides his straight forward five-step process to take if you have had an Amazon Suspended Account for the first time.

1. Don’t panic

“I can still recall the first time I had an Amazon Suspended Account and it was certainly a scary moment initially,” Gedey explains. “It was something I’d never been through before, I didn’t have any knowledge of the processes involved, and if I’m being totally honest my initial reaction was to get angry. But I’ve since learned that is probably the worst thing you can do, so definitely don’t fire off a panicked response after an Amazon Suspended Account that could end up doing more damage to your prospects of getting back online. It’s also worth understanding that you can have an Amazon Suspended Account even when you believe you’ve been operating correctly - it can be a genuine mistake that can be rectified.”

2. Collate your information

“If you’ve experienced an Amazon Suspended Account, you need to gather all the relevant information possible about why it has happened. Accept that you have made a mistake in Amazon’s eyes and begin to think of ways to remedy that moving forward. Amazon want to hear exactly how you’re going to avoid the same situation happening in the future, so it’s very important to understand the reason why you’ve had an Amazon Suspended Account.”

3. Put together a Plan of Action

“This is the most important step when trying to get back online. At Thompson and Holt we specialise in helping businesses write their Plan of Action once they’ve had an Amazon Suspended Account, because especially if it’s their first time, it can be difficult to understand exactly what they are looking for in that vital response. The first thing we always say is do not copy and paste a generic Plan of Action from the internet - that is the worst thing you can do. The experienced Amazon teams are well versed in these and it will actually work against you rather than in your favour. Instead make sure you refer to specific details of your Amazon Suspended Account and outline clearly how you’re going to ensure they won’t be repeated again.”

4. Use the correct structure

“Poorly constructed Plans of Actions could hinder your case after having an Amazon Suspended Account. As a basic outline it should include an introductory paragraph, the description of the issue, your action steps to avoid repeat and a closing statement. Keep it concise and to the point without feeling the urge to use long-winded, descriptive paragraphs. There’s plenty of material online that goes into great depth about the best structures, but that straight-forward approach will serve you well.”

5. Send it to Amazon

“Finally - and importantly - you need to make sure your Plan of Action goes to the right place as you appeal your Amazon Suspended Account,” Gedey adds. “From the ‘Performance’ dropdown in Seller Central, select ‘Performance Notifications’. Find the suspension notice that you received, click the ‘Appeal’ button, and then the ‘Appeal Decision’ button. In the form that’s provided, enter the details of your Plan of Action, and include a telephone number where you can be reached in case there are any questions. Then click on ‘Submit Appeal’ and your Amazon Appeal will be sent to Seller Performance for review. You should receive a response to your appeal of your Amazon Suspended Account within 48 hours.”

If you have found yourself the victim of an Amazon Suspended Account, contact Thompson and Holt for a free LiveChat to get your Amazon Seller business back online as quickly as possible.