Amazon suspended a seller account — what to do

The e-commerce giant Amazon is extremely popular: for sellers, it provides a convenient sales platform that offers an easy start and access to a multimillion audience. Buyers, in turn, value the easy returns, fast delivery, and wide product range. However, sometimes an account gets suspended seemingly without reason. Let’s find out what Amazon might dislike and how to avoid a ban.

Why Amazon Suspended the Account

Few people read the Terms of Use — either sellers or buyers. Yet those terms contain crucial information about how to use the platform and what is strictly prohibited. Below are the main reasons accounts get banned.

Reasons Why Amazon Suspended a Seller Account

These include:

1. Having multiple accounts. The connection is detected through IP address or credit card.
2. Logging in from different IP addresses.
3. Selling prohibited, counterfeit, or unauthentic goods, or items violating copyright.
4. Product mismatch with listing description.
5. Slow response to customer messages and inquiries.
6. High cancellation rate or delayed shipments (for FBM sellers).
7. Poor account health: many negative reviews, claims, or returns.

Amazon does not publish exact data on bans, but it’s assumed that thousands of sellers are suspended each year.

Why Amazon Suspended a Buyer Account

Buyer accounts are banned far less often — only if there is suspicion of fraudulent activity:

1. Large number of returns with suspicious reasons (abuse of return policy).
2. Abuse of buyer protection mechanism.
3. Suspicious activity with gift cards.
4. Providing false or inaccurate information (violates Terms of Use).
5. Abnormally high number of refund requests.

If you are an honest buyer, the ban may have been a mistake — such cases occur, and there is an appeal mechanism for that.

What to Do If Amazon Suspended Your Account

For buyers, the first step is to contact customer support and explain the situation. Sometimes algorithms mistakenly flag an account as suspicious, and after manual review, the suspension is lifted.

For sellers, the process is more complex and depends on the case:

• Erroneous suspension, for example, due to copyright infringement. The seller attaches supporting documents (invoice or statement from the copyright owner) proving no violation occurred. After moderator review, the account may be reinstated.
• Legitimate suspension. To restore access, you must submit a Plan of Action (POA) to Amazon’s Seller Performance team.

In the POA, the seller clearly explains what steps were taken to correct the issue and prevent it from recurring. The fate of your business often depends on this document, so it’s important to prepare it properly according to Amazon’s requirements:

1. Root cause analysis. Don’t blame algorithms, buyers, or the platform. Acknowledge the error and explain its cause (e.g., unreliable supplier, poor logistics planning).
2. Immediate actions. Describe what steps you took right away: removed disputed listings, ended cooperation with the supplier, conducted an internal audit.
3. Long-term plan. Describe preventive measures for the future — implementing supplier verification or shipment monitoring to avoid delays.

Each Plan of Action must be unique and correspond to the reason for suspension. Be concise but specific, attach proof, and structure your information clearly.

How to Avoid Account Suspensions

Before registering an account, carefully read the marketplace’s Terms of Use. Here are the main rules:

1. One seller = one account. If you need another, you must obtain Amazon’s permission.
2. Use different credit cards and Wi-Fi networks for unrelated accounts.
3. Regularly check the Account Health section. If you see a policy violation notice — fix it immediately.
4. Sell only products that do not violate intellectual property rights. Review the list of restricted and prohibited items.
5. Work with customers: resolve disputes, respond promptly, and ensure on-time delivery. These factors impact your account health.

For buyers, it’s simple: don’t abuse the return policy, don’t post fake reviews, and don’t open numerous warranty claims if the issue can be solved directly with the seller.

Keep Your Account Clean: DiFFreight Recommendations

Amazon relies on automated algorithms. If you believe you were suspended without reason — submit an appeal with supporting evidence. You can also contact us if you don’t understand why your account was blocked — we help sellers not only with Amazon FBA shipments but also with promotional consulting.