Our account was suspended for an inauthenticity complaint on ASIN B00F3HD26O, even though we fulfilled 7 orders of that item by buying the exact product from Walmart. We submitted all available proof – the 7 Walmart purchase receipts, order screenshots, and bank statements showing each transaction – to verify authenticity. Amazon nevertheless rejected our documentation, insisting on invoices or authorization letters from the brand’s authorized suppliers. In other words, we had real receipts from a major retailer, but Amazon claimed they weren’t valid proof. This is puzzling given Amazon’s own guidance on retail arbitrage:

Amazon’s own selling guide and blog explicitly support retail arbitrage. For example, Amazon’s Seller Blog defines “retail arbitrage” as buying products at lower prices from retail stores and reselling them for profit. A recent Sell on Amazon post (May 2025) lists “Retail Arbitrage” as a top sourcing method, noting it requires minimal investment. In short, Amazon publicly acknowledges that buying from stores like Walmart and reselling is a legitimate business model.

https://sell.amazon.com/blog/reselling

Amazon’s policies require a “valid supply chain” for new products. Crucially, Amazon (through its support forums) has made it clear that a retailer like Walmart is not considered an “authorized” link in the supply chain. In fact, Amazon says it “will not accept receipts from other retailers” as proof of authenticity . This implies that any item obtained via retail arbitrage is treated as coming from an invalid source. In practice, Seller Support rejected our Walmart receipts on exactly this basis, requesting only invoices from brand-approved distributors or Letters of Authorization – documents an arbitrage model can never provide.

If Amazon indeed allows retail arbitrage, it’s unclear what documentation arbitrage sellers are supposed to show. No arbitrage seller will have a brand-issued authorization or a wholesale invoice for goods bought in-store. Asking for such documents contradicts the arbitrage model. Other sellers have pointed out this paradox:

✅ Amazon publicly recognizes retail arbitrage…

❌ But enforcement teams frequently reject invoices and request documentation arbitrage sellers don’t have.

How can Amazon expect someone to furnish a Letter of Authorization or a distributor invoice for a purchase made on clearance at Walmart?

We respectfully ask Amazon to explain how retail arbitrage sellers should validate authenticity under these rules. If receipts from Walmart-style retailers are categorically disallowed, then Amazon should say so clearly – and perhaps revise its public guidance. If arbitrage is truly endorsed, then Amazon should accept legitimate retail receipts or provide an alternative path to prove authenticity. The current mixed messages are leaving honest sellers confused and penalized.

Thank you for any insights or suggestions on how to resolve this contradiction.