You will have to bear with me on this long story but we are on the brink of losing our selling account at the hands of one abusive buyer and severe misdirection from Amazon Seller Support. The hope is that I can get some moderator assistance to reverse these insane Policy Violations.
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08/09/24: Order Received - ID: 203-1389334-4561964 - Item Price: £169.99 (Electronic Device)
09/09/24: Order Dispatched, Serial Number Recorded
10-12/09/24: Delivery Attempted
13/09/24: Parcel Collected by Buyer
> Buyer claims the item is refurbished and not brand new.
> We provide a fully funded return label, asked for more information (as all of the units we sell are brand-new and factory sealed) and informed the buyer the serial number we have on file.
> Buyer refuses to provide more information or acknowledge the return label provided.
16/09/24: Buyer opens an A-Z Guarantee Claim on the basis that the item appears refurbished.
> We provide evidence to show that the unit was brand new and remind all parties involved that we have provided a fully funded return label.
18/09/24: A-Z Guarantee Claim denied.
> Buyer opens another A-Z Guarantee Claim (on the same day!) claiming that the item "looks fine just doesn't work".
> Again, we provide evidence and show that the buyer is changing their story and avoiding a return.
20/09/24: A-Z Guarantee Claim denied.
> Buyer finally engages with us again via Buyer-Seller Messaging saying they cannot return it and want a refund.
> We insist that the item needs to be refunded, especially when they refuse to provide any further information or images as requested. We reiterate the serial number we expect to receive.
21/09/24: Buyer initiates return.
23/09/24: We receive the return and document via video opening it up.
> Buyer had not even opened the packaging we had sent it out in.
> The electronic device remained factory sealed and brand-new. The serial number matched what we had on file. All of their claims were fabricated.
> We initiate a full refund straight away and reach out to the buyer to confirm that the item was processed. We also asked if they could explain how they came to their conclusions or have reasonable suspicion that they were attempting to commit fraud.
> The first of many attempts to report this buyer to Amazon. Unsuccessful as we get given a useless copy and paste response.
> Buyer throws their toys out of the pram but still refuses to explain their behaviour.
> Out of courtesy and deterrence to their actions, we explain that we have reported them to Action Fraud UK and if they have not previously been reported they should not expect any escalation. We also explain how we see it as our duty to protect other businesses and we are happy to rescind the report if they offer explanation.
24/09/24: Buyer creates several Trustpilot accounts and negatively reviews our business off the Amazon platform with false statements.
> Get a review by this buyer removed on our Amazon Selling Account for defamation.
> I try to report this abusive buyer with Amazon again with the defamatory evidence. No luck. Just a copy and paste response.
> Inform the buyer that defamation is illegal in the UK and creating multiple accounts to post false statements about our business to damage our reputation against the law. We inform the buyer that we would not hesitate to protect our business by seeking resolution under the Defamation Act. (FIRST POLICY VIOLATION ON OUR ACCOUNT: INAPPROPRIATE COMMUNICATIONS)
27/09/2024: I spend days working with Trustpilot to get the reviews removed and proving to them that the accounts are the same person.
> 10 minutes later all of the reviews are republished.
> I reach out to Amazon Seller Support on their advised next steps to protect our business. I explained that we had already triggered a Policy Violation and I was aware that Amazon Policy states that all communication with a buyer must happen on Amazon.
-- They said that as the buyer is engaging us OFF the Amazon Platform, we have a right to defend our business OFF Amazon, especially as the order has been refunded and is closed on their end. (Hold this thought!)
> I reach out to an Account Health Specialist to address the first policy violation. The Account Health Specialist informs us that we should just roll over and accept the multiple negative reviews in future and we should report the buyer to Amazon!
> I try reporting the buyer again via the route the Account Health Specialist gave me. Nothing again.
30/09/24: I manage to get some of the Trustpilot reviews removed. The buyer immediately reposts them. Despite linking all of the alias accounts to this one person, Trustpilot refuses to ban these accounts from their platform.
02/10/24: Clear that the Buyer is intent on defaming our business and we are wasting a lot of time with useless Trustpilot, we are left with little option than to send a Letter Before Action, demanding that they cease and desist with damaging our reputation. (SECOND POLICY VIOLATION: INAPPROPRIATE COMMUNICATIONS)
04/10/24: Buyer receives the letter. Responds via Amazon Buyer-Seller messaging, ironically accusing us of fraud and defamation (with no evidence) and says that he will sue us in return.
> However, by this point I had managed to get all but one of the reviews removed on Trustpilot (again) and they were not republished this time. So I consider the letter a success.
> We stopped conversing with the Buyer.
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Thanks for sticking with me. Now we are here and I have awoken to our second policy violation on our Selling Account with threat of imminent deactivation. I hope it is clear that we have had the pleasure of entertaining a particularly abusive buyer and we have only taken necessary steps to protect our business.
The (1) First Policy Violation is in reference to threatening the buyer. The (2) Second Policy Violation concerns contacting the buyer off-platform.
(1) We are a small business who has been growing the reach of our website through ad spend. To convert customers we need trust and Trustpilot is our main resource for this. How are we supposed to react if the buyer creates multiple accounts to post multiple false statements and absolutely tank our Trustpilot rating? Despite providing truly incredible amounts of evidence to support this defamation that took place off Amazon's platform, my CASE ID's with Seller Support and attempts to report the buyer before the "threat" took place, I cannot get this policy violation removed. To be as clear as possible, this was a buyer with a mission who was clearly not going to stop. They reposted the false statements on multiple different accounts three times and it was getting harder and harder to have them removed by the platform.
(2) I was aware of the requirement to keep all communications on Amazon. But we had already been stung above for trying to protect our business and I was advised that I should raise the issue with Seller Support and follow their instruction. Their instruction was: if the buyer is engaging you off-platform and the order is now closed as you have refunded them, you do not have to keep the communication on Amazon. So if I am being wrongly advised, why am I being penalised? Our letter before action is the only contact we had with the buyer off platform and it was to protect ourselves from their illegal activity off platform. What sense does it make that Amazon are penalising us for this? I have not yet appealed this issue but I can already see where it is going to go.
Unfortunately, this is only scratching at the surface of these issues and I would love any advice or support the forum moderators can give me here. We are normally absolutely fine with dealing with fraudulent and dishonest buyers. It is just when it stretches further than that, we find we get no support whatsoever from Amazon. Last time it was a death threat, this time it is a non-genuine customer with a mission to destroy us... I wonder what's next!
