Suspended Account - Multiple Accounts
Hi There,
Not sure if anyone has had this happen but I figured i would ask. When I was expanding into UK/Europe Amazon account, I used a temporary/virtual phone number to get started (I know… I know… sooo dumb!).The reason was so that I could get in and figure out what I needed to do to get started.
Months later, after getting all my vats and shipping numbers, and a REAL phone number setup, I created an FBA shipment order to send product to Amazon, and quickly ended up getting a suspended account.
The reason for the suspension was “multiple accounts”. I have a brand, that sells three products, so it’s definitely not a multiple account issue. The company they compared me to, is a lighting company (I sell games) and they don’t exist anymore. I’m assuming the issue was caused when entered the temporary phone number. Problem is, I don’t have record of this phone number anywhere! (I replaced it once I got my new UK phone number).
Did I just ruin my chances to expand into the UK? Every appeal I write gets immediately shut down. I’ve hired a company to help but they haven’t gotten anywhere either.
Any help would be great.
34 replies
Seller_BS5lg2keRs2QO
Do you use a prep centre or anything? I ask because that is a common way to get suspended for multiple accounts. Everything is fine until the “ship from” address gets added and then everything falls apart.
The chances of it being the phone number seem slim.
Seller_HIAF1f8ZYcY5w
Hi @FlowjoCo2
Thank you for reaching out to the forums community and we appreciate efforts from @Demel
I understand that your account is flagged for a relation with an other account on the platform, as per the our policies/guidelines a seller on the platform needs to maintain a single account, in any manner if any information is shared between the accounts this action is taken (note- a relation is not solely based on the documents), To have the issue resolved kindly follow the below steps:
• You would need to first reactivate the account flagged with a relation (refer the performance notification for additional information on related account)
• Once you successfully reactivated that account, kindly submit and appeal from your current account with the name of that account and the reactivation date
• If you don’t own that account currently but had rights of that account earlier
- You can submit an appeal from your account with supporting documents to show that you no longer have any relationship with that account
- Documents : sales deed, purchase agreement, or business transfer agreement, contract termination, etc.
• If you do not recognize the account flagged as a relation and believe this action was in error, please submit an appeal with a detailed explanation on the same so that it could be investigated
Consider the below questions to identify the account:
• Have you ever had anyone helping you before with your Selling account in any capacity?
• Have you interacted with or engaged with anyone who has access to your information?
• Do you know anybody else that sells on Amazon with that store front name mentioned in your performance notification?
As mentioned that you suspect this relation for the usage of the temporary phone number and identified that it is a lighting company.
We request you to kindly work with the identified related account holder and follow the above steps accordingly.
Kindly post in the same thread if you need more assistance we’d be more than happy to assist you.
Regards,
Xavier
Seller_DKsxrpLw4xcnG
Hello @FlowjoCo2,
I would like to start from the beginning, there are 3 ways to reinstate a related account:
- If you can identify the account and have access to it, then you would have to reinstate the related account and then appeal from your current account to reinstate it by submitting and appeal from your current account with the name of that account and the reactivation date, and the snapshot of the reinstated email of the Related Account.
2.If you can identify the account but do not have access to it, from your current account you have to send us an appeal stating that, how did you recognize the account for eg. Is it you friends, family, spouse, business partner, ex employee, or any 3 party which whom you took any service or and deals etc. and send a document to proof that you are no longer related. For example the doc could be contract termination agreement, business transfer agreement, sales agreement, purchase agreement, etc. if its your previous employee or employer, then termination letter, if its a business entity or 3rd party service partner it could be a contract with payment invoices and email transcripts, etc.
- If you feel that the account has been deactivated in error and neither you have access nor you could identify the account, then you have to provide the details of your findings, what did you search, and send the appeal, however if the appeals team cannot substantiate with your appeal then they will not accept. As it is clearly mentioned in the email which you might have received in the performance notification.
However the 3rd option is not an option as you have said :
Now, coming to the last message send by you :
That means you have some how identified the company, if so, then in an appeal please mention how did you identify the Related Account Company, and provide us a proof that you are not related as mention in the 2nd point above.
Note : Check if you have taken any 3rd party services from them in case if you did, then send a Plan Of Action with contract with payment invoices and email transcripts, etc. also same thing mentioned by @ The_Little_Shop :
also the same thing mentioned by @Xavier_Amazon :
Also you said that you used a temporary number and unable to recollect it as mentioned in the message :
In the seller central you will not be able to find the number once deleted, hence you have you check where did you purchase the number and which service provider gave it to you.
Hope this helps!
Arjun.
Seller_LbJruZ10YYvMP
Hi Arjun,
That means you have some how identified the company, if so, then in an appeal please mention how did you identify the Related Account Company, and provide us a proof that you are not related as mention in the 2nd point above.
The reason I know the company’s name is that Amazon provided it in one of their emails to me. It is a lighting company and I can’t figure out how we are related. So it is still option 3, I just don’t know how to prove I have nothing in common with them. They won’t even accept an affidavit for a lawyer saying I don’t own any other companies nor have any affiliation. I’m not sure what else could be missing and I’ve spend thousands trying to undo this.
Seller_LbJruZ10YYvMP
My European account is brand new. I never sold anything or sent anything. So I’m not sure what 3rd party services would be attached to the account. No one has permissions except for me (and I don’t have permissions for any other account). I also don’t know anyone else who even sells on Amazon, let alone uses my wifi for their account. The company isn’t even in the same country as me.
Seller_LbJruZ10YYvMP
Still having trouble with this. I can’t seem to find the link at all.
Has anyone had their accounts reinstated after over 10 attempts? I have vat registrations for 6 countries, and inventory waiting and it’s just costing so much money to have this remain on hold. I’m devastated!
Seller_LbJruZ10YYvMP
It looks like I’ve been completely wrong about the reasons for my suspension.
About 24 hours before my account was suspended I received a bunch of emails from Amazon. It seems like it must have come from the same source because of the way they were stacked in Gmail.
They were all from Amazon seller protection and all stating that I changed my credit card.
At the time I thought it was an error, but within 24 hours I received my suspension. I did some digging and noticed that others had this happen as well. Now, I need to figure out how to appeal based on this new information.
Seller_HWQBmEqGmCI2v
Hello @FlowjoCo2,
Krish from Amazon to assist you. We understand your account has been deactivated as it is related to another account.
As you have already checked the above mentioned details, here are few more additional questions to consider to identify the associated account:
- Did you access your account on a public network?
- Did you access other selling accounts from the same device?
If you are unable to identify the associated account and believe this action was in error, please submit an appeal with a detailed explanation, so that it could be investigated.
The forums community and I are here to support you, please let us know how we can help you from this point forward.
Thanks and Regards,
Krish
Seller_7SJFhMl1npA5b
Hello @FlowjoCo2,
Thank you for reaching out.
As you mentioned that You have used a public network before probably at a coffee shop
As per the amazon policies a seller on the platform needs to maintain a single account,
In order to have the issue resolved kindly follow the below steps:
• You would need to first reactivate the account flagged with a relation (refer the performance notification for additional information on related account)
• Once you successfully reactivated that account, kindly submit and appeal from your current account with the name of that account and the reactivation date
• If you don’t own that account currently but had rights of that account earlier
- You can submit an appeal from your account with supporting documents to show that you no longer have any relationship with that account
- Documents : sales deed, purchase agreement, or business transfer agreement, contract termination, etc.
• If you do not recognize the account flagged as a relation and believe this action was in error, please submit an appeal with a detailed explanation on the same so that it could be investigated
Consider the below questions to identify the account:
• Have you ever had anyone helping you before with your Selling account in any capacity?
• Have you interacted with or engaged with anyone who has access to your information?
• Do you know anybody else that sells on Amazon with that store front name mentioned in your performance notification?
Kindly post in the same thread if you need more assistance we’d be more than happy to assist you.
Regards
Zain
Seller_LbJruZ10YYvMP
At this point my account has been deactivated - does this mean I will no longer be able to appeal? I haven’t received an answer back from my last appeal. There are no notes i the performance notification to tell me what additional information they need. I have sent practically anything I can think of.
As for your questions, the answer is no to everything. I don’t know the account I’m being linked to. There was no one helping me because this account was brand new. The only that might have caused it is that the day before I was suspended I received multiple emails from every UK/Europe account saying I had changed information which I didn’t. I’m guessing I was hacked, or there was an attempt. My credit card was never changed.
