Persistent Automated Rejections Despite Submitting 100% Compliant Documentation for Brand Approval
Hello Amazon Community & Forum Support,
I am writing to highlight a major loop in the Brand Approval (ungating) process that leaves sellers trapped when automated systems malfunction and Support offers conflicting advice.
We have submitted brand approval applications repeatedly for several established brands (Armaf, L’Oréal Paris, and Sally Hansen). Every single document required as per submission is provided:
• Tax invoices dated within 180 days from verified, authorized UK trade distributors.
• Quantities exceeding the minimum unit or combined requirement on individual line items.
• Business names and billing addresses matching our Seller Central Legal Entity 100%.
• Supplementary documentation including bank statements proving full payment and official distributor registration details.
Despite meeting every single requirement, the applications face instant automated rejections within minutes - clearly triggered by OCR system errors rather than human evaluation. No explanation provided nor further information requested.
When opening support cases to request human review, we receive contradictory responses, vague and I helpful. Some agents state Seller Support "does not have a saying in brand issues," while others state the cases are under review with decision dates days out:
• Armaf Application (ASIN: B0BBM9LLD1) – Case ID: 1313360622
• L'ORÉAL PARIS Application (ASIN: B07MR58Q4Q) – Case ID: 13129738532
• Sally Hansen Application (ASIN: B00BJMLHDC) – Case ID: 13130710802
The complete lack of specific feedback or human oversight creates an unworkable standard where sellers fulfill every policy requirement on paper, yet are left with no clear path to resolution or explanation.
Could a Forum Community Manager please look into these cases and escalate them to the ungating team for proper human review?
Thanks!!
@Michelle_Amazon@Yujiro_Amazon@Sandy_Amazon@Indy_Amazon
Persistent Automated Rejections Despite Submitting 100% Compliant Documentation for Brand Approval
Hello Amazon Community & Forum Support,
I am writing to highlight a major loop in the Brand Approval (ungating) process that leaves sellers trapped when automated systems malfunction and Support offers conflicting advice.
We have submitted brand approval applications repeatedly for several established brands (Armaf, L’Oréal Paris, and Sally Hansen). Every single document required as per submission is provided:
• Tax invoices dated within 180 days from verified, authorized UK trade distributors.
• Quantities exceeding the minimum unit or combined requirement on individual line items.
• Business names and billing addresses matching our Seller Central Legal Entity 100%.
• Supplementary documentation including bank statements proving full payment and official distributor registration details.
Despite meeting every single requirement, the applications face instant automated rejections within minutes - clearly triggered by OCR system errors rather than human evaluation. No explanation provided nor further information requested.
When opening support cases to request human review, we receive contradictory responses, vague and I helpful. Some agents state Seller Support "does not have a saying in brand issues," while others state the cases are under review with decision dates days out:
• Armaf Application (ASIN: B0BBM9LLD1) – Case ID: 1313360622
• L'ORÉAL PARIS Application (ASIN: B07MR58Q4Q) – Case ID: 13129738532
• Sally Hansen Application (ASIN: B00BJMLHDC) – Case ID: 13130710802
The complete lack of specific feedback or human oversight creates an unworkable standard where sellers fulfill every policy requirement on paper, yet are left with no clear path to resolution or explanation.
Could a Forum Community Manager please look into these cases and escalate them to the ungating team for proper human review?
Thanks!!
@Michelle_Amazon@Yujiro_Amazon@Sandy_Amazon@Indy_Amazon
10 replies
Susie_Amazon
Hi @Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3,
Thank you for reaching out and providing the details of your applications.
We've looked into your brand approval requests and can confirm the following:
Armaf and L'Oréal Paris — These applications were reviewed and declined.
Sally Hansen — This application is still under review. Please allow the team time to complete their assessment and avoid resubmitting in the meantime.
For Armaf and L'Oréal Paris — Recommended next steps:
For restricted brands, one of the most effective ways to demonstrate you are an authorized reseller is to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) directly from the brand owner or their authorized distributor. This letter should:
- Be on the brand's official letterhead
- Clearly state your business name and confirm you are authorized to sell their products
- Include the brand representative's contact details for verification
- Be dated within the last 12 months
Once you have an LOA, you can resubmit your application through the brand approval process in Seller Central.
Additionally, ensure all documentation — including invoices and business details — is fully verifiable and consistent across your application and account profile.
If you need further assistance, please contact Seller Support and reference your case IDs (1313360622, 13129738532, 13130710802) for guidance on what may need to be corrected.
- Susie
Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3
Hi @Susie_Amazon
Thank you so much for stepping into this thread and taking the time to review my post. I truly appreciate you engaging on this issue.
While I understand that Amazon has internal verification standards, the core issue here is a fundamental gap between what Amazon publicly requests from sellers and how applications are actually processed. I have attached the msg I have gotten 5 times in a row - how is that supposed to help anyone?
When a seller follows Amazon's explicit ungating instructions - purchasing over 100 units from verified, official UK trade distributors and ensuring every address and detail matches Seller Central 100%-we are making significant financial investments based on Amazon's stated policies.
To then have those identical, fully compliant invoices rejected within 2 minutes by an automated OCR bot, followed by canned macro responses with zero explanation, puts sellers in an impossible position. If Amazon requires documentation beyond a valid tax invoice and proof of payment, that should be stated transparently up front before sellers commit capital to inventory.
Since Seller Support agents state they cannot override brand application decisions, community managers on this forum are often our only bridge to real human oversight.
Could you please use your internal escalation pathway to request a manual human review by a senior specialist on the Selling Applications team for these specific cases?
I just this morning, received another automated same reply on L'Oreal. Fourth same generic automated response.
• Armaf Application (ASIN: B0BBM9LLD1) – Case ID: 1313360622
• L'ORÉAL PARIS Application (ASIN: B07MR58Q4Q) – Case ID: 13129738532
• Sally Hansen Application (ASIN: B00BJMLHDC) – Case ID: 13130710802
All documents - including official trade invoices, bank statements, and supplier registration details - are attached directly within those cases ready for a human agent to verify. If this is then a brand restriction, then I need to be explicitly told - and sooner rather than later.
Thank you again for your help in getting human eyes on these files.
Sovereign Global Trading
Seller_RguKGMHvWFmo3
Sorry but this could be incorrect I had a LOA from a Brand. It got rejected and I was told that I needed a LOA from the brand a different letter, and AND invoices for 400 units.
Who in their right mind buys 100 or 400 units of goods that they might not be able to get authorisation for!!
Amazons process and robots are seriously flawed.
Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3
@Seller_RguKGMHvWFmo3 - absolutely on point. Organisations wouldn't write letters left, right and centre authorising resellers - that's what the wholesale invoice is for!
If Amazon have an issue, despite vetting individuals who are opening seller accounts under limited companies then it's really their problem - and onus of verifying stock's legitimacy and whether it's purchased from a reliable distributor also lies with them!
I just spoke to helpdesk team, who were really helpful, but said unfortunately we have no way of escalating it as this doesn't sit within our department!
And Amazon charge £30 / month for opening a seller account.
Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3
An update to demonstrate how broken this process is:
I just submitted fresh applications for L'Oréal and Sally Hansen. Beyond the required tax invoices, I attached:
• Official tax invoices (over 100 units)
• Bank payment proofs
• Official delivery notes
• Physical photos of the stock in hand
BOTH applications were rejected again within 20 minutes.
It is physically impossible for a human agent to review four comprehensive sets of compliance documents in 20 minutes.
These are automated OCR bots auto-rejecting legitimate, fully verified UK supply chain documentation without a single human ever reviewing them.
Amazon says upon submission, that we may verify these - well clearly you haven't - the supplier details are on the invoices!
We are making real capital investments based on Amazon’s policy requirements, only to be blocked by faulty software filters.
Can a Forum Moderator PLEASE manually escalate these specific cases to a human manager on the Selling Applications team?
Seriously thinking of a formal written complaint, including all interaction with Amazon to date and auto-responses!
@Susie_Amazon@Manny_Amazon
Yujiro_Amazon
Hi @Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3,
Thanks for the follow-up. I have a partial update for you. Your Armaf application (B0BBM9LLD1) has been approved. Allow up to 24 hours for the approval to process, then check Manage Inventory. If the listing remains inactive after 24 hours, edit the listing and click Save and finish to trigger it.
For L'Oréal Paris and Sally Hansen, the applications were reviewed and declined. I understand the frustration with quick turnaround times on decisions, but the review process considers multiple factors beyond just the invoice documentation. As @Susie_Amazonmentioned, obtaining a Letter of Authorization directly from the brand owner can strengthen future applications. You can also try resubmitting through a fresh application with any additional supporting documentation you have.
Best regards,
Yujiro
Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3
@Yujiro_Amazon - appreciate your response, but it doesn't really help nor answers my concerns raised!
Letter of Authorisation is not a requirement, asked upon submitting application - nor it was subsequently asked by those automated rejection emails!
Aria_Amazon
You're absolutely right - an LOA can help strengthen your appeal, but it's not a requirement. Other documentation such as invoices also works.
-Aria
Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3
@Aria_Amazon - I wonder if the team is actually reading the messages or these are all automated... you are all contradicting yourselves in single thread of messaging.
If this is not a requirement, then why is it later requested - and why does it matter esepcially if the invoices have all the necessary required details including for verification should Amazon wish you verify the authenticity?
Also - I ultimately got approved to sell L'Oreal paris products - I applied for another category of L'Oreal and one of your colleagues from Seller Support decided to also revoke my earlier approval. In less than 3 weeks of approval.
The response is generic, and doesn't offer a valid reason - which means Amazon doesn't have a reason themselves. I request that this is looked into urgently as I have inventory listed. Please also note that I intend to share the conversation on this thread and responses on my approval requests with your MD complaints and other suitable avenue.
Kai_Amazon
Hi @Seller_aprlEmgTlKyn3,
Thank you for the update, and I'm sorry about this situation.
I can see that your application (B07MR58Q4Q) is currently under review, with a decision expected by 12 September 2026.
Please allow the team time to complete their assessment.
If the application is not approved, another option would be to contact the brand owner directly and request to be added as an authorized reseller through Brand Registry, if they are registered.
Best,
Kai
