Account section 3 suspension / authenticity - Please review my appeal?
Good evening everyone, My account has been suspended and after having thoroughly researched this forum I have drafted the following appeal below. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Amazon Seller Support,
It is with deep regret that I have found myself in this position and I hope this letter highlights exactly what went wrong in my process and what I have since done and will do to not let this happen in the future.
- Root Cause
I did not have a full understanding of the need for an authorised supplier from a valid supply chain to obtain stock to sell on the Amazon Marketplace. I obtained stock ad-hoc from lots of different unauthorised suppliers and some without fully detailed invoices.
In my inexperience as a new seller, I had the wrongful understanding by offering for a sale a product that comes in the original packaging which has been purchased from a retail supplier is sufficient to prove it’s authenticiy and that restricted items that are ‘gated’ behind the ‘Apply to Sell’ feature was the sole deciding factor on whether or not a Seller can list that item - regardless of the brand.
I did not fully appreciate the prior requirement for an invoice from an authorised supplier for all items listed; I thought a receipt was enough and this (wrongfully) did not stop me from listing the items. All of the above meant I acquired inventory that was ineligible to be listed. There were several points along the way where I could have, if I understood the policy, stopped myself from listing the items.
Furthermore, I have read the Amazon anti-counterfeiting policy (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/gp/help/201165970) in detail and fully understand Amazon’s strict position regarding the “sale of counterfeit products” and how it is the
seller’s and supplier’s responsibility to source, sell, and fulfill only authentic products.
I also take on board the severity of the violation of this policy which can lead to
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
As a result, I fully understand the reason why Amazon deactivated my Amazon seller account and removed my offers in accordance with section 3 of the Amazon Services Europe Business Solutions Agreement.
- Actions taken since account suspension
I have deleted all listings and created removal orders for all SKUs before I can ascertain which products I can list with permission from the brand owner and with the relevant invoices.
I have started a dialogue with my regular suppliers to ascertain if they are authorised wholesalers of the stock I have purchased so far.
I have emailed brand and license owners for the process of obtaining a Letter of Authorisation to be explained to me and if I am eligible for it.
I have also drafted a list of potential UK-based wholesalers/distributors to purchase future stock from and have begun conversations on creating wholesale accounts with them.
In order to remedy the situation I also thought it wise to fully understand the dynamics at work and educate myself more thoroughly on the matter by visiting the “Amazon Seller University” https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn and studying the course on “Best Practices in Product Authenticity and Quality” which asks sellers like myself the following questions which are most relavent to my suspension:
Are you purchasing your products from a reliable source?
Are you confident in the authenticity and quality of your goods?
Are you storing documentation for all of your purchases?
After review I must admit that I have not sufficiently researched my suppliers to meet the requirements that Amazon expects from it’s sellers in order to ascertain the authenticity and quality of the goods I am selling. Furthermore I have not kept any documentation and invoices for the products in question in order to prove their authenticity. As a result I have completely removed the listings for which I have not been able to establish the relevant required documentation to prove their authenticity.
Additionally, I have also visited the Amazon Seller Forums https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/ in order to get advice and guidance from seasoned and experienced sellers, who, in turn have helped me see exactly how I could of avoided my mistakes.
- Steps moving forward
I have created a checklist for myself which I will use to ensure for each product on hand I have the relevant invoice and the supplier has been checked to be an authorised distributor before listing any item.
I have drafted an impact assessment checklist for Amazon’s evolving policies and will review any changes on a routine basis. The checklist will be used on policies that affect my Seller account or products listed and will result in immediate action such as removal of SKUs or a note to flag a SKU.
I am establishing relationships between my company and brand-owners or license holders of future stock much before any listing is made.
I will address and appeal any policy complaint against my account in a timely manner.
I hope my action plan thoroughly addresses all issues raised and explains the missteps taken. I look forward to continued business on the Amazon Marketplace with a revised business model.
Best,
11 replies
Seller_EOmLRMFX8Oo9x
I would take bit out of steps moving forward, you are basically telling Amazon that the future problems you are going to cause you will deal with more efficiently. Amazon do not want any more problems.
The more experienced POA members may be able to give their opinions to the rest of the appeal
Seller_gOlDFgS5Li5Jc
well i have seen worse its a bit to long in my opinion you have put it into 3 sections which is good and you have linked policies which you have broken-also good maybe use bullet points
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
this unnecessary in my opinion
Seller_LGcFRUwJdg45L
Hello @JeffB_gimme_ya_money,
From your post I have understood that your account was taken down for authenticity issue and you need recommendation in getting back your selling privileges.
The action plan which you have shared need some rework in some parts which is not giving out clear details, sharing you the details below:
As you have stated about the checklist, kindly mention what is there in the checklist which will ensure that the same issue will not occur again? What is the process you will follow while sourcing and listing branded items? How will you ensure Amazon that you will sell only the products where you have authorization? Kindly share the details and not the conclusion of the process so that the performance team can understand the operation being carried out at your end.
The other two points are looking okay so please utilize above recommendations to create and submit your appeal.
However mentioning the requirements needed for the invoices for your information, if you have them kindly send it across to the concerned team as these are equally important:
- Invoices must be procured with in last 365 days.
- Must have your supplier details.
- Quantity in invoices must reflect the sales volume on Amazon selling account.
Good Luck,
Dhoni
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So the immediate knee jerck response I received from Amazon is below. Any idea what this means and what path I should now follow? Thank you in advance.
"Hello,
Notices of intellectual property infringement must be submitted through Brand Registry or our online notice of infringement form (https://www.amazon.co.uk/report/infringement).
If you are appealing an action taken on your account for an intellectual property complaint, please submit this information by clicking the Appeal button on Account Health (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/performance/dashboard)
If you believe sellers are listing incomplete or inaccurate products against the detail page, we ask that you contact us directly (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/cu/contact-us).
Please resubmit your notice of infringement through one of these channels so that we may process your complaint.
Sincerely"
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So i’m getting an additional message asking me to send invoices and so on. However is explained in my appeal I do not have that information and have removed the offending listings. Does anyone have any suggestions as I don’t know what to do at this stage? It seems like I’m in a catch 22.
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
Going off other peoples posts, if they have deleted all listings as per the POA they have then been asked for details of new suppliers as well as the letter of authority from the brand to list those items.
Could you potentially list the inventory you have bought on the invoice yesterday, leave it as out of stock but listed, and send through the up to date final invoice that matches 10 items of stock as per the request in your other thread?
Account section 3 suspension / authenticity - Please review my appeal?
Good evening everyone, My account has been suspended and after having thoroughly researched this forum I have drafted the following appeal below. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Amazon Seller Support,
It is with deep regret that I have found myself in this position and I hope this letter highlights exactly what went wrong in my process and what I have since done and will do to not let this happen in the future.
- Root Cause
I did not have a full understanding of the need for an authorised supplier from a valid supply chain to obtain stock to sell on the Amazon Marketplace. I obtained stock ad-hoc from lots of different unauthorised suppliers and some without fully detailed invoices.
In my inexperience as a new seller, I had the wrongful understanding by offering for a sale a product that comes in the original packaging which has been purchased from a retail supplier is sufficient to prove it’s authenticiy and that restricted items that are ‘gated’ behind the ‘Apply to Sell’ feature was the sole deciding factor on whether or not a Seller can list that item - regardless of the brand.
I did not fully appreciate the prior requirement for an invoice from an authorised supplier for all items listed; I thought a receipt was enough and this (wrongfully) did not stop me from listing the items. All of the above meant I acquired inventory that was ineligible to be listed. There were several points along the way where I could have, if I understood the policy, stopped myself from listing the items.
Furthermore, I have read the Amazon anti-counterfeiting policy (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/gp/help/201165970) in detail and fully understand Amazon’s strict position regarding the “sale of counterfeit products” and how it is the
seller’s and supplier’s responsibility to source, sell, and fulfill only authentic products.
I also take on board the severity of the violation of this policy which can lead to
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
As a result, I fully understand the reason why Amazon deactivated my Amazon seller account and removed my offers in accordance with section 3 of the Amazon Services Europe Business Solutions Agreement.
- Actions taken since account suspension
I have deleted all listings and created removal orders for all SKUs before I can ascertain which products I can list with permission from the brand owner and with the relevant invoices.
I have started a dialogue with my regular suppliers to ascertain if they are authorised wholesalers of the stock I have purchased so far.
I have emailed brand and license owners for the process of obtaining a Letter of Authorisation to be explained to me and if I am eligible for it.
I have also drafted a list of potential UK-based wholesalers/distributors to purchase future stock from and have begun conversations on creating wholesale accounts with them.
In order to remedy the situation I also thought it wise to fully understand the dynamics at work and educate myself more thoroughly on the matter by visiting the “Amazon Seller University” https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn and studying the course on “Best Practices in Product Authenticity and Quality” which asks sellers like myself the following questions which are most relavent to my suspension:
Are you purchasing your products from a reliable source?
Are you confident in the authenticity and quality of your goods?
Are you storing documentation for all of your purchases?
After review I must admit that I have not sufficiently researched my suppliers to meet the requirements that Amazon expects from it’s sellers in order to ascertain the authenticity and quality of the goods I am selling. Furthermore I have not kept any documentation and invoices for the products in question in order to prove their authenticity. As a result I have completely removed the listings for which I have not been able to establish the relevant required documentation to prove their authenticity.
Additionally, I have also visited the Amazon Seller Forums https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/ in order to get advice and guidance from seasoned and experienced sellers, who, in turn have helped me see exactly how I could of avoided my mistakes.
- Steps moving forward
I have created a checklist for myself which I will use to ensure for each product on hand I have the relevant invoice and the supplier has been checked to be an authorised distributor before listing any item.
I have drafted an impact assessment checklist for Amazon’s evolving policies and will review any changes on a routine basis. The checklist will be used on policies that affect my Seller account or products listed and will result in immediate action such as removal of SKUs or a note to flag a SKU.
I am establishing relationships between my company and brand-owners or license holders of future stock much before any listing is made.
I will address and appeal any policy complaint against my account in a timely manner.
I hope my action plan thoroughly addresses all issues raised and explains the missteps taken. I look forward to continued business on the Amazon Marketplace with a revised business model.
Best,
Account section 3 suspension / authenticity - Please review my appeal?
Good evening everyone, My account has been suspended and after having thoroughly researched this forum I have drafted the following appeal below. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Amazon Seller Support,
It is with deep regret that I have found myself in this position and I hope this letter highlights exactly what went wrong in my process and what I have since done and will do to not let this happen in the future.
- Root Cause
I did not have a full understanding of the need for an authorised supplier from a valid supply chain to obtain stock to sell on the Amazon Marketplace. I obtained stock ad-hoc from lots of different unauthorised suppliers and some without fully detailed invoices.
In my inexperience as a new seller, I had the wrongful understanding by offering for a sale a product that comes in the original packaging which has been purchased from a retail supplier is sufficient to prove it’s authenticiy and that restricted items that are ‘gated’ behind the ‘Apply to Sell’ feature was the sole deciding factor on whether or not a Seller can list that item - regardless of the brand.
I did not fully appreciate the prior requirement for an invoice from an authorised supplier for all items listed; I thought a receipt was enough and this (wrongfully) did not stop me from listing the items. All of the above meant I acquired inventory that was ineligible to be listed. There were several points along the way where I could have, if I understood the policy, stopped myself from listing the items.
Furthermore, I have read the Amazon anti-counterfeiting policy (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/gp/help/201165970) in detail and fully understand Amazon’s strict position regarding the “sale of counterfeit products” and how it is the
seller’s and supplier’s responsibility to source, sell, and fulfill only authentic products.
I also take on board the severity of the violation of this policy which can lead to
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
As a result, I fully understand the reason why Amazon deactivated my Amazon seller account and removed my offers in accordance with section 3 of the Amazon Services Europe Business Solutions Agreement.
- Actions taken since account suspension
I have deleted all listings and created removal orders for all SKUs before I can ascertain which products I can list with permission from the brand owner and with the relevant invoices.
I have started a dialogue with my regular suppliers to ascertain if they are authorised wholesalers of the stock I have purchased so far.
I have emailed brand and license owners for the process of obtaining a Letter of Authorisation to be explained to me and if I am eligible for it.
I have also drafted a list of potential UK-based wholesalers/distributors to purchase future stock from and have begun conversations on creating wholesale accounts with them.
In order to remedy the situation I also thought it wise to fully understand the dynamics at work and educate myself more thoroughly on the matter by visiting the “Amazon Seller University” https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn and studying the course on “Best Practices in Product Authenticity and Quality” which asks sellers like myself the following questions which are most relavent to my suspension:
Are you purchasing your products from a reliable source?
Are you confident in the authenticity and quality of your goods?
Are you storing documentation for all of your purchases?
After review I must admit that I have not sufficiently researched my suppliers to meet the requirements that Amazon expects from it’s sellers in order to ascertain the authenticity and quality of the goods I am selling. Furthermore I have not kept any documentation and invoices for the products in question in order to prove their authenticity. As a result I have completely removed the listings for which I have not been able to establish the relevant required documentation to prove their authenticity.
Additionally, I have also visited the Amazon Seller Forums https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/ in order to get advice and guidance from seasoned and experienced sellers, who, in turn have helped me see exactly how I could of avoided my mistakes.
- Steps moving forward
I have created a checklist for myself which I will use to ensure for each product on hand I have the relevant invoice and the supplier has been checked to be an authorised distributor before listing any item.
I have drafted an impact assessment checklist for Amazon’s evolving policies and will review any changes on a routine basis. The checklist will be used on policies that affect my Seller account or products listed and will result in immediate action such as removal of SKUs or a note to flag a SKU.
I am establishing relationships between my company and brand-owners or license holders of future stock much before any listing is made.
I will address and appeal any policy complaint against my account in a timely manner.
I hope my action plan thoroughly addresses all issues raised and explains the missteps taken. I look forward to continued business on the Amazon Marketplace with a revised business model.
Best,
11 replies
11 replies
Seller_EOmLRMFX8Oo9x
I would take bit out of steps moving forward, you are basically telling Amazon that the future problems you are going to cause you will deal with more efficiently. Amazon do not want any more problems.
The more experienced POA members may be able to give their opinions to the rest of the appeal
Seller_gOlDFgS5Li5Jc
well i have seen worse its a bit to long in my opinion you have put it into 3 sections which is good and you have linked policies which you have broken-also good maybe use bullet points
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
this unnecessary in my opinion
Seller_LGcFRUwJdg45L
Hello @JeffB_gimme_ya_money,
From your post I have understood that your account was taken down for authenticity issue and you need recommendation in getting back your selling privileges.
The action plan which you have shared need some rework in some parts which is not giving out clear details, sharing you the details below:
As you have stated about the checklist, kindly mention what is there in the checklist which will ensure that the same issue will not occur again? What is the process you will follow while sourcing and listing branded items? How will you ensure Amazon that you will sell only the products where you have authorization? Kindly share the details and not the conclusion of the process so that the performance team can understand the operation being carried out at your end.
The other two points are looking okay so please utilize above recommendations to create and submit your appeal.
However mentioning the requirements needed for the invoices for your information, if you have them kindly send it across to the concerned team as these are equally important:
- Invoices must be procured with in last 365 days.
- Must have your supplier details.
- Quantity in invoices must reflect the sales volume on Amazon selling account.
Good Luck,
Dhoni
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So the immediate knee jerck response I received from Amazon is below. Any idea what this means and what path I should now follow? Thank you in advance.
"Hello,
Notices of intellectual property infringement must be submitted through Brand Registry or our online notice of infringement form (https://www.amazon.co.uk/report/infringement).
If you are appealing an action taken on your account for an intellectual property complaint, please submit this information by clicking the Appeal button on Account Health (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/performance/dashboard)
If you believe sellers are listing incomplete or inaccurate products against the detail page, we ask that you contact us directly (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/cu/contact-us).
Please resubmit your notice of infringement through one of these channels so that we may process your complaint.
Sincerely"
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So i’m getting an additional message asking me to send invoices and so on. However is explained in my appeal I do not have that information and have removed the offending listings. Does anyone have any suggestions as I don’t know what to do at this stage? It seems like I’m in a catch 22.
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
Going off other peoples posts, if they have deleted all listings as per the POA they have then been asked for details of new suppliers as well as the letter of authority from the brand to list those items.
Could you potentially list the inventory you have bought on the invoice yesterday, leave it as out of stock but listed, and send through the up to date final invoice that matches 10 items of stock as per the request in your other thread?
Seller_EOmLRMFX8Oo9x
I would take bit out of steps moving forward, you are basically telling Amazon that the future problems you are going to cause you will deal with more efficiently. Amazon do not want any more problems.
The more experienced POA members may be able to give their opinions to the rest of the appeal
Seller_EOmLRMFX8Oo9x
I would take bit out of steps moving forward, you are basically telling Amazon that the future problems you are going to cause you will deal with more efficiently. Amazon do not want any more problems.
The more experienced POA members may be able to give their opinions to the rest of the appeal
Seller_gOlDFgS5Li5Jc
well i have seen worse its a bit to long in my opinion you have put it into 3 sections which is good and you have linked policies which you have broken-also good maybe use bullet points
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
this unnecessary in my opinion
Seller_gOlDFgS5Li5Jc
well i have seen worse its a bit to long in my opinion you have put it into 3 sections which is good and you have linked policies which you have broken-also good maybe use bullet points
legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate this policy and harm our customers. In addition to criminal fines and imprisonment, sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face civil penalties including the loss of any amounts received from the sale of inauthentic products, the damage or harm sustained by the rights holders, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.
this unnecessary in my opinion
Seller_LGcFRUwJdg45L
Hello @JeffB_gimme_ya_money,
From your post I have understood that your account was taken down for authenticity issue and you need recommendation in getting back your selling privileges.
The action plan which you have shared need some rework in some parts which is not giving out clear details, sharing you the details below:
As you have stated about the checklist, kindly mention what is there in the checklist which will ensure that the same issue will not occur again? What is the process you will follow while sourcing and listing branded items? How will you ensure Amazon that you will sell only the products where you have authorization? Kindly share the details and not the conclusion of the process so that the performance team can understand the operation being carried out at your end.
The other two points are looking okay so please utilize above recommendations to create and submit your appeal.
However mentioning the requirements needed for the invoices for your information, if you have them kindly send it across to the concerned team as these are equally important:
- Invoices must be procured with in last 365 days.
- Must have your supplier details.
- Quantity in invoices must reflect the sales volume on Amazon selling account.
Good Luck,
Dhoni
Seller_LGcFRUwJdg45L
Hello @JeffB_gimme_ya_money,
From your post I have understood that your account was taken down for authenticity issue and you need recommendation in getting back your selling privileges.
The action plan which you have shared need some rework in some parts which is not giving out clear details, sharing you the details below:
As you have stated about the checklist, kindly mention what is there in the checklist which will ensure that the same issue will not occur again? What is the process you will follow while sourcing and listing branded items? How will you ensure Amazon that you will sell only the products where you have authorization? Kindly share the details and not the conclusion of the process so that the performance team can understand the operation being carried out at your end.
The other two points are looking okay so please utilize above recommendations to create and submit your appeal.
However mentioning the requirements needed for the invoices for your information, if you have them kindly send it across to the concerned team as these are equally important:
- Invoices must be procured with in last 365 days.
- Must have your supplier details.
- Quantity in invoices must reflect the sales volume on Amazon selling account.
Good Luck,
Dhoni
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
Thank you everyone for your input!
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So the immediate knee jerck response I received from Amazon is below. Any idea what this means and what path I should now follow? Thank you in advance.
"Hello,
Notices of intellectual property infringement must be submitted through Brand Registry or our online notice of infringement form (https://www.amazon.co.uk/report/infringement).
If you are appealing an action taken on your account for an intellectual property complaint, please submit this information by clicking the Appeal button on Account Health (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/performance/dashboard)
If you believe sellers are listing incomplete or inaccurate products against the detail page, we ask that you contact us directly (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/cu/contact-us).
Please resubmit your notice of infringement through one of these channels so that we may process your complaint.
Sincerely"
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So the immediate knee jerck response I received from Amazon is below. Any idea what this means and what path I should now follow? Thank you in advance.
"Hello,
Notices of intellectual property infringement must be submitted through Brand Registry or our online notice of infringement form (https://www.amazon.co.uk/report/infringement).
If you are appealing an action taken on your account for an intellectual property complaint, please submit this information by clicking the Appeal button on Account Health (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/performance/dashboard)
If you believe sellers are listing incomplete or inaccurate products against the detail page, we ask that you contact us directly (https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/cu/contact-us).
Please resubmit your notice of infringement through one of these channels so that we may process your complaint.
Sincerely"
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So i’m getting an additional message asking me to send invoices and so on. However is explained in my appeal I do not have that information and have removed the offending listings. Does anyone have any suggestions as I don’t know what to do at this stage? It seems like I’m in a catch 22.
Seller_E4odu1gf1iUYR
So i’m getting an additional message asking me to send invoices and so on. However is explained in my appeal I do not have that information and have removed the offending listings. Does anyone have any suggestions as I don’t know what to do at this stage? It seems like I’m in a catch 22.
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
Going off other peoples posts, if they have deleted all listings as per the POA they have then been asked for details of new suppliers as well as the letter of authority from the brand to list those items.
Could you potentially list the inventory you have bought on the invoice yesterday, leave it as out of stock but listed, and send through the up to date final invoice that matches 10 items of stock as per the request in your other thread?
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
Going off other peoples posts, if they have deleted all listings as per the POA they have then been asked for details of new suppliers as well as the letter of authority from the brand to list those items.
Could you potentially list the inventory you have bought on the invoice yesterday, leave it as out of stock but listed, and send through the up to date final invoice that matches 10 items of stock as per the request in your other thread?
