Amazon funds held due to an account review
We have received the email below today from Amazon and basically do not have a clue what this is about as we do not have another Amazon seller account and we are not linked to any other company.
What baffles me is that Amazon are asking us to provide "supporting documentation to show we no longer own it"
How are you supposed to provide any documentation for something you no knowing about?
Has anyone else experienced anything like this before?
"A reserve has been placed on the funds in your account because you have another Amazon account with balance due related to unpaid VAT to Amazon.
With your permission, funds from this account can be used to cover the VAT liability on your other Amazon account. If you would like to use this payment method, please send authorization to xxxx
You can pay your VAT liability by wire transfer. To pay by wire transfer, please follow the instructions at the bottom of this message depending if your liability is in GBP or EUR and send us an email including the following information:
-- Proof of payment. This could be an image, a document, a credit card statement, or similar payment confirmation.
-- Email address.
-- Payment amount.
-- Reference code. This is not tracking number.
-- Date and time of the payment.
The above details will help us locate your payment.
Once you have paid the VAT liability, this reserve will be removed.
If you believe you do not own the other Amazon account, send an e-mail to xxxx and provide supporting documentation to show that you no longer own it. If we cannot substantiate the claim, this reserve will not be removed."
Regards
Suzanne
Seller_RIlZwtyn4JP2B
I've had a similar message, but mine accuses me of my business not operating in the UK....having lived here all my life. My funds have been on hold for a week, I've bills to pay, I've submitted all the correct paperwork and am now being ignored. Customer service utterly useless.
Like the Post Office, it seems they can just do what they like with my money with no come back or consequence. A disgusting way to treat sellers. In most circumstances Amazons stance seems to be, how can we handle this in the worst possible way for our sellers.
The comedy value is they expect us to carry on selling and shipping yet we can't get the funds. Staggering.
Seller_scExl4xpi8Duk
Sorry to hear you are also facing this very same issue.
Did you manage to resolve this?
We also got this around 8-10 days back. Seems like Amazon knows how to create unnecessary pain for sellers. In our case too, no mention of what is amount due and related to what account.
I replied to amazon but have not heard back anything. For which country's account they have put reserve on funds for you? For us, its Japan.
I hope someone in Amazon can look into this and see why system has generated all these messages in error and put funds in reserve for no valid reason.
Seller_eqDYatCavSWmz
Can I just mention as well, no only do we have to send our ID via unsecured methods, we also do not know who they are going to, which outside group Amazon has got to do this and in which country i.e. is it one rife with fraud.
They are putting all at risk of identity theft due to IMO their laziness not to quickly put a upload able page together using their own AWS systems or just getting us to add them on Seller Support Account Platform like we do with all other ID documents.
Seller_5eABuaPEcMuug
I got sent this to my personal email. We have a business account on here which got stopped on the 16th because of this ridiculous VAT verification thing going around. I didn't sleep all evening because of it. I had no idea why this particular email was sent my personal email. I used my personal details to log on to seller central and there is an individual account (I've never used it, didn't even know it was there), so it looks like they're trying to get us from every angle.
Seller_cujrKuVznyN0w
Hello,
We have the EXACT same issue :(.
Has anyone had any update?
Seller_cWix8Gm8uHXEK
Hi,
Had the exact same issue. Several but not all (oddly) of our international market places have had their funds held (many with no balance). We have no idea what VAT they refer to and have been trying to get an answer for 7 days now. The usual Amazon seller support experience makes you loss the will to live. The email address they provide in the email have replied to say they are waiting for relevant department to respond to them. They don't say what department it is. I have been in contact with VAT department in the UK but they don't know anything.
As I do not trust Amazon as far as I can throw them , I have stopped selling on Amazon. Perhaps some of you have also stopped due to this error ? I am no legal expert but surely they are breaking some law here or should be compensating sellers if this turns out to be 100% their error.
Seller_2UPv01pDfgmVr
Wow you actually got a response from the e-mail address in the email. I don't think any of us have even got that. Is this the mdri-exec-escalations email you're referring to?
I'm thinking the exact same thing. Surely it is not legal what they are doing.
Seller_cWix8Gm8uHXEK
Yes, that email address. Perhaps they replied because I said I was going to seek legal advice for damages. Keep emailing them I suggest , it certainly seems like the only route to deal with this mess. Seller support can not help at all.
Lets see what happens, but I suggest it is best to do anything in a group, rather than individually.
Seller_2lDGaqp5aC28O
Hi. I have the same problem. I received email from mdri-exec-escalations, but when i tried to reply on the email, it doesnt exist, it is not valid any more! What do we do??? it has been 7 days where my funds are on hold. Tried to reach seller central, chat and calls are not available, only emailing.
Seller_tW1lUDv83pUO2
Im down for going top Amazon HQ in london and upsetting their day as much as its upsetting mine every day....someone at Amazon just needs to take responsibility and communicate with us.
Seller_YtCEQp0Igi7CT
Hello,
I am exactly in the same boat. They do not provide information about which store, how much VAT.
According to our records we don't owe Amazon any VAT. No response or help from AH, Seller Support, the forum or the email addresses provided in the email.
Seller_7pQB59Iatjt9r
There is an article posted today on the ChannelX web site regarding this situation
I've tried to post the link here but Amazon won't let me add a non-Amazon link here so if you just search the below you will find it
channelx.world/2024/01/amazon-disbursements-held-due-to-unmet-uk-business-establishment-requirements/
Seller_7S0A5eoeLaTJz
Happened to me to- its absolutely disgusting the way they are treating us.
Being accused to not residing in the UK and owing VAT.
The stupid thing is every parcel postage is booked on here via domestic services RM and every single FBA shipment sent in is collection from my UK address of course - something is very wrong here!
I have bills to pay and no funds to do so.
