Banned On Amazon — An Ecommerce Nightmare. Scared Yet!
The Amazon ban might seem like something of an urban legend to many online retailers. They’ve heard of these bans; heck, some retailers have cousins who have neighbors who were banned! But these types of bans always happen to someone else, right? I mean, a legitimate seller, with actual products to sell, could never be banned on Amazon. Right?
Wrong! It can happen to any legitimate seller.
A Quick Look At Why Amazon Might Ban Or Suspend Your Account
G.I. Joe was absolutely right: knowing is half the battle. That’s why the best way to avoid being banned or suspended by Amazon is to know what the company looks for when it’s out on the hunt. A few of the more obvious reasons include:
- Selling prohibited or counterfeit products
- Trying to sell used items as new
These seem straightforward, but there isn’t any type of list of “prohibited” items. Amazon asks sellers to use their own judgment; but what if your judgment doesn’t fall in line with Amazon?
Ban!
Then there are the more unexpected reasons for a ban or suspension. These have to do with the actions associated with your account, including:
- If far too many customers request a refund from you
- If your customer feedback is overwhelmingly negative
- If your track record of shipping products is poor
The list, actually, goes on and on. Rather than detail every single reason why you might get the cold shoulder from Amazon, we think it’s best to help you steer toward the types of actions and behaviors that’ll avoid you’re ever being in jeopardy of being kicked out of the “party”, so to speak.
Stay Away From The Gray
Basically, what we mean here is don’t use hazy and confusing words or images for your product listings. Be straightforward. Be honest. Be clear. Don’t try to improve your rankings by toeing the line of honesty. Amazon is all-knowing, and they’ll get you.
We promise.
Consider Fulfillment By Amazon
Know the saying “keep your friends closer, your enemies closer?” Yeah, well, Amazon sort of subscribes to that notion. What we’ve noticed is that Amazon tends to pay more attention to seller accounts that don’t use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), thus are more likely to ban these accounts for a violation.
Now, we’re not saying non-FBA users are enemies of Amazon; but you know Amazon would love to have more folks use FBA. Now you have reason too.
Many businesses have a hard time keeping up with the demands that Amazon insists of its sellers and their delivery standards. Sure, handling shipping on your own may seem like the cheaper alternative, but we’ve seen many businesses become better off once they let Amazon take over those duties.
Always Pay Attention To Your Seller Account
It all goes back to “knowing is half the battle.” You can’t look at your Amazon seller account as a set-it-forget-it kind of tool. Monitoring your account will help you see any issues over the horizon before they become red flags. The quicker your team addresses feedback and questions, the better off you’ll be in the eyes of Amazon.
Staying on top of your seller account will also ensure you avoid allowing orders for products that are out of stock. Selling out-of-stock items will be a HUGE red flag for Amazon. You as the seller will have to either cancel the customer’s order or delay the shipment, black marks that Amazon does not take lightly. You could be suspended or banned for that.
Don’t just rely on human monitoring, either. When it comes to your inventory, we encourage using an order sync tool, which will ensure your Amazon account is always updated with your inventory.
A Systematic Amazon Account Will Keep You Safe And Sound
Approaching your Amazon account with the mindset of “what should I do to not get banned” is a bit like pulling the cart before the horse.
Rather than approach your account this way, it’s best to just put into place safe practices that guarantee you’ll never be banned by Amazon. OperationROI can help. We have a dedicated Amazon team who not only the intricacies of Amazon’s strict guidelines and expectations, but remain in tune with the latest changes and developments coming out of Seattle.
Contact us today – by calling 1-888-277-5429 or by filling out our contact form – to learn more about how we can help you remain in Amazon’s good graces.
Need Help Selling On Amazon? Contact Us Today!
