How to Handle Used as New Complaints Version 2

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

This is my second thread regarding used as new complaints.

You are reading this because you received a message from Amazon like this

We removed some of your listings because of customer complaints about items listed at the end of this email. Customers may be complaining because the items they received did not accurately match the condition or description of the product mentioned in the product detail page of your listings.

Why did I receive this message?

Amazon has several product detail and listing policies to ensure customers have a consistent buying experience and receive items in the condition they expect. Products listed in "new" condition are expected to arrive in brand new, unopened condition with no signs of damage or wear. If customers receive a product that does not match this description, it may lead them to perceive the item as being previously opened or used.

Learn more about our policies in Seller Central Help:

* Condition Guidelines (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200339950)
* Product Detail Page Rules (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200390640)
* Amazon Product Authenticity and Quality Help Page (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G202010130)
* Best Practices in Product Authenticity and Quality (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn/courses?ref_=su_courses_c12_m554&courseId=12&moduleId=554)
* Prohibited Seller Activities and Actions (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200386250)

How do I reactivate my listings?
You can edit and reactivate your listings in the Inventory section of Seller Central. Please also provide the following information:

1. A plan of action that explains:

* The issue(s) that led to the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.
* The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) that caused the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.
* The steps you have taken to prevent future complaints about the condition of your items.

Here are a few things to consider as you create your plan:

1. Sourcing: Are you sourcing the product from a trusted supplier that sells items in condition?
2. Listing: Is the product accurately described on Amazon? Have you ensured that there is no ambiguity and the customer is well informed?
3. Packaging: Is the product in its original manufacturer packaging as listed on Amazon?
4. Shipping: Have you taken all appropriate steps and quality checks to ensure that the product is stored, packed, and shipped appropriately, and will not be damaged when shipped?
5. Review your communications, reviews, and feedback from buyers to better understand the issues.
6. Be as specific as possible in your plan.
7. Do not limit your plan to issues with specific orders.

* Copies of invoices or receipts from your supplier issued in the last 365 days for the ASINs listed below:

8. These documents should reflect your sales volume on Amazon during the last 365 days.
Please include contact information for your supplier, including name, phone number, address, and website. We may contact your supplier to verify the documents. We will maintain the confidentiality of your supplier contact information.
10. You may remove pricing information, but the rest of the document must be visible. For ease of our review, you may highlight or circle the ASIN(s) under review.

What do you do?

1. Anything that has – before it, copy and paste it into a response.

For example,

* Condition Guidelines (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200339950)
* Product Detail Page Rules (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200390640)
* Amazon Product Authenticity and Quality Help Page (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G202010130)
* Best Practices in Product Authenticity and Quality (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn/courses?ref=su_courses_c12_m554&courseId=12&moduleId=554)_
* Prohibited Seller Activities and Actions (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200386250)

You need to review every link mentioned and state that you have read and understand them. Click on them, read them, and take any tests.

1. A plan of action that explains:

* The issue(s) that led to the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.
* The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) that caused the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.
* The steps you have taken to prevent future complaints about the condition of your items.

The issue(s) that led to the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.

You will have to do some research.

Look under Account Health (in Seller Central, look under the Performance tab) Voice of the Customer, Customer Feedback (all feedback, not just negative), Buyer-Seller Messages, FBA Returns (Reports, Fulfillment, FBA Returns), Product Reviews.

For FBA Returns, each item will have a sticker that has begins with LPN… This LPN number will be unique to a return.

Note that some times it takes a few days to have information show up.

Once you have information, then you have to decide what to do about it.

Examples of problems that occur

• Customers receiving damaged or broken items
• Customers receiving damaged packaging.
• Customers demanding perfect packaging for collectible items (which is not guaranteed by new standards)
• Amazon using bubble mailers instead of boxes or not packaging properly.
• Improper seller preparation.
• Actual defects in the product packaging.
• Incorrect detail page information: factually inaccurate, misleading information, insufficient information

The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) that caused the complaints about the product condition or description of your items.

State what you have done here.

Things you could or should do.

Check existing inventory at your place of business.
Request a bin check with Amazon if the items are in FBA.
Close the listing temporarily if the issue(s) you have warrant it.
Ask your supplier about any issues.

The steps you have taken to prevent future complaints about the condition of your items.

Again once you have the information you have, what are you doing about future issues?

Do you need to change how you ship these to customers or into Amazon?
Do you need to do something to the packaging to improve it?
Do you inspect all or some percentage of your items when you receive them for defects?
Do you check the detail pages before you list an item?

Also, focus on general business practices.

Sourcing and other questions

1. Sourcing: Are you sourcing the product from a trusted supplier that sells items in condition?
2. Listing: Is the product accurately described on Amazon? Have you ensured that there is no ambiguity and the customer is well informed?
3. Packaging: Is the product in its original manufacturer packaging as listed on Amazon?
4. Shipping: Have you taken all appropriate steps and quality checks to ensure that the product is stored, packed, and shipped appropriately, and will not be damaged when shipped?
5. Review your communications, reviews, and feedback from buyers to better understand the issues.

Copy and paste these into your Plan of Action.

Answer each one directly. Yes,…

At this points, you have 3 parts to your POA.

1. Policies Amazon asked you to review. You copied and pasted them telling Amazon you reviewed each of them.

2. ASIN specific questions: what went wrong, what did you do about it, and what will you do in the future.

Do this for each ASIN in your correspondence.

3. The questions about sourcing.

Your next step is to send invoices and receipts.

If you have a different address than on your Amazon account, explain that.
If the invoice or receipt is over 365 days, state this.
Make sure you clearly explain anything that is different than you were asked.

If you need help, read this and the previous thread.

How to deal with Used sold as New Complaints

There is a new, updated, thread on this topic as of Jan. 2020: How to Handle Used as New Complaints Version 2 Amazon has changed the way it shows sellers customer complaints. This is a new thing and there are specific ways to deal with them. INFORMATION ONLY. OPEN A NEW THREAD, WITH YOUR DETAILS, FOR HELP WITH SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OR APPEALS. For the record, I received 7 of these and Amazon accepted my POA on all of these. What do the complaints mean? Amazon is compiling negative experiences …

Draft your POA just like you have been advised to and include

1. The last communication from Amazon in its entirety. You must include all they sent you and the ASIN(s) affected.

2. Your last response to Amazon.

There may be reasons why all of the communications are needed.

Important things to note

1. Always send your POA in form of an email. Attachments will not be opened.

2. Expect that Amazon will call your supplier.

3. Do not use any software to modify your invoices. This will be flagged as forging an invoice.

4. Print out invoices, scan, and attach them.

5. Read everything carefully and provide what is asked.

6. If you are providing something that is different than what Amazon asks for, explain it at a level a 10 year old can understand.

7. Product condition complaints sit under the Account Health tab for 6 months and then go away.

8. You should find causes of problems, not just accept blame. If there is an issue, identify it, and deal with it. I see too many sellers who just fall on the sword and take blame. You are responsible to resolve a problem, not necessarily fall on the sword

If you know that a buyer is abusing the system, report them.

Amazon wants sellers to take their customers seriously. They want to know you are doing the things that responsible businesses do. They rightfully want sellers to pay attention to customer’s complaints (valid and invalid) and take appropriate action.

9. On the used as new complaints, you should expect to hear a response within 24-48 hours.

If your plan is accepted, you will receive a message similar to

When I appealed I got a Response:

"Hello,

We appreciate your efforts to comply with our selling policies. We have updated your account with the information that you provided.
Sincerely,
Seller Performance Team

If you need help, open your own thread.

I request that the comments here be updates or improvements to the thread or success stories.

I have had numerous sellers not read the thread and not do what is asked. This is a volunteer forum and there are people who do not like wasting their time. They will not offer help if they do not get needed information.

I have offered help with POAs previously, but cannot guarantee I can anymore. I do not take money for my time and have no interest in doing so.

I have been suspended twice from the forums and am basically not participating here anymore. I do not like how I and others are being treated and will simply spend time elsewhere.

@The_NSFE_DOES_SUCK, @Lake, @Dogtamer, @Rushdie, @nerrad, @Time_to_Leave

My apologies if I missed someone in the tagging here.

[Dogtamer]

Another wonderful tutorial, my friend - thank you for taking your valuable time to help everyone!

I’ll tag a few more forum veterans who will spread the word of this thread: @NSFE4, @gr8t153, @Mississippi_Hot_Dog, @Iowa-Guy

---

ETA:
The Discourse software appears to be having difficulty properly displaying the URL for Seller University’s “Product Authenticity and Quality help” Module of the ‘Seller Performance’ Course; adding a leading space works:

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn/courses?ref=su_courses_c12_m554&courseId=12&moduleId=554&modLanguage=English

[NSFE4]

I request that the comments here be updates or improvements to the thread or success stories.

I promise I will honor your wise request moving forward, but first I wanted to say thank you for sharing your time and expertise here on the Forum and particularly related to USN.

This is a volunteer forum and there are people who do not like wasting their time. They will not offer help if they do not get needed information.

Very well said. Thank you again.

[The_NSFE_DOES_SUCK]

ETA:
The Discourse software appears to be having difficulty properly displaying the URL for Seller University’s “Product Authenticity and Quality help” Module of the ‘Seller Performance’ Course; adding a leading space works:

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/learn/courses?ref=su_courses_c12_m554&courseId=12&moduleId=554&modLanguage=English

Yeah, any URL containing “_” causes issues if you try to use the Discourse built in “italics text” which also uses the underscore value. "_italics text_"

I fixed it for him though.

[Dogtamer]

Yeah, any URL containing “_” causes issues if you try to use the Discourse built in “ italics text ” which also uses the underscore value. "_italics text_"

There’s a reason why our friend Jeff chose “Coding Horror” as the blog title…

I fixed it for him though.

If memory serves, many members of our Seller Community apparently agreed with our friend @MASTERofSOCKPUPPETS’s initial misgivings concerning the investment of ‘mini-mod’ capabilities to select forum veterans of your caliber - but I would submit that those fears have quite-demonstrably proved groundless since Amazon’s Feb`18 switch to Jeff’s Discourse platform for fora hosting software.

I would further submit that such trepidation having proved baseless is a testament to the actual quality of caliber that you & your fellow mini-mods have continued to display once granted the ability to do what you did for our friend Shelf’s tutorial here.

That most-esteemed of Catholic Historians, Lord Acton (nee Dalberg, of the Italian distaff eventually produced by the original Shropshire nobility’s foresaking of its ancestral lands, in favor of New World undertakings, in the wake of its ill-starred Cavalier Course when the Roundheads & Covenanters came calling), famously opined that “Power tends to corrupt…” - and there exists, most-assuredly, none of us who may convincingly gainsay that such an observation has not, in most circumstances that Recorded History presents, proven to be an exquisitely-apt description of the facts 'pon the ground.

Still, evidence suggests that Choice remains the determinative factor as to whether or not a wielder of such power yields its use to good, or ill - and there most-assuredly exists none of us, who are more-than passingly aware of the daily proceedings of the various Amazon Seller Forums over the last 23 months, who may convincingly gainsay that you and your fellow mini-mods are not squarely to be placed on the side of the former.

I sincerely doubt that I am but a singular voice in saying that our Seller Community salutes your salubrious assays on our behalf.

[The_NSFE_DOES_SUCK]

Yeah … what you said.

Seriously though, the fears were baseless to begin with. The mods see all. I can’t hide from them.

So doing anything not 100% on the up and up would get me in trouble; maybe even get me a perma ban. I would never risk that.

ETA: To be clear, my only issue is the claims that it happens when the fact and proof is that it doesn’t.

[Rob_622]

Thank you for this detailed information. I plan to do every step that you identified. I am concerned with my inventory that was affected by this because I believe that there is a defect on many of my products that may be leading to valid complaints (smudges of joining-glue on a glass surface while manufacturing).

• Most of the inventory is in a 3PL which I guess I can get individually inspected. It is a new product. I feel like this product is causing me so many problems and don’t know if I should continue to sink money into it.

1. If I am honest with Amazon about this defect (and tell them that I will specifically have inspections done in the future to prevent this problem), will that benefit how they view this situation? Or am I just sabotaging myself by doing this? -obviously I still have inventory that is in Amazon and the 3PL which needs to be addressed because I cannot fix (inspect specifically for this issue in the future) these issues with the inventory that already exists.
   -so I don’t really know the best way to handle this situation, which leads me into my second question…

2. Should I change the product from ‘new’ to ‘used’ to give buyers a more accurate depiction of what they are getting? Lower the price? And maybe include in one of the bullets the problem that may be expected “smudges on the glass” in order to just sell through this inventory?

3. If I did this though, I would still need to sell through the inventory that I have in the 3PL. But if I sent this inventory in, would Amazon just see it as a new order and if the problems continued (even if I continued to sell the product as “used” and was descriptive about the problem in the description bullets) would they either suspend that product again or even my account?

4. Would listing the product as “used” and updating the description bullets (along with having inspections in the future specifically for this defect) even be a satisfactory solution for Amazon? With your experience would it maybe be better to just cut my losses, try to liquidate the inventory, and move on for the sake of not getting my account suspended?

I know it is a lot of questions, but thank you for any information you can provide.

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

1. Create your own thread.

2. Post the last correspondence from Amazon.

3. Open a case and get someone on the phone to help.

[Sound_Shopping_Exper]

What can I say, this is an amazing post. I had 2 back to back complaints used like new. Both were approved. Thank you!

[Time_to_Leave]

I started my own thread a few days ago but nobody responded.

Your thread had 17 responses and any updates should be posted there.

POA for Used sold as New

@Shelf_Cleaning_Capit thanks so much ! This is the email I received after my initial response: We received your submission but do not have enough information to reactivate your listings at this time. Please send an updated plan of action that explains: – Greater detail on the root cause(s) that led to the complaints about the condition of your items. – Greater detail on the actions you have taken to resolve the complaints about the condition of your items. – Greater detail on the steps you…

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

Please delete this off of this thread and create your own, as requested.

[TREASURE_HUNT]

That’s great, how did you do can you share the details? as I’m in the same situation now please help

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

Please review below, which is posted in the thread.

If you need help, open your own thread.

I request that the comments here be updates or improvements to the thread or success stories.

@The_NSFE_DOES_SUCK, can you cleave this off to its own thread?

[amazonnewb]

Sure

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

Used sold as New Appeal - Where to submit?

Yesterday the listing for our top revenue item, a product we manufacture and have been selling on Amazon since 2013 was shut down due to a ‘Used sold as new’ violation. I am working on crafting an appeal based on the super-useful tutorial thread by @Shelf_Cleaning_Capit How to Handle Used as New Complaints Version 2 Prior to submitting the appeal - or even posting it here for review I have 2 questions: Should I request a Bin check prior to submitting the appeal? If so should I wait until t…

This thread is an excellent example of someone who read this thread and executed for the first POA.

Always remember that when sending these to Amazon, they need a bullet point report (think as if you are presenting to a CEO). Amazon does not need a well written and verbose story.

Keep it to the point and simple.

[NexusLine]

I am beginning to think that all this is necessary even though a customer claims item “used sold as new” even though they clearly message me saying they never received the item, because they think it was stolen or lost in transit… had 3 this week that say they never got it but left negative feedback stating they found item open with product missing… ( pair of shoes ) . Other customer says they have had problems with thieves stealing packages lately in their neighborhood. ( listing closed bc she claimed damaged or defective item, which she never received… ugh… so frustrating having to go through all these POA approval steps for something out of our control… Unless we sig confirm every item and padlock it which we would still get these complaints…

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

Hello

Please read this thread.

I specifically asked not to do what you did.

Start your own thread

[Snapback_Depot]

I have a question that may seem unrelated, if you could read all the way I will explain how its related.

I received a message from a buyer that an item arrived damaged, the buyer opened a return request with amazon and the reason provided was “Item defective or doesnt work” but instead of returning it they messaged me directly. I was able to offer the buyer a replacement and solution that was satisfactory to them. The complaint by the buyer is that the item arrived damaged. Nowhere did the buyer mention that they thought the item was used nor did they make this complaint in any of the messages with me, nor is this the reason provided for the return.

Amazon gave me a policy violation for this order with the complaint being that it was a “used item being sold as new”

Im 100% positive it is for this order because it is the only sale for this ASIN in the last 4 months.

Why would a complaint or return request for a damaged item lead to a policy violation of a “used item being sold as new” when this wasnt even the buyers complaint to begin with.

A new item can become damaged in shipment but that doesnt mean the item is used. And I can understand how that may lead to a buyer believing the item was used. But this particular buyer did not think it was used nor did he make that complaint. In fact he made positive comments about the item and mostly complained that seemed it was damaged during shipping.

This is the 2nd time in 6 months I received a “Used item being sold as new” policy violation for items arriving damaged and no actual complaints about item being used.

Now I do understand amazon may want to make sure I am sourcing new items. Thats fine and perfectly understandable.

Im just concerned about what I see as incorrect policy violations for different issues altogether.

[Shelf_Cleaning_Capit]

Used as new is a very broad term.

It is a catch all for problems with your items.

Amazon is terrible in how they communicate.

[Cool_Water_Products]

Quick question.
I am dealing with a used as new suspension and have no idea what the actual complaint was. Reading through your advice I should be able to see the comment that caused the suspension under Product Policy Compliance. I see the ASIN listed and the case but nothing to help me understand what the customer actually said. There are no details, just that on 5/27 there was a complaint, the affected ASIN, and the action taken (suspension). Where can I find the actual complaint so I can respond properly?