Keyword Sabotage
We are the brand owner and manufacturer of our own products. No one else is authorized to sell our products. We only sell on Amazon.COM.
I was told by Seller Support that an unknown seller on Amazon.CA has listed two of our ASINs and has changed the keywords to all prohibited products, like Kratom, poppy seeds, cannabis, etc. They literally copy and pasted the words from the Amazon Restricted Products page.
Thus, our legitimate listings on Amazon.COM have been taken down for conflicting information between .COM and .CA, but also for being prohibited products.
Our actual products have nothing in common with the prohibited keywords that the Canada seller has used.
I tried to submit complaints with brand registry as well as Seller Support. So far, their responses say that they cannot be reinstated because they are prohibited products and they proceed to list the keywords that the sabotaging seller added. They do not even read my complaint or look at the actual products to see that the keywords in no way apply to the actual products.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how we can get our listings back and the Amazon.ca seller removed from them? Anyone able to help? @SEAmod
326 replies
Seller_olet7eVOHxQZd
It is free to add .ca to your account. Add the product with a high price and change the keywords. Then zero your inventory.
No idea if .ca has Brand Registry, but if it does you could do that as well.
Seller_lYLz1roOGTQRE
Horrible. Amazon really needs to start paying attention to those bots they write. Every bot written needs to be reviewed for unexpected consequences by a team and then re-evaluated after a test run.
I don’t normally recommend contacting jeff@amazon.com about problems, but this one seems appropriate. If you are not aware, that email is a higher level review team at headquarters. They do not address all messages, but it is worth a try.
John_Amazon_old
HI @JustYippy,
This is John to provide assistance. I would like to look into this issue a bit further. Would you be able to provide more product details and share your appeal with us so we can review it and offer guidance?
Have you checked for other reasons that might led to this warning? To establish a safe experience on Amazon’s platform, some products are prohibited from being listed or sold due to legal or regulatory restrictions. They may require additional approval requirements. Are your products being identified as articles of drug paraphernalia? Products associated with drugs and controlled substances is prohibited by Amazon policy. I would recommend for you to study related restricted product policies particularly the Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia, Restricted Products FAQ and Category, Product and Listing restrictions to further understand what can and can not be sold on Amazon.’
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
John (约翰)
Karen_Amazon_old
Hello @JustYippy,
Karen from Amazon here.
I understand you have already reached out to the appropriate team regarding the ASINs that were flagged as restricted.
Have you provided evidence or documentation to demonstrate that these items are not restricted? Providing documentation regarding your listings would be the best course of action.
In addition, I would suggest using our Report a violation of selling policies help page. This page provides information on how to report sellers that are violating our policies.
Hope this helps.
Karen.
Seller_yHiBokSXgj2ps
It’s possible, but how can we verify that?
It’s making me sick
Seller_sM58k8w6smA6a
And, for the record, what is the point of brand registry sending this same response over and over and over:
“Thank you for your report of listed product(s) that may not match the detail page description. We cannot take action on your report because of the reasons listed below.
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION
Amazon respects a manufacturer’s right to enter into exclusive distribution agreements for its products. As the enforcement of these agreements is a matter between the manufacturer and the retailers, it would not be appropriate for Amazon to assist in enforcement activities.
If you have patent, trademark, or copyright infringement claims, please use the Report Infringement page (https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement).”
This issue has nothing to do with a manufacturers distribution agreement. It is completely irrelevant. NO ONE ELSE HAS PERMISSION TO SELL, OR CAN GIVE PERMISSION TO SELL, OUR TRADEMARKED BRAND.
What is the point of treating people this way? This is our business, our livelihood. And they just play games. I find this behavior despicable.
Seller_jZWpyInw8RkYT
@John_Amazon_old, @Karen_Amazon_old, @SEAmod–
It seems like there is more going on here than anything these Sellers can control. 
Please investigate further.
I posted the following here:
I hate to bring it up, but we do know that Amazon employees have been bribed to engage in insider black hat sabotage strategies before: ⚠️ [CNBC] DOJ charges six people in scheme to bribe Amazon employees.
Seller_DXdXeLL0rLt7H
I’ve received a reply from appeals and they said:
"Hello from Amazon Selling Partner Support,
Thank you for your patience. We have reviewed your listing for ASIN and have determined that the ASIN will not be reinstated.
The ASIN is restricted due to incorrect product information present across CA MP marketplaces, which contains prohibited information.
In order to reinstate the listing please correct the information from your listing."
When I contact seller support, everyone seems to understand the situation pretty quickly. They can see immediately that we obviously should not have keywords such as Marijuana, lsd, shrooms etc. Now all I have to do is remove the keywords right? Well similar to JustYippy, I can not remove the keywords because it is restricted and I need to be authorized to sell in this Category in Canada, Personal health and safety ( we do not sell in Canada ). So what’s my current plan of action.
-
I contacted seller support to escalate the situation with the internal team, state that I am trying to change the keywords from .CA, but unable to because it is restricted.
-
I am trying to get authorization from .CA to sell in personal health and safety so I can maybe access and edit the listing, if it is even listed.
-
Wait patiently.
Seller_f5YMhAhB3Ms1c
This is exactly what happened to 6 of our ASINs.
The attack seems to originate from the same saboteur, as it has used the exact keyword list to sabotage our listings.
I have posted in detail here https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/a-cry-for-help-and-a-warning-to-all-sellers/717718/2
@Amazon, I think it is time to present your Plan of Actions to us sellers:
-
The issue(s) that led to this act of sabotage being possible on products listed under our own brand that is also registered with Amazon Brand Registry
-
The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) . So far Seller Support is not helpful.
-
The steps you have taken to prevent future attacks of our listings in the same manner.
SEAmod
Hello Sellers, and @JustYippy
We will look into these cases.
Susan
Keyword Sabotage
We are the brand owner and manufacturer of our own products. No one else is authorized to sell our products. We only sell on Amazon.COM.
I was told by Seller Support that an unknown seller on Amazon.CA has listed two of our ASINs and has changed the keywords to all prohibited products, like Kratom, poppy seeds, cannabis, etc. They literally copy and pasted the words from the Amazon Restricted Products page.
Thus, our legitimate listings on Amazon.COM have been taken down for conflicting information between .COM and .CA, but also for being prohibited products.
Our actual products have nothing in common with the prohibited keywords that the Canada seller has used.
I tried to submit complaints with brand registry as well as Seller Support. So far, their responses say that they cannot be reinstated because they are prohibited products and they proceed to list the keywords that the sabotaging seller added. They do not even read my complaint or look at the actual products to see that the keywords in no way apply to the actual products.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how we can get our listings back and the Amazon.ca seller removed from them? Anyone able to help? @SEAmod
Keyword Sabotage
We are the brand owner and manufacturer of our own products. No one else is authorized to sell our products. We only sell on Amazon.COM.
I was told by Seller Support that an unknown seller on Amazon.CA has listed two of our ASINs and has changed the keywords to all prohibited products, like Kratom, poppy seeds, cannabis, etc. They literally copy and pasted the words from the Amazon Restricted Products page.
Thus, our legitimate listings on Amazon.COM have been taken down for conflicting information between .COM and .CA, but also for being prohibited products.
Our actual products have nothing in common with the prohibited keywords that the Canada seller has used.
I tried to submit complaints with brand registry as well as Seller Support. So far, their responses say that they cannot be reinstated because they are prohibited products and they proceed to list the keywords that the sabotaging seller added. They do not even read my complaint or look at the actual products to see that the keywords in no way apply to the actual products.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how we can get our listings back and the Amazon.ca seller removed from them? Anyone able to help? @SEAmod
326 replies
326 replies
Seller_olet7eVOHxQZd
It is free to add .ca to your account. Add the product with a high price and change the keywords. Then zero your inventory.
No idea if .ca has Brand Registry, but if it does you could do that as well.
Seller_lYLz1roOGTQRE
Horrible. Amazon really needs to start paying attention to those bots they write. Every bot written needs to be reviewed for unexpected consequences by a team and then re-evaluated after a test run.
I don’t normally recommend contacting jeff@amazon.com about problems, but this one seems appropriate. If you are not aware, that email is a higher level review team at headquarters. They do not address all messages, but it is worth a try.
John_Amazon_old
HI @JustYippy,
This is John to provide assistance. I would like to look into this issue a bit further. Would you be able to provide more product details and share your appeal with us so we can review it and offer guidance?
Have you checked for other reasons that might led to this warning? To establish a safe experience on Amazon’s platform, some products are prohibited from being listed or sold due to legal or regulatory restrictions. They may require additional approval requirements. Are your products being identified as articles of drug paraphernalia? Products associated with drugs and controlled substances is prohibited by Amazon policy. I would recommend for you to study related restricted product policies particularly the Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia, Restricted Products FAQ and Category, Product and Listing restrictions to further understand what can and can not be sold on Amazon.’
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
John (约翰)
Karen_Amazon_old
Hello @JustYippy,
Karen from Amazon here.
I understand you have already reached out to the appropriate team regarding the ASINs that were flagged as restricted.
Have you provided evidence or documentation to demonstrate that these items are not restricted? Providing documentation regarding your listings would be the best course of action.
In addition, I would suggest using our Report a violation of selling policies help page. This page provides information on how to report sellers that are violating our policies.
Hope this helps.
Karen.
Seller_yHiBokSXgj2ps
It’s possible, but how can we verify that?
It’s making me sick
Seller_sM58k8w6smA6a
And, for the record, what is the point of brand registry sending this same response over and over and over:
“Thank you for your report of listed product(s) that may not match the detail page description. We cannot take action on your report because of the reasons listed below.
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION
Amazon respects a manufacturer’s right to enter into exclusive distribution agreements for its products. As the enforcement of these agreements is a matter between the manufacturer and the retailers, it would not be appropriate for Amazon to assist in enforcement activities.
If you have patent, trademark, or copyright infringement claims, please use the Report Infringement page (https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement).”
This issue has nothing to do with a manufacturers distribution agreement. It is completely irrelevant. NO ONE ELSE HAS PERMISSION TO SELL, OR CAN GIVE PERMISSION TO SELL, OUR TRADEMARKED BRAND.
What is the point of treating people this way? This is our business, our livelihood. And they just play games. I find this behavior despicable.
Seller_jZWpyInw8RkYT
@John_Amazon_old, @Karen_Amazon_old, @SEAmod–
It seems like there is more going on here than anything these Sellers can control. Please investigate further.
I posted the following here:
I hate to bring it up, but we do know that Amazon employees have been bribed to engage in insider black hat sabotage strategies before: ⚠️ [CNBC] DOJ charges six people in scheme to bribe Amazon employees.
Seller_DXdXeLL0rLt7H
I’ve received a reply from appeals and they said:
"Hello from Amazon Selling Partner Support,
Thank you for your patience. We have reviewed your listing for ASIN and have determined that the ASIN will not be reinstated.
The ASIN is restricted due to incorrect product information present across CA MP marketplaces, which contains prohibited information.
In order to reinstate the listing please correct the information from your listing."
When I contact seller support, everyone seems to understand the situation pretty quickly. They can see immediately that we obviously should not have keywords such as Marijuana, lsd, shrooms etc. Now all I have to do is remove the keywords right? Well similar to JustYippy, I can not remove the keywords because it is restricted and I need to be authorized to sell in this Category in Canada, Personal health and safety ( we do not sell in Canada ). So what’s my current plan of action.
-
I contacted seller support to escalate the situation with the internal team, state that I am trying to change the keywords from .CA, but unable to because it is restricted.
-
I am trying to get authorization from .CA to sell in personal health and safety so I can maybe access and edit the listing, if it is even listed.
-
Wait patiently.
Seller_f5YMhAhB3Ms1c
This is exactly what happened to 6 of our ASINs.
The attack seems to originate from the same saboteur, as it has used the exact keyword list to sabotage our listings.
I have posted in detail here https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/a-cry-for-help-and-a-warning-to-all-sellers/717718/2
@Amazon, I think it is time to present your Plan of Actions to us sellers:
-
The issue(s) that led to this act of sabotage being possible on products listed under our own brand that is also registered with Amazon Brand Registry
-
The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) . So far Seller Support is not helpful.
-
The steps you have taken to prevent future attacks of our listings in the same manner.
SEAmod
Hello Sellers, and @JustYippy
We will look into these cases.
Susan
Seller_olet7eVOHxQZd
It is free to add .ca to your account. Add the product with a high price and change the keywords. Then zero your inventory.
No idea if .ca has Brand Registry, but if it does you could do that as well.
Seller_olet7eVOHxQZd
It is free to add .ca to your account. Add the product with a high price and change the keywords. Then zero your inventory.
No idea if .ca has Brand Registry, but if it does you could do that as well.
Seller_lYLz1roOGTQRE
Horrible. Amazon really needs to start paying attention to those bots they write. Every bot written needs to be reviewed for unexpected consequences by a team and then re-evaluated after a test run.
I don’t normally recommend contacting jeff@amazon.com about problems, but this one seems appropriate. If you are not aware, that email is a higher level review team at headquarters. They do not address all messages, but it is worth a try.
Seller_lYLz1roOGTQRE
Horrible. Amazon really needs to start paying attention to those bots they write. Every bot written needs to be reviewed for unexpected consequences by a team and then re-evaluated after a test run.
I don’t normally recommend contacting jeff@amazon.com about problems, but this one seems appropriate. If you are not aware, that email is a higher level review team at headquarters. They do not address all messages, but it is worth a try.
John_Amazon_old
HI @JustYippy,
This is John to provide assistance. I would like to look into this issue a bit further. Would you be able to provide more product details and share your appeal with us so we can review it and offer guidance?
Have you checked for other reasons that might led to this warning? To establish a safe experience on Amazon’s platform, some products are prohibited from being listed or sold due to legal or regulatory restrictions. They may require additional approval requirements. Are your products being identified as articles of drug paraphernalia? Products associated with drugs and controlled substances is prohibited by Amazon policy. I would recommend for you to study related restricted product policies particularly the Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia, Restricted Products FAQ and Category, Product and Listing restrictions to further understand what can and can not be sold on Amazon.’
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
John (约翰)
John_Amazon_old
HI @JustYippy,
This is John to provide assistance. I would like to look into this issue a bit further. Would you be able to provide more product details and share your appeal with us so we can review it and offer guidance?
Have you checked for other reasons that might led to this warning? To establish a safe experience on Amazon’s platform, some products are prohibited from being listed or sold due to legal or regulatory restrictions. They may require additional approval requirements. Are your products being identified as articles of drug paraphernalia? Products associated with drugs and controlled substances is prohibited by Amazon policy. I would recommend for you to study related restricted product policies particularly the Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia, Restricted Products FAQ and Category, Product and Listing restrictions to further understand what can and can not be sold on Amazon.’
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
John (约翰)
Karen_Amazon_old
Hello @JustYippy,
Karen from Amazon here.
I understand you have already reached out to the appropriate team regarding the ASINs that were flagged as restricted.
Have you provided evidence or documentation to demonstrate that these items are not restricted? Providing documentation regarding your listings would be the best course of action.
In addition, I would suggest using our Report a violation of selling policies help page. This page provides information on how to report sellers that are violating our policies.
Hope this helps.
Karen.
Karen_Amazon_old
Hello @JustYippy,
Karen from Amazon here.
I understand you have already reached out to the appropriate team regarding the ASINs that were flagged as restricted.
Have you provided evidence or documentation to demonstrate that these items are not restricted? Providing documentation regarding your listings would be the best course of action.
In addition, I would suggest using our Report a violation of selling policies help page. This page provides information on how to report sellers that are violating our policies.
Hope this helps.
Karen.
Seller_yHiBokSXgj2ps
It’s possible, but how can we verify that?
It’s making me sick
Seller_yHiBokSXgj2ps
It’s possible, but how can we verify that?
It’s making me sick
Seller_sM58k8w6smA6a
And, for the record, what is the point of brand registry sending this same response over and over and over:
“Thank you for your report of listed product(s) that may not match the detail page description. We cannot take action on your report because of the reasons listed below.
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION
Amazon respects a manufacturer’s right to enter into exclusive distribution agreements for its products. As the enforcement of these agreements is a matter between the manufacturer and the retailers, it would not be appropriate for Amazon to assist in enforcement activities.
If you have patent, trademark, or copyright infringement claims, please use the Report Infringement page (https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement).”
This issue has nothing to do with a manufacturers distribution agreement. It is completely irrelevant. NO ONE ELSE HAS PERMISSION TO SELL, OR CAN GIVE PERMISSION TO SELL, OUR TRADEMARKED BRAND.
What is the point of treating people this way? This is our business, our livelihood. And they just play games. I find this behavior despicable.
Seller_sM58k8w6smA6a
And, for the record, what is the point of brand registry sending this same response over and over and over:
“Thank you for your report of listed product(s) that may not match the detail page description. We cannot take action on your report because of the reasons listed below.
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION
Amazon respects a manufacturer’s right to enter into exclusive distribution agreements for its products. As the enforcement of these agreements is a matter between the manufacturer and the retailers, it would not be appropriate for Amazon to assist in enforcement activities.
If you have patent, trademark, or copyright infringement claims, please use the Report Infringement page (https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement).”
This issue has nothing to do with a manufacturers distribution agreement. It is completely irrelevant. NO ONE ELSE HAS PERMISSION TO SELL, OR CAN GIVE PERMISSION TO SELL, OUR TRADEMARKED BRAND.
What is the point of treating people this way? This is our business, our livelihood. And they just play games. I find this behavior despicable.
Seller_jZWpyInw8RkYT
@John_Amazon_old, @Karen_Amazon_old, @SEAmod–
It seems like there is more going on here than anything these Sellers can control. Please investigate further.
I posted the following here:
I hate to bring it up, but we do know that Amazon employees have been bribed to engage in insider black hat sabotage strategies before: ⚠️ [CNBC] DOJ charges six people in scheme to bribe Amazon employees.
Seller_jZWpyInw8RkYT
@John_Amazon_old, @Karen_Amazon_old, @SEAmod–
It seems like there is more going on here than anything these Sellers can control. Please investigate further.
I posted the following here:
I hate to bring it up, but we do know that Amazon employees have been bribed to engage in insider black hat sabotage strategies before: ⚠️ [CNBC] DOJ charges six people in scheme to bribe Amazon employees.
Seller_DXdXeLL0rLt7H
I’ve received a reply from appeals and they said:
"Hello from Amazon Selling Partner Support,
Thank you for your patience. We have reviewed your listing for ASIN and have determined that the ASIN will not be reinstated.
The ASIN is restricted due to incorrect product information present across CA MP marketplaces, which contains prohibited information.
In order to reinstate the listing please correct the information from your listing."
When I contact seller support, everyone seems to understand the situation pretty quickly. They can see immediately that we obviously should not have keywords such as Marijuana, lsd, shrooms etc. Now all I have to do is remove the keywords right? Well similar to JustYippy, I can not remove the keywords because it is restricted and I need to be authorized to sell in this Category in Canada, Personal health and safety ( we do not sell in Canada ). So what’s my current plan of action.
-
I contacted seller support to escalate the situation with the internal team, state that I am trying to change the keywords from .CA, but unable to because it is restricted.
-
I am trying to get authorization from .CA to sell in personal health and safety so I can maybe access and edit the listing, if it is even listed.
-
Wait patiently.
Seller_DXdXeLL0rLt7H
I’ve received a reply from appeals and they said:
"Hello from Amazon Selling Partner Support,
Thank you for your patience. We have reviewed your listing for ASIN and have determined that the ASIN will not be reinstated.
The ASIN is restricted due to incorrect product information present across CA MP marketplaces, which contains prohibited information.
In order to reinstate the listing please correct the information from your listing."
When I contact seller support, everyone seems to understand the situation pretty quickly. They can see immediately that we obviously should not have keywords such as Marijuana, lsd, shrooms etc. Now all I have to do is remove the keywords right? Well similar to JustYippy, I can not remove the keywords because it is restricted and I need to be authorized to sell in this Category in Canada, Personal health and safety ( we do not sell in Canada ). So what’s my current plan of action.
-
I contacted seller support to escalate the situation with the internal team, state that I am trying to change the keywords from .CA, but unable to because it is restricted.
-
I am trying to get authorization from .CA to sell in personal health and safety so I can maybe access and edit the listing, if it is even listed.
-
Wait patiently.
Seller_f5YMhAhB3Ms1c
This is exactly what happened to 6 of our ASINs.
The attack seems to originate from the same saboteur, as it has used the exact keyword list to sabotage our listings.
I have posted in detail here https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/a-cry-for-help-and-a-warning-to-all-sellers/717718/2
@Amazon, I think it is time to present your Plan of Actions to us sellers:
-
The issue(s) that led to this act of sabotage being possible on products listed under our own brand that is also registered with Amazon Brand Registry
-
The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) . So far Seller Support is not helpful.
-
The steps you have taken to prevent future attacks of our listings in the same manner.
Seller_f5YMhAhB3Ms1c
This is exactly what happened to 6 of our ASINs.
The attack seems to originate from the same saboteur, as it has used the exact keyword list to sabotage our listings.
I have posted in detail here https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/a-cry-for-help-and-a-warning-to-all-sellers/717718/2
@Amazon, I think it is time to present your Plan of Actions to us sellers:
-
The issue(s) that led to this act of sabotage being possible on products listed under our own brand that is also registered with Amazon Brand Registry
-
The actions you have taken to resolve the issue(s) . So far Seller Support is not helpful.
-
The steps you have taken to prevent future attacks of our listings in the same manner.
SEAmod
Hello Sellers, and @JustYippy
We will look into these cases.
Susan
SEAmod
Hello Sellers, and @JustYippy
We will look into these cases.
Susan
