Account health tips for multiple selling accounts
Our multiple-accounts policy allows you to operate one account per region unless you have a legitimate business need for owning more.
If you have more than one account, they must all be kept in good standing.
Here's what you need to know to stay compliant and keep all your accounts in good standing:
- Know when you can have multiple accounts. You may open separate accounts when you have distinct brands with different storefront names, manufacture products for separate companies, or participate in our programs requiring separate accounts. For example, if you've registered one brand that sells soap and another that sells pet food, you can maintain two accounts to simplify management.
- Learn how policy issues affect related accounts. If there's a violation of our selling policies or the Seller Code of Conduct in one account, all your related accounts may be impacted. Depending on the situation, we may cancel listings, suspend or deactivate accounts, or suspend payments across your selling accounts. You'll receive notifications about policy issues on your Account Health dashboard in the Performance section of Seller Central.
- Address warnings or notices promptly. This can prevent issues from affecting your other accounts. If one account is deactivated, you'll need to resolve the issue and reinstate that account before your other accounts can become active again.
For more information, go to the Seller code of conduct.
Account health tips for multiple selling accounts
Our multiple-accounts policy allows you to operate one account per region unless you have a legitimate business need for owning more.
If you have more than one account, they must all be kept in good standing.
Here's what you need to know to stay compliant and keep all your accounts in good standing:
- Know when you can have multiple accounts. You may open separate accounts when you have distinct brands with different storefront names, manufacture products for separate companies, or participate in our programs requiring separate accounts. For example, if you've registered one brand that sells soap and another that sells pet food, you can maintain two accounts to simplify management.
- Learn how policy issues affect related accounts. If there's a violation of our selling policies or the Seller Code of Conduct in one account, all your related accounts may be impacted. Depending on the situation, we may cancel listings, suspend or deactivate accounts, or suspend payments across your selling accounts. You'll receive notifications about policy issues on your Account Health dashboard in the Performance section of Seller Central.
- Address warnings or notices promptly. This can prevent issues from affecting your other accounts. If one account is deactivated, you'll need to resolve the issue and reinstate that account before your other accounts can become active again.
For more information, go to the Seller code of conduct.
15 replies
Seller_Ha6JyVvDK6Ybs
So what percentage of sellers does this apply to? Or in other words now sellers can use their made up garage brands and flood Amazon even more with cheaply made KO products rebranded from Ali Baba?
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
I guess it depends on who you know at Amazon as far as what you can get away with.
Here is a case I made for a seller CLEARLY violating the policy (Exact info Redacted in bold):
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello,
I'm not reporting a rights infringement; I'm reporting a violation of multiple account policy as the same person owns 2 seller accounts selling the exact same ASINs. Attached is the investigative report and supporting evidence showing OWNER NAME owns both companies.
Subject: Report of Amazon Policy Violation – Multiple Seller Accounts Operating Under Same Ownership on Identical ASINs
To Whom It May Concern,
I am reporting a violation of Amazon’s Seller Code of Conduct and Multiple Selling Accounts policy involving two seller accounts operated under the same ownership. These accounts a list identical products on the same ASINs, which unfairly manipulates search results, sales rank, and the Buy Box shares.
________________________________________
I.) Involved Entities
Both businesses operate from adjacent addresses on the same street and are owned by the same individual; OWNER NAME :
1. COMPANY1
• Address: COMPANY1 ADDRESS
• Website: COMPANY1URL
• Amazon Seller ID: COMPANY1SELLERID
• Marketplace ID: ATVPDKIKX0DER
2. COMPANY2
• Address: COMPANY2 ADDRESS
• Website: COMPANY2URL
• Amazon Seller ID: COMPANY2SELLERID
• Marketplace ID: ATVPDKIKX0DER
________________________________________
II.) Nature of the Violation
These two seller accounts:
• Are operated by the same individual, OWNER NAME
• Sell identical types of products
• List those products on the same ASINs, simultaneously
• Operate from physically adjacent buildings, using separate business names
This creates a duplicate presence on product listings and manipulates visibility and Buy Box outcomes, violating several Amazon policies and negatively affecting our sales.
________________________________________
III.) Amazon Policies Potentially Violated
As outlined in Amazon’s official Selling Policies and Seller Code of Conduct, the following rules may be in violation:
• "Not operate more than one selling account on Amazon without a legitimate business need"
These accounts list the same brand products on the same ASINs, suggesting no valid business separation.
• "Act fairly and not misuse Amazon’s features or services"
This includes:
o Creating multiple detail pages or listings for the same product
o Attempting to influence search results or Buy Box outcomes
o Misleading Amazon and customers about business identity
• "Provide accurate information to Amazon and our customers at all times"
The physical proximity and ownership overlap indicate a possible attempt to present two businesses as distinct when they are not in practice.
________________________________________
IV.) Supporting Evidence
• Public websites confirming addresses and ownership:
o COMPANY1URL/ABOUT
o COMPANY2URL/WHOAREWE
• Business certificate linking OWNER NAME to COMPANY2
• Amazon listings on the same ASINs
• Proximity of physical addresses (COMPANY1 AND COMPANY2 ADDRESSES)
________________________________________
V.) Requested Action
I respectfully request a full review of these seller accounts and their relationship, product listings, and misuse of the platform. This situation undermines Amazon's marketplace fairness policies and impacts other compliant sellers and customers.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The response from Amazon on this report?
1. COMPANY1 maintains a more diverse product catalog (Despite 100% of Company 2's ASINS also being sold by Company 1)
2. Each business is registered under a different legal entity
So nothing has been done. They have been able to operate like this for years with no repercussions. A policy selectively enforced is no policy at all.
Case# 17723052381
If a mod could look at/escalate it and report back in this thread it would be greatly appreciated. I will also reply to the thread with updates so people know if anything was done, and whether this policy is actually meaningful or not.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
Yep! I've seen business name followed by "A Staples Company" a dozen times on a single listing.
Seller_sd1GbS70oZ9j7
What is the process that we take in opening the second account to comply with Amazon's policies?
I've heard
- New Business name, address, phone number, email, etc.
Can you elaborate on this!
Thank you.
Seller_S1M2zPkZvz9dT
When standard appeal process is not helping what should be the right action?
I know a newbie seller who put everything and started selling on amazon last year. It was good just getting started and they got Virtual Identity Verification and account blocked with "Locked by Fraud". She had so many calls and submitted appeal almost 8+ times but getting the same template email response.
Maybe there is a mistake happened but she is new to Amazon selling and online business. I wonder why there is no human verification/in-person support isn't happening for new sellers like her who is genuine but lack of technical?
Seller_HXzuRYgqKKMSa
Hi there
I have applied for multiple accounts Case ID 20220086251, as I am only owner of two companies,
I have already a seller account with Amazon , with good healthy status.
I have another totally separate company registered under different Legal Licensed entity.
Both companies have independent legal entities, completely different manufacturing units,
different types of business, separate business numbers with CRA, filing independent taxes.
We were always advised to keep different accounts for both companies to have clear financial statements.
Though myself being a director in both the companies, Nothing else is common in two different companies.
Submitted all documents, now on dead end, No way to contact multiple account team.
At least I deserve a reply, reason I am not able to have second account.
regds...Garry
