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Section 3 Suspention
I have been dealing with an Amazon suspension for 3 months. Because I couldn't prove the authenticity of the products, my entire balance is being held in reserve, and I am not allowed to make any sales.
In summary, I purchased products from a marketplace in my country that pays attention to the authenticity of the items. I sold them on Amazon. Amazon requested supply chain documents from me. I sent them, and my account was suspended. I understand that proving the authenticity of the products is my responsibility. We need to prove that the products are not counterfeit. Therefore, I asked the suppliers I sourced from for the documents. However, they are not sharing them with me. I mentioned this in the appeals I wrote. But I haven't made any progress. Then, I contacted the authorized distributor and confirmed that the sellers from whom I obtained the products did, in fact, source the items from them. They didn't provide documents, but they said, "Yes, these sellers source the products from us." I sent this information to Amazon and asked them to verify it by contacting the authorized distributor. The distributor replied, "We don’t have such a policy."
Okay. Now, what should I do at this point?
I can prove the authenticity of the products by contacting the distributor, but Amazon does not have a policy for this.
Amazon is accusing me of selling counterfeit products. However, I had no such intention, and after Amazon rejected my documents, I reached out and verified everything.
No matter how I write a plan of action to Amazon, they always respond with the same answer: "Greater detail on the root...."
At this point, it feels like a black hole. Because you want me to write a more detailed plan of action, but you don’t indicate where I made a mistake or what is missing. I am aware that the supply chain documents are incomplete. I’ve provided you with all the documents I have. You’re asking for more detailed documents, but this is all I have. Yes, I sourced from somewhere I couldn't verify the supply chain. Now what should I do? For several years, will you keep asking me for "Greater detail on the root cause(s)"? You say that I violated Amazon's policies. I did not do it intentionally. That wasn’t my intention. But how are we going to move forward now? If I say I will be more careful, you won’t accept it because Amazon doesn’t accept commitments. I’m watching the Amazon Seller University videos. Yes, they highlight what I need to pay attention to and what I shouldn’t do. I need to verify the supply chain or get a letter of authorization from the brand. However, the brand doesn't deal with Amazon sellers; they just specify the authorized distributor.
When I spoke with the account health specialist, they said I need to prove the supply chain. This is a deadlock because, as I said, these are the documents I have. I am aware of the problem. The only thing I can provide you is the documents I have and a commitment that I won’t repeat this issue.
When I open a case for support, I get the same messages again. I can't make any progress.
In conclusion: If you are not going to allow me to sell under any circumstances, what is the point of having an appeal channel open? If you are going to keep responding to every plan of action I write with "Greater detail on the root causes...", how will I make progress? You’ve said this a million times. What I want is to know what is missing in the plan of action I submitted. When you give this answer, should I write "What exactly?" every time? The Amazon Account Health specialist told me, "You need to provide supply chain documents." But these are all the documents I have. What more can I do except tell you that I am aware of the issue and I won’t repeat it as I wrote in the plan of action? Also, this is my first suspension on this account. Why are you treating me as if I have been abusing Amazon policies for years?
You accuse me of selling counterfeit products. Fine, sue me. At least I’ll have a channel to prove the authenticity of the products. Because I cannot do this through the channel you’ve provided me.
To Amazon employees who reply to this message: If you want to write something valuable, please help me make progress, and don't just write "template responses." What I want now is "to make progress."
Thank you
0 replies
Seller_OvL8C4BJWiuS9
Just because someone says it's authentic doesn't mean anything-you need invoices that prove supply chain from a verifiable source.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
Even if the marketplace in your country is selling authentic items, if they are not approved by the brand, then there is still no supply chain.
Furthermore, even if they are an approved distributor, chances are that they are NOT approved for sales in the US (or perhaps other parts of the world). In this case, what you have are "grey market" goods; which Amazon does not want.
Regardless, if you cannot prove authenticity AND authorization, then you are done on Amazon.
Seller_ErtPpPoxo3bLE
You're right. I understand that. It was a mistake. Normally, I purchase the product from the authorized distributor. However, they were out of stock. So, I bought it from a marketplace, thinking I could provide the necessary documents if required.
What I don't understand is that Amazon keeps giving me the same response no matter what I write, and I can't make any progress. They keep sending the same reply, but everywhere it says they are here to help. If there’s no way to reactivate my account, then what’s the point of having an appeal channel open?
Even if the marketplace in your country is selling authentic items, if they are not approved by the brand, then there is still no supply chain.
Furthermore, even if they are an approved distributor, chances are that they are NOT approved for sales in the US (or perhaps other parts of the world). In this case, what you have are "grey market" goods; which Amazon does not want.
Regardless, if you cannot prove authenticity AND authorization, then you are done on Amazon.
You're right, yes. But as I said, the appeal channel is still open. Is this just a symbolic gesture? Is Amazon essentially saying, "I won't give you your money, but I also can't close your account directly because that would mean I'm stealing your money"?
This is the first time I've experienced such a situation, yet Amazon is acting as if I have 150 criminal records. If that's the case, Amazon should just close my account and say, "You can never sell on Amazon again." But they don't do that either. They say, "You can appeal."
When I submit a plan of action, they ask for even more detailed explanations. But the situation is clear: I made a mistake. I've reviewed Amazon's policies, and this mistake won't happen again because I will first ensure the product's supply chain is legitimate. What more can I possibly provide to Amazon?
Seller_ErtPpPoxo3bLE
I also just realized something: Amazon is holding my entire balance, even though the amount I cannot prove the authenticity of is about one-fourth of it. Why are they holding all my funds?
I cannot prove the authenticity of the products, and Amazon cannot prove they are counterfeit. Yet, in this situation, I am treated as guilty. I am providing all the documents I have, and I’ve even contacted the distributor to verbally confirm that the sellers I purchased from are authorized. The only thing I cannot do is provide the necessary paperwork. Amazon could call the authorized distributor and verify this directly.
Where does the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" come into play here? Are Amazon’s policies universal laws?
If the brand or Amazon had accused me of selling counterfeit products and filed a lawsuit, I would have made progress by now.
Seller_ErtPpPoxo3bLE
Thank you for your response.
It’s really a very detailed answer!
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
It's possible that this person simply has not been caught yet. It's also possible that they have proper authorization from the rights holder to sell on Amazon.
But the question is not what someone else is doing, it is "Do YOU have authorization to sell this product on Amazon?"
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
No, you're done. Your time is better spent elsewhere. Without ALL the required documents (in this case, including LoA), you'll never get Amazon to reactivate your account.
Without the LoA when required, your items ARE considered "counterfeit".
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
You are unlikely to see any of them; if there are any funds that are derived from items for which you have full authorization, you might be able to get those funds through arbitration, but the amount from the unauthorized items is forfeit.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
If you are not authorized, then the authenticity of the products is NOT proven, at least not to the satisfaction of Amazon.
You mis-understand where the burden of proof is; it's not up to Amazon to prove that your items are counterfeit; it's up to YOU to prove that they are NOT, by providing ALL of the proper paperwork.
It might be possible to get a court order relieving Amazon of legal liability in case the items are not legit, and to release your funds and/or inventory. But the cost would be on you. Unless you have 10s of thousands of dollars in your account, you would probably come out behind.
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