Legitimate sellers have been using this feature responsibly for years to improve the customer experience.
It allowed us to:
1. Offer courtesy refunds or solutions when appropriate.
Not in exchange for changing a review, but simply because it was the right thing to do. Products can be damaged in transit, arrive defective, or fail within the warranty period. Being able to reach out gave sellers an opportunity to make things right.
2. Start a constructive conversation.
Sometimes customers misunderstand how a product should be used, encounter an issue that is easily resolved, or simply have questions. A brief conversation often helps identify the root cause and leads to a better customer experience.
By removing the ability to contact customers who leave critical reviews, Amazon is eliminating one of the few meaningful ways that legitimate brands and sellers can proactively support customers after a negative experience.
This change does little to address the real problems on the platform, such as fake reviews or bad actors. Instead, it primarily impacts the brands that are genuinely trying to provide excellent products and customer service.
If you agree, UPVOTE and COMMENT to drive visibility, and ask Amazon to reconsider this decision for Brand Registered sellers who have demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction.
Please bring this functionality back - for sellers, for brands, and most importantly for Amazon customers, who will ultimately lose the opportunity to have their issues resolved directly and efficiently.
Ref: Effective immediately, the ability to initiate customer contacts on critical reviews has been removed.
The ability to initiate customer contacts on critical reviews has been removed to align with Amazon's communication policies. You can still respond when customers contact you first via the Messages.