An account suspension on Amazon can significantly disrupt your operations, impacting sales, inventory flow, and customer relationships. This article outlines the types of suspensions sellers may encounter, common causes, and the five key steps to resolve and prevent account suspension.
When Amazon restricts your seller account, the issue typically falls into one of the following categories (listed from least to most severe):
An individual product listing (ASIN) is removed from sale. While your overall account remains active, you cannot sell the affected product until the issue is resolved. Sellers can appeal this decision by submitting a clear and well-supported Plan of Action (POA).
Your selling privileges are temporarily revoked. Amazon usually provides a reason for the suspension and an opportunity to appeal within a specified timeframe (often 7 days). A strong Plan of Action is required for reinstatement.
If your initial appeal is rejected, you may submit a revised Plan of Action. There is no formal limit to the number of appeal submissions, but each resubmission must address the deficiencies noted in the previous response.
In severe cases, Amazon permanently revokes selling privileges and may no longer review appeals. Attempting to create a new account without authorization is typically detected and may result in additional enforcement actions.
Understanding the root cause is critical to resolving and preventing future suspensions.
Amazon prioritizes customer experience and closely monitors performance metrics, including:
Order Defect Rate (must remain below 1%)
Late Shipment Rate
Pre-Fulfillment Cancellation Rate
Customer feedback and A-to-Z claims
Failure to maintain acceptable performance levels can trigger enforcement actions.
Violations may include:
Selling counterfeit or inauthentic products
Using copyrighted content without authorization
Listing restricted or prohibited items
Non-compliant advertising claims
Strict adherence to Amazon’s policies is essential.
Products generating excessive negative reviews, safety complaints, or returns may result in listing removal or account suspension. Some categories require prior approval before selling.
Amazon generally permits only one seller account per business unless explicit approval is granted. Creating additional accounts to bypass enforcement is a serious violation.
Amazon requires valid UPCs from GS1-registered sources unless a GTIN exemption applies. Using unverified barcode providers can lead to listing deactivation or suspension.
Certain keywords or product claims may trigger automated compliance reviews. Sellers must avoid sensitive or restricted terminology in titles, bullet points, and descriptions.
The suspension notification provides:
The specific reason for enforcement
The policy or metric violated
Instructions for submitting an appeal
This notice serves as the foundation for your response.
Access Seller Central and review:
Order Defect Rate
Late Shipment Rate
Cancellation Rate
Customer complaints and claims
Identify the underlying operational or compliance breakdown that led to the suspension.
A successful POA should include:
Acknowledge the specific violation or performance failure.
Detail the steps already implemented to resolve the issue (e.g., removing non-compliant listings, updating processes, retraining staff).
Outline long-term operational changes to ensure the issue does not recur.
Accept responsibility. Avoid blaming Amazon, customers, or third parties.
Attach invoices, supplier agreements, compliance certificates, shipping records, or screenshots where applicable.
Best Practice: Keep your POA clear, structured, and concise.
Submit your POA through Seller Central.
If denied:
Carefully review Amazon’s response
Identify gaps in your explanation
Strengthen your evidence and corrective actions
Resubmit a revised POA
Each denial provides insight into what Amazon expects.
After submission:
Monitor Seller Central and your registered email daily
Allow several business days for review
Follow up professionally if no response is received within the typical timeframe
Maintain a respectful tone in all communications.
To maintain long-term account health:
Review the Account Health Dashboard in Seller Central and address warnings promptly.
Regularly review updated guidelines, especially for product compliance and restricted categories.
Respond quickly to customer messages and resolve complaints proactively.
Prevent stockouts, cancellations, and fulfillment delays with robust operational systems.
Using FBA can help maintain strong shipping performance and customer service metrics.
An Amazon account suspension can be disruptive, but it is often recoverable with a structured and well-supported appeal.
By identifying the root cause, implementing corrective actions, and submitting a comprehensive Plan of Action, sellers can improve their chances of reinstatement.
Ongoing monitoring of account health and strict policy compliance are essential to maintaining uninterrupted selling privileges and sustainable business growth on Amazon.