As a seller, your Amazon account is your livelihood and way to earn a living. Although you have influence over your continued success on the platform, there may also be things outside your control. You may be shocked one day to learn that your account has been suspended. An Amazon suspension does not necessarily mean the end of your ability to sell. You could apply for and gain reinstatement by appealing the suspension. Given the importance of an Amazon appeal, you should consider the help of an experienced lawyer.
For Amazon sellers, Section 3 of the Business Agreement is crucial. This section is entitled “Terms and Termination.” The section states that Amazon can suspend or terminate your account under the following circumstances:
Here are some practical occurrences that could lead to an account termination:
Amazon does not want its sellers to harm its own reputation. Thus, the company may be quick to suspend first and ask questions later. You may have your own side of the story that you need Amazon to hear. Amazon is a business – it wants as many sellers on the platform as possible because it makes more money. It does not necessarily want to be too aggressive in suspending good sellers because they may lose business.
Therefore, Amazon has an appeals process that you can go through to potentially gain reinstatement. You need to explain to Amazon why it should let you sell again. Most often, this involves accepting responsibility for breakdowns or clearing up misunderstandings.
The Amazon appeals process is crucial because it is the only avenue to get back onto the platform. When you signed the Business Agreement with Amazon, the company included a term that made you waive your right to sue the company in court. Thus, if you lose your appeal, there is nothing else that you can do to gain reinstatement. Accordingly, the tone and tenor of your appeal need to recognize Amazon’s power, and you cannot treat it as an adversarial legal process.
Professionalism matters when it comes to an Amazon seller appeal. You must put your best foot forward to have the strongest chance of being reinstated to the platform. Amazon’s Legal Department will be analyzing the strength of your case, but issues like formatting and spelling are also important. You want Amazon to be able to understand your arguments easily, and they should be presented in the most logical manner possible.
There are many things that Amazon is looking for in appeal that an experienced attorney who regularly deals with the company knows. While you cannot gain your way back onto the platform by using buzzwords and talking points, you can craft your appeal to cover things you know the company cares about. What matters to Amazon the most is the customer experience. You must demonstrate to them that granting your appeal will not do anything to harm the customer.
Your Amazon appeal tells a narrative story about why you should be reinstated. If you made mistakes, you should acknowledge your errors. If you try to deny what Amazon already knows, you will start in a bad place. What may be key to a successful appeal is the steps that you take going forward to correct any deficiencies that caused Amazon to suspend you in the first place.
Here are some other considerations for your Amazon appeal:
You can expect an answer from Amazon within a short period of time. The company may even reply within days. Thus, what you put down in your appeal matters. First impressions count, and you may not get a second chance.
Hiring an Amazon appeals attorney could help you put your best foot forward. It could even show the company that you are committed to the process and will do what it takes to be a successful seller on the platform. Your lawyer knows how to draft the appeal to cover what Amazon cares about in a persuasive and compelling manner, telling your best story as to why you should be allowed to resume selling.
The attorneys at Traverse Legal can represent you when you are appealing an account suspension. We can even get involved when you have received a cure notice and you are trying to get your account back in compliance with Amazon’s rules. Your business is too important to leave anything to chance.
Our experienced Amazon appeal lawyers can help you take quick action, and hopefully, you can be back to selling within days. To speak to an experienced attorney, you can send us a message online, or you can call us today at (866) 728-2197.
Traverse Legal’s Attorneys are globally recognized for their experience and results in the legal areas of: Complex Litigation, Internet, Trademark, Copyright, Cybersquatting, Drone, Defamation, Trade Secret, Non-Compete, and Business Law.
