- Knowledge
100 Questions on Account Compliance for Amazon's New Seller Operations (Part 2)
Why are accounts associated? What if the association is shut down?
(1) Why are sellers closed due to associated accounts?
Amazon requires all sales accounts owned by sellers to comply with the corresponding sales policies and seller code of conduct. If you operate multiple accounts in the same or different regions, please ensure that all of your accounts maintain a good reputation. If any of your accounts are suspended due to a violation of policies, Amazon may suspend other accounts you own until all accounts have a good reputation.
(2) How can I prevent potential associated account risks in daily sales operations?
If you use agents or service providers, please pay attention to screening legitimate service providers or intermediaries, and record and archive relevant contracts and other supporting materials;
Be cautious in changing account related information and protect the security of information related to your sales account;
Strictly control personnel with login permissions to your account, and remind relevant personnel to avoid using public networks to log in to the seller platform or changing login devices.
(3) How can I appeal if my account has been suspended due to an associated account?
Scenario 1: The associated account is indeed my account
You need to log in to the associated account that you initially suspended, check the performance notification to understand the reason for the suspension of the account, and appeal for the restoration of the suspended account;
Log in to appeal the account that was suspended due to association, and inform the audit team that your previously suspended account has been restored.
Scenario 2: The associated account is an account I know, but currently it has nothing to do with me
How to write an action plan?
We suggest that you provide a specific and effective action plan (POA) that explains in detail why you are associated with the linked account, including the process and timeline of the incident, as well as details of all investigations and how you will ensure the security of your account information in the future to prevent similar linked account situations from happening again.
What materials need to be submitted?
Your ID card/business related documents, such as ID card, business license, natural gas, water and electricity, Internet bills, etc. in the past 90 days.
Proof that you no longer have the associated account or any related supporting documents, such as sales contracts, purchase agreements, business transfer agreements, contract termination, resignation certificates, etc.
Scenario 3: I am not familiar with this associated account, and it has nothing to do with me
How to write an action plan?
Please review and investigate all personnel, business, sales activities, operational operations, etc. that have occurred since the creation of your account, and list all events that you believe may have led to your association with other accounts without your knowledge or attention.
It is recommended that you record in detail the suspicious information you have identified in the action plan (POA), including the time, location, personnel or company involved, and the process of the incident, and provide all details of the investigation;
Please provide specific instructions on how you will ensure the security of your account information in the future to prevent similar related account situations from happening again.
What are the common events that may lead to account association?
You can refer to the following troubleshooting directions to determine the source event that caused the account association:
What materials need to be submitted?
Your personal verification information, such as ID card, business license, natural gas, water and electricity, Internet bills for nearly 90 days, etc.
Provide supporting materials and relevant information related to the events that may lead to association as described in your action plan. For example, if after investigation, you believe that your account association with the associated account is due to the use of an integrated cloud system (logistics service) provided by a third-party service provider, you need to provide relevant information about the third-party service provider, explain when you started working with the service provider, and explain what information you shared about your sales account
What should I do if I encounter manipulation of comments/abuse of comment performance?
(1) Unauthorized abuse of product reviews
Provide any form of compensation in exchange for reviews of one's own or competitors' products
Contact buyers directly through Amazon's buyer seller messaging service and provide buyer rewards (cashback) in exchange for reviews.
Sellers themselves or hire third-party service providers to exchange reviews through websites or any social platforms (such as WeChat, Facebook, etc.) for refunds, cashback, repurchase discounts, gift cards as compensation.
Created multiple accounts to impersonate buyers and manipulate reviews
Create multiple fake buyer accounts to post fake reviews (including positive and negative reviews), commonly known as zombie accounts, self support accounts, etc.
Arrange others to post comments on their own products or competitors' products
Arrange family members, friends, or employees to post false reviews for their own or competitors' products.
Seeking positive reviews or offering rewards in exchange for reviews in product packaging or packaging boxes
Include inserts, flyers, coupons, brochures, or similar items in products or product packaging to request positive reviews or provide rewards for publishing reviews.
Direct interference with buyer's product reviews
Contact buyers directly through Amazon's buyer seller messaging service and request or induce them to leave positive reviews or delete/modify negative reviews on the product.
(2) The consequences of abuse of product reviews
ASIN is current limited.
Immediately and permanently revoke your sales authorization on the Amazon marketplace, while withholding funds.
Remove all reviews of the product and prevent the product from receiving reviews or ratings in the future.
Permanently remove products from Amazon.
Take legal action, including litigation and transfer to civil and criminal law enforcement agencies.
(3) How to file a complaint about product review abuse in the backend?
Admitting violation (questionnaire format)
If the seller admits that they have abused product reviews, they need to follow the prompts on the appeal page to file an appeal in the form of a questionnaire, providing a detailed description of all methods used to publish or obtain prohibited product reviews, a list of violations and valid review IDs, review links, and the actual operating party (seller or third-party service provider) who chooses to abuse product reviews on the account.
If the seller believes that the illegal marking is a misjudgment, they should submit an explanation of the following information:
Provide supporting documents or evidence to prove that your account has not violated Amazon's product review policy.
The seller claims not to have abused or used third-party services.
Evidence or supporting documents of the seller's identity or account information being stolen.
What does it mean to violate the direct delivery policy?
Unless the buyer is aware that you are a registered seller, Amazon does not accept direct delivery or allow third parties to deliver orders on your behalf to the buyer.
The following direct delivery example is a violation of policy and may result in restrictions on your use of Amazon Seller Self Delivery (MFN) to sell products:
Purchasing goods from other online retailers and having the retailer directly deliver them to the buyer is strictly prohibited, without exception, if the shipment does not indicate that you are a registered seller, or if the packing list, invoice, or external packaging shows not you (including other online retailers) but anyone else;
If the packing list, invoice, outer packaging, or other information indicating the seller's name or contact information used during the delivery of the order is not your own information, this is also strictly prohibited.
As long as the packaging or invoice that the buyer sees indicates that the seller is not you or Amazon, it will cause confusion for the buyer regarding the delivery method of the order and who to contact when encountering any problems or questions.
If you plan to use a direct delivery service to fulfill your order, you must always meet the following requirements:
Agree with your supplier that you (and not any other person) should be identified as the seller in all packing lists, invoices, outer packaging, and other information related to the goods attached or provided;
Remove any packing list, invoice, outer packaging, or other information that identifies third-party direct delivery providers before shipping the order;
Responsible for receiving and processing goods returned by buyers;
Comply with all other terms of the seller agreement and applicable Amazon policies.
What should I do if I encounter complaints about the authenticity of the product or buyer complaints about the condition of the product?
(1) Violation type
(2) Appeal method
All sellers who need or have already sold on Amazon.ca are required to complete the Canadian site qualification review. Failure to pass the review will prevent them from selling on the Canadian site.
What are the platform's requirements for value-added tax invoices?
(1) When appealing for violations, Amazon may require the provision of value-added tax invoices for the violating ASINs, with specific requirements as follows:
The invoice needs to reflect the sales volume of the ASIN that violated the rules in the past 365 days (calculated from the date the ASIN was marked as violating, within 365 days).
The invoice needs to display the supplier's contact information, including name, phone number, address, and website.
The invoice needs to display seller information, including company name, phone number, company address, email, etc., and these information must be consistent with the information on the Amazon seller platform.
Invoices must be genuine and unmodified. Sellers can hide pricing information, but the file content must be clear and visible.
The product description on the invoice (such as the ASIN number displayed on the invoice) should be as consistent as possible with the information on the Amazon website;
Accept the following formats:. pdf/. jpg/. png/. gif.
(2) Common reasons for VAT invoice rejection:
The quantity on the invoice does not match the sales volume. For example, the seller sold 10 items, but the quantity on the invoice is only 5 items.
The invoice is forged, and its query result shows' no such invoice found '. For example, the invoice is not issued by the supplier.
The invoice has been invalidated.
The invoice is not in the format of a Chinese value-added tax invoice.
The product name on the invoice does not match the products sold on the Amazon marketplace. For example, the seller's marked product is shoes, but the invoice issued shows that the product is clothing.
The supplier information in the invoice does not match the goods sold. For example, the supplier name provided in the seller's invoice does not match the authorized supplier information for the actual product.
The seller information in the invoice is inconsistent with the information on the Amazon seller platform.
