We love working with sellers to help get their accounts reinstated! But, have you heard about Amazon BUYER Account SUSPENSIONS? It’s true!! Customer account suspension can happen – If the “customer is always right,” what can happen?
Last week, we received the following email:
Why was this Buyer’s Account Suspended?
In the past 90 days, this buyer returned or exchanged more than 50% of what they purchased!! And believe it or not, that violates Amazon’s terms of service!! (in this customer’s defense, it was during corona and online shopping is MUCH safer than brick and mortar shopping)
Why are buyer accounts suspended?
- Gift Cards
- Unverified
- High credit amounts
- Account Information
- Your account information is incomplete, mismatched
- Your shipping and billing address change frequently
- You log in from locations that don’t match the address on record
- Logging in from devices that are not yours (or are devices from a seller who has been suspended)
- Sharing accounts and payment information with friends and family
- Allowing a friend or family member (with a suspended seller account) to use your device
- Using a device that belongs to a seller with a suspended account
- Buyer and seller accounts are linked (although you can have more than one buyer account, you can not have more than one seller account)
- Credit Cards
- You’ve used a stolen or hacked card
- You’re using a card without your name
- You’ve used a card linked to a suspended account
- You’ve shared credit card and account information for friends or family to open another Amazon account
- Location
- Your geographic location is a country which has a high percentage of fradulent transactions
- You’re using different locations and I.P. addresses to log in.
- Reviews
- You leave fake, defamatory or obscene reviews
How does Amazon Suspend an Account?
Here’s the information we willingly give Amazon!
- Name, age, address, phone number(s)
- Payment information (including expired credit card information)
- Your I.P. address
- Email addresses of you (and potentially your friends)
- Content of reviews
- Content of the emails you sent to your customers.
- Documents regarding identity, like Social Security and driver’s license
- Credit history
- Your device’s location
- Phonebook or email address contents
It’s easy to understand that Amazon uses its power and sophistication to use this data to cross-reference buyers and sellers. Their system detects fraud and mostly protects the customer. Knowing the massive amounts of information Amazon collects, it’s easy to see how one small mistake can have a meaningful impact. With that amount of data, their algorithm looks for and recognizes any violations of its Terms of Service.
What is the impact of a suspended buyer account?
- If you have a balance (or credit) it’s gone
- If you have affiliate sales, they won’t be processed
- Returns and refunds will not be processed
- Can impact your SELLER account
Help! My Buyer Account is suspended!
Once you’ve determined that the email is from Amazon (not from a phishing attack) you’ll need to decide how important it is to get that account opened. Remember – if you’re also a seller – this could impact your selling account!
You can write a Plan of Action!
- Root Causes – take responsibility! You made too many returns, own it! Identify, admit and apologize for your mistakes
- Immediate Changes
- Future preventative actions
Remember, Amazon knows everything about you, you can’t deny a credit card link when Amazon’s algorithm clearly shows one! If you have documentation to show that you’ve recently moved, upload it!
In this case, the Buyer wrote their own appeal, and then received this answer:
In this case, Amazon shut this customer down with no hopes to get their buyer account back. Will you need to make an Amazon purchase in the future? Yes, you can open a new buyer account (but ONLY if you are NOT an Amazon seller). Use a new credit card, and then avoid making any of the same mistakes that caused your account’s suspension in the first place!
- Open a SEPARATE seller account – don’t open multiple seller accounts
- Don’t share computer access
- Don’t share credit cards
- Keep track of purchases versus returns
- Follow Amazon’s Terms and Conditions!
Buyer account suspended? Time to research the causes. Can your account be reinstated? If you’re ready to get a Plan of Action ready to reinstate your buyer or seller account, reach out to the experts at Axelligence. We help with all types of Plans of Action!