Need help! Account deactivated and how to get the inventory back!

It is easy to get on the Amazon marketplace. Hanging on and prospering takes effort. Amazon’s automatic algorithms keep track of every aspect of seller’s performance. This includes factors such as sales, customer service, speed of shipment and speed with which you address customer complaints. Amazon also keeps an eye on other things such as a seller listing restricted products or contravening terms and conditions. Take just one wrong step and your account is deactivated. Since the algorithm keeps track the deactivation can be triggered automatically. If you are FBA seller it becomes worse and a real headache to get inventory back.

Reason for deactivation

If one fine day, you receive a notice that your account is deactivated you should take immediate action. Of course, Amazon does usually inform sellers about violations and impending deactivation. This notification can be accessed in the seller account by clicking on Performance Notification section. Understand the reason and take prompt action to avoid deactivation at that stage.

Top reason for deactivation:-

• Poor Seller Performance
• Seller Policy Violation
• Selling/Displaying Restricted Products

An account may be deactivated on any ground as stated above and it is not wise to contest or question validity. You have no option but to fall in line and comply.

Prompt action

If the account is not deactivated then you can send an email assuring Amazon that you are taking remedial action to address the reasons outlined in the notice. Act on it. Remove a listing if it violates Amazon’s code. Change the photograph or the description or any offensive part. If there have been issues with the product then go to your manage inventory page and create a removal order. If it is bulk inventory you can upload an inventory file.

If it is about low performance or late shipping or about addressing customer concerns then assure Amazon with a plan of action that you will implement to resolve and rectify the issue. Hopefully, Amazon should be satisfied and it will not implement the deactivation or suspension.

If the account is deactivated you are in trouble. Amazon usually sends an email recounting reasons and steps you can take to re-activate the account. Until then your funds and worse your inventory in FBA is locked up. Amazon will not release either until the issue is resolved. Meanwhile, you can submit a plan of action and work with Amazon’s team to reactivate your account.

Ensure your seller performance:-

• Order defect rate: < 1%
• Pre-fulfillment cancel rate: < 2.5%
• Late shipment rate: < 4%

If there is no way to reactivate the account then Amazon will certainly, let you know and they will categorically state that they will not entertain further correspondence. You have to wait to reclaim inventory. It will show up as stranded inventory and you can contact Amazon for its return. You will have to pay fees for removal, However, keep in mind that even inventory that shows up as stranded after account deactivation may not be reclaimable unless the account is reinstated.

It is easy to get on the Amazon marketplace. Hanging on and prospering takes effort. Amazon’s automatic algorithms keep track of every aspect of seller’s performance. This includes factors such as sales, customer service, speed of shipment and speed with which you address customer complaints. Amazon also keeps an eye on other things such as a seller listing restricted products or contravening terms and conditions. Take just one wrong step and your account is deactivated. Since the algorithm keeps track the deactivation can be triggered automatically. If you are FBA seller it becomes worse and a real headache to get inventory back.

Reason for deactivation

If one fine day, you receive a notice that your account is deactivated you should take immediate action. Of course, Amazon does usually inform sellers about violations and impending deactivation. This notification can be accessed in the seller account by clicking on Performance Notification section. Understand the reason and take prompt action to avoid deactivation at that stage.

Top reason for deactivation:-

• Poor Seller Performance
• Seller Policy Violation
• Selling/Displaying Restricted Products

An account may be deactivated on any ground as stated above and it is not wise to contest or question validity. You have no option but to fall in line and comply.

Prompt action

If the account is not deactivated then you can send an email assuring Amazon that you are taking remedial action to address the reasons outlined in the notice. Act on it. Remove a listing if it violates Amazon’s code. Change the photograph or the description or any offensive part. If there have been issues with the product then go to your manage inventory page and create a removal order. If it is bulk inventory you can upload an inventory file.

If it is about low performance or late shipping or about addressing customer concerns then assure Amazon with a plan of action that you will implement to resolve and rectify the issue. Hopefully, Amazon should be satisfied and it will not implement the deactivation or suspension.

If the account is deactivated you are in trouble. Amazon usually sends an email recounting reasons and steps you can take to re-activate the account. Until then your funds and worse your inventory in FBA is locked up. Amazon will not release either until the issue is resolved. Meanwhile, you can submit a plan of action and work with Amazon’s team to reactivate your account.

Ensure your seller performance:-

• Order defect rate: < 1%
• Pre-fulfillment cancel rate: < 2.5%
• Late shipment rate: < 4%

If there is no way to reactivate the account then Amazon will certainly, let you know and they will categorically state that they will not entertain further correspondence. You have to wait to reclaim inventory. It will show up as stranded inventory and you can contact Amazon for its return. You will have to pay fees for removal, However, keep in mind that even inventory that shows up as stranded after account deactivation may not be reclaimable unless the account is reinstated.

Account deactivation is an extreme step. In most cases, Amazon usually sends out a notice that sellers can access from the performance notification tab. You can and should take action to rectify your fault and avoid deactivation. However, it has happened in many cases that Amazon’s algorithm makes the decision and your account may be abruptly deactivated for no fault of yours.

Contact seller-performance@amazon.com and request clarifications if you do not know the reason. You should have received an email from Amazon specifying grounds for deactivation and what action you should take. It happens that that email goes to the spam folder and you unintentionally ignore it. Amazon deactivates your account after the time limit expires. Your recourse is to appeal to the seller performance team. In your primary email, you may outline whether you received their notice or not and why you were not able to take action in time. Next, you could put in an apology and assure Amazon that you will take care of all deficiencies to the best of your ability and that you are preparing a plan of action. You will need to be patient and submit a respectfully worded appeal courteously requesting a favorable consideration of your case and that you are sorry for your mistake and that you are taking action to remove the pain point and prevent it from happening in future. Amazon cares for its image and for its buyers. Sellers must conform fully or else face consequences. Ignorance is no excuse.

Prepare a plan of action on your letterhead. Identify the issue that led to deactivation and state what action you have taken or proposes to take to remove objections and conform to Amazon’s policies for sellers. Request the Amazon team for further guidance to take further steps as they may require in order to consider reinstatement of your account. This is not guaranteed by any means and, if they do not feel that your account should be reinstated they will block all further emails. 

If your account is suspended or deactivated then Amazon certainly informs you that it has frozen your payments and inventory. Seller performance team cannot take any action to release inventory for which you may have to put in a removal order to another department by putting in removal request or wait until inventory shows up as stranded. In some cases, it may simply become impossible to reclaim inventory after deactivation unless you follow a lengthy process and even rope in a lawyer. The best bet is for you to try to get account deactivation cancelled.

Amazon has its reputation to uphold. It will not tolerate even the slightest infringement of its policies by sellers. It will not tolerate poor performance in any way, whether it is sales, customer service, speed of shipment or resolution of returns. It will not let negative comments by customers pass unheeded. The seller is penalized. The penalty is deactivation of account if seller persistently continues to ignore issues despite notifications and warnings. Then again, Amazon’s automated algorithms track sellers and may automatically block an account or even deactivate it.

Prior to such deactivation, it is the usual practice for Amazon to intimate you that there is something wrong. You will see the reason specified. You are given time to act and rectify the issue. Amazon also calls so be sure to pick up the phone because if you do not then they are not likely to call again. The phone conversation itself should give you directions on what you need to do to avoid account deactivation. However, in many cases, sellers notice that their account is deactivated. In that case, you will need to start processes to get your account reactivated. Till then Amazon will block your account, your payment and your inventory. If it is because of counterfeit inventory then you cannot hope to ever get it back because they will forfeit your payment as well as destroy inventory and also take legal action if so advised.

The issue of reactivation can be a long drawn out one. Meanwhile, your payment is blocked and you cannot hope to get it until resolution of the matter. Worse, your inventory is locked up. Further, you will be pursuing reactivation and resolution with seller performance team but unfortunately, they do not have it in their power to release inventory. You wait for inventory to show up as stranded and approach Amazon for return for which, if they agree, a fee is chargeable. However, this may not work until the account is reinstated and, if Amazon team decides against you then they may initiate inventory return or inform you that your inventory is confiscated and lost for you.

It is best to try for account reactivation. Send out a primary email assuring full cooperation and compliance and request time and guidance from Amazon. Prepare a Plan of Action by identifying the deficiencies that led to deactivation and assure Amazon as to steps you have taken or are taking to remedy this and prevent its future recurrence. If you are convincing enough your account may be restarted.