As an Amazon seller, it is very important that you know how to conduct your business as fairly and honestly as possible. Remember that Amazon has strict selling policies, so you should be sure to know these policies. If you don’t comply with Amazon selling policies, your Amazon seller account may be suspended.
Even though there are sellers that take risks and don’t comply with Amazon’s regulations in order to increase sales, you should never take these risks.
As a seller, what can you do? When your interests are violated, you will need to take action and report Amazon listings.
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What is Amazon Listing Policy Violation
Before we delve into Amazon listing reports, let’s define what Amazon listing violations and what they entail. Amazon listing policy violations refer to any activity that goes against Amazon’s policies and guidelines regarding listings on their platform.
According to Amazon selling policies and seller code of conduct:
- As a seller, you must provide accurate information about your product’s categories and details.
- You should act fairly when it comes to dealing with your customers. Refrain from manipulating sales ranking. Doing anything to damage other sellers’ listings or ratings is not allowed.
- You should never do anything to manipulate the customer’s feedback. For example, you may be tempted to give discounts to customers for a good review.
- Please refrain from violating any of Amazon’s rules and regulations. This will give both sellers and buyers a bad experience. Both buyers and sellers have the right to report any violations.
Can You Complain about a Product on Amazon
Yes, you can complain about a product on Amazon. Whether you are an Amazon seller or a customer you have the right to complain about a product on Amazon.
If you are a customer, you should take these steps:
a.Go to the product listing page for the item you want to complain about.
b.Scroll down to the “Customer questions & answers” section and click on “See all questions and answers”.
c.Click on the “Ask a question” button.
d.In the “Ask a Question” field, describe your complaint about the product.
e.Click on the “Submit” button to submit your complaint.
If you are an Amazon seller, please focus on the next parts, which include how to report an Amazon listing violation
Common Types of Amazon Listing Violation
If you are going to report Amazon listing violations, you should know the kinds of Amazon listing violations.
1. Hijackings
According to Amazon descriptions, hijacking occurs when an unauthorized seller lists a counterfeit version of a product on the platform.
These products are usually cheap versions of an actual product that the seller produces and sells. It is very bad for an unauthorized seller to hijack your product. All they need to do is steal your product photos and name, and they can list their counterfeit very fast.
2. Inaccurate Product Information
Inaccurate product information is yet another Amazon listing violation that you should be aware of. It is the act of using misleading or inaccurate product titles, descriptions, or images.
For buyers, this is a very big issue. This is due to the fact that buyers usually use product information in deciding whether to buy a product or not.
3. Manipulating Customer Reviews
This violation entails the offering of incentives or paying users for fake reviews. This is very dishonest marketing and could confuse your buyers. This also abuses your potential buyer’s trust, because they deserve reviews that were earned through the good performance of your product.
4. Violating intellectual property right
You should take into account that selling products that infringe on the intellectual property rights of others is considered a violation. This includes trademarks and copyrights. Selling counterfeit or fake items is also considered as violating property rights.
5. Listing prohibited items
The listing of prohibited items is also considered a violation. This list includes illegal, unsafe, or other Amazon-restricted products on Amazon.
Please take note that different Amazon sites have different prohibited items, and you could check them through Amazon seller central.
Overall, you should always remember that when you supply goods on Amazon, you have sole responsibility for ensuring that your listings comply with all local, state, and federal laws, and Amazon policies.
6. Price gouging
Please take note that price gouging is also considered a violation. This violation is usually classified as an instance wherein the price of the product on the listing page does not match the actual price on the payment interface.
7. Selling used items as new
The selling of used items as new may be considered a listing violation. Remember that customers have the right to expect that they are receiving a brand-new item.
How to Report an Amazon Listing
Now that you know the common types of Amazon listing violations, you should now learn how to report an Amazon listing. Here are the necessary steps you should follow:
Step 1: Identify Amazon Listing Violation
You should understand that whether you are a seller or buyer, you have the choice to report Amazon listings.
Remember that Amazon sellers will often report an Amazon listing when their products are hijacked, or if the intellectual property rights of their products are being violated,
Amazon buyers often report an Amazon listing when there are price gouging, inaccurate product information, or prohibited items.
Whether you are a seller or buyer, before reporting a violation, you should familiarize yourself with Amazon’s policies to understand what kind of violation it is.
By doing so, you will be able to defend your interests in the most efficient way possible.
Step 2: Collect Violation Evidence
After identifying Amazon listing violations that you could commit, the next step is to report to Amazon to protect your benefits.
However, if you are going to file a report, you should make sure that you have powerful evidence to back up your statement.
When it comes to evidence, these should include the following:
- The store or business name of the seller you are reporting.
- The ASIN or ISBN of the item’s detail page and the product title. This will allow Amazon to identify the item in the most accurate way.
- The marketplaces wherein the violation has occurred.
- A concise explanation of the violation based on the policy.
- Supporting documentation. Some key examples of documentation are IDs, receipts, or related messages.
Step 3: Report Abuse Through Amazon
Once you identify the type of Amazon listing violation and collect enough violation evidence, it is now time to report the Amazon listing violation. In order to do so, you should make sure to follow these key steps:
- Go to Report Abuse
- Select violation type
- Provide the concerned Order ID or ASIN/ISBN as applicable.
- Include the following information in the Please Describe your field as applicable.
- You should prepare any supporting documents that may help your case.
- Please include the item’s ISBN or ASIN.
- You should also add the marketplace wherein the violation was perpetrated.
- Make sure to provide an explanation for your report. This should be based on the policy.
Please take note that all reports are thoroughly investigated by the Amazon team. For privacy reasons, the investigations can’t be disclosed. However, they will make the appropriate disciplinary actions.
Step 4: Wait for Amazon Feedback
After submitting the abuse information, you will receive a confirmation email from Amazon. Afterward, Amazon will conduct a thorough investigation of your query.
Just wait for feedback from Amazon concerning your query. If the situation is true, Amazon will delete this listing. Amazon may even suspend the account if there is a serious violation.
How to Know If You Have Amazon Listing Violation
As an Amazon seller, you should be aware you could make mistakes. No matter how careful you are, there is always a likelihood that you made a mistake.
As a rule, you should know how to spot an Amazon listing violation. Luckily, Amazon has some methods of spotting violations. in fact, if you have any Amazon violations, Amazon will notify you of your Account health. If you want to inspect your Amazon account health, just follow these steps:
- Open seller central
- Select the performance tab
- Click account health and review your account health dashboard product policy compliance section.
- You will find a part there named Fulfilled by seller and Amazon. There will be a list that contains certain specifications.
- These specifications are as follows: suspected intellectual property violations, received intellectual property complaints, product authenticity customer complaints, product condition customer complaints, food and product safety issues, listing policy violations restricted product policy violations, customer product reviews policy violations, and other policy violations. If you see numbers in any of these sections, that means there are violations and you will need to act fast to correct them. If they are all in zeros, that means you have no violations.
How to Deal with Listing Violations on Amazon As Sellers
As a seller, you are responsible for dealing with any listing violations that will negatively affect your business. Should you get any reports from Amazon of violations, you should deal with them as soon as possible.
If you have received a notification from Amazon about a listing violation, here are some steps you should take:
Step 1: Check Amazon Notifications (H3)
After getting the Amazon report, you should make sure to read the notice and understand the key reasons for the violation. You should take note that Amazon may provide specific instructions or guidance on how to resolve the issue. Please be sure to follow these instructions to the letter to avoid any setbacks.
Step 2: Review Your Listing
Please make sure to check your listing to see if it violates any Amazon policies or guidelines. It is important that all the information on your listing is accurate, including product title, description, images, price, and other things.
Step 3: Correct Violation Listing
Even if you are very careful with your listings, there is always a possibility that you make mistakes. Should you make a mistake, it is imperative that you correct it immediately.
If the violation is related to a product you are selling, you should make sure that it meets all Amazon requirements. You should also be as fast as possible if you need to remove the listing.
Step 4: State Your Reasons for Appeal
There may be instances where you believe the violation was a mistake. During these cases, you have the right to appeal the decision. You will need to provide additional information or evidence that backs up your claim. Please ensure that you follow the instructions provided by Amazon to submit your appeal.
Conclusion
As an Amazon seller, it is very important that you comply with Amazon selling policies. Remember that the seller’s code of conduct is a must. If you find any violations, you will need to protect your benefits and report Amazon listings promptly.On the other hand, if you have any violations of your own, you will need to take these listing violations seriously and address them swiftly to avoid account suspensions or other penalties.
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