The online mail order company Amazon is probably the most important sales platform in the world. Around 488 million different products are offered by various retailers. Thanks to this wide range of products and the numerous benefits - free shipping, express delivery, buyer protection and much more - customers from 100 countries use Amazon.
But Amazon is also a friend and helper for online retailers. More than 400,000 German sales partners sell products via the platform. They take advantage of the great popularity of the American company and benefit from increased visibility and reach. As a result, many sellers use the online mail order company to support their own e-commerce business. For others, Amazon is the most important source of income.
If your own account is blocked, this is tantamount to a disaster for every Amazon retailer. Orders are stopped and a large part of the income is lost. Until recently, retailers were also unable to understand why the Account blocking has taken place. This is because, according to the applicable Terms and conditions not obligated. In the meantime, the Business Solution Agreement (BSA) provides information.
Were you given the Authorization to sell you don't have to throw in the towel immediately. In fact, you have the option of having the blocking lifted with the help of a Action plan to be canceled. In the following article, we explain how the Plan of Action (PoA) can be turned into reality and what measures you need to take to avoid future problems.
What exactly is the action plan at Amazon?
Amazon's success concept is based on high customer satisfaction. To maintain this, the online mail order company has a series of guidelines, Guidelines and agreements that buyers must adhere to. If these rules are breached, the e-commerce giant has the right to enforce the consequences. As a result, items or accounts may be blocked.
For these cases, Amazon has worked on the creation of a detailed action plan that enables the account to be reactivated or reverses the sanctions imposed. The plan should provide answers to the following questions:
- What is the reason for the blocking of my seller account?
- What measures can I take to avoid future problems?
- What changes can I make to my internal processes to prevent sanctions and suspensions?
Once your account has been blocked, the action plan is the only way for you to Restoration to regain your right to sell. In this situation, you need to act quickly, as Amazon only gives you 17 days to submit a detailed action plan. The document is therefore to be regarded as a letter of complaint, which can be used to appeal against the sanctions imposed.
When do you need an action plan?
The creation of an action plan is always necessary when seller accounts have been deactivated. And although the e-commerce top dog has published some tips and tricks for writing the plan, the action plan remains a major challenge for those affected.
When it comes to their own livelihood, most people act rashly and rashly. However, experience shows that an email addressed to Amazon does not help to solve the problem. To resolve the problem, Amazon partners should follow the steps outlined below. First and foremost are Root cause analysis and immediate measures.
Reasons for account blocking on Amazon
Without an active Amazon account, it is not possible to continue selling your own products. However, reactivating the account only makes sense if you have tackled the root of the problem. If you don't get rid of the causes of the suspension, your sales license will once again be heading for the end. You should therefore first try to get to the bottom of the reasons for the account suspension.
As a rule, the Identification of the trigger is quite simple, as there are only three possible causes:
- Inadequate quality management: In the USA alone, 213 million US citizens use the retail platform every month. In Germany, Amazon generates 22 billion US dollars a year, making it the absolute market leader. The online mail order company does not want to spoil these record-breaking figures, which is why great importance is attached to seller performance. If the retailer's performance regularly leaves something to be desired and does not meet the portal's high expectations, Amazon takes action.
- Non-compliance with the sales guidelines or the code of conduct: Amazon is no joke when it comes to fraud and breaches of the guidelines. If a seller tries to poach customers or illegally obtain product reviews, they may be suspended.
- Lack of seller information: If a seller lacks transparency and provides insufficient or even false information, Amazon shows no mercy.
How to prevent an account from being blocked in advance
If the Amazon account has been deactivated, the seller no longer has access to the internal communication channels. Accordingly, it is impossible for merchants with this status to contact Seller Central. For this reason, sellers should do everything possible to avoid account blocks in advance.
Negative reviews or bad feedback do not immediately lead to exclusion from the Amazon seller community. Only when a certain rate of unfulfilled requirements is reached does it become dangerous for online retailers.
But don't panic! Amazon will first issue a warning to inform the merchant of its violations. The suspension process can still be interrupted at this point. If the steps taken are not sufficient, a product can be excluded or the account blocked.
It is always advisable to be proactive. Take your fate into your own hands and explain the problem to Amazon by sending an email to Seller Central. You can avoid the account suspension by showing Amazon that you are striving to improve on the issues raised and offering concrete solutions.
How do you create an action plan for Amazon?
If sales stop from one day to the next, you need to act quickly. A Action plan is the key to success or to the lifting of the initiated block. Amazon has issued a formal requirement for this case, which sellers must expressly adhere to:
- Clear and precise statements: Your action plan should be written objectively and be based on the given facts and events. Get to the point and don't get caught up in excuses.
- Concrete explanations: A series of problems often leads to the account being blocked. It is advisable to name the individual incidents one after the other and provide informative reasons. Don't forget to mention possible solutions.
- Evidence: Make the service staff's work easier and include proof of all products. This speeds up the process and puts employees in a positive mood.
- Highlighting of important data: It can also be helpful to highlight relevant information in the text. This includes, for example, supplier contact details, ASINs or product numbers.
The 4-Dimension (4D) and the 8-Dimension (8D) Report
The action plan is probably one of the biggest challenges facing Amazon sellers. Although the e-commerce giant has a clear idea of which aspects and rules need to be adhered to in the document, these are not communicated publicly. A standard solution is therefore not available. Nevertheless, quality management does offer some points of reference: the 4-Dimension (4D) and the 8-Dimension (8D) report.
The 4D Report
The 4-Dimensions-Report should be used by sellers who are accused of minor infringements. This includes product suspensions due to order deficiencies or similar.
The 4D report is divided into four steps:
- Problem description
- Root cause analysis and immediate measures
- Shutdown measures
- Proof of efficacy
1. description of the problem
At the beginning, the trader's descriptive skills are required. They should briefly and concisely describe the violations that led to the account being blocked.
2. root cause analysis
You must then deal with the problem in detail and delve deep into the matter. You should provide conclusive reasons that explain the violations. It is important that you do not look for the faults in others, but analyze your own misconduct. You must put your own pride aside, because even if the customer or supplier is partly to blame, insinuations and accusations are not welcome in the Amazon action plan.
This step should also address the measures you have already initiated. The employees of the online mail order company do not want to hear any forecasts or plans. You should describe specifically which improvements have already taken place.
3. remedial measures
The next step is to follow up the allusions from the Root cause analysis describe the problem in detail. Go step by step through the established processes and changes you have made to eliminate the problem. These include, for example:
- Employee training
- Introduction of a supervisory body
- Change of supplier
- Organizational restructuring
- etc.
4. proof of efficacy
It is said that words speak volumes, but Amazon relies primarily on evidence. Your statements should therefore be underlined with evidence. You can include purchase agreements, photos, reports or customer reviews to add weight to your words.
The 8D Report
In contrast to the 4D Report is the 8D Report more detailed and extensive. As the name suggests, it is made up of eight individual levels and is intended for serious offenses against the Amazon guidelines.
1. put together a team to solve the problem
The first thing Amazon is interested in is who is involved in solving the problem. If you are working independently to improve performance, you should communicate this clearly. However, it is a good idea to put together a team to rehabilitate your account. You can draw on internal resources or use external sources to solve the problem. If you are using a software solution, the contact persons must be listed.
2. description of the problem
This point essentially corresponds to the first point of the 4D report.
3. determination of immediate measures
Here is a brief overview of the most important countermeasures. A bullet-point list is recommended.
4. determine the origin of the error
As in point 2 of the 4D report, the root cause analysis now follows. As a salesperson, you should actively get to the bottom of the reasons and describe the discovery process in detail. Point out the tests and investigations you have carried out that have led you to the source. However, remember that you should refrain from apportioning blame and instead remain objective and factual.
5. plan shutdown measures
In the following, you can name the solutions that should prevent mistakes and bad reviews from customers in the future. The main point is to justify the decision for the respective steps and go into the background.
6. introduce remedial measures
The documentation of the measures follows at this point.
7. do not repeat mistakes
The seventh dimension is about avoiding mistakes. You should now explain to what extent the measures will help you to avoid your previous misconduct in the future.
8. summary
A summary follows at the end. You describe your own learning curve and discuss future projects that will have a positive impact on your performance as a salesperson.
Useful tips for trading correctly with a blocked seller account
If your Amazon seller account has been blocked, you can use the following recommendations as a guide:
Do not create a new Amazon seller account
It is understandable that online retailers want to do everything in their power to avoid a sales freeze. And a quick way out seems to be to open a new account. In reality, however, the opposite is the case: the lifting of the suspension is delayed and purchasing activities cannot continue even with a new account. Amazon quickly uncovers this scam and puts an end to it. So do yourself and the employees a favor and wait.
Keep calm
If the Amazon seller account is blocked, many sellers panic. This is a normal reaction, but unfortunately it won't help you in this situation. Keep a cool head and actively look for solution strategies to get you out of your misery.
Do not threaten legal action
In the heat of the moment, some sellers seek legal advice and contact the Seller Performance department. By doing so, you cast a negative light on your company and your appeal process can be significantly delayed.
Seller support is not your point of contact
Your only contact for the rehabilitation of your account is the Seller Performance department. You should therefore send your message to the responsible person. Seller Support cannot help you.
Always remain polite
Due to the stress and fear of losing this valuable source of income, it is not uncommon for online merchants to be rude. However, rude behavior will not solve your problems, but will make employees less willing to unblock your account.
Do not make the action plan too long and complicated
The action plan should be as short as possible and as long as necessary. This means that you should describe, explain and analyze in detail, but still get to the point.
The bottom line - the action plan as a major hurdle for marketplace sellers
The Action plan is a necessary evil in order to resume sales activities. This is because the account will not be unblocked without a valid and well-founded justification and the presentation of measures already initiated and planned.
Anyone who does not feel up to the high content and stylistic requirements can seek help from us as a Amazon Agency are looking for. I will be happy to give you a helping hand so that you can get your sales authorization back as quickly as possible.
What is the action plan at Amazon?
Amazon's concept for success is based on a high level of customer satisfaction. In order to maintain this, the online mail order company has drawn up a series of guidelines, policies and agreements that buyers must adhere to. If these rules are breached, the e-commerce giant has the right to enforce the consequences. As a result, items or accounts may be blocked. For these cases, Amazon has worked on creating a detailed action plan that allows the account to be reactivated or the sanctions imposed to be reversed.
When do you need an action plan?
The creation of an action plan is always necessary when seller accounts have been deactivated. And although the e-commerce top dog has published some tips and tricks for writing the plan, the action plan remains a major challenge for those affected. When it comes to their own livelihood, most people act rashly and rashly. Experience shows, however, that an email addressed to Amazon does nothing to solve the problem. To resolve the problem, Amazon partners should follow the steps outlined below. The first step is to analyze the cause and take immediate action.
