Amazon suspended my seller account - $47K in funds held, won't tell me why

Woke up this morning to an email saying my Amazon seller account has been suspended for "violation of Amazon policies." No specifics. No warning. Just suspended.

I've been selling on Amazon for 3 years. Mostly private label home goods. Account health was at 99.8%. Zero IP complaints. Less than 1% order defect rate.

They're holding $47,000 in my account - orders that already shipped and were delivered. I can't access Seller Central. Can't contact my buyers. Can't respond to messages.

The email says I can "appeal" but gives zero information about what I supposedly violated. How am I supposed to appeal when I don't even know what the problem is?

Is this normal? Do I need a lawyer? This is literally my entire business income.

This happened to me last year. Amazon's suspension process is brutal. They can suspend you for literally anything and the burden is on YOU to figure out what happened and prove you fixed it.

Check your Account Health dashboard if you can still access it. Sometimes there are clues there - complaints you didn't see, authenticity questions, even weird stuff like "related account" issues if you know anyone else who sells on Amazon.

Also check your email for ANY communication from Amazon in the past 30 days. Sometimes they send vague warnings buried in automated emails.

I handle Amazon seller disputes. Unfortunately this is extremely common. Amazon's Business Solutions Agreement gives them nearly unlimited discretion to suspend accounts and hold funds.

Key things to know:

• They can hold your funds for 90 days after suspension per Section 1 of the BSA
• In some cases they hold funds even longer if there are "pending customer disputes"
• You typically won't get a human response - just bot-generated template emails
• Arbitration is mandatory per your seller agreement (Section 18) - you waived your right to sue in court

The vague "policy violation" language is intentional. It forces you to review everything and self-report issues in your appeal.

I still have limited access to Account Health. Nothing flagged. Performance metrics all green. Zero product authenticity complaints.

The only thing I can think of: I launched a new product line 2 weeks ago (kitchen organizers). Could that trigger something? They're manufactured overseas but I have all the proper invoices and testing certificates.

Also just realized - I have another $12K in inventory at Amazon warehouses (FBA). Can they hold that too?

Yes, they can and will hold your FBA inventory. You'll need to file a removal order but those are often delayed or denied during account suspension.

The new product line is a red flag. Possible triggers:

• Product safety: Did you submit required testing documentation (CPSC certificates, prop 65 warnings if selling in CA)?
• Listing violations: Any superlative claims ("best," "safest"), medical claims, or comparison to competitors?
• Trademark issues: Did you reference any brand names in your listing or use protected terms?
• Inauthentic complaints: Sometimes competitors file false complaints to get you suspended

For your Plan of Action (POA), you need to address: (1) Root cause, (2) Corrective actions taken, (3) Steps to prevent recurrence. Be specific and contrite.

Going through this exact thing right now. Week 3 of my suspension. $31K held.

I've submitted 4 POAs. Every one gets rejected with the same copy-paste response: "Your plan of action did not adequately address our concerns."

It's maddening. They won't tell me what the concerns ARE. I've tried calling Seller Support - they just read from a script and say "submit a better appeal."

Honestly considering just walking away and writing off the money at this point. The emotional toll isn't worth it.

@DaveFromTexas - don't walk away from $31K. I understand the frustration but there are escalation paths.

If standard appeals aren't working:

1. File a formal appeal through jeff@amazon.com (Jeff Bezos's executive escalations team - yes it actually works sometimes)
2. Reach out to Seller Performance team via the "Appeal" button with a VERY detailed POA citing specific policy sections
3. If funds are held beyond 90 days, send a formal demand letter citing breach of the BSA
4. As a last resort, file arbitration with JAMS (costs about $3,000 to file but Amazon often settles when they see you're serious)

I've recovered funds for clients even when Amazon maintained the suspension. The funds and the account status are separate issues.

Update: I went through my new product listings with a fine-tooth comb. Found the issue.

One of my kitchen organizer listings said "BPA-free like Tupperware brand containers." I was trying to explain what BPA-free meant to customers. Apparently that's trademark infringement because I referenced Tupperware.

I never got a warning, a takedown notice, nothing. Just straight to account suspension.

Submitting a POA now explaining it was unintentional, I've removed all brand references from all listings, and implemented a review process to prevent it. Think that'll work?

That's almost certainly it. Amazon is hyper-aggressive about trademark enforcement because they're liable under the Lanham Act if they allow infringement.

Your POA should include:

• Specific acknowledgment of the trademark reference violation
• Evidence you removed ALL brand references (screenshots of updated listings)
• Your new review process (be specific - "I will use [tool name] to scan all listings" or "hired a compliance consultant")
• Professional tone - no excuses, just facts and solutions

First-time trademark violations with a solid POA usually get reinstated within 2-5 days IF the POA is good. Make it bulletproof.

Pro tip for everyone: NEVER reference competitor brands in your listings. Not even in a comparison. Not even to say yours is "compatible with" something.

Amazon's automated systems flag this stuff instantly. Common mistakes I see:

• "Works with iPhone" - Apple trademark
• "Fits Yeti coolers" - Yeti trademark
• "Similar to [brand name]" - instant suspension

Use generic terms only. "Compatible with smartphones." "Fits most insulated drinkware." Keep it generic and you'll be fine.

Update 2: Got a response to my POA after 3 days. They said my plan was "insufficient" and I need to provide more detail about my "review process."

Revised POA and explained I now use a 3-step review: (1) Check Amazon's Brand Registry database before any product launch, (2) Run all copy through a trademark screening tool, (3) Have a compliance consultant review before going live.

Fingers crossed this works. The $47K is killing my cash flow. Had to get a bridge loan to cover my supplier invoice due next week.

That POA sounds solid. The fact they responded asking for more detail (rather than just rejecting it) is a good sign - means you identified the right issue.

One thing to add if you revise again: include a sentence about training anyone who touches your listings. Even if it's just you, say something like "All team members involved in product listing creation have been trained on Amazon's intellectual property policies."

Also document this process in writing and attach it as a PDF to your appeal. Amazon likes to see documentation, not just promises.

RESOLVED! Account reinstated this morning. Submitted the third POA on Tuesday with @RobertK_Commerce's suggestions plus a detailed SOP document attached.

Funds should be released in the next disbursement cycle (2 weeks). Inventory removal orders have been approved.

Total time suspended: 8 days. Lesson learned: Never reference ANY brand names in listings, even innocently. And document everything.

Thanks everyone for the help, especially the attorneys who chimed in. This forum literally saved my business.

This thread is a lifesaver. Just got hit with a suspension notice yesterday for "inauthentic items" and I have no idea what that means. I source everything directly from manufacturers with invoices.

Reading through all your advice here - sounds like I need to be super methodical with my Plan of Action. Did anyone here have success with the "inauthentic" suspension reason specifically? That seems even more vague than IP violations.

Also nervous because I see people saying Amazon holds funds for 90 days after suspension. I have $31K tied up right now and that would absolutely destroy me.

@AmazonSeller_Newbie - "Inauthentic" suspensions are actually more common than IP violations and often easier to resolve if you have proper documentation. The key is showing a complete chain of custody from manufacturer to Amazon warehouse.

Your POA needs: supplier invoices with full contact info, manufacturer authorization letters, photos of products with all branding, your inventory tracking system, quality control procedures. Make it bulletproof.

And yes, they will hold your funds for 90 days after suspension unless you can prove you shipped all orders with tracking. Request a disbursement showing all orders fulfilled - sometimes they'll release funds early if your account is clean.

@AmazonSeller_Newbie - I went through an "inauthentic" suspension last summer. The key thing that got me reinstated: I provided invoices FROM THE MANUFACTURER not from a distributor. Amazon is super suspicious of wholesale distributors.

If you're buying from a middleman, try to get authorization letters directly from the brand owner saying you're an authorized reseller. That made all the difference for me.

Also PSA for everyone: screenshot your account health dashboard DAILY. If you get suspended, you lose access to all that data. Having screenshots showing clean metrics before suspension helps your appeal.

honestly the most frustrating thing about amazon is how they treat sellers vs buyers. Buyers can make false claims, get free stuff, leave fake reviews, and amazon just goes along with it. Meanwhile one innocent mistake in a listing and you lose your entire business.

Not trying to be negative, just venting. We got suspended for "inauthentic" claims that turned out to be a competitor filing fake complaints. By the time we proved everything was legit, we'd lost 3 months of Q4 sales. Absolute nightmare.

@BrandBuilder_Mike glad you got reinstated quickly. 8 days is actually pretty fast - count yourself lucky!

Has anyone here tried using one of those Amazon reinstatement services? I keep seeing ads for them but they seem expensive ($1,500-$3,000) and I can't tell if they're legit or just doing the same thing you could do yourself.

Currently week 2 of my own suspension nightmare. Submitted 2 POAs both rejected. Starting to wonder if professional help is worth it or if I should just keep trying on my own.

The jeff@amazon.com escalation mentioned above - does that still work? Seems like it would just get filtered by now.