Getting an ASIN suspension feels a lot like falling into a black hole of confusion. It can be incredibly frustrating, especially since Amazon is often very vague about why a listing gets suspended. Often, when an account or ASIN gets suspended, a seller has to sift through their listings and scramble to find the cause of the suspension. It’s not ideal and a big mess. The best way to avoid this is to make sure an ASIN doesn’t get suspended in the first place.
Amazon product listings can be suspended for a variety of reasons, often related to policy violations or performance issues. Understanding these reasons is crucial for maintaining a successful e-commerce business on Amazon.
Common Reasons For ASIN Suspensions:
Inaccurate Product Descriptions: Whether you twisted the truth or genuinely made a mistake, inaccurate descriptions about brand, size, exact color, etc., are a major no-no in Amazon’s books. They can lead to higher return rates and an unsatisfactory customer experience, which the marketplace would rather avoid. Amazon will protect its interests with account suspension. For example, if customers consistently report a product is a different color than they were expecting, that could result in an Amazon seller suspension.
Example: A seller lists a dress as “red,” but customers receive a dress that appears orange. Consistent complaints about this discrepancy could result in Amazon suspending the ASIN for inaccurate descriptions.
Pesticides: Amazon is very strict regarding pesticides, even banning words sellers usually wouldn’t associate with pesticides such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-mold.
Example: A seller lists a cleaning spray as “antibacterial,” despite it not being registered as a pesticide. Amazon could suspend the ASIN for using a restricted term without proper approval.
Trademarks: There are some words many Amazon sellers don’t realize are trademarked, including the names of colleges and universities, sports teams, Velcro, Xerox, and Bluetooth. Sellers can use these terms only if they’ve been approved by the original owner or if their product uses the same brand as the term.
Example: A seller lists phone accessories using the term “Bluetooth” without proper licensing. Since “Bluetooth” is a trademark, the ASIN could be suspended unless the seller obtains permission from the trademark owner.
Copyright Infringement: Using copyrighted material such as text or images without permission can result in suspension. Sellers should either use all original content or obtain approval from the rights owner.
Example: A seller uses a popular movie character’s image on their merchandise without obtaining rights from the copyright holder. This could lead to the ASIN being suspended for copyright infringement.
Restricted Products: Amazon can suspend a seller’s ASIN or account without notice if they’re caught selling prohibited items. Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program won’t ship certain products that would be eligible otherwise.
Example: A seller lists a type of knife that is classified as a restricted weapon on Amazon. This violation of the restricted products policy can lead to immediate suspension of the ASIN.
Poor Seller Performance: Amazon cares a lot about its customers. If too many customers are dissatisfied with the seller, Amazon can suspend—or even terminate their agreement—with the seller. To maintain good seller performance, sellers need to be wary of their order defect rate, pre-fulfillment cancel rate, and late shipment rate.
Example: A seller consistently ships products late, resulting in a high late shipment rate. This poor performance metric could trigger Amazon to suspend their ASINs to protect customer experience.
Breaching Terms of Service: Violating Amazon’s Terms of Service (ToS), even unintentionally, can lead to suspensions.
Example: A seller tries to manipulate reviews by offering incentives for positive feedback. Amazon’s algorithms detect this activity, leading to suspension for breaching ToS.
Manipulating Review System: Sellers are prohibited from lobbying for positive reviews or manipulating feedback.
Example: A seller asks friends to purchase their product and leave positive reviews, leading to the ASIN being suspended for review manipulation.
High Negative Feedback Rate: Keeping negative feedback below 1% is crucial for maintaining account health.
Example: A seller’s product has a high rate of dissatisfaction due to quality issues, resulting in a negative feedback rate above 1%. This can prompt Amazon to suspend the ASIN.
High Cancellation or Late Shipment Rate: Amazon expects sellers to manage orders efficiently, keeping cancellation and late shipment rates below 1%.
Example: A seller frequently cancels orders due to inventory mismanagement, leading to a pre-fulfillment cancel rate above 1%. This performance issue can result in ASIN suspension.
Improving seller performance can be challenging, but working with U-Commerce experts restricts you from getting a suspension. They offer hands-on experience in boosting profitability and maintaining compliance with Amazon’s standards. For personalized assistance, consider requesting us.
By understanding and addressing these common causes of ASIN suspensions, U-Commerce can maintain your listings and avoid the frustration of unexpected suspensions.
