Amazon Sellers are Struggling with Chaotic Decisions- Share Your Story
Small businesses have absolutely no idea how to deal with the rapid expansion of algorithmic, irrational flags & account shutdowns. Share your story. We publish every single one.
Sharing your story is one of the best things you can do. We publish every single one on our award-winning blog & with reporters.
“I woke up to see my Amazon Seller account suspended with no warning. The email said ‘inauthentic item’ but all my products came directly from the brand. I’ve submitted invoices three times—still nothing.”
“We built a 7-figure Amazon Seller business over six years. One false safety complaint from a competitor and Amazon shut us down overnight. No human ever reviewed our case, just bots.”
“The worst part isn’t the Amazon Seller suspension, it’s the silence. Appeals just get copy-paste replies that don’t address anything. You feel invisible.”
“Amazon suspended us for ‘high cancellation rate’—but the orders they canceled were ones they themselves couldn’t ship with FBA. Unreal.”
“We lost our Amazon Seller account right before Christmas, our busiest season. Overnight we went from 500 orders a day to zero.”
“The Amazon Seller appeal process is designed to exhaust you. We rewrote our plan of action five times and still got generic denials.”
“I never even got a reason for my suspension. Just a vague Amazon Seller ‘policy violation.’ It’s like being fired without knowing why.”
“Amazon told me my products were counterfeit, but I buy direct from the manufacturer. I sent all the paperwork—ignored.”
“Amazon Seller asked for a utility bill to prove identity, I sent three, they kept rejecting them for ‘format issues.’ None explained.”
“I had an Amazon Seller account in good standing for years, then a new competitor showed up. Suddenly I get fake negative reviews and then a suspension notice.”
“We sell health products. One customer claimed a bottle leaked in shipping. A week later, our entire Amazon Seller catalog was suspended for ‘safety concerns.’”
“When Amazon suspends you, they also hold your money. They froze $28,000 in payouts while I tried to prove myself innocent.”
“You realize how much power Amazon has when they shut you down for something trivial and refuse to explain. It feels like dealing with a dictator.”
“We followed every Amazon Seller policy, had 100% feedback, but still suspended for ‘review manipulation.’ We’ve never even asked customers for reviews.”
“Amazon reinstated us after three weeks, but the damage was done. Our rank dropped, ads lost momentum, and sales never recovered.”
“It’s insane—one buyer complained the box was dented. That triggered a full account suspension. How is that fair?”
“The thing that broke me was the endless Amazon Seller loop: appeal denied, resubmit, appeal denied. No way to talk to a real person.”
“They suspended us for selling ‘restricted products’—but the items are still sold by Amazon itself under their own brand.”
“We were suspended right after Prime Day. It felt deliberate, like they didn’t want third-party sellers competing during big events.”
“The Amazon Seller ‘Account Health’ dashboard shows you’re in good shape. Next day? Suspension email. Makes no sense.”
“We had five employees relying on our Amazon sales. When they shut us down without explanation, I had to lay people off.”
“Our invoices were rejected because they didn’t have the word ‘invoice’ at the top. That’s literally the reason support gave us.”
“We got suspended for ‘intellectual property violation’ but the brand gave us written authorization. Amazon Seller services didn’t care.”
“The emotional toll is huge. You feel powerless watching your livelihood vanish because of a robot’s decision.”
“Amazon Seller held my account hostage until I provided documents I had already sent. No one even looked at them.”
“The whole process feels guilty until proven innocent. And proving innocence is nearly impossible.”
“Even when you get reinstated, the fear never leaves. You know they could suspend you again any day, for any reason.”
“I filed an appeal through every channel—email, case log, even escalated to Executive Seller Relations. Not once did I get a human response.”
“It’s not just about lost sales. Amazon Seller suspensions ruin your brand reputation. Customers think you’re a scammer when you’re not.”
“After being suspended for two months, I finally gave up and moved to Shopify. The Amazon Seller experience lost me as a seller forever.”
Top Amazon Seller Frustrations (And Why They’re Amazon’s Fault)
For millions of third-party merchants, Amazon is both the biggest opportunity and the biggest headache. While the platform opens doors to global customers, it also creates major seller frustrations that stem directly from Amazon’s policies, algorithms, and business practices. Here are the most common pain points that sellers face—and why they’re Amazon’s responsibility.
1. Account Health & Suspensions
Automated flags, vague suspensions, and generic appeal responses leave sellers in limbo. Sellers often lose revenue overnight without clear explanations or a path to reinstatement.
2. Customer Service Bias
Amazon’s “customer-first” mantra often means sellers lose disputes, even against fraudulent claims. Return abuse, forced refunds, and restocking costs add up to significant losses.
3. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Issues
From lost inventory to incorrect fees, sellers regularly face problems inside Amazon’s own warehouses. Restock limits and slow reimbursements make scaling even harder.
4. Rising Fees & Costs
Amazon seller fees continue to climb—referral, FBA, storage, and advertising costs eat into already thin margins. Many sellers now feel they must “pay to play” just to stay visible.
5. Competition & Copycats
Sellers frequently complain that Amazon undercuts them with private-label products or fails to police counterfeiters. Overseas competitors are often given leniency, creating an uneven playing field.
6. Search & Algorithm Control
Amazon’s search algorithm can change overnight, burying products with no explanation. Suppressed listings, keyword mismatches, and sudden ranking drops are constant frustrations.
7. Payment & Payout Delays
Sellers depend on fast payouts to keep inventory moving, but Amazon often holds funds for weeks—or freezes them entirely during disputes, even when sellers are later cleared.
8. Lack of Transparency
Constant rule changes, hidden metrics, and shifting policies keep sellers guessing. Amazon provides little insight into why listings are suppressed or why performance scores drop.