Amazon deactivated my account over a review I never wrote. What do I do?
Amazon is treating a review from an account it links to you as if it came from you, so the deactivation is about the connection as much as the review. Don't rush to "acknowledge" something you don't believe happened. Your first step is to write a dated timeline of the devices, people and networks around your account, before you send Amazon another reply.
What happened
A seller told a forum this week that their store was deactivated for abusing another seller.
As they described it, Amazon said a buyer account it treats as linked to them had left a negative review on a competitor's product.
They say they never wrote that review, and they can't see what Amazon is looking at.
Their disputes were rejected, and an Account Health rep suggested they acknowledge the violation and send a plan of action. Other sellers in the thread said something similar had happened to them.
If that's where you are right now, I want to say this first: we're on your side, and this is a spot where calm beats speed.
What Amazon's rules say about reviews
Amazon's Selling Policies and Seller Code of Conduct says every seller must "not attempt to damage or abuse another seller, their listings or ratings."
The same page says sellers may not review their own products or a competitor's products.
Amazon's Community Guidelines say customers may not post reviews on their own product, if they're also a seller, or on a competitor's product. They also rule out reviews on products from sellers you have a personal connection with.
Amazon's Customer Reviews help page lists "a negative review from a seller on a competitor's product" among the reviews it doesn't allow and will remove.
The Code of Conduct also counts "allowing other people to act on your behalf in a way that violates Amazon's policies" as an unfair activity.
And it says breaking the code may lead to actions such as cancellation of listings, suspension or forfeiture of payments, and removal of selling privileges.
Why Amazon links accounts
Amazon's Code of Conduct says you may only maintain one Seller Central account for each region you sell in, unless you have a legitimate business need for a second one and all your accounts are in good standing.
Amazon staff on the Seller Forums have written that a link can be placed when two accounts share personal, financial or business information, and that "you do not have to own or operate the other account for a link to be established."
Another Amazon staff reply on the forums said that logging in to different accounts from the same location may make it appear that the same person runs both.
Those replies were about seller accounts. Amazon doesn't publish exactly how it connects a shopper account to a seller, and we won't guess.
From our experience, the overlap behind a link is often ordinary life: a shared home, a family laptop, a Wi-Fi network someone else also uses. None of that means anyone did something wrong. It does mean the explanation sits in details you can write down.
Why "just acknowledge it" is risky
When a rep suggests you acknowledge the violation, it can sound like the fastest way back. I understand why it's tempting.
Amazon's Code of Conduct asks sellers to provide accurate information to Amazon at all times.
In our view, an acknowledgment is a statement about what happened, and once it's on your account it's hard to take back. If you don't believe it happened, that's a big thing to sign your name to under pressure.
That doesn't mean the rep is wrong or that you should pick a fight. Amazon has every reason to protect its reviews, and so do honest sellers. It means you decide with the facts in front of you, not with the clock in your ear.
The holiday pressure
Black Friday is November 27, less than two weeks away. A store that's down now is losing the weeks that matter most.
My view: pressure is exactly when people send replies they'd never send on a calm Tuesday. Give yourself one day to get the facts straight first.
One first step for today
Before you reply to Amazon again, write a dated timeline of every device that has signed in to your seller account or to a shopper account in your home, every person who has used those devices, and every network they've connected through. Start from the date Amazon gives for the review and work outward.
That's the start, not the fix.
FAQ
Can Amazon deactivate me over a review I didn't write?
Amazon's rules bar sellers from reviewing competitors' products and from attempting to damage another seller, and its Code of Conduct also covers letting other people act on your behalf in a way that breaks its policies. When Amazon believes a review came from an account linked to you, it may treat that review as yours. That's why the link matters as much as the review itself.
What does a "linked" account mean?
Amazon staff on the Seller Forums have said accounts can be linked when they share personal, financial or business information, and that you don't have to own or run the other account for a link to exist.
Should I just acknowledge it to get back faster?
That's your decision, and the rep may mean well. In our view, acknowledging something you don't believe happened is a serious step, because Amazon expects accurate information from sellers and an acknowledgment is hard to walk back. Get your facts in order before you decide.
Should I get a lawyer?
We're not a law firm, and we don't give legal advice. Whether to hire one is your call. What we do is work Amazon account cases through Amazon's own appeals process.
Can Market Wize promise to get my account back?
No one can promise how Amazon will decide, and we won't. What we can say is that we look at your case closely and keep trying creative angles, always legally and within Amazon's policies.
Talk to us
If your account was deactivated over a review you say you never wrote, talk to us before you send Amazon anything else. We're on your side. Contact Market Wize at info@market-wize.com or https://www.market-wize.com/appeals.