Amazon Account Health: Keeping Your Seller Account in Good Standing

An account suspension can cost you thousands in lost sales and take weeks to resolve. Here's how to keep your Amazon seller account healthy and avoid the common traps.

Key Metrics

• Order Defect Rate (ODR): Must stay below 1%. Includes A-to-Z claims, chargebacks, and negative feedback. This is the most critical metric.
• Late Shipment Rate: Must stay below 4%. Only relevant for FBM sellers.
• Pre-fulfilment Cancel Rate: Must stay below 2.5%. Cancelling orders before shipment damages your metrics.
• Valid Tracking Rate: Must be above 95%. Every FBM order needs valid tracking.

Common Causes of Suspension

1. Intellectual property complaints: Selling products that infringe trademarks, patents, or copyrights. Even unknowing infringement can get you suspended.
2. Product authenticity complaints: Customers claiming your product isn't genuine. Even if it is, multiple complaints trigger review.
3. Product condition complaints: Items described as "new" arriving damaged or previously opened.
4. Review manipulation: Offering free products for reviews, buying reviews, or asking for positive reviews.
5. Multiple accounts: Operating more than one seller account without Amazon's permission.

If You Get Suspended

Don't panic, and don't rush your Plan of Action (POA). A well-written POA addresses: (1) the root cause, (2) corrective actions taken, and (3) preventive measures for the future. Be specific, take responsibility, and provide evidence. Most suspensions are recoverable if handled correctly.