From Amazon account suspension to an appeal: reviewing the notice and planning your response

A suspension notice has arrived in Seller Central, and both your listings and your disbursements have stopped. You don't know what to check first or where to submit a request to reactivate your account. This article is for sellers in exactly that position. We walk through how to read the notice and which screens to check, the deadlines that start running right after a suspension, the steps for filing an appeal (a request for reinstatement) and what to put in it, where you can get help, and how to rethink your approach when appeals keep getting rejected. Related articles cover the detailed response for each specific cause.

What to figure out first: what has been stopped, and how far

"Account suspension" may sound like a single thing, but the actions Amazon takes come in different stages and scopes. Amazon's Help explains that failing to meet performance metrics or policies can lead to a temporary deactivation of your account, removal of listings, restrictions on seller-fulfilled shipping, and so on, and the appeal procedures are separate for account-level and listing-level actions. As for notices, Help states that the relevant team will send one of the following: for a high order defect rate, a "warning urging improvement," a "notice of temporary suspension of selling privileges," or a "notice of revocation of selling privileges"; for policy violations, a "policy violation warning" or a notice of temporary suspension or revocation of selling privileges. The starting point is to read your notice with one question in mind: are you still at the warning stage, or has something already been stopped?

Action shown in the notice or on screen	What is stopped	Main entry point for your response
Warning urging improvement	Not a suspension at this point. However, if the notice concerns a Critical violation or reaching the repeat-violation limit, your account will be suspended unless you address it within three days (see the deadline table below)	Correct the issue by following the guidance in the notice and on the Account Health page
Listing removal	The affected products (listings)	Check the details in Product Policy Compliance (商品規約の遵守) or elsewhere, then appeal or fix the listing
Restrictions on seller-fulfilled shipping	Sales you ship yourself	Check the scope of the restriction and the conditions for lifting it as stated in the notice
Temporary deactivation of the account (temporary suspension of selling privileges)	All listings on the account. Disbursements may also be held	Appeal via Reactivate Your Selling Account (出品用アカウントの再開) on the Account Health page
Revocation of selling privileges / decision not to reinstate	The entire account	Check whether appeal instructions are included and what the notice says about how Amazon will contact you going forward

This article is based on Seller Central Help, the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement (the "BSA"), guidance from Amazon on the Seller Forums, and other materials we were able to review as of September 2026. Policies and screens can change, so please also check your actual notice and the latest Help content.

If your shopping (buyer) account has been stopped

The table at the top and the steps in this article are about suspensions of the seller account you use in Seller Central. For the buyer account you use to shop on Amazon, the procedures and contact points for a suspension are different from those for a seller account. If you can't use your buyer account, use what to check when you can't use your buyer account to first identify which situation you're in right now. Articles on buyer accounts are listed in Buyer account suspension. If your seller account has also been stopped, you need to follow the procedures in this article separately from those for your buyer account.

What "Section 3" in the notice means

A suspension notice may contain a line such as "in accordance with Section 3" (第3項 or セクション3 in Japanese notices). This refers to "3. Term and Termination" in the General Terms of the BSA. In addition to termination with 30 days' notice, this section allows Amazon to suspend or terminate immediately in the following cases.

• A material breach is not cured within 7 days of a notice requesting that it be cured (this period may be shortened or waived where liability to third parties may arise)
• The account has been (or may have been) used for deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity
• The account has harmed (or may harm) other sellers, customers, or Amazon's legitimate interests
• The account's health rating falls below the published thresholds

In other words, "Section 3" simply identifies the clause the action is based on; the specific reason is written in the body of the notice. Rather than guessing the cause from the clause number, focus on the "reason" and the "action requested" in the body. Note that under the BSA, Amazon's general practice is to give notice stating the reason and your options to appeal, but there are exceptions, such as when Amazon believes doing so would interfere with the investigation or prevention of fraud. We explain these four grounds and how to read a notice by breaking it into eight elements in Section 3 of the BSA and how to read a suspension notice.

Don't judge your prospects from words like "suspended" or "closed" alone; confirm what is being asked of you and where to submit it. We cover how to tell these terms apart in how to distinguish a suspension notice from a closure notice.

Which screens to check after receiving a notice, and in what order

Information about a suspension is spread across email and several Seller Central screens. Checking them in the following order reduces the chance of missing something. Button and heading names are as they appear in Help and may differ on your actual screen.

STEP1. Read the full notice in Performance Notifications

You can read the full text of the notice from the menu (the three-line icon at the top left of the screen) > Performance (パフォーマンス) > Performance Notifications (パフォーマンス通知). Help also directs you to this screen to check the details of listing removals and the reasons an appeal that included invoices was not accepted. Saving the full text and the date and time you received it as a text file or PDF will help when you file an appeal or seek advice.

STEP2. Check the overall picture and the banner on the Account Health page

Next, open Performance > Account Health (アカウント健全性). Some suspension notices tell you to submit information "by following the instructions in the banner at the top of the Account Health page," and Help likewise tells you to follow the steps in the top banner when you have reached the repeat-violation limit, so read the guidance at the top first.

Also check the color and score of your Account Health Rating (AHR). The AHR runs from 0 to 1,000: green (Healthy) is 200–1,000, yellow (At Risk) is 100–199, and red is 99 or below, meaning the account is subject to suspension or has already been suspended. The AHR is shown separately for each store, so if you sell in more than one country, check each one. We explain how the score works in how to check your Account Health score.

STEP3. Confirm the affected products and "Next steps" in Product Policy Compliance

If violations, issues, or complaints are shown, open "View all" under Product Policy Compliance. This displays the history of removed listings and images, their current status, and the next steps to resume selling, so follow the guidance in the "Next steps" column.

STEP4. Review your emergency contact and registered email address

An Account Health specialist may call the phone number shown under Emergency Notifications (緊急通知) in Notification Preferences (通知設定), for example during the grace period for a Critical violation. Check whether it is tagged as verified (green) or needing verification (red), and verify it with a one-time code if necessary. Review your registered email address as well, in line with the BSA's requirement to keep your contact information current and accurate.

Reading the notice through three questions

The format of notices varies with the cause and timing, but writing out your answers to the following three questions makes it clear what you need to do.

1. What has been stopped?: Which row of the table at the top does it match? Does the notice say anything about held disbursements or inventory?
2. Why was it stopped?: What type of reason is it: performance metrics, a product policy violation, the AHR threshold, identity verification, related accounts, suspected fraud, or something else? (Record the wording exactly as written rather than summarizing it.) Which ASINs are affected?
3. What must be submitted, where, and by when?: The documents or explanations requested, the screen or button to submit through, and any stated deadline

An example of how a notice is structured

In one identity-verification suspension notice reposted on the Seller Forums several years ago, the opening stated that the account had been suspended and its listings removed, that disbursements were being held, and that all unshipped orders must be shipped. It then explained, in order, the reason for the suspension, how to reactivate the account, how to submit information, what to do if you believe the suspension was a mistake, and what happens if you do not submit information. Formats can change, but reading the notice in terms of these six elements makes it easier to pick out the information you need.

What you need to submit depends on the type of reason

The general direction of your response for each type of reason can be summarized as follows.

Type of reason	How it appears in notices or on screen (examples)	Direction of response
Performance metrics (order defect rate, etc.)	A notice informing you that your order defect rate is high, for example	Analyze the cause and submit a plan of action. Help lists typical causes and points to review
Product policy violations (prohibited products, authenticity, intellectual property, etc.)	The violation and affected products appear in Product Policy Compliance	Show corrective action and evidence for each affected ASIN. Invoice requirements are detailed for authenticity and quality issues
AHR threshold	A suspension notice arrives while your rating is red (99 or below)	Address unresolved violations (see "If you were suspended because of your AHR" below)
Identity verification	A notice asking you to submit documents to verify your registration information	Submit documents that match your registration information, in the specified format
Related accounts	Examples include wording such as "related to another account beginning with ●●"	Use documents to show whether any relationship exists and how it came about
Suspected deception or fraud	The account may be suspended regardless of its AHR score	Organize the facts accurately and submit the information requested

We cover related-account findings in detail in organizing the facts and preparing an appeal when told your accounts are related. Document formats for identity verification are covered below in "What to put in your appeal."

Deadlines that start running after a suspension, what stops, and what obligations remain

Around the time of a suspension, several deadlines may start running at once. The table below lists those with figures given in official Help or policies alongside those stated in example notices. If your notice states a deadline not listed here, follow what your notice says.

Situation	Stated period	Points to note
A Critical violation is detected	A three-day grace period before suspension	If you address it within three days, your account will not be suspended. A specialist may call you
Repeat violations of the same policy reach the limit	Also three days	If you don't respond, your account is suspended until you complete submitting an appeal in Product Policy Compliance
Amazon contacts a seller eligible for Account Health Assurance	Respond within 72 hours	You won't be suspended while working with Amazon to resolve the issue (fraud and similar cases may be excluded)
You submitted an appeal	Up to about two days for a response	This is a guideline for receiving a response, not an indication of when or whether you will be reinstated
You are notified that FBA inventory must be removed	Give return or disposal instructions within 30 days	Without instructions, the inventory may be disposed of
Your disbursements are held	Generally 90 days (may be extended; where fraud or similar activity is suspected, until it is confirmed there was no problem)	Once 60 days have passed from the hold date, you can separately file an appeal requesting payment
A deadline stated in an example notice	Within 90 days of receiving the notice	In one identity-verification notice, the seller was to decide within this period whether to file an appeal, after which they could contact Amazon to request payment of their funds. Its starting point may differ from the "60 days from the hold date" in Help, so check both

What stops and what obligations remain

How disbursements and FBA inventory are handled

According to Help, if Amazon determines that a seller's actions or performance may create risk, disbursements are generally held for 90 days, covering the full unpaid balance at the time of the hold, and the hold is extended if the risk continues or an investigation is needed. Help also says that if Amazon determines an account is being used for deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity or to violate policies, funds are held until it is confirmed that no problematic activity took place, and the BSA further provides that Amazon may permanently withhold payments where the account was used for deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity or for repeated violations of program policies.

An appeal against a hold (a procedure concerning your funds, separate from an appeal against a violation) is made by following the steps described in the notice or in Seller Central. If the hold is not released, Help states that once 60 days have passed from the hold date, you can separately file an appeal requesting payment with the contact listed in Help (disbursement-appeals@amazon.co.jp). You can check your balance in the Payments report. For details, see how to check your funds after a suspension.

The FBA Service Terms provide that after you are notified that inventory must be removed because of an account suspension or similar reason, Amazon may dispose of that inventory if you do not give return or disposal instructions within 30 days (or within the period set by program policies). Inventory may be disposed of immediately in some cases, such as when involvement in fraud or illegal activity has been determined, so check early for any removal notice.

How to file an appeal for reinstatement: choosing between a reconsideration and a dispute, and which screen to submit it from

Here is the process, step by step, when your entire account has been suspended.

STEP1. Confirm the facts and gather documents

For each affected ASIN, cross-check your suppliers, when and how many units you purchased, units sold, listing change history, shipping records, and communications with buyers, and write out what happened in chronological order. This is the stage to determine whether the decision was correct or mistaken. Obtain any documents you don't have through proper means, such as asking your supplier to reissue a copy. Even then, don't have them change the date, quantity, product name, or anything else from the actual transaction, and check whether the invoice meets the issue-date requirement (within 365 days before you received the Performance Notification). Documents that differ from the actual transaction are not accepted, just like altered documents, and could make your situation worse.

STEP2. Choose between a reconsideration, a dispute, and submitting additional information

Help distinguishes between a "dispute" (異議申し立て), which presents evidence that a violation was detected in error, and a "reconsideration" (申し立て), used when a violation occurred but was unintentional and should be reversed. If either is accepted, the violation and its impact on your AHR are removed.

Situation	Response to choose	Core of the submission
A violation did occur, but it was unintentional	Reconsideration	Root cause, actions taken, and measures to prevent recurrence
The decision on an individual violation is wrong	Dispute	Evidence showing the decision was wrong (invoices, authorization documents, records, or whatever the notice requests)
Amazon has asked for additional documents or information	Submit additional information	The exact documents and information named in the request
You believe the account suspension itself, not an individual violation, is a mistake	An explanation following the instructions on the Account Health page	Your grounds for believing it's a mistake, plus supporting documents

Choosing a dispute when a violation actually occurred creates a mismatch between your explanation and the records, which could undermine the credibility of your entire appeal. Which option you choose also affects how violations are counted after reinstatement (see below).

STEP3. Create and submit your appeal from Reactivate Your Selling Account

The steps given in Help are as follows.

1. Go to Account Health in Seller Central
2. Click Reactivate Your Selling Account at the top of the page
3. Create your appeal by following the on-page instructions (you may be asked to submit a questionnaire, confirm violations, answer questions, and submit supporting documents)
4. Click Submit

Before submitting, keep a copy of what you entered and the files you attached, and record the date and time of submission; this will give you material to review if the appeal is rejected.

STEP4. Check the response and answer any additional requests

After submitting, wait for an email with the result of the review (see the deadline table above for how long a response typically takes). If you are asked for more information, submit the additional documents and information via View Account Health Requests (アカウント健全性の要請を見る). Check responses in Performance Notifications as well, and address exactly what is being asked, no more and no less.

If individual listings were removed

If specific listings were removed, check the issue on the Product Policy Compliance tab of Account Health. If it isn't shown there, check for suppressed listings in Manage Inventory (在庫管理) and for removal details in Performance Notifications. Then either submit an appeal or fix the listing in line with the listing policies.

If you were suspended because of your AHR

From the Account Health page, address your unresolved violations, submit a reconsideration, or, if you believe the decision was wrong, file a dispute. Amazon explains that once accepted, the violations and their impact are removed, and the account is reactivated when the score returns to the baseline (100) or above. Note, however, that 100–199 is the yellow (At Risk) range described above. Violations that can normally be removed 180 days after they are added remain even after 180 days if you were suspended because of your AHR, so you need to address each one.

What to check after reinstatement is granted

Even after you receive a reinstatement notice, violations removed through an accepted reconsideration that you did not dispute may still count toward the repeat-violation limit for 180 days. Check Product Policy Compliance and your AHR regularly, and actually keep following the practices you described in your plan of action. We cover post-reinstatement management in how to review your operations after reinstatement.

What to put in your appeal: building it around the official guidelines

Four guidelines for writing an appeal

The guidelines in the Help page "Answer the appeal questionnaire to regain selling privileges" (出品権限を回復するために申し立ての質問書に回答する) come down to these four points.

1. Be clear, concise, fact-based, and specific: Focus on the facts and events that led to the issue, not on your products, your business, or your buyers. Don't include information about other inquiries or open cases, and avoid emotional language
2. Identify the root cause of every issue and show the actions you took: Present the root cause, such as unverifiable suppliers, inventory management problems, or quality control problems, along with the specific actions taken, including details, the dates changes were implemented, and related documents
3. Provide evidence for every product under review: The list of affected products and ASINs is at the bottom of the original notice. Check the deadline for submitting documents; for some products, you will need invoices covering the past 365 days
4. Highlight the key parts of your documents: Circle or highlight the ASIN, supplier name, transaction terms, and so on so they can be found immediately

Build your plan of action around root cause, actions taken, and preventive measures

Amazon's materials explain that you can appeal by submitting a plan of action (パフォーマンス改善計画) to resolve the issue that led to the suspension, and direct you to include the root cause of the issue, the steps you took to resolve it, and the measures to prevent it from recurring.

Below is a sample outline of a plan of action for a suspension based on order defect rate, using "selling parallel imports on the catalog page for the authorized product," which Help lists as one of the main reasons for a high order defect rate. This is a hypothetical example, not a real case, so replace it with facts you have confirmed for your own business.

[Root cause] We listed parallel imports purchased overseas on the product detail page for the domestic authorized product. Because the included accessories and warranty differed from the description on the product detail page, buyers left feedback saying the item was not as described and filed warranty claims. The cause was that we had no procedure for checking purchased products against the product detail page before listing them.
[Actions taken] On [month/day], we deactivated all affected listings and checked every SKU against its product detail page. We have attached a list of the listings that had the same problem and a record of how we handled the affected orders.
[Preventive measures] Starting [month/day], we changed our process so that for any newly listed product, the person responsible for listings fills out a checklist comparing the supplier's documents with the product detail page (model number, included accessories, and warranty coverage), and the product is listed only after the store manager approves it (the checklist template is attached). We also had all staff review the "parallel imports" guidelines in Help and the product listing policies, and set a rule not to list parallel imports that are not supported by the domestic authorized distributor or manufacturer on the product detail page for the authorized product.

The key is that the reader can see who changed what and when, and that documents supporting your claims are attached. We explain how to write it in detail in how to build a plan of action.

Some appeals don't accept a plan of action

Not every appeal requires a plan of action. For example, for policy violations related to product condition, there are two options: acknowledge the violation and correct the condition or product description, or submit evidence if you believe the violation was an error. For this type of appeal, Amazon states that it does not accept plans of action, images of inventory pages or order product detail pages, or bin check (a check on the condition of FBA inventory) cases whose review has not been completed.

Requirements for submitting invoices

Invoices submitted in appeals concerning authenticity or quality are subject to detailed requirements.

Item	Requirement
Issue date	Within 365 days before you received the Performance Notification
Quantity	Covers units sold of the affected ASIN over the past 365 days and your inventory on hand
Contents	A record of sales of the affected ASIN, a clear product identifier such as the product name, model number, or UPC, and the supplier's contact information (name, phone number, address, website, etc.)
Format	Original and unaltered (prices may be blacked out, but everything else must be legible). PDF, or .jpg, .png, or .gif
Transaction	A record of a completed, shipped transaction. The supplier must have verifiable information on the web, and Amazon may contact the supplier to confirm
Not accepted	Quotes or pro forma invoices, invoices issued by the seller, invoices where the supplier and the buyer (the seller named on the invoice) appear to be the same entity, digitally altered invoices, and editable formats such as .xlsx or .docx

For how to approach cases where you don't have invoices or can't meet the requirements, see how to respond to an authenticity review.

Formats required for identity verification documents (one example notice)

In the identity-verification notice mentioned above, the requirements included genuine, legible, unaltered documents in PDF, PNG, JPEG, or GIF format (screenshots not accepted), a name and address matching the information registered in Seller Central, and documents such as a utility bill issued within the past 90 days. Requirements may vary from notice to notice, so check your own. There is also a reply from Amazon staff asking a seller who had registered a virtual office address to register a valid business address. In some cases, rather than registering an address that doesn't reflect the facts just to match your documents, the first step is to correctly register your actual business address and then prepare documents whose address and name match it.

Where to get help, and what each contact is for

Keeping your formal submission channel separate from the places you go for advice reduces confusion.

Contact	What it can do	Points to note
Account Health page	Appeals for reinstatement, responding to violations, submitting additional information	Formal submissions are made here
Account Health Support (phone)	Advice on dealing with performance issues and policy violations, and on submitting the information needed to avoid or recover from a suspension	Available to Professional sellers. Enter your phone number via the Contact Us (お問い合わせ) button ("Call me now" (今すぐ電話がほしい)) and you will receive a call. Available every day of the year, but check the hours for each language via the button
Appeal requesting payment of disbursements	Requesting payment of held funds	See "How disbursements and FBA inventory are handled" above for the procedure
Digital Platform Transaction Consultation Desk (デジタルプラットフォーム取引相談窓口) (for online mall merchants)	Advice on how to consult with the platform, information on lawyers, and a subsidy for legal fees (once per business, up to one hour)	Free of charge; a program commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. It does not mediate, broker, or arbitrate disputes

Regarding suspensions for related accounts, Amazon staff replied on the forums that if you have already submitted the information required in the notice, you should consider contacting Amazon via the Contact Us button. We summarize how to prepare before calling in preparing before you contact Account Health Support.

For what each place you can turn to does and how to choose among them, see our article Where to get help with an Amazon account suspension.

Account Health Assurance and Seller Challenge

Account Health Assurance (アカウント健全性アシュアランス), launched in Japan on April 24, 2024, automatically covers Professional sellers who have maintained an AHR of 250 or higher for at least six months (with no more than 10 days below 250) and have a valid emergency contact registered. Eligible sellers who respond within 72 hours of being contacted by Amazon will not be suspended while working with Amazon to resolve the issue (see the deadline table above). Seller Challenge (セラーチャレンジ), available to eligible sellers (three times every 180 days), is a detailed review of listing-level actions; Amazon does not describe it as something that can be used against an account suspension itself.

How the Transparency Act applies

Amazon.co.jp (a general merchandise online mall), operated by Amazon Japan G.K., was designated a Specified Digital Platform under the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms (the "Transparency Act") on April 1, 2021. Among other things, the Act requires platforms to disclose the details and reasons when they partially refuse a transaction, such as by suspending an account, and, as a rule, to disclose that fact and the reasons in advance when they refuse transactions entirely. For general merchandise malls, holding disbursements is also subject to disclosure. However, there are exceptions, and how the Act applies to a particular suspension is a legal question, so consult a lawyer if you have concerns.

What to rethink when appeals keep getting rejected, and what not to do

When you receive a rejection notice, check the reason for the rejection in Performance Notifications and pin down what was missing before resending the same content. We have not been able to find any official statement on a limit to the number of appeals or on how long to wait between resubmissions. Rather than piling up attempts, focus your effort on reviewing what you submit each time.

One example of a notice declining reinstatement stated that Amazon may not be able to respond to further emails. If you receive a notice like this, organize the background before sending anything more, and consider consulting the contacts listed above or a professional.

What not to do

• Opening a new account while suspended: Under the Seller Code of Conduct, you may maintain only one account per region in which you sell, unless you have a legitimate business need and all of your accounts are in good standing. Amazon staff have also replied that opening a new account while suspended may make your situation worse.
• Altering documents or creating your own invoices: Altered documents and invoices issued by the seller are not accepted, and Amazon may verify directly with the supplier.
• Manipulating reviews or rankings, or steering buyers away from Amazon: These are prohibited by the Code of Conduct and the prohibited activities policy, and violations can lead to actions such as suspension or revocation of selling privileges (manipulating search results or sales rankings is listed as an example of a Critical violation that can lead to suspension even with a single occurrence).
• Assuming that deleting products will fix it, or that leaving it alone will make it go away: Closing listings or deleting them from inventory does not remove violations from the Account Health page. If you were suspended because of your AHR, violations remain even after 180 days (see "If you were suspended because of your AHR" above).

Frequently asked questions

Q. How long does a temporary account suspension last? Will my account be reinstated if I just leave it alone?

A. Amazon has not officially stated a number of days that applies to every suspension, either for how long a suspension lasts or for how long it takes to be reinstated. According to the official guidance, the process toward reinstatement starts with the seller filing an appeal or submitting information. Even when the suspension is caused by your Account Health Rating, the account will not be reactivated just by waiting; you need to address the unresolved violations (see "If you were suspended because of your AHR" above). In the meantime, if your disbursements are being held, the hold period keeps running, and if you have FBA inventory you were notified must be removed, the deadline for giving return or disposal instructions keeps running as well (see the deadline table above). There are also example notices stating that the account would be "permanently closed" if the required information was not provided by the deadline, so check the notice you received for whether there is a deadline and what the date is. For a buyer account that is "on hold," see what to check when you can't use your buyer account.

Q. I heard the review reaches a decision within "72 hours" or "30 days."

A. The "72 hours" we found in Amazon's official Japanese Help is the deadline for eligible sellers to respond to contact from Amazon under Account Health Assurance, described above. "30 days" in the official materials also refers to situations other than a review period, such as termination with 30 days' notice under the BSA or the deadline for giving return or disposal instructions for FBA inventory you were notified must be removed. We could not find any official statement that suspension reviews take a fixed number of days. Check the deadlines written in your own notice.

Q. I'm an Individual seller. Can I get help by phone?

A. Phone support from Account Health Support is for Professional sellers; other sellers are directed to use Help, Amazon Seller University, and Seller Forums resources. If your notice describes how to contact Amazon, follow those instructions.

Q. It's been several days since I appealed, and I haven't heard back.

A. "Up to about two days" is only a guideline for receiving a response. First, check Performance Notifications for a response or a request for additional information, and confirm that your appeal was actually submitted. If you are a Professional seller, you can also ask Account Health Support about the status.

Q. I can't think of any reason, and my Account Health Rating was green too, but I was still suspended. What should I check first?

A. An account may be suspended regardless of its score where required by law, where fraudulent, deceptive, illegal, or otherwise harmful activity (including attempts to circumvent Amazon's systems) is suspected, or where a policy not covered by the AHR has been violated. Check the reason stated in your notice. Write out the reason using the three questions in "Reading the notice through three questions" above, and check the direction of response for each type of reason in the table in "What you need to submit depends on the type of reason." Even if you believe the account suspension itself is a mistake, explain it by following the instructions on the Account Health page, with your grounds and supporting documents (see the table in STEP2 of "How to file an appeal for reinstatement" above). Explanations for each cause are collected in Causes of Amazon account suspension. If your buyer account was stopped even though you were just shopping normally, the frequently asked questions in checking and inquiring about order violations on a buyer account cover how to check.

Summary

If your account has been suspended, don't rush to send an appeal; start by working through the notice and getting the full picture. That is the first step toward avoiding a submission that misses the point. Here are the key points.

• Read the notice through three questions: what has been stopped, why, and what must be submitted, where, and by when. "Section 3" is just the number of the clause the action is based on; the reason is written in the body
• Check Performance Notifications, the banner on the Account Health page, Product Policy Compliance, and your emergency contact, in that order
• Start by writing down the deadlines already running, such as the 30 days for FBA inventory, the disbursement hold, and any deadline stated in your notice
• Distinguish between a reconsideration, a dispute, and submitting additional information, and submit in the format and with the documents that fit the type of violation
• Opening a new account while suspended (the Code of Conduct generally allows one account per region) and altering documents are policy violations that may make your situation worse

The reason for a suspension and the format of the notice differ from case to case. Alongside this article, check whichever of the related articles mentioned above (on related accounts, authenticity reviews, funds, and post-reinstatement operations) fits your situation, and work through your response by confirming the facts one at a time. If you're unsure how to read the notice or what to submit, consider organizing your situation and then consulting a professional.

*This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.

Further reading

Distinguishing Amazon seller account suspension from closure: notices and reinstatement inquiries Read article → Building an Amazon Plan of Action: root causes, corrective steps and prevention Read article → Responding to an Amazon authenticity review: checking evidence and appealing without an invoice Read article →