Amazon Seller Reinstatement Support (hereafter "we") is not an official Amazon contact channel and has no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. This article is for sellers who have opened the Account Health page in Seller Central, found unfamiliar category names listed under "Product Policy Compliance" (商品規約の遵守), and cannot tell what the violation is or which one to deal with first.
To give the answer first: the "Product Policy Compliance" section of the screen lists 10 categories, covering intellectual property, customer complaints, safety, listing content, restricted products, reviews, regulations and so on. Check the violation row and the text of the notice to identify which category and policy are involved. First open the violation row and check six things: the category name, the ASIN concerned, the "Impact", the policy name given in the notice, the deadline for responding, and the documents requested. Each violation carries an "Impact", and responding first to those with a higher impact or a repeat label helps restore your Account Health Rating. The response is centered on one of three things: a dispute if the violation is an error, an appeal explaining the cause and improvements if a violation did occur, or correcting the listing if the problem is with the listing content. Whether a violation stands or is reversed is decided by Amazon.
This article is based on the Seller Central Help pages "Account Health Rating program policy", "Policies included in the Account Health Rating" and "Account Health Rating (FAQ)", and on the Help pages related to each category, checked on 19 and 20 October 2026. We could not find a Help page that explains each of the 10 category names one by one. For each category, we therefore separate what could be confirmed in Help from what Help does not explain individually. Screen names and mechanisms can change, so please also check the latest Help.
What we handle is preparing and revising submission drafts. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself.
The 10 Product Policy Compliance categories: overview and Impact
The Account Health page shows, in one place, how your selling account is doing against performance targets and policy compliance. According to the Help page "Account Health Rating (FAQ)", policy violations that affect the rating are shown on this page. The "Product Policy Compliance" section lists the following 10 categories, named as they appear on the screen.
| Category name on the screen | In short | Main response | Our related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected Intellectual Property Violations (知的財産権侵害の疑い) | Listings suspected of infringing trademarks, copyrights, patents and so on | A dispute if it is an error; correcting the listing content | Article 066, Article 051 |
| Received Intellectual Property Complaints (知的財産に関する苦情) | Listings for which a rights owner has sent an infringement notice | Asking the rights owner to withdraw the complaint; a dispute | Article 051, Article 078 |
| Product Authenticity Customer Complaints (商品の信頼性に関するお客様からの苦情) | Buyer complaints about whether a product is genuine (in the related Help, the example is reports that a product is counterfeit or similar) | A appeal with invoices and similar documents | Article 050, Article 098 |
| Product Condition Customer Complaints (商品のコンディションに関する苦情) | Buyer reports such as a used item sold as new, or an expired product | Reviewing the condition and submitting an appeal | Article 076, Article 095 |
| Food and Product Safety Issues (食品および商品の安全性に関する問題) | Issues concerning the safety of food or products | Checking the products concerned and documents; an appeal | Article 208, Article 248 |
| Listing Policy Violations (規約違反の出品) | Listings that do not follow the product detail page rules and similar | Correcting the listing | Article 227 |
| Restricted Product Policy Violations (制限対象商品に関する規約違反) | Listing products whose sale is restricted or prohibited | Reviewing the products concerned and submitting an appeal | Article 069 |
| Customer Product Reviews Policy Violations (購入者の商品レビューポリシー違反) | Violations such as how reviews were requested | Reviewing how requests are made and submitting an appeal | Article 218 |
| Other Policy Violations (その他の規約違反の問題) | Policy violations that do not fall into the other categories | Identifying the policy concerned from the text of the notice | Article 192 |
| Regulatory Compliance (規制の遵守) | Violations concerning laws and regulations | Checking the law concerned and the required labeling and documents | Article 249, Article 208 |
The "In short" column is our own summary based on the category names and the related Help. Check which violations fall into a category in the violation row and the text of the notice.
Impact: Critical, High, Medium, Low and "No impact"
According to the Help page "Account Health Rating (FAQ)", there are four severity levels for violations, Critical, High, Medium and Low, plus "No impact". A single Critical violation can make the account subject to deactivation, while "No impact" means the violation does not currently affect the rating but Amazon recommends addressing the issue with the listing. The examples given in Help are as follows.
| Impact | Examples given in Help |
|---|---|
| Critical | Counterfeit or pirated products as determined by test buys, soliciting product reviews, including package inserts that violate policy, conduct that harms other sellers, and manipulating search results or sales rankings |
| High | A valid infringement notice from a rights owner, and buyer reports that a product is infringing or counterfeit |
| Medium | Listing information containing links to external websites |
| Low | Buyer reports that a product was expired or in the wrong condition (such as a used item listed as new) |
Help says that the deduction for each violation is based on its severity, usually in the range of 2 to 8, and that a Critical violation brings the score to 0. Severity is judged from factors such as the degree of harm to customer satisfaction, laws and regulations, and the number of past violations of the same policy.
Three ways to respond: appeal, dispute and correcting the listing
Help gives the following three ways to respond to a violation.
- Dispute: when you believe the violation was determined in error. You provide evidence that the violation was detected in error.
- Appeal: when a violation occurred but was unintentional. You explain the cause and what you have fixed.
- Corrective action: you make the corrections needed to resolve the violation, such as removing infringing content.
If an appeal or dispute is accepted, the policy violation and its effect on the rating are reversed. Simply closing a listing or removing it from inventory does not remove the violation from the Account Health page.
The two intellectual property categories: "Suspected Intellectual Property Violations" and "Received Intellectual Property Complaints"
There are two categories concerning intellectual property. According to the Help page "Policies included in the Account Health Rating", Amazon detects policy violations using a combination of machine learning, automation and human review. The Help page "Account Health Rating (FAQ)" also says that some violations are determined based on buyer complaints or notices from rights owners. We could not find a Help page that explains the difference between the two categories individually, so check in the violation row and the text of the notice whether it came from a rights owner.
Suspected Intellectual Property Violations: review the listing content and images
The Help page "Amazon Intellectual Property Policy" prohibits listings that infringe the intellectual property rights of brands or other rights owners. Examples of infringement listed in Help include the following.
- Using photos from a third-party website on the product detail page without permission (copyright)
- Using another company's trademark in a way likely to confuse buyers about the source of the product (trademark)
- Infringing a third party's rights without being aware of it (Help says a warning or deactivation is possible in this case too)
Check the product shown in the violation row and the type of right given in the notice (trademark, copyright, patent and so on). If you receive a warning for a product you have never listed on Amazon, Help advises replying to the notice to say that you have never listed it. If you believe a trademark or copyright determination is wrong, reply to the notice with specific reasons and provide an invoice or order number showing the product is genuine. This is covered in detail in the article on suspected trademark infringement and the article on intellectual property warnings.
Received Intellectual Property Complaints: responding to a rights owner's notice
In Help, a valid infringement notice from a rights owner is given as an example of "High" impact. There are two ways to respond.
- If you have a relationship with the rights owner, such as a license or distributorship: contact the rights owner and ask them to withdraw the complaint. The rights owner's contact details are given in the warning you received. The Help page "Account Health Rating (FAQ)" lists the rights owner withdrawing the complaint as one of the cases in which a violation is removed from the page.
- If you have received multiple warnings and believe you are selling genuine products: submit a dispute with a list of the ASINs concerned and at least one of the following: an invoice showing the product is genuine, an order number, or a letter of authorization from the rights owner (forwarded emails are not accepted).
Help says that because infringement is high in severity, the repeat-violation limit is set low. If notices from the same rights owner keep arriving, check all your listings early. How to prepare documents is summarized in the article on intellectual property warnings and the article on trademark infringement and counterfeits.
The two customer complaint categories: product authenticity and product condition
There are two categories based on complaints from buyers. Help says that Amazon strives to evaluate the validity of such notices accurately, and that if you believe one is wrong, you should select the violation on the Account Health page and follow the instructions to contact Amazon.
Product Authenticity Customer Complaints: proof of authenticity and invoices
We could not find a Help page that explains this category name itself. In the related Help, buyer reports that a product is infringing or counterfeit are given as an example of "High" impact, and counterfeit or pirated products determined by test buys as an example of "Critical". The Help page "Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting Policy" says that products sold on Amazon must be genuine, and that it is the responsibility of sellers and their suppliers to source and sell only genuine products.
For invoices, which are often submitted with an appeal, the Help page "Invoice requirements for policy violation appeals" requires the following.
- The issue date is clearly shown and falls within 365 days before you received the notice
- The quantity covers the units sold and the inventory on hand for each ASIN in the notice
- It shows the product name and a product code that can be checked online, such as a model number
- It shows the supplier's contact details (name, address, phone number, website and so on)
- It is the original and has not been altered (prices may be redacted), in PDF or image format (.jpg, .png or .gif)
Check the ASIN with the complaint, the supplier of that product and the quantities on the invoice, and the documents requested in the notice you received. This is covered in detail in the article on authenticity investigations and the article on authenticity verification.
Product Condition Customer Complaints: are you listing used items as new?
We could not find a Help page that explains this category name individually either. In the related Help, buyer reports that the product received was expired or in the wrong condition (such as a used item listed as new) are an example of "Low" impact. Help also says that violations of listing used items as new are generally low in severity and easy to resolve, so the repeat-violation limit is set high.
The Help page "Condition Guidelines" says that the following products cannot be listed as "New".
- Products sourced from individuals (excluding sole proprietors)
- Promotional items, prize items and free gifts (list them as used, stating this in the description)
- Products Amazon sells as Amazon.co.jp exclusives, unless Amazon has specially permitted it
Check the source of the product with the complaint, the condition you chose when listing, and your inspection records. Products past their best-before or use-by date are among the products that cannot be listed under the Condition Guidelines. This is summarized in the article on New and Used conditions and the article on "suspected used" notices.
The three safety and listing categories: Food and Product Safety, Listing Policy Violations and Restricted Products
Food and Product Safety Issues: the products concerned and documents
The Help page "Policies included in the Account Health Rating" lists "Food safety investigations", "Product safety and compliance" and "Product safety investigations". However, we could not find a Help page that explains this category name individually. What can be confirmed in the related Help is the following.
- Products recalled by the manufacturer, importer, a government agency or others are prohibited from being listed (Help page "Recalled products")
- Food past its best-before or use-by date, or food that will be expired when it reaches the buyer, is prohibited from being listed (Help page "Food & Beverage")
- Labeling and packaging that comply with laws such as the Food Sanitation Act, and storage and shipping that maintain quality, are required (same page)
Check the products named in the notice and the types of documents requested. This is covered in detail in the article on product safety warnings and the article on dangerous goods reviews.
Listing Policy Violations: correct the listing to follow the product detail page rules
We could not find a Help page that explains this category name individually, but listing information containing links to external websites is given as an example of "Medium" impact. The Help page "Product detail page rules" asks that the title, description, bullet points and images not include outside contact details such as phone numbers, addresses, email addresses or website URLs, links for ordering on other sites, or text asking for positive reviews.
To remove text that is not allowed, use editing in Manage Inventory or bulk updates by feed. Help says updated fields appear in the listing after review. How stopped listings are handled is summarized in the article on listing suspensions.
Restricted Product Policy Violations: review the products concerned
The Help page "Restricted products" asks sellers to read the "examples of permitted and prohibited listings" for each category before listing, and says that some categories require approval in advance. The Help page "List of important rules and policies for listing and selling" says that if a seller sells products that violate laws or regulations, Amazon may immediately suspend or terminate the seller's use of the selling service.
Check the products and categories named in the notice, the examples page for that category, and whether you have approval to list. This is covered in detail in the article on listing restrictions.
The three categories of reviews, other violations and regulations: identify the subject from the text of the notice
Customer Product Reviews Policy Violations: review how you request reviews
In Help, soliciting product reviews and including package inserts that violate policy are examples of "Critical" impact. The Help page "Customer product reviews policy" gives the following as examples of violations.
- Asking for reviews in return for compensation, discounts, free products, refunds or similar
- Asking buyers to change or remove reviews
- Including requests for positive reviews, or incentives in exchange for reviews, with products
- Directing only positive reviews to Amazon and steering negative feedback to a different channel
- Family members or employees of the seller writing reviews of their own or competitors' products
Check your package inserts, messages to buyers, and whether you use any external review schemes. Reviews through Amazon Vine and Amazon Brand Mission are exceptions. This is covered in detail in the article on product review policy violations.
Other Policy Violations: check the policy concerned in the notice
We could not find a Help page that explains this category name individually. Besides the categories above, the Help page "Policies included in the Account Health Rating" also lists "Seller Agreement and Seller Code of Conduct", "Communication guidelines" and "Amazon Fair Pricing Policy", but Help does not say which of these fall into this category.
The first step is to open the violation row and check the policy name given in the text of the notice. Once you know the policy, read its Help page and sort out what did not comply. Violations concerning the Code of Conduct are covered in the article on policy violations.
Regulatory Compliance: check the laws, labeling and documents
We could not find a Help page that explains this category name individually either. The related Help page "Reporting store policy, compliance, and safety violations" describes compliance and safety policy violations as cases where a product or listing does not comply with laws, regulations, standards or Amazon's policies, and says these include selling illegal products, dangerous products and other restricted products.
Check the names of the laws or regulations given in the notice, the products concerned, and the labeling and documents requested. Laws concerning the display of seller information are covered in the article on the Specified Commercial Transactions Act disclosure, and documents concerning product safety in the article on product safety warnings.
What common screen and notice text means: from "warning sent" to "Impact"
Text such as the following appeared on the screens and in the notices of people who consulted us. We could not find a Help page that explains the wording itself, so the meanings are set out by checking it against Help's explanation of how the system works.
| Screen or notice text (short quote) | Meaning (checked against Help) | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| "A warning has been sent" (警告が送信されました) | Shows that the seller has been informed of the violation. The intellectual property Help pages also explain what to do when a warning is shown | The Impact in the violation row, and the products named in the text of the notice |
| "We have removed the listing" (出品を削除しました) | Shows that the listing information with the violation has been removed | The Product Policy Compliance tab, inactive listings in Manage Inventory, and Performance Notifications |
| "(High) Repeat violation" and "(Medium) Repeat violation" (（高）違反が繰り返されました・（中）違反が繰り返されました) | A label showing that violations of the same policy have built up. The text in brackets is the severity | The number of violations of the same policy, and the 180-day period |
| "To prevent deactivation of your account, address the issues below" (アカウントの利用停止を防ぐために、以下の問題に対処してください) | The rating has dropped and you are being asked to respond to unaddressed violations | The Impact of the listed violations and the deadline for responding |
| "Your Account Health Rating has fallen below 100, so your account is at risk of deactivation" (アカウント健全性の評価が100未満に低下したため、利用停止となるリスクがあります) | The rating is below 100, which Help treats as the deactivation threshold. 99 or below is red, "Unhealthy" | Unaddressed violations, and which to respond to first |
| "Your account has been deactivated" (ご利用のアカウントは停止されました) | The selling account has been deactivated | "Reactivate your account" (出品用アカウントの再開) at the top of the Account Health page |
| "Impact" (評価への影響度) | The column showing the severity of each violation. Repeat labels also appear here | Whether it is Critical, High, Medium, Low or No impact |
When you see "Repeat violation"
According to Help, each time violations of the same policy build up, the deduction becomes larger, and it may double with each repeat. If the number of violations reaches the limit within 180 days, the account may be deactivated immediately. The limit differs by the severity of the violation, and for more severe violations it may be as low as two.
For cases where the limit is identified as reached, Help says that this is shown on the page as a Critical violation and you are also notified by email, the rating turns red with a score of 0, and there is a three-day period to respond to the Critical violation before deactivation. It says that if you do not respond within three days, the account is deactivated until you complete the submission of an appeal on the Product Policy Compliance dashboard. Separately, Help explains that a three-day grace period before deactivation also applies when a Critical violation that is not due to repeats is found. How the three days work is covered in the article on "deactivation is pending".
When you see "below 100" or "has been deactivated"
In Help, a yellow rating (100 to 199) means there is a risk of deactivation, and red (99 or below) means the account is subject to deactivation or has already been deactivated. For accounts deactivated because of the rating, Help advises improving the rating by responding to unresolved violations or submitting an appeal or dispute, and says the account is reinstated when the score returns to 100 or higher. Reinstatement is decided by Amazon. The Help page "Appeal an account deactivation or listing removal" gives the steps of selecting "Reactivate your account" at the top of the Account Health page and following the instructions to submit an appeal, and says a response may take up to about two days. How the score rises and falls is covered in the article on the Account Health score.
Help also says that if false, illegal or other harmful conduct is suspected, or if a policy outside the rating is violated, the account may be deactivated regardless of the score.
The order for responding to violations: highest impact first
Help recommends responding promptly to all violations, giving priority to those with the highest severity. We find that checking in the following order makes things easier to sort out.
- Look first at "Critical" violations and violations with a repeat label
- Open the violation row and check the products concerned and the policy name in the text of the notice
- Decide whether the violation is an error or a violation did occur (a dispute if it is an error, an appeal if it occurred)
- If the problem is with the listing content, correct the listing first
- If invoices or other documents are needed, check that they meet the requirements in Help
- After submitting, check the outcome on the Account Health page and by email
Help says that once it is confirmed that a violation has been corrected, the rating is updated within a few hours. However, even a violation removed after an appeal is accepted may still count towards the repeat-violation limit for 180 days if you did not dispute it.
What we can do about Account Health violations
Submitting appeals and disputes and correcting listings are procedures you carry out yourself from Seller Central. We do not log in to your account or send anything on your behalf.
What we help with is reviewing copies of your Account Health page and the notices you received to sort out which violation to respond to first and how, and preparing and revising the draft of the explanation for an appeal or a dispute.
Whether the action is lifted and sales resume is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise an outcome. For cases we consider difficult, we tell you so before you engage us, to the extent known at that point.
Our fee is the same for every engagement: an initial fee of 80,000 yen plus a success fee of 80,000 yen (both including tax), paid by bank transfer. The initial fee is payable regardless of the outcome; the success fee is charged when the purpose of the engagement, such as reinstatement of the account, is achieved. If it is not achieved, no success fee is charged. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How do I choose between an appeal and a dispute?
A. Help explains that a dispute provides evidence that the violation was detected in error, while an appeal is for having the violation reversed because it occurred but was unintentional. Deciding first whether the violation is an error makes the choice easier.
Q. If I close the listing, will the violation go away?
A. According to Help, simply changing the status of a listing, such as closing it or removing it from inventory, does not remove the violation from the Account Health page. A violation is removed when, for example, a dispute or appeal is accepted, the rights owner withdraws the complaint, or the necessary corrective action is taken.
Q. How long do violations stay on the screen?
A. According to Help, once 180 days have passed since the violation was added to the page, it becomes eligible for removal. However, if the account was deactivated because of the rating, the violations remain on the page even after 180 days.
Q. Do I need to respond to "No impact" violations?
A. According to Help, a "No impact" violation does not currently affect the rating, but Amazon recommends addressing the issue with the listing. If the listing content can be corrected, correcting it early gives you peace of mind.
Q. If the rating is green, "Healthy", will the account never be deactivated?
A. According to Help, when the rating is "Healthy", the account is not deactivated for violations of policies included in the rating. However, where required by law, where harmful conduct is suspected, or where a policy outside the rating is violated, the account may be deactivated regardless of the score.
Summary
- The "Product Policy Compliance" screen lists 10 categories. We could not find a Help page that explains each category name, so check the details in the violation row and the text of the notice.
- Each violation carries an "Impact" (Critical, High, Medium, Low or No impact); respond first to Critical ones and those with a repeat label.
- The response is centered on a dispute if it is an error, an appeal if a violation occurred, and correcting the listing if the problem is with the listing. Closing the listing alone does not remove the violation.
- "Repeat violation" is a repeat label, and reaching the limit within 180 days may lead to deactivation.
- A rating of 99 or below (red) means the account is subject to deactivation or has already been deactivated. Help says the account is reinstated when the score returns to 100 or higher. If the account is deactivated, appeal from "Reactivate your account" at the top of the Account Health page, following the instructions.
When you aren't sure about violations on the Account Health page
We are not an official Amazon contact channel and have no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. You can send us your Account Health page or the text of the notice you received from Amazon on LINE (a screenshot is fine). We help you sort out which violation to respond to first and how, and prepare and revise the draft of the explanation to send to Amazon. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself. Whether the action is lifted and reinstatement are decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise an outcome. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Please do not send your login ID, password, or verification code.
Free consultation, 24/7 *This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.
Further reading
Reviewing your Amazon Account Health Rating: warnings and improvement priorities Read article → 
When Amazon says your account's "deactivation is pending": what "address these violations now" means, and what to check within three days Read article → 
Amazon Seller Agreement and Code of Conduct warnings: identifying conduct deemed a policy violation and corrective steps Read article →