To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to report on the unfair and harmful treatment I have experienced as a small business owner at the hands of Amazon.com, Inc. As one of the world’s largest marketplaces, Amazon wields immense power over its third-party sellers. In this case, they have used this power unjustly, leaving a business devastated and causing severe financial hardship. Since 2016, I have successfully operated selling accounts on Amazon, building a thriving business that generated significant revenue and provided high-quality products. This business not only contributed to Amazon’s marketplace but also helped lower prices for consumers, fostering healthy competition in the market. Recently, Amazon abruptly deactivated my accounts following a video verification interview. I fully cooperated in this process, providing all requested documentation and answering all questions. Despite this, Amazon alleged, without evidence, that my accounts might have been involved in counterfeit sales or other deceptive activities. These accusations are baseless, as I have consistently submitted valid invoices that meet Amazon’s requirements. These same invoices have previously been accepted by Amazon to ungate brands. Amazon claimed an inability to verify my supplier. However, they failed to take even the most basic steps to contact the supplier, whose information was provided. These suppliers are legitimate businesses with publicly available information that any company could easily verify. Instead of addressing this issue fairly, Amazon resorted to extreme measures, including holding all funds and threatening to destroy my entire inventory. This threat to destroy inventory extends not only to products from the brands in question but also to unrelated items, including private-label products that were personally designed and manufactured. Such an action is grossly disproportionate, unnecessary, and an overreach of Amazon’s authority. If there were concerns about specific brands, Amazon could have simply restricted the sale of those items or returned the disputed inventory. Instead, they are treating all goods as “unsuitable” without evidence or justification. Adding to this injustice, Amazon has shown a clear pattern of siding with large brands at the expense of small and mid-sized sellers. By removing sellers who provide competitive pricing and diverse product options, Amazon is effectively eliminating competition and favoring big brands that dominate the marketplace. This harms consumers by reducing choices and driving up prices. Despite repeated appeals and countless attempts to resolve the matter, including outreach from legal representation, Amazon has refused to provide clear answers or any actionable path forward. This has resulted in devastating financial consequences, with no income to support ongoing business operations. Amazon’s treatment of small sellers reflects a troubling trend of prioritizing large corporate interests over fairness, competition, and consumer welfare. Their lack of transparency and accountability in handling seller accounts, coupled with threats to destroy inventory, is unacceptable and has severe consequences for small businesses and the customers they serve. I respectfully request that your office investigate Amazon’s practices, particularly their actions related to fund withholding, account closures, and the destruction of inventory, as well as their apparent favoritism toward large brands. Such practices harm not only small sellers but also the consumers who rely on fair competition to access affordable and diverse products. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I am prepared to provide additional documentation or information to support your review. Sincerely,
I am absolutely devastated by the way Amazon has treated me and my business. Without any prior notice or valid explanation, my account was suddenly shut down, leaving me with no path forward. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the issue, I was told immediately that there was no possibility of reopening my account. To make matters worse, Amazon seized my funds and the 2.5 million dollars worth of inventory I had worked so hard to acquire. This feels like a direct attack on a small seller like me, with no regard for the years of effort I put into growing my business. Amazon claimed that my account was suspended for some vague reason, but when I escalated the issue to a higher level, I was told I was being accused of being involved with the "jaytech fraud ring." This accusation is completely unfounded and nonsensical. I have no idea what that is, nor am I connected to any other accounts that could be associated with fraudulent activity. It's incredibly frustrating to see my livelihood destroyed over a baseless claim with no clear path to clear my name. As a result of this wrongful suspension, I was forced to lay off all of my employees and faced severe financial hardship. My business has been decimated, and I no longer have a way to support my family. Amazon's actions have not only stolen my livelihood but also caused unimaginable personal and professional stress. It's an example of how small sellers are often left vulnerable to the whims of a massive corporation with no accountability.
Amazon Took My Business Without Explanation I had been successfully selling on Amazon for over three years, building my business with 16-hour days and significant personal investment. My account had over 100 positive customer reviews, and I always followed Amazon's policies. Then, without warning or explanation, Amazon suspended my selling account. Months later, they conducted a brief video interview regarding the funds they had been holding. The interviewer asked no substantive questions, yet they decided to keep my money without giving any reason. On top of that, they charged me over $5,000 just to send back my own inventory. This all started when Amazon suddenly closed the buyer account linked to my seller account in April 2023, locking me out. Despite months of effort and thousands spent on consulting fees, Amazon eventually deactivated my account permanently, citing only the vague "Section 3" with no further details. The most frustrating part is the complete lack of communication. Third-party sellers like me generate the bulk of Amazon’s profits, yet they refuse to engage with us. If they had concerns, why not inform us so we could address them? Instead, many sellers—myself included—are left in the dark, losing not just our businesses but also the funds and inventory we worked so hard for. Amazon’s treatment of third-party sellers is unacceptable. No business should operate with this level of disregard for the people who drive its success.
We had the standard section 3 all funds held and no removal orders allowed we provided all requested documentation that was asked our account was in limbo for a full month as we didn’t want to send in more inventory because we weren’t getting paid out it was over a 1mm in cash and inventory with zero transparency as too We currently have an issue where without warning we will be gated on a brand for example and we’ve been having this with litterally dozens of brands we had Starbucks and Colgate approvals awhile back we saw an opportunity to purchase directly from big box stores confirmed we where approved and added the listing to our catalog about a week later when our order actually came to our warehouse we went to create a shipment and the listing was inactive and when requesting approval it says we are not accepting applications at this time meanwhile there are still dozens of sellers selling on those listing we keep just getting generic responses and no movement from Amazons end in getting this resolved we are nervous about purchase almost anything as there is no warning it’s out of the blue and some of it for brands we’ve been selling for years
Hi I been selling on Amazon since 2009! Amazon has its challenges. we currently have 40 employees, and Amazon is putting our business at risk by being so one sided any manufacturer can make up claims and convince Amazon to take action against the accounts we spent millions with attorneys and to be compliant Amazon has shut us down for weeks and months without allowing us to justify we are now active but after missing months of sales especially holiday sales ... the damages are immeasurable Amazon has people in 3rd world countries deciding the fate of real business and deeming vendors non verifiable etc....
Since 2015, we built a successful business on Amazon, selling hundreds of thousands of products yearly and maintaining top account health ratings. We worked closely with an Amazon SAS representative, ensuring full compliance with every policy update and request. We tracked everything and consistently stayed on top of Amazon’s requirements. Then, out of nowhere, over a weekend and without any prior notice, our account was suspended. We were shocked. For months, we contacted Amazon daily, submitting all requested documents. Each call brought new, often contradictory instructions. Despite our relentless efforts, we were eventually told there was no path to reinstatement. The consequences were severe: we had to lay off most of our staff, default on loans, and now face near bankruptcy. We invested millions into Amazon, both in advertising and operations, yet all of it was suddenly at risk. We’ve documented every step of this ordeal. Our story is just one of the many terrible unfair stories sellers are experiencing while selling on Amazon.
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