As peak season approaches, Amazon sellers find themselves navigating a minefield of policy changes and enforcement actions. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation in the platform's monitoring of seller communications and product listings, leaving many merchants in precarious positions.
Messaging Crackdown: Zero-Tolerance Policy Implemented
Multiple sellers report that Amazon has significantly tightened its enforcement of messaging policies, particularly for communications sent through its internal messaging system. The U.S. marketplace now appears to be operating under a zero-tolerance approach, with immediate account suspensions replacing previous warning systems.
"Before, we might receive a warning or have appeal options," explained one seller who requested anonymity. "Now they're suspending accounts on first offenses with no appeal process. It's terrifying."
The platform has specifically prohibited any messaging that references:
- Review-related terms: review, evaluation, comment, feedback, rating, star
- Qualitative descriptors: positive, negative, critical, bad, level, appraise
- Modification requests: amend, change, modify, alter, withdraw, retract, edit, remove, delete
- Update actions: update, revise, erase, cancel, wipe out
Listing Purges Hit Sellers Without Warning
Concurrently, Amazon appears to be conducting widespread sweeps of product listings containing prohibited terms. Numerous merchants report sudden listing deactivations, often with opaque explanations.
One rug seller described receiving a notice that their product violated "sanctions laws" due to Persian-inspired designs. "Our listing never actually sold, but now it's flagged as violating restricted product policies," the seller stated. "The term 'Persian' seems to have triggered automated detection systems."
Other merchants identified these terms as currently problematic:
- Turkish
- Persian/Persia
- Aydin
- Bohemian
- Adja
- Asher
- Moroccan
- Izil
Compliance Becomes Survival Imperative
Amazon's official response to inquiries suggests these actions relate to enforcement of trade sanctions against specific regions including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Ukraine/Crimea. However, sellers report widespread collateral damage affecting unrelated products.
For affected merchants, experts recommend:
- Conducting comprehensive audits of all messaging templates
- Scrubbing product listings for potentially problematic terms
- Preparing documentation demonstrating product compliance
- Avoiding third-party services promising quick fixes
The timing of these enforcement actions, coinciding with peak season preparations, has created particular distress among sellers already managing inventory and logistics challenges. Many report dedicating significant resources to compliance reviews rather than sales optimization.
As policy enforcement intensifies, Amazon's marketplace appears to be entering a new era where compliance management rivals sales strategy as the critical determinant of seller success.