The Amazon Plan of Action | Key Details Sellers Need to Know to Get Reinstated

Have you been suspended on Amazon? Sellers deal with this all the time! There’s no sense in beating yourself up over what you did incorrectly. Rather, you should know that it’s a relatively common occurrence for Amazon sellers. To get reinstated, you’ll have to develop an Amazon Plan of Action (POA). Once you have the knowledge of how to create your POA, you can get back on the platform and start selling again! 

The Plan of Action is a document that the suspended seller drafts and submits to Amazon. The POA, sometimes referred to as an Appeal Letter, is meant to establish that the seller should not be suspended, get their money refunded, and receive their products back. The principal function of the Plan of Action for Amazon is to state how the seller will address the issues that resulted in the suspension. Moreover, the POA has to include information on how you’ll prevent the issues in the future. Basically, you need to tell Amazon that you understand what you did wrong and that you won’t do it again. 

How Should the Amazon Plan of Action Be Crafted?

How should the Amazon Plan of Action be crafted? Well, Amazon itself recommends that sellers try and address three key points in the POA: 

• The cause of the issue. Amazon requests suspended sellers to identify the issues that resulted in the suspension. 
• Describe what steps you’ll take to resolve the issue(s). 
• Explain how you will prevent the same issues from happening again in the future. 

Overall, the Amazon Plan of Action should focus on presenting a persuasive response to the suspension. Convey a sense of understanding that the suspension is very serious. Also, where possible you should frame your response as a strategy that seeks to resolve the suspension. Simultaneously, be as concise as you can with your response, while maintaining a respectful tone. At every turn, isolate and address each exact issue that caused the suspension. All in all, relay your response in the form of an apology and be extremely detailed. The response should include an explanation of the cause for the suspension, note the actions you’re taking in the immediate future, and establish the ways you’ll prevent this occurring going forward. 

Emphasize Your Understanding of the Cause for the Suspension

By emphasizing your understanding of the cause for the suspension, you’ll have a higher chance of successfully appealing the suspension! Amazon wants to know that you’ve combed through the reasons for the suspension. And, your Amazon Plan of Action should overwhelmingly say that you are responsible for the mistakes you made. Regarding the root cause of the issue, that will be revealed in the notice of suspension sent to the seller by Amazon. Reasons for suspension can be based on intellectual property, compliance, and/or performance. Whatever the reason, the POA will be most effective if written in a way that shows legitimate regret for the mistakes. In order to prove that you are intent on improving your business with Amazon, you need to convince the company that your incorrect actions were in fact regrettable. 

Even before you sit down and start writing your Plan of Action for Amazon, do some research! By gathering evidence that will support your appeal, you will strengthen your case. Where should you do that research? Start with Amazon itself! Take a close look at the Amazon guidelines and policies. That way you’ll know just what specific thing you violated. If you can, collect any documents that will bolster your case. Documents like invoices, emails from customers, or any sort of proof of the actions you’ve already taken to correct the issues. Sometimes it helps to highlight or circle the portions of the supporting documents that pertain to your appeal. Details like a clause in your Terms and Conditions, information about your supplier, or ASINs may be highlighted. 

All of this will truly help! Ultimately, Amazon wants to know, through persuasion and hard evidence, that you are intent on providing customers the highest level of service. 

Be Concise! Stay Focused on the Facts! Be Succinct and To the Point!

Once you start writing the Amazon Plan of Action, do so with brevity. This is an instance where less is more, so to speak. Don’t ramble or touch on any subject other than the facts of your suspension. For example, if you have any other support cases with Amazon, don’t include that information in your Plan of Action. Be succinct, to the point, and address every single issue that Amazon described in the suspension letter. Be organized with your appeal! The more strategic the better. And as we mentioned, offer an actual plan to Amazon that spells out how you will act to prevent another suspension. 

Here are some helpful suggestions for how to compose and format the Amazon Plan of Action: 

• More words, meaning a super long letter, doesn’t equate to a more successful appeal. Whenever you can, keep it simple. 
• Avoid providing a response immediately via the Appeal button on Amazon. 
• If you have comments about the processes of selling on Amazon, leave it out of the letter. 
• Facts will undeniably get you further than any opinions or arguments. Your commentary is irrelevant when it comes to the Plan of Action. 
• Format the response using numbers or bullets instead of essay-style paragraphs. 
• Add a brief introductory paragraph at the top of your appeal letter. 
• Avoid placing any blame on the consumer. 
• Be as detailed as possible with your response and analysis. 
• Address every single reason why Amazon suspended your account. 

Amazon Suspensions Are Disruptive…

Getting an Amazon suspension is very disruptive. For a temporary period, you can’t sell anything or list new products. Performance issues, selling products that are prohibited, and violations of policy are typically the reasons why sellers get suspended. Once you’re suspended, Amazon holds the money in your account for 90 days. Amazon will inform you that you have 90 days to get your account reinstated. If you don’t get reinstated, you may not get that money back. Any seller who doesn’t submit a Plan of Action could be deactivated. 

You have 17 days from the date Amazon sent the suspension notice to submit your Plan of Action. Even though Amazon says you could get a response from them regarding your appeal within 48 hours, they may also take up to 60 days. Sellers who don’t submit a well-written and well-structured appeal, or who don’t give Amazon the necessary supporting documents, could risk not getting their money. An insufficient appeal will likely not lead to reinstatement! The Amazon Seller Performance team must accept the Plan of Action. If they don’t, the account will remain suspended. 

How Long Does the Reinstatement Process Take?

What about the timeline? How long does the appeal process take? Well, it varies! The suspension could be hours, days, or weeks. The quicker you respond with a satisfactory Plan of Action, the quicker you will be reinstated. A lackluster POA that doesn’t satisfy Amazon’s requirements will result in the seller having to go through the process from the beginning. 

Amazon also reserves the right to deny a Plan of Action more than once. The reasons why they may deny your POA can also vary. Another thing, Amazon can request “greater details” and/or more than one denial with the same request. And sellers who experience this and submit the same documents or repeated emails could get ignored, thereby extending the timeline. 

Our team is passionate about helping Amazon sellers just like you! If you need help writing an Amazon Plan of Action to get your account reinstated, contact Stockman & Poropat, PLLC today. We can go over your options for resolution during our free consultation! 

Up next we will be discussing MAP Pricing.