Quick answer. Reselling another company’s branded products on Amazon is common, but it carries risk when you cannot prove where the goods came from. Some brands and categories require Amazon’s approval before you can list them, and rights owners can file intellectual property or counterfeit complaints against your offers at any time. Amazon rates a valid infringement notice from a rights owner as a High severity violation, and a counterfeit confirmed by test buy as Critical. Your defense is a supplier invoice that meets Amazon’s requirements, Amazon order IDs, or an authorization letter from the rights owner, and without one of those a single complaint can remove listings and repeated complaints can deactivate the account.

Most sellers learn about this risk after a brand files a complaint. The products were bought in good faith from a wholesaler, a liquidator or a retail clearance rack, the listing sold well, and then a notice arrives naming a trademark or counterfeit violation. Amazon’s policies put the burden of proof on the seller, and they apply whether or not the seller knew anything was wrong. What follows is how the risk builds, how Amazon scores and reviews it, what evidence it accepts, and how we work a brand complaint from the notice to the appeal.

What Unauthorized Means Under Amazon’s Rules

Amazon does not have a single rule that says a reseller must be authorized by every brand it sells. The risk comes from three separate policies that overlap. The Anti-Counterfeiting Policy requires that every product offered on Amazon is authentic. The Intellectual Property Policy prohibits violating the rights of brands and other rights owners. The rules on categories and products that require approval block listings in certain brands and categories until Amazon approves the seller.

Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy states that it is each seller’s responsibility to source, sell and fulfill only authentic products. Prohibited products include bootlegs, fakes or pirated copies, products that have been illegally replicated, reproduced or manufactured, and products that infringe another party’s intellectual property rights. The policy also states that you must provide records about the authenticity of your products if Amazon requests them, and that Amazon may request documentation such as invoices showing authenticity or your authorization to list the products.

Knowledge does not protect you

Amazon’s Intellectual Property Policy states that even if a seller infringes IP without knowledge, Amazon will still take action, and the account might receive a warning or be suspended. A seller who bought genuine looking stock from a supplier who turned out to be selling diverted or fake goods is treated as the seller of those goods. Amazon also states that it terminates the accounts of repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances.

Where the Risk Comes From

Each risk below runs through a different policy, which means a different notice, a different appeal path and a different document the seller has to produce.

Brand and Category Approval

Amazon requires approval before you can list in certain categories and for certain brands. Amazon’s help page lists the types of restriction as individual ASINs, brands, brands within a specific category, categories and sub-categories, and notes that some products require more than one approval. To check, you search the product in Add Products. “Sell this product” means no approval is needed, “Apply to sell” means approval is required and “Not Available” means the product cannot be listed. For a new product not yet in the catalog, Amazon suggests searching similar items to see the likely restrictions.

What the application asks for

Amazon’s list of documents to prepare includes purchase invoices dated within 180 days, clear product photos showing all sides, brand authorization letters where applicable, safety certifications where required and commercial liability insurance documentation for certain categories. Amazon states that reviews take 2 to 7 business days. If the result reads “Your account does not qualify,” Amazon states that you cannot sell the product, the decision cannot be appealed and Selling Partner Support cannot give more detail.

Approval lets you list. It does not protect you from complaints if the products are not genuine, and it does not stop a rights owner from reporting your offer. Amazon also states that selling privileges can change when new restrictions are added to existing products or when the account receives performance notifications, so an approval granted last year can be withdrawn. See our guide to restricted products and our brand approval and ungating service.

Related guides. Selling Adult Products on Amazon and Should You Buy an Amazon Seller Account? The Risks Under Amazon’s Rules.

For a closely related case, read Selling Jewelry on Amazon.

Complaints From Rights Owners and Customers

Brands can report offers or ASINs they believe infringe their trademark or are counterfeit. Amazon’s Account Health Rating lists “rights owner submits valid notice of infringement” and “customer reports of infringing or counterfeit products” as High severity examples. Amazon describes its tolerance for High severity violations as minimal. A product found counterfeit or pirated through a test buy is a Critical example, and Amazon states that any single Critical violation immediately qualifies the account for deactivation.

For the difference between complaint types, read inauthentic vs counterfeit complaints and what an intellectual property complaint is.

Why brands target resellers

A brand that controls its distribution has a commercial reason to remove sellers it did not appoint. Some complaints are well founded because the goods are fake. Others are filed against genuine goods. Amazon’s Account Health Rating FAQ states that some violations are based on complaints from customers or notices from rights owners, that Amazon works to assess their validity, and that a seller who believes there is a mistake should find the violation on Account Health and follow the guidance under Next steps. Treat every complaint as real until you have the documents that show otherwise, because Amazon will.

How the violation is scored

Your Account Health Rating reflects policy adherence over the last 180 days. Amazon states that new sellers start at 200, that green “Healthy” is 200 to 1,000, yellow “At Risk” is 100 to 199 and red “Unhealthy” is 99 or lower, at which point the account is eligible for deactivation or already deactivated. Repeat violations of the same policy carry higher point values each time, so the rating degrades faster with each complaint on the same policy.

Amazon also acts without a complaint

Not every removal starts with a brand. Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy states that Amazon works with manufacturers, rights holders, content owners, vendors and sellers to detect inauthentic products, and that it removes suspect listings based on its own review. A seller can lose an offer on a brand that has never filed a complaint, and the appeal still needs the same supply chain documents.

Where Brand Registry fits

Amazon describes Brand Registry as its authoritative service for managing and protecting brands. It holds brand names, brand profile data such as trademarks and logos, and the accounts with roles for each brand, such as rights owner or brand representative. A brand enrolled there has a direct channel to report offers, which is why a registered brand can generate complaints against resellers faster than a brand that is not enrolled. Amazon considers a brand to be a name that represents a product or set of products, sharing a common name, logo or other identifying mark on the product or packaging.

The Repeat Violation Limit and the Three-Day Window

Amazon’s Account Health Rating FAQ states that an account may be at immediate risk of deactivation if it reaches the maximum number of repeat violations for a single policy in a 180-day period. The maximum is five for infringement-related policies. Amazon explains that infringement policies have lower thresholds because they are High severity violations that affect the law and the IP rights of others.

When Amazon detects that you have reached the maximum, a Critical violation appears on Account Health, Amazon notifies you by email, and the rating turns red with a score of zero. Amazon states that you have a three-day period to address the Critical violation before deactivation, following the banner on Account Health and appealing through the Product Policy Compliance Dashboard. An Account Health specialist may try to call you during that period, so confirm the emergency contact number under Notification preferences now, not after the violation lands.

How violations come off the page

Amazon lists the ways a violation is removed from Account Health. You successfully dispute it and Amazon confirms it was an error. You successfully appeal and Amazon forgives an unintentional violation. You acknowledge certain violation types and confirm you do not want the listing back. The rights owner retracts the complaint. You take the corrective action, such as removing infringing content. Or 180 days pass from when the violation was added. Amazon also states that if the account is deactivated for its rating, all violations remain on the account.

The Evidence That Protects You

Amazon’s Intellectual Property Policy says that a seller who has received multiple IP warnings and believes the products are non-infringing should appeal with a list of the ASINs and at least one of the following.

• Invoices proving the authenticity of the products, with pricing removed if you choose.
• Amazon order IDs demonstrating authenticity.
• An authorization letter from the rights owner, which cannot be a forwarded email.
• A court order finding the product does not infringe, or that the asserted IP is invalid or unenforceable.

Amazon states that when you appeal enforcement actions, you are typically required to provide invoices or letters of authorization to show your right to sell the products, and that if the products are confirmed genuine, Amazon removes the enforcement claims from the account.

What an acceptable invoice shows

Amazon’s invoice requirements for appealing a policy violation set out what the document must contain.

• Supplier information. The supplier’s name, phone number, address and website. Amazon states it will not share this with its retail team or other sellers.
• Issue date. A clearly displayed date within the 365 days before you received the performance notification.
• Quantity. Enough units to cover your sales and in-stock inventory for each cited ASIN over the past 365 days, along with sales records for each ASIN tied to the violation.
• Product identifiers. Product names, model numbers or UPC, EAN or ISBN codes, with version, color or style for variations and every component for bundles.
• File format. PDF or JPG, PNG or GIF images, no larger than 10MB.
• A completed transaction. The invoice must document a completed and fulfilled sale.

Amazon does not accept invoices sent by email or third-party sharing, sales quotes, pro forma invoices or any document issued before a finalized transaction, self-issued invoices or invoices where the supplier appears to be the same business as the buyer, digitally manipulated invoices or editable files such as .xlsx or .docx, and invoices that are illegible, low resolution, inconsistent or missing required details. Amazon states it may contact the supplier to verify the information. The invoice does not have to be in English. Read why Amazon asks for invoices instead of receipts.

When the invoice is not enough

The invoice proves where the goods came from. It does not prove the goods are genuine if the supplier itself had no legitimate source. A wholesaler with no website, no physical address and no verifiable business history produces an invoice that meets the format rules and still fails the review. Amazon’s own guidance on sourcing a verified supplier lists business licenses, a physical business presence such as an office or warehouse, business credibility through bureau ratings, background, media coverage and reputation, and web presence verified through government resources, brand websites and business directories.

How We Work a Brand Complaint

The order matters, because the first appeal sets the record Amazon reviews on every later one.

1. Read the notice for the policy and the complainant. Confirm whether the complaint is trademark, counterfeit, copyright or patent, which ASINs it names and whether it came from a rights owner, a customer or a test buy. Each one has a different appeal route.
2. Match inventory to invoices by ASIN. Pull every invoice for the cited ASINs and confirm the quantities cover sales and stock for the last 365 days. A gap between units sold and units invoiced is the first thing a reviewer finds.
3. Check the supplier. Confirm the supplier’s name, address, phone and website appear on the invoice and can be verified. If the supplier cannot pass that test, do not submit the invoice and claim it proves authenticity.
4. Decide between appeal and retraction. If you have a license or other agreement with the rights owner, Amazon’s policy directs you to contact the rights owner and request a retraction. A retraction removes the violation. If you have no relationship with the brand, the appeal rests on invoices or order IDs.
5. Fix detail page problems separately. If the complaint concerns trademark use on the detail page, Amazon’s policy says to modify the page so it does not infringe and then appeal from Account Health. Do not rely on an invoice to answer a listing content complaint.
6. Submit through Account Health. Upload the documents through the appeal option next to the violation. Amazon requires invoices to be submitted through Seller Central, not emailed.
7. Remove at-risk inventory. If you cannot document a supplier, stop selling the ASIN and create a removal order. Amazon states that it may dispose of inauthentic products in its fulfillment centers at the seller’s expense.

Our rights owner complaint service handles IP and authenticity complaints, and our Amazon suspension and reinstatement team handles deactivations that follow them.

What Not to Do

• Buying from sources that cannot issue proper invoices. A retail receipt, a marketplace order confirmation or a cash sale leaves you with nothing Amazon will accept.
• Editing documents to make them fit. Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy allows you to remove pricing, but states that providing documents edited in any other way, or documents that are misleading, is a violation and will lead to enforcement.
• Creating a new detail page to avoid the brand’s listing. A duplicate page for the same product does not separate you from the complaint and adds a listing policy problem.
• Ignoring complaints. Unresolved violations stay on Account Health and count toward the repeat limit.
• Arguing with the brand in the appeal. The reviewer needs documents, not a dispute over whether the brand should allow resale.
• Submitting the same rejected invoice again. Amazon’s rejection points you to the Performance Notification that explains why it could not accept the documents. Fix that reason first.

Consequences Beyond the Listing

A removed listing is the smallest consequence. Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy states that if you sell inauthentic products, Amazon may immediately suspend or terminate your selling account and any related accounts, dispose of inauthentic products in its fulfillment centers at your expense and withhold payments. Amazon also states that it does not pay sellers until it is confident customers received the authentic products they ordered, and that it may withhold payments where an account was used to sell inauthentic goods.

The policy also describes legal exposure. Amazon states it works with rights holders and law enforcement to take and support legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate the policy, and that sellers and suppliers of inauthentic products may face criminal fines and imprisonment as well as civil penalties, including the loss of amounts received from the sales, damages sustained by the rights holder, statutory damages and attorney’s fees. If a brand sends you a legal demand outside Amazon, take it to a lawyer.

First Complaint Versus a Pattern

A first complaint on one ASIN with clean invoices from a verifiable supplier is a document case. The appeal is the invoice, the supplier’s details and an explanation of how the stock moved from supplier to fulfillment. A pattern is different. When several complaints arrive from the same brand, or from several brands supplied by the same wholesaler, Amazon reads it as a sourcing problem, and the appeal has to show that the source has changed.

In a pattern case, we list every ASIN supplied by the problem source, remove the ones that cannot be documented, and show Amazon the replacement supply chain with invoices from manufacturers or authorized distributors. The repeat violation limit of five infringement violations in 180 days makes timing matter. A seller with three open complaints is two complaints from a Critical violation, and every listing from the same source is a possible fourth.

Resale Rules Differ by Region

Amazon’s authenticity and IP policies apply in every store, but the law that decides whether a brand can stop the resale of genuine goods differs by country. In the United States, questions about reselling a particular brand belong with a lawyer, and Amazon’s own policy says it is not legal advice.

European Union

Article 15 of Directive (EU) 2015/2436 provides that a trade mark does not entitle the proprietor to prohibit its use for goods put on the market in the Union under that mark by the proprietor or with the proprietor’s consent. Genuine goods first sold outside the Union fall outside that rule, which is why the origin of the stock matters as much as its authenticity for an EU reseller.

The same article carves out an exception. The rule does not apply where the proprietor has legitimate reasons to oppose further commercialisation, especially where the condition of the goods has been changed or impaired after they were put on the market. Repackaging, relabeling, removing codes or selling damaged units can give a brand grounds to object to genuine goods. On Amazon, that overlaps with the condition rules, because the Account Health Rating lists a product received expired or in the wrong condition as a violation of its own.

What this means for sourcing decisions

Before buying stock for an EU or UK marketplace, record where the supplier bought it and in which market the brand first sold it. A supplier invoice proves the transaction with you. It does not show where the goods entered the market. When a brand complains about genuine goods in Europe, the question is usually the second one, and a seller who never asked the supplier cannot answer it.

United Kingdom

The UK government has kept the UK+ exhaustion regime. Goods first placed on the EEA market generally remain exhausted in the UK, so UK businesses can import them without the rights holder’s consent. The reverse does not hold. The government states that goods placed on the UK market may no longer be considered exhausted in the EEA, and exporters might need the rights holder’s consent to sell them there. A UK seller expanding to EU marketplaces with UK-sourced stock should check that before listing.

Reducing Your Exposure

• Buy from manufacturers or authorized distributors. Ask the brand for its list of authorized distributors before you open an account with a wholesaler.
• Verify every new supplier. Use Amazon’s checks, which are business licenses, a physical business presence, business reputation and web presence verified through government and brand sources.
• Keep invoices organized by ASIN. Store PDFs that show the supplier’s name, address, phone and website, product identifiers and quantities, so you can answer a complaint the day it arrives.
• Keep quantities covered. Make sure invoiced units cover sales and stock for each ASIN across any 365-day window.
• Check approval status before buying. Run each product through Add Products before you place a purchase order, not after the stock arrives.
• Be cautious with brands known for enforcement. A brand that files complaints often or gates its listings will review your offer.
• Watch Account Health weekly. Count open infringement violations against the five-in-180-days limit and resolve each one before the next arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to resell brand-name products on Amazon?

Amazon’s policies focus on whether the products are genuine and whether you can document them, and some brands require Amazon approval to list. Whether a specific brand can stop resale is a legal question that depends on the country and the source of the goods, so take it to a lawyer.

Do I need a letter of authorization from the brand?

Not for every product. An authorization letter is one of the forms of evidence Amazon accepts in an IP appeal, alongside invoices, order IDs and court orders, and it cannot be a forwarded email. Some brand approval applications ask for one.

What happens if a brand files a complaint against me?

Amazon may remove the listing and add a High severity violation to Account Health. You can appeal with documents, request a retraction if you have an agreement with the rights owner, or correct the detail page if the complaint concerns listing content.

How old can my invoices be?

For an appeal, Amazon’s invoice requirements ask for an issue date within the 365 days before the performance notification. For a brand or category approval application, Amazon lists purchase invoices dated within 180 days.

Can repeated complaints get my account deactivated?

Yes. Five infringement-related violations of one policy in 180 days can put the account at immediate risk of deactivation. When that happens, a Critical violation appears and Amazon gives a three-day period to address it.

Get Help With a Brand Complaint

Submit your case for a free assessment, or book a consultation.

You can also see all our marketplace suspension services.

Sources

• Amazon Seller Central, Intellectual Property Policy
• Amazon Seller Central, Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting policy
• Amazon Seller Central, Account Health Rating
• Amazon Seller Central, Invoice requirements for appealing a policy violation
• Amazon Seller Central, Categories and products that require approval
• EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2015/2436 on trade marks
• GOV.UK, Exhaustion of IP rights and parallel trade