Quick answer. Sellers get suspended again and again for two reasons. First, Amazon’s Account Health Rating punishes repeats. Each new violation of the same policy costs more points than the last, and Amazon says reaching the maximum number of repeat violations for one policy within 180 days can put the account at immediate risk of deactivation, sometimes after as few as two. Second, the appeal fixed a symptom instead of the cause. To break the loop, find out why the last appeal failed, trace the root cause across the whole account rather than the one ASIN in the notice, prove the fix with genuine documents, and install preventive controls with a named owner, a cadence and a log. Never open a new account to escape. That is circumvention.
The loop looks the same in almost every account we review. A notice arrives. The seller fixes the named listing, writes an apology, and the warning clears. Weeks later a second notice arrives on a different ASIN for the same policy, then a deactivation. The seller sends the appeal that worked last time and it is denied. They change some words and it is denied again. Now the account sits deactivated with funds held and a file that gets weaker with every submission.
The way out below follows the rules on Amazon’s own Seller Central help pages.
Why the same suspension keeps coming back
A repeat suspension is rarely bad luck. It comes from a business process that still produces the violation. The listing in the first notice was only the first place the problem surfaced. If the cause was a sourcing habit, a listing template, a supplier, a packing station or a staff member working without a checklist, that cause keeps creating exposure on other ASINs.
The symptom fix trap
When a notice names one ASIN, the reflex is to fix that ASIN. That clears the notice but leaves the cause running. Amazon’s systems find the next instance, which counts as a repeat violation of the same policy and is scored more heavily. Sellers feel targeted. In fact the account is being measured exactly as the published rules describe.
The recycled appeal trap
The appeal itself is the second driver. Sellers resend the letter that worked once, or send a denied letter back with different adjectives. Every submission joins one permanent record that a reviewer reads as a whole. A third version of a denied appeal resets nothing. It tells the reviewer the account still does not understand its problem. To break the loop, change what the business does and what the evidence shows, not what the letter says.
How Amazon counts repeat violations in the Account Health Rating
The scoring explains why a second or third notice on the same policy hits harder than the first, and why “it was only one listing” stops working as a defense once a pattern exists.
The score and the colors
Amazon describes the Account Health Rating as a color-coded score from 0 to 1,000 showing a store’s risk of deactivation for non-compliance with certain policies. Green, or Healthy, is 200 to 1,000. Yellow, or At Risk, is 100 to 199. Red, or Unhealthy, is 99 or lower and means the account is eligible for deactivation or already deactivated. New sellers start at 200. Amazon says the score reflects policy adherence and selling activity over the last 180 days, that you lose points when new violations are detected, and that you gain points when you successfully address them.
Severity and the repeat multiplier
Amazon assigns points by four severity levels, critical, high, medium and low. Critical violations can lead to immediate account enforcement. The next rule drives the loop. Amazon states that repeat violations of the same policy affect account health in two ways. The point value increases each time that policy is violated, so the score degrades faster with every repeat. And the account may be at immediate risk of deactivation if it reaches the maximum number of repeat violations for a single policy within a 180-day period. Amazon says that maximum varies by severity but can be as low as two for higher severity violations.
A seller who fixes one listing at a time is spending down a small allowance. The next listing with the same problem may trigger deactivation on its own, even if the overall score still looks acceptable.
The score is not a shield
Amazon says that, regardless of the score, it may deactivate an account immediately if it suspects fraudulent, deceptive, illegal or otherwise harmful activity. Not every policy is in the score either. Amazon’s list of included policies covers anti-counterfeiting, intellectual property, fair pricing, ASIN creation, communication guidelines, customer product reviews, product condition, detail page rules, product safety and compliance, restricted products, and the seller code of conduct, among others.
See also Amazon Customer Reviews and Account Suspensions and Amazon Invoice Requirements.
See also Amazon Product Quality and Condition Complaints.
If this is already affecting your Amazon account, our Amazon suspension team can review the notice and prepare the response with you.
Why resubmitting the same appeal fails
To appeal a deactivation, Amazon says to go to Account Health, select Reactivate your account and follow the on-page instructions, which may ask for a questionnaire, an acknowledgment of the violation, a quiz or supporting documents. Amazon says to expect a reply within two days and, if more information is requested, to use View Appeal on Account Health.
Every submission is permanent and cumulative
Treat the appeal history as a single file. A strong third submission cannot undo a contradiction in the first, and a document that answered the wrong question stays in the record. After any denial, go back to the investigation, not the thesaurus. If the substance has not changed, the outcome will not change.
What a reviewer is checking
Reviewers are not grading remorse. They check whether the record shows the risk is identified, contained, corrected and controlled. A plain letter with a specific cause, dated corrective actions, attached proof and a control that runs on a schedule does that. When an appeal keeps failing, assume one of those four is missing and find out which before you write another word.
Some violations do not want a plan of action
Part of the loop is answering in the wrong format. Amazon’s policy violation appeals FAQ, covering product condition violations, says sellers choose between acknowledging the violation after making changes and submitting evidence that it was received in error. The same page says Amazon will not accept a plan of action for those violations, nor images of the inventory or order details page, nor a bin check case still under review. Read the appeal screen for your violation and give it exactly what it asks for.
Six causes behind a denial
Before you resubmit anything, name the reason the last submission failed. Nearly every denial we see in a repeat case traces to one or more of six causes. Each has a different fix, and new wording fixes none of them.
Wrong concern answered
The appeal answered a different question than Amazon asked, such as a seller deactivated for product condition complaints writing about a late shipment. Re-read the notice and Account Health line by line. Identify the exact policy, the ASINs or orders, and the request, and answer that.
Symptom, not root cause
“The item was damaged” is a symptom. “Units from our second supplier shipped without inner cartons, and we had no receiving inspection to catch it” is a cause. A root cause names a controllable process in your business. If no change you control could have prevented it, keep digging.
No proof
“We retrained staff” with no record, date or names reads as a promise. Each corrective action needs evidence a reviewer can check. Amazon’s appeals FAQ gives examples such as images of updated training materials, packaging or quality checks.
Inconsistent story
The first appeal blamed a warehouse employee, the second a supplier, and the third says the listing was always accurate. A reviewer reading the whole file believes none of them. Reconstruct every prior submission, settle on the account the evidence supports, and explain any earlier error plainly.
Wrong documents
The documents are real but prove the wrong thing, such as a retail receipt where a supplier invoice is needed, an invoice whose products do not match the ASINs, or an inventory screenshot Amazon says it will not accept. Match every document to the claim it supports. If a genuine document does not exist, do not create, edit or “clean up” one. Narrow the claim to what real documents prove. Altered documents turn a performance problem into an integrity problem, as our guide to forged or manipulated documentation suspensions explains.
Missing scope
The appeal fixed the named ASIN and said nothing about the forty other listings the same supplier or template touches. State the scope of your review, meaning how many listings, suppliers, orders or staff were checked, what you found and what you did.
| Cause of denial | How it shows up | What to change before resubmitting |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong concern answered | Letter discusses a different issue than the notice | Answer the exact policy, items and request |
| Symptom, not root cause | Describes the event, not the process behind it | Name the controllable process that failed |
| No proof | Claims with no dated, checkable attachments | Attach a genuine document for every action |
| Inconsistent story | Different explanation in each submission | Reconcile honestly and correct earlier errors openly |
| Wrong documents | Real papers proving something else, or unaccepted formats | Match each document to a claim and narrow the claims |
| Missing scope | Only the named ASIN addressed | Show the account-wide sweep and its findings |
Fixing at the root across the whole account
Once you know why the last appeal failed, the real work happens in the business, not the document. The goal is that the cause no longer exists and you can prove it.
Reconstruct the full history
Pull every notice, warning, listing removal and appeal from at least the past 180 days. List what each cited and what each submission said. Then look for the common thread, such as the same policy across different ASINs, the same supplier behind different complaints, or the same staff member or tool behind different errors. A repeat case is usually one cause showing up in several places.
Ask why until you reach a process
For each violation, ask why it happened, then why that happened, until the answer is a process you control, such as a purchase decision, a receiving step, a listing workflow, a pricing rule or an access permission. If the trail genuinely ends at an error on Amazon’s side, its appeal flow lets you submit evidence that a violation was received in error. Use that route only when the facts support it.
Sweep, do not spot fix
Use the root cause as a search filter. If it was a supplier, check every ASIN from that supplier. If a template, every listing built from it. If a person, everything they touched. Record the size of the sweep, what it found and what you did. That turns “we fixed the listing” into “the problem is contained.”
Take corrective actions and keep the proof
Corrective actions are already done. Refunds issued, listings corrected, inventory removed or inspected, suppliers dropped, access removed, genuine documents obtained. Date each one. If FBA handling may be involved, Amazon’s appeals FAQ suggests a bin check on the same ASIN and SKU before you appeal, citing the completed case ID.
Preventive controls that run
Almost every denied appeal in a repeat case contains a line like “we have implemented new procedures to make sure this never happens again.” It fails because it describes nothing a reviewer can picture or verify. A preventive control is a step that happens on a schedule or trigger, done by a named person, and recorded where someone else can check it.
Owner, cadence, log
Every control needs three parts. An owner, by role and ideally by name. A cadence or trigger, such as every inbound shipment, every new listing or every Friday. And a log, a dated record that the step happened and what it found. Without any one of them, the control decays within weeks and the next notice proves it.
Tie each control to its cause, and run it first
If the cause was inbound packaging, the control lives at receiving. If listing content was copied from supplier data, add a second review before publish. If complaints were noticed late, schedule a review of Account Health and the Voice of the Customer page, which Amazon’s appeals FAQ names for monitoring feedback. Run each control before you submit. “The attached log shows inspections on three shipments since the control began” is far stronger than announcing a control nobody has used.
| Root cause found | Control | Owner | Cadence | Log |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damaged units from one supplier | Inbound carton inspection | Warehouse lead | Every shipment | Receiving log with photos |
| Listing claims copied from supplier data | Second review before publish | Catalog manager | Every new or edited listing | Approval sheet |
| Complaints noticed too late | Account Health and feedback review | Account owner | Twice weekly | Dated notes with actions |
| Staff acting outside policy | Training and permission review | Operations manager | Onboarding and quarterly | Sign-offs and user list |
How to verify where the account stands
Do not rely on memory or the last email. Check each place directly and save dated screenshots for your file.
| Question | Where to check | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| What is my score and trend? | Seller Central, Account Health, Account Health Rating | Score, color band, violations costing points |
| Which violations are repeats? | Account Health, each violation’s detail | Same policy on different ASINs within 180 days |
| What exactly did Amazon ask for? | The notice and the appeal page (Reactivate your account or View Appeal) | Questionnaire, acknowledgment, quiz, documents or plan of action |
| What did I already submit? | Appeal history in Account Health | Every prior submission and reply, in date order |
| Is it customer driven? | Voice of the Customer and performance dashboard | Repeated complaint themes by ASIN or supplier |
| Could FBA have caused it? | Bin check on the same ASIN and SKU | A completed case ID, not one under review |
| Are funds held, and why? | Payments and the deactivation notice | Whether Section 3 of the Business Solutions Agreement is cited |
If a notice code is unclear, our guide to deciphering Amazon suspension codes covers the common ones.
Caught in a loop of denials?
Send us the notices and every appeal you sent, and we will tell you plainly whether the case is viable.
Worked example, one seller, three denials, one fix
This example is hypothetical and the numbers are illustrative.
The loop
A home and kitchen seller with about 140 ASINs receives a product condition violation in February. Customers report a glass storage set arriving cracked. The seller closes the listing and acknowledges the violation. In April a second violation hits another glass item, and that listing is closed too. In June a third arrives, on a ceramic dish set, and the account is deactivated. The seller appeals, apologising for “packaging issues” and promising to “improve quality control.” Denied. They resend it with more about their commitment to customers. Denied. They add an image of the inventory page showing the listings closed. Denied.
The diagnosis
Measured against the six causes, the file fails on four. Symptom, not root cause, because “packaging issues” describes damage, not why it happened. No proof, with no inspection record and no dated change. Wrong documents, since Amazon’s appeals FAQ says an inventory page image is not accepted. Missing scope, with nothing about other fragile products. The format was also wrong, because Amazon says a plan of action is not accepted for these violations.
The root cause and the fix
The history shows all three ASINs came from one supplier who dropped molded inserts in January. With no receiving inspection, nobody noticed. That supplier ships 22 of the seller’s ASINs. The seller requests bin checks and waits for completed case IDs, pauses all 22 listings, inspects and disposes of damaged stock, and refunds affected customers. The supplier confirms in writing that inserts are restored, and the next shipment is inspected to confirm it. A receiving inspection for all fragile goods begins. The warehouse lead owns it, it is logged with photos and reviewed weekly by the owner, and it runs on two shipments before the appeal.
The appeal
The new submission uses the screen’s format, cites the completed bin check IDs, attaches images of the updated packaging and inspection checklist, and states the scope, 22 ASINs reviewed, 3 affected, all paused until inspected stock was confirmed. It explains plainly that earlier submissions described damage without identifying the supplier change. Reinstatement is Amazon’s decision. The file now shows a cause found, contained, corrected and controlled.
When a case is no longer viable, and the honest options left
Not every case can be won as filed. Spotting that early is not giving up. It is choosing a path that can succeed.
The red flags
A case is likely not viable as filed when a decisive document genuinely cannot be obtained and the claim cannot honestly be narrowed, or when the facts cannot be defended without misrepresentation. The same holds when Amazon has stated a final decision after appeals were exhausted, when a prior submission raised doubts about document authenticity, or when a sound, well evidenced case keeps receiving substantive denials. An account with a denial history arrives already disbelieved, so the evidence bar is higher than for a first offense.
Badly handled, or genuinely exhausted
The deciding question is whether past denials reflect a sound case handled badly or a problem that cannot be resolved. A case denied for a vague root cause, thin evidence or the wrong format may be recoverable with a materially different submission that answers every prior rejection. A case built on goods that were not genuine, documents that were altered, or a model that cannot comply is exhausted, and further appeals only lengthen the record.
The honest options that remain
Where reinstatement is not realistic, the goal may change. Amazon’s funds disbursement eligibility policy says funds may be withheld after a deactivation under Section 3 of the Business Solutions Agreement. If the account is reinstated on appeal, funds are released on the disbursement schedule. Even if the appeal fails, Amazon says the seller can separately appeal for withheld funds at any point after 60 days from the deactivation date, through the process on that page. Amazon says it releases remaining funds, less offsets for amounts owed, after evaluating the account and confirming identity. It may permanently withhold payments if it finds deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity, abuse of its systems or repeated policy violations, or cannot confirm identity. An orderly exit, removing inventory and settling obligations, is another honest path. This is educational information, not legal advice. Where significant funds or contract rights are at stake, get qualified advice.
Why opening a new account is circumvention, not a fresh start
When an appeal stalls, nearly every seller asks whether they can start again under a new account. The answer is almost always no.
What Amazon’s rules say
Amazon’s seller code of conduct says you may only maintain one Seller Central account for each region in which you sell, unless you have a legitimate business need for a second account and all of your accounts are in good standing. If any account is not in good standing, Amazon may deactivate all of them. Amazon’s examples of legitimate need are owning multiple brands with separate businesses for each, manufacturing for two distinct companies, or being recruited for an Amazon program that requires separate accounts. Escaping a deactivation is not on that list.
Why it compounds the problem
A deactivated account is not in good standing, and a new account opened to keep selling is the circumvention the code of conduct prohibits. In our experience it is typically connected back to the original and deactivated, adding a fresh violation. It can forfeit a viable appeal and harm a funds claim, since Amazon’s funds policy lists attempting to circumvent its systems among activities that can lead to permanently withheld payments. Our guides on multiple Amazon seller accounts and what never to do after a suspension cover the legitimate route and the traps.
A routine that keeps the loop closed
Breaking the loop once is not enough. A short routine run by named people does most of the work. Twice a week, the account owner records the Account Health score and any new violation and reviews the Voice of the Customer page. Treat every new violation as a possible symptom of a shared cause. Receiving inspection runs on every inbound shipment in risky categories, and every new or edited listing gets a second review before publishing, with both logged. Monthly, the operations manager confirms from the logs that controls ran, re-reads the policy pages behind past trouble for wording changes, and reviews account access. Whenever a supplier, tool, category or staff member changes, run it through the same checks before it touches live listings, because most repeat suspensions start with a change nobody reviewed. For the structure of a strong first appeal, see the right way to appeal an Amazon suspension.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Amazon keep suspending my account for the same thing?
Usually because the cause was never fixed, only the listing Amazon named. Amazon’s Account Health Rating raises the point value of each repeat violation of the same policy, so every new instance hits harder.
How many repeat violations can I have before deactivation?
Amazon says the maximum for one policy in a 180-day period varies by severity and can be as low as two for higher severity violations. Treat any repeat as urgent.
Can I resend my appeal if it was denied?
Sending the same appeal with new wording rarely works and adds another denial to a permanent record. Diagnose why it failed, change the substance, and submit one materially different appeal.
How long does Amazon take to reply to an appeal?
Amazon’s deactivation appeal page says to expect a reply within two days, and Amazon may request more information through View Appeal. See our guide on how long Amazon appeals take.
Should every appeal include a plan of action?
No. Amazon’s appeals FAQ says a plan of action is not accepted for certain product condition violations. Follow the format your appeal screen asks for.
Can I open a new account if my appeal keeps failing?
Not to escape a deactivation. Amazon allows one account per region unless there is a legitimate business need and all accounts are in good standing.
What happens to my funds if the account cannot be reinstated?
After a Section 3 deactivation, Amazon says you can separately appeal for withheld funds any time after 60 days from the deactivation date. Amazon may release remaining funds less offsets, or permanently withhold them in the circumstances its policy lists.
Get Help With a Repeat Amazon Suspension
If your account is caught in a loop of notices and denials, the next submission matters more than any before it. Our team reviews the full history, works out why prior appeals failed, and tells you honestly whether the case is viable and what the realistic goal is. Learn about our Amazon suspension service, submit your case, or book a consultation before you send anything else.
This article is educational information about Amazon’s published seller policies and is not legal advice. Amazon’s policies and processes change. Confirm current requirements in Seller Central and in your own notices. No outcome, timeline or amount is guaranteed. Got Suspended? is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon.
You can also see all our marketplace suspension services.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Central: Account Health Rating program policy
- Amazon Seller Central: Policies included in Account Health Rating
- Amazon Seller Central: Policy violation appeals FAQ
- Amazon Seller Central: Appeal an account deactivation or listing removal
- Amazon Seller Central: Selling policies and seller code of conduct
- Amazon Seller Central: Funds disbursement eligibility policy
