Amazon Seller Lawyer

A host of service providers focus on assisting Amazon sellers as they navigate issues, such as suspensions from selling on the largest marketplace in the world, Amazon.com. These services come in two primary forms: Amazon seller lawyers and consultants. Some consultants can be very good at what they do, but they have significant limitations on what they can offer. For example, they cannot engage in the unauthorized practice of law, and therefore, helping sellers navigate various legal issues, such as intellectual property claims or Amazon arbitration can be limited. Further, consultants may be ineffective in dealing with opposing counsel, whether Amazon’s lawyers or a third-party seller’s attorney, in light of the knowledge by the other side that, as a consultant, they are handicapped when advocating for their client.

There are various common causes for Amazon seller accounts getting suspended. The first relates to several types of intellectual property (IP) claims. The claims could involve alleged trademark or utility patent infringement and sometimes even copyright. Each IP claim must be handled in a tailored manner and may include providing invoices verifying authenticity, among other resolution strategies. Another common vector for seller account suspensions on Amazon involved related accounts. Specifically, Amazon alleges that a seller has numerous accounts that breach the seller agreement. Amazon has automated means to flag related account activity, and sellers have learned that even strategies to mask such relatedness can be unsuccessful.

Getting suspended from selling on Amazon is not just a setback; it’s a potential business-ending catastrophe. The shock and the potential for destruction can be so immense that it’s no wonder sellers often panic and make several common mistakes in their desperate attempts to continue selling on the world’s largest online marketplace. These mistakes can lead to even more severe consequences, such as diminishing the chances of account reinstatement, and include the following: 1) Making A Second Amazon Seller Account – Some sellers think creating a second account will quickly fix their predicament. Still, Amazon often uncovers these related accounts and can render the suspended seller worse off than they were, diminishing the chances of their initial account getting reinstated. 2) Forging Invoices Or Other Documentation – Arising most often in the context of seller suspensions concerning potential intellectual property infringement, particularly regarding trademarks, sellers may be tempted to forge invoices to bolster claims of non-infringement. Forgery is a mistaken route, as Amazon is aware of this temptation and has procedures to uncover invoice fraud, among other document fraud. 3) Responding To A Suspension In A Shoddy & Rushed Manner – In a seller’s desperation to end the pain and be allowed to sell again on the Amazon marketplace, the impulsive and instinctual desire might be to rush and immediately respond with a plan of action (POA) that is shoddy in that it does not properly address the causes of suspension or in some other way hurts the seller’s case. Instead, sellers should analyze the facts and come up with a measured and well-thought-out strategy that benefits from contemplation instead of haphazard action.