Amazon sellers have long not been able to call Amazon for help with their accounts, but now it is also impossible to email the Seller Performance Team. All communications have to go through Seller Central.
This has left it almost impossible for sellers who can’t access their Amazon seller account to get in touch with Amazon to have the issue solved. And it can happen to anyone. Unfortunately, accounts get hacked or acces is denied because of other security issues such as a change of bank account or address.
It seems unconscionable that a company like Amazon, who depends on third-party sellers for over 50% of their revenues, does not care enough about its sellers to give them an adequate method to communicate with seller support outside of Seller Central, but this is, unfortunately, the case.
But dwelling on the issue and complaining about it won’t help sellers who are affected. But taking action will!
In this blog post will talk about 3 common issues that often lead to denied access and what to do about it.
1. Merchant Not Authorized
So, what can an Amazon seller do if they have no access to their account at all, or get an error message saying “Not Authorized – You do not have access to the merchant XXX. Please pick a different merchant or marketplace”?
This issue usually arises
- after making a change of vital information on your account, such as bank account information.
- when you are having trouble verifying an account or have issues with related accounts. A common problem sellers with related accounts have been faced with: To solve their issue, they must reactivate all related accounts – but may no longer have access to some of them.
What Can I Do to Get Access to My Seller Account?
If you find yourself faced with these issues, there are several things you can try:
- Use a New IP Address – One thing you can try is using a new IP address. Amazon records your IP address whenever you interface with Seller Central.
- Reset Your Router – Try resetting and rebooting your Internet router.
- Use a VPN – If anything else fails, access your account through a completely different Internet Service Provider or VPN.
2. One-time Password Never Received
Amazon’s two-step verification system is essential to the preservation of the security of your account.
But what happens when the system is asking for your one-time password and you never get it?
Or what if the seller account is managed by several different people but the person with the mobile phone for two-step verification dies and none of the other owners can access the account.
This is another situation where sellers now find it impossible to communicate with Amazon. They try contacting Amazon customer service and spend hours on the phone to no avail. Their emails are met with the response of “this is an improper channel.”
Indeed, this is frustrating, but there are alternative ways to communicate with Amazon. They are just not well-known, and none of them are easy.
3. Amazon Account Hacked
But there are other cases that are even more complicated. Hackers will hack into Amazon seller accounts, change the bank account information and divert sales proceeds to themselves.
Instead of helping sellers with this problem, Amazon will often suspend the account, leaving the seller not only without access to the account, but with a suspension issue that could cause permanent deactivation.
Hire an Expert to Get Access to Your Seller Account!
Dealing with Amazon can be very frustrating and time-consuming. Within Seller Performance, you are always communicating with a different person, who will only spend (at best) a few minutes on your matter.
It helps to have someone with experience who can frame the issue in the correct way and through the correct channel if you hit a complete dead end and cannot access Seller Support.
A common question from sellers looking for resolution to being ignored by Amazon or not being able to get through to them is: “How do you contact management on Amazon?”
The answer is very simple – depending on the market, you can for example email
- jeff@amazon.com (U.S. sellers)
- managingdirector@amazon.co.uk (UK sellers).
Both emails are manned by Amazon employees who sort out the issues and give them to the proper managers.
However, the trick is getting their attention. Many such emails are answered months later, a delay which can mean the kiss of death to an Amazon seller.
The average response time for Amazon’s legal department in Europe is about one to two months, while the U.S. legal department takes many months or may not respond at all.
Seller Central Links for All Marketplaces
When trying to log in into Amazon Seller Central, make sure you use the right one for your marketplace, as there every marketplace worldwide has their own. Find them below in alphabetical order:
- Seller Central Australia – https://sellercentral.amazon.com.au
- Seller Central Brazil – https://sellercentral.amazon.com.br
- Seller Central Canada – https://sellercentral.amazon.ca
- Seller Central Europe – https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/gp/homepage.html
- Seller Central India – https://sellercentral.amazon.in
- Seller Central Japan – https://sellercentral-japan.amazon.com/gp/homepage.html
- Seller Central Mexico – https://sellercentral.amazon.com.mx
- Seller Central Saudi Arabia – https://sellercentral.amazon.sa
- Seller Central Singapore – https://sellercentral.amazon.sg
- Seller Central Turkey – https://sellercentral.amazon.com.tr
- Seller Central UAE – https://sellercentral.amazon.ae/gp/homepage.html
- Seller Central UK – https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk
- Seller Central USA – https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/homepage.html
Conclusion: No Quick Fix
The bottom line is there is no quick or easy remedy for a seller placed in this situation. It takes time, effort, follow-up, and, most of all, patience (which is difficult because time is money). Just remember that persistence eliminates resistance.
Amazon Seller Account Reinstatement Services or Amazon lawyers can help you get access to your account as soon as possible.
