Amazon Seller Suppression Timeline & Evidence

Seller ID: A1LTMDBMBP1XZ0

Overview

This site documents Amazon’s continued suppression of my U.S. seller account following a reversed enforcement action. I am a long-standing seller with over $1.5 million in revenue from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024, 125,000+ orders fulfilled, and a 99% positive feedback rating. Despite no policy violations, I remain blocked from hundreds of previously approved listings due to an internal trust flag that was never removed. All evidence has been preserved.

Account Background

I began selling on Amazon in 2018. My account has no history of suspensions or policy warnings. Performance metrics have consistently remained in good standing. The business operated at scale, with fully documented supply chains, accurate listings, and compliant branding practices.

Origin of Suppression

In September 2024, a separate Amazon account under my operation was incorrectly deactivated under Section 3. That enforcement was formally reversed in January 2025. However, the internal trust flag associated with the original deactivation was never cleared — resulting in suppression that quietly spread to my primary U.S. account.

Suppression Pattern

Since October 2024, the following enforcement symptoms have persisted and escalated:

Brand restrictions re-applied with no option to appeal
ASINs flipped from “Active” to “Requires Approval” with no justification
New brand applications auto-denied despite valid documentation
Listings allowed in CA/MX but silently restricted in the U.S.

These restrictions do not correspond to any performance triggers, policy violations, or known enforcement actions. They are localized and systemic — the result of a backend artifact never removed after the initial Section 3 reversal.

Internal Flag Evidence

The same ASINs and brands restricted in the U.S. remain fully active in Canada and Mexico under the same unified North America account. Other U.S. sellers continue listing these ASINs without issue. This confirms the suppression is not global, not policy-driven, and not merit-based.

Timeline of Events

Sep 2024: Related account deactivated under Section 3
Oct 2024: Brand gating begins appearing on U.S. account
Nov 2024 – Present: Weekly increase in gated ASINs and denied brand approvals
Jan 2025: Section 3 officially reversed — suppression continues unchanged
Feb–Jun 2025: Brands active in CA/MX remain restricted in U.S.; all escalations ignored
May-June 2025:Experimental FBM test logs proving time-decay auto-gating logic

Time-Decay Enforcement Logic (Confirmed)

Amazon applies what appears to be a hidden “time-decay suppression algorithm” that gradually auto-gates brands over time — unless listings remain active. This logic is not disclosed in Seller Central, not based on violations, and not linked to sales performance. It penalizes compliance and rewards manipulation.

To confirm this behavior, I ran a live test:

On May 11, 2025, I created three FBA listings: 1788402200, 0310452570, and 1629996173
No inventory was sent to Amazon
I separately listed 1788402200 as FBM with 1 unit in stock — but no sale was ever made
By June 21, 2025, only 1788402200 remained ungated — the other two had become restricted

This proves that Amazon’s systems auto-gate brands that are not actively listed — regardless of approval history or performance. If a seller delists an ASIN to keep their catalog clean, Amazon silently reclassifies that brand as restricted. This punishes normal inventory management and creates a perverse incentive to list “ghost” offers with no intention of fulfillment.

Now that I understand this mechanism, I’ve been forced to list live FBM units for every brand I still have approval to sell — just to prevent further unjustified restrictions. This is not sustainable, and it reveals deep flaws in Amazon’s enforcement infrastructure.

Conclusion: This is not a matter of seller behavior. It is the product of malicious, undocumented automation — time-triggered suppression logic that violates the principles of transparency, due process, and good-faith platform governance.

Resolution Requested

Written confirmation that no suppression or trust flags remain on my U.S. account
Disclosure of the internal enforcement system or team responsible for flag propagation
Restoration of listing and replenishment privileges for all previously approved ASINs
Acknowledgment that Section 3 reversal restores full standing to all connected accounts

This is not a policy or compliance issue. It is a residual systems-level error that remains uncorrected.

Documentation Archive

The following records have been preserved for review:

Seller Support transcripts and executive correspondence
Screenshots showing listing access in CA/MX vs. restriction in U.S.
Brand approval screenshots, auto-denial logs, and historical access records

View Full Evidence Timeline →

Prepared for Arbitration

If voluntary correction is not provided, I am prepared to pursue formal arbitration under the Amazon Business Solutions Agreement. Each brand restriction will be treated as an individual case. All filings are fully documented, timestamped, and compliant with arbitration protocol.

Contact

Legal & Media Inquiries: media@seanvandenberg.com

Location: United States — Available via phone, email, or video conference