Systemic Account-Level Restriction Following Overturned Section 3
I. Background
In September 2024, a related Amazon seller account — separately approved and operated — was deactivated under Section 3 due to an alleged policy violation. Following a full review, that deactivation was overturned in January 2025 and the account was reinstated without restriction.
Despite this outcome, my primary Amazon account remains restricted. A backend enforcement flag appears to have been applied — and never removed — resulting in persistent listing and brand approval limitations. These restrictions have not been acknowledged in writing, but the evidence of their presence is both measurable and reproducible.
II. Evidence of Account-Wide Brand Gating
- Brand restrictions affecting hundreds of ASINs began immediately after the Section 3 deactivation — despite my primary account not being involved.
- My Account Health Dashboard shows no violations, warnings, or active compliance issues.
- Amazon continues to reject brand approval submissions that use documentation previously accepted to reverse IP complaints (e.g., Dove, Gleem).
- No explanation has been provided for the rejections, and no path to remediation exists — strongly suggesting the presence of a backend restriction.
III. Comparison to Other Sellers
- New sellers with limited or no history have successfully applied to sell brands such as Aussie, Gleem, Always, Coleman, and Crest.
- Accounts with lower performance metrics and less verified sales history are receiving approvals where mine is blocked.
- Competitor sellers are actively listing and replenishing the same brands I am restricted from — despite my long history of compliance and performance.
IV. International Marketplace Access
- In Amazon Mexico and Canada, my seller account is fully approved to sell the same brands and ASINs that are restricted on Amazon.com.
- This confirms that these are not brand-initiated restrictions, but U.S.–specific enforcement flags tied to my account’s internal status.
V. Conflict of Interest Concerns
- Amazon Retail is currently listed as the seller of record on many Dungeons & Dragons ASINs I am restricted from selling.
- While third-party seller approvals are denied, Amazon Retail retains full listing and Buy Box control.
- This disparity raises concerns about whether Amazon’s internal brand approval process is being applied equitably across seller types.
VI. Inconsistent Policy Enforcement
- I am allowed to sell Bondo and JB Weld — but not the parent brand, 3M.
- I can sell Canon and Duracell in Canada and Mexico — but not on Amazon U.S.
- There is no published policy that explains these contradictions, nor have I received any account-specific reasoning.
VII. Automated Gating Based on Listing Inactivity
- Example: Royal Purple — previously approved and actively sold — became gated again after approximately 30 days of listing inactivity.
- This suggests an automated gating policy based on time-decay or lack of replenishment activity.
- These types of rules create self-reinforcing lockout loops: if a brand becomes gated due to inactivity, I cannot sell it — and therefore cannot regain approval.
VIII. Summary & Request for Resolution
The evidence presented here supports a clear pattern: my account remains under systemic, account-level restriction despite having no active violations and despite a prior, unrelated complaint having been fully reversed.
Amazon has not:
- Provided a specific policy basis for the brand gating
- Disclosed any account-level restriction justifying these denials
- Outlined any appeal or remediation pathway
- Applied its brand approval standards consistently across sellers
Unless these issues are addressed promptly, I intend to proceed with formal arbitration. Each arbitration case will include:
- Evidence of improper brand restriction and listing denial
- Documented loss from unsellable inventory
- Associated legal and filing costs
To be clear: I am not requesting preferential treatment. I am requesting the ability to operate on equal footing — with transparency, fairness, and access to the same brand approval standards applied to others in the marketplace.