Systemic Account-Level Restriction Following Overturned Section 3
I. Background
In September 2024, a related Amazon seller account — independently approved and operated — was deactivated under Section 3. After a full internal review, Amazon reversed the enforcement and reinstated the account in January 2025 without restriction.
Despite this outcome, my primary Amazon account remains restricted. A backend trust flag appears to have been applied — and never removed — resulting in systemic listing and brand approval limitations. These restrictions are undocumented, non-remediable, and reproducible across workflows.
II. Evidence of Account-Level Suppression
- Brand gating affecting hundreds of ASINs began immediately after the September 2024 deactivation
- Account Health shows no violations, no policy strikes, and no open enforcement history
- Amazon rejects brand documentation previously accepted for IP removals (e.g., Dove, Gleem)
- No appeal pathway or resolution mechanism has been provided
III. Disparate Treatment vs. Other Sellers
- New seller accounts are approved to list brands I am now blocked from — including Aussie, Gleem, Crest, and Coleman
- Sellers with weaker performance histories face no such gating
- Competing sellers continue to replenish listings I am indefinitely barred from accessing
IV. International Marketplace Contrast
- My same unified account retains full approval for these brands and ASINs in Amazon Canada and Mexico
- This confirms the restriction is isolated to the U.S. marketplace and tied to internal flagging — not brand policy
V. Conflict of Interest Indicators
- Amazon Retail holds Buy Box control over numerous ASINs I am restricted from selling (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons)
- 3P sellers are denied approval while Amazon Retail listings remain unaffected
- This calls into question the equitable application of brand gating rules
VI. Inconsistent Enforcement Patterns
- Permitted to sell sub-brands like Bondo and JB Weld, but blocked from parent brand 3M
- Duracell and Canon listings are active in Canada/Mexico, but blocked in the U.S.
- No policy rationale or enforcement history explains these discrepancies
VII. Automated Re-Gating from Inactivity
- Example: Royal Purple — once approved and active — became gated after 30 days of inactivity
- Re-application blocked, creating an enforcement loop with no recovery path
- This confirms the presence of a time-based gating system unconnected to seller behavior
VIII. Summary & Relief Sought
The evidence shows a systemic, account-level restriction that persists despite a clean record and a full reversal of the original enforcement. No policy citation, internal disclosure, or remediation process has been offered.
Amazon has failed to:
- Identify the root cause of brand approval denials
- Disclose the presence of a backend enforcement flag
- Provide a path to correct listing or brand gating issues
- Apply consistent approval criteria across seller accounts
IX. Intent to Arbitrate
If resolution is not provided, I will proceed with formal arbitration under the Business Solutions Agreement. Each filing will include:
- Evidence of improper brand or ASIN gating
- Loss documentation tied to unsellable inventory
- Associated legal, administrative, and filing costs
Clarification: I am not seeking preferential treatment — only procedural equity. I am requesting that Amazon apply its own policies consistently and provide access to the same brand approval pathways offered to other compliant sellers.