After more than 20 years of development, the Amazon platform has matured its rules. Sellers should fully understand its rules to avoid risks such as complaints, product removal, or even account suspension and store closure. This section will focus on the platform rules and account security, and introduce the prohibited behaviors, regulations and customs rules, European KYC review and VAT tax number, intellectual property, account association, brand registration, etc. of global store sellers that sellers should pay attention to.
The Amazon Global Store website clearly states that “prohibited seller behaviors” are intended to maintain the safety of sales services for buyers and fairness for sellers who sell goods and services. If sellers do not comply with the terms listed in this policy, the Amazon platform may prohibit them from posting products, suspend their use of Amazon tools and reports, and/or cancel their sales permissions.
Amazon Global Store clearly lists 16 prohibited behaviors for sellers, as follows.
(1) Using multiple seller accounts: It is prohibited to operate and hold multiple seller platform accounts. If a seller has a legitimate business need to apply for a second account, he or she can apply for a policy exemption.
(2) Abuse of sales ranking: Any attempt to manipulate sales ranking is prohibited. You may not solicit or knowingly accept false or fraudulent orders, including placing orders for your own products. In addition, you may not promote the best-selling ranking of a product in the product detail page information (including product name and description).
(3) Abuse of search and browsing: Any attempt to manipulate the search and browsing experience is prohibited.
(4) Attempt to divert transactions or buyers: Any attempt to circumvent the established Amazon sales process or divert Amazon users to other websites or sales processes is prohibited. For example, “call to buy” guides, prompts or encourages Amazon users to leave the Amazon website.
(5) Directly provide email addresses: Buyers and sellers can communicate with each other through the buyer-seller messaging service.
(6) Inappropriate email communications: It is prohibited to actively send emails to Amazon buyers (when necessary, email communications regarding order delivery and related customer service can be conducted).
(7) Improper use of buyer’s phone number: Buyers may not be contacted through the phone number provided by the buyer, and the buyer’s phone number may not be disclosed to others.
(8) Unauthorized and incorrect business names: Business names containing email suffixes (such as .comnet, .biz, etc.) must not be used. Business names must meet the following requirements: accurately identify the seller’s identity, will not cause misunderstanding, and the seller has the right to use the name.
(9) Abuse of Amazon sales services: Do not repeatedly upload large amounts of data, or otherwise use the service excessively or unreasonably, otherwise the Amazon platform may restrict or block sellers from accessing product upload data or any other abused functions.
(10) Abuse of Amazon Marketplace Transaction Guarantee: Any abuse of the Amazon Marketplace Transaction Guarantee claim process is prohibited.
(11) Delivery of media products (books, music, and movies): Delivery must be made within two business days of providing the seller with order confirmation.
(12) Inconsistency with actual product information: When using an existing product detail page to publish product information, the selected product detail page must accurately describe the product in all aspects.
(13) Create duplicate product detail pages: Sellers may not create product detail pages for products that already exist in the Amazon catalog.
(14) Creating a separate product listing: Sellers may not create another product listing for the same exact product.
(15) Pre-sale media products (books, music, movies and TV): Sellers may not list media products (books, music, movies and TV) that Amazon designates as pre-orderable or compete with such products.
(16) Post-transaction price tampering and setting excessive shipping costs: Any attempt to increase the selling price of a product after a transaction is completed is prohibited. In addition, sellers may not set excessive order delivery fees.