There is little more alarming for an Amazon seller than finding that their account has been deactivated or terminated when they log in to Seller Central. Without any warnings or messages explaining what has happened or why, a seller finds that their account has been deactivated.

At eCom Managers, this is one of the most frequent scenarios we encounter, and we help sellers manage the situation. Through this blog, we will explain why Amazon may close accounts without prior notice, the implications, and your next course of action.

Can Amazon REALLY Close An Account WITHOUT Warning?

Amazon also reserves the right to freeze and terminate seller accounts at any time when there is a possible threat to customers, brands, and Amazon Marketplace.

Although most enforcement actions begin with warnings, not all infractions are preceded by warnings, particularly when Amazon systems have identified high-risk activity.

The Most Frequent Circumstances When Amazon Locks Accounts Without Warning

1. Serious Policy

Amazon may close an account at once if it is used in the following ways:

• Engaging in the sale of prohibited or restricted goods
• Misrepresenting information, making false claims
• Violating the safety or compliance standards of Amazon
• Engaging in deceptive acts

Such violations are ranked as high risk, and instant enforcement action may follow.

2. Abuse of Intellectual Property

IP complaints may lead to a sudden shutdown, particularly if:

• Multiple or severe IP complaints occur.
• Complaints are filed by legitimate copyright holders
• The problem is present across several ASINs
• Amazon identifies deliberate counterfeiting

“In eCom Managers, IP-related shutdowns are some of the quickest automated closers I’ve seen,” Justin Lee notes.

3. Suspected Fraud or Account Manipulation

Amazon may close an account at any time, with or without notice.

• Linked or related accounts
• Multiple accounts without approval
• Identity or document mismatches
• Suspicious Behavior Patterns

These issues are usually processed through Amazon’s fraud-protection tools rather than through Seller Performance departments.

4. Severe Account Health Metric Fail

Sudden jumps in:

• Order Defective Rate (ODR)
• Complaints by Customers
• Refund abuse.
• Consequences

Can cause automatic account closure if these are exceeded.

WARNING SCORE TOO LOW. You are ignoring

“Some vendors feel as though they ‘got no warning’ about the change, but Amazon could very well claim:

• Sent prior notifications that were ignored
• Flagged issues in the Account Health dashboard
• Recorded camped violations over time

Amazon tracks historical risk, not current activity.

What Type of Closure was Performed, Automated or Manual?

In general, sudden shutdowns occur automatically.

“Amazon’s systems analyze:

• Seller behavior patterns
• Customer feedback trends
• Customer feedback
• violation of policy history

Should the risk score escalate to that point, law enforcement occurs immediately in some cases, even before a human review.

What to Do If Amazon Shut Down Your Account Without Warning?

Step 1: Remain Composed and Scan All Messages

Check:

• Performance Notifications tab
• Account Health Dashboard
• Emails related to your Seller Central account

“There is almost always a reason, even if it is not immediately apparent.”

Step 2: Identify the Root Cause

You need to decide:

• Which policy is violated
• Which ASIN(s) initiated the action

Conclusion

Whether it was metric-based, IP-based, or fraud-related

For eCom Managers, root cause analysis is the first step before drafting an appeal.

Step 3: Prepare a Strong Plan of Action (POA

A successful appeal shall consist of:

• Root cause explanation
• Corrective actions already taken
• Preventive measures for the future
• Generic or appeal to emotion – continuously unsuccessful.

Step 4: Apply Through the Right Appeal Channel

Use:

• Appeal Link: Portfolio
• Account Health support (if applicable)
• Do not open more cases and make follow-up appeals without improvement.

Common Mistakes Sellers Make After Sudden Closures

• Panicking and sending emotional messages
• Copy-pasting templates for appeal
• Blaming Amazon or consumers
• Filing appeals without remedying the problem
• Re-submitting appeals that have been rejected without

These are some common mistakes that often result in the account being permanently deactivated

Role of eCom Managers in Helping with Last-Minute Account Closures

At eCom Managers, we assist sellers with:

• Examine sudden account closures
• Detect concealed and past violations
• Prepare individual appeal letters and POA
• Manage suspensions due to automation
• Attempt a reinstatement where possible

Each situation is unique but a strategy makes all the difference.

Final Thoughts

What happens when Amazon shuts down an account without notice: it’s a complete disaster but there are often ways to recover from the situation.

Many a time, sellers can retrieve the rights by understanding the real cause of the closure.

In Taking Immediate Corrective Measures, appealing by submitting a professional document that conforms to the Sellers can also overcome the most surprising account closures on the Amazon platform with proper guidance from eCom