Types of Amazon account restrictions: what to do in the first 48 hours

Which notice did you receive?

Start by identifying what the notice restricts: a single product, your payouts or the whole account. The table below summarizes the most common situations and the first step in each. The wording on screen is Amazon's term; the instructions in your notice always take priority over this table.

Are deactivation, suspension and review the same thing?

Amazon's Business Solutions Agreement (BSA) uses separate terms for suspending and terminating an account. In practice, Amazon's emails mostly use the word "deactivated", and that word alone does not tell you whether the decision is temporary or final. What matters is the reason given and whether the notice shows an appeal route.

An "under review" or verification notice means no final decision has been made yet and Amazon is waiting for information or documents from you. Missing the requested step or its deadline at this stage can turn the review into a deactivation.

At Risk is an account health status. According to Amazon's explanation on its seller forums, the Account Health Rating (AHR) runs from 0 to 1,000: 200 and above is Healthy, 100 to 199 is At Risk, and below 100 is Unhealthy, where the account becomes eligible for deactivation. "Critical" is not a band but a violation severity; according to the same explanation, a critical violation can drop the score to zero, followed by a short grace period before deactivation.

Section 3 is the term and termination clause of the agreement. "Section 3 deactivation" is common seller shorthand, not an official Amazon category. If your notice cites this clause, the situation is more serious than a routine performance warning and can also affect your funds.

From notice to outcome: the general flow

What should you do in the first 48 hours?

The points below are based on the agreement and on Amazon's own statements. The goal is not to rush an appeal but to read the case correctly.

• Read the notice in full and keep a copy. Under the agreement, Amazon states the reason for a suspension or termination and any appeal options, except where giving that information would hinder an investigation.
• Open Performance > Account Health. Violation lines, the affected products and next steps appear there.
• If the notice asks for a verification form, documents or a video call, do not miss the deadline stated in the notice.
• Do not open a new seller account while the review is ongoing. Amazon staff warn this can lead to permanent deactivation, and the funds withholding clause of the agreement also covers other accounts the seller operates.
• Do not share your password. If you work with a consultant, use Seller Central user permissions.
• Record your funds separately: the account balance, any held amounts and any dates the notice gives for funds.
• If you have FBA inventory, check whether the notice restricts removal orders and confirm that your return address is up to date.
• If you are enrolled in Account Health Assurance, make sure Amazon's account health team can reach you by phone.

Common practice (not official rules)

The following are not written Amazon rules but general advice drawn from seller and consultant experience.

• Rather than rushing a partial appeal, prepare one complete appeal that addresses every point in the notice.
• Do not open many support cases on the same issue; it makes the file harder to follow.
• Gather invoices, supplier correspondence, identity and address documents, relevant orders and customer messages in date order in one folder.
• If the notice cites Section 3, or there is a large balance or inventory in Amazon's warehouses, consider speaking to a lawyer early.

Which deadlines should go in your calendar?

Deadlines depend on the type of case and where the seller is established. The table separates periods written in the agreement or in law from periods commonly seen in practice.

What not to do

• Opening a new account, or having one opened in a relative's name, while the review is ongoing.
• Sharing your password or continuing to sell through someone else's account.
• Submitting false, altered or someone else's documents. Amazon says it uses document forgery detection technology, and this makes your situation permanently worse.
• Sending generic templates from the internet without reading the notice.
• Trusting services that promise certain reinstatement or a contact inside Amazon. Amazon makes the decision; no one can guarantee it.

Other causes of restrictions

Common causes of account restrictions include related accounts, authenticity and product condition complaints, intellectual property complaints and performance metrics. We have separate guides for each: deactivation for related accounts, authenticity complaints and invoices, and intellectual property complaints. Whatever the cause, the first 48 hours look the same.

When do you need a lawyer?

This guide is not legal advice. Arbitration, litigation, asserting rights under EU or UK law, settling with a brand owner and funds frozen by a court order are matters for a lawyer. A consultant can help you read the notice, organize documents, structure the appeal and track deadlines; a consultant cannot provide legal representation or guarantee an outcome.