25 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
25 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Banned From Amazon

by bhoo-day
21 replies
Hello guys,

I was so surprised received email from Amazon Associates after I have registered as affiliates for two years.

Code:
Hello.

We are writing to notify you that we are terminating the Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement with you with immediate effect.  Your Associates Program account will be closed and you will not receive further payment of advertising fees.  We have taken this step because you are not in compliance with the Operating Agreement that governs your participation in the Associates Program.

You are not in compliance with Participation Requirement Number 28 because you are displaying our customer reviews in a manner that is not allowed.

You can find the complete terms of the Operating Agreement and its Schedules via this link:  https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/agreement.

We insist that you immediately stop this activity and remove all Amazon content, including Special Links, from your site(s).  Any other accounts you have or may open in the future may be closed and you will not receive any advertising fees.  We reserve all other rights and claims we may have.

Best regards,

Gary - Associates Account Specialist
http://www.amazon.com
=============================
Because this message is really ambiguous and didn't tell the detail wrong violation, I asked them again and here is the reply

Code:
Hello again from the Associates Program.

As previously stated, we have terminated the Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement with you with immediate effect.  Your Associates Program account has been closed and you will not receive further payment of advertising fees.  We have taken this step because you are not in compliance with the Operating Agreement that governs your participation in the Associates Program.

You are not in compliance with Participation Requirement Number 28 because you are displaying our customer reviews in a manner that is not allowed.

You can find the complete terms of the Operating Agreement and its Schedules via this link:  https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/agreement.

We insist that you immediately stop this activity and remove all Amazon content, including Special Links, from your site(s).  Any other accounts you have or may open in the future may be closed and you will not receive any advertising fees.  We reserve all other rights and claims we may have.

Best regards,

Gary - Associates Account Specialist
http://www.amazon.com
=============================
Yes, I admitted that some of my old amazon websites still display customer review's by not using API. I really don't know about this rule before until I got the warning from Amazon and I didn't intend to boost sales by just display customer reviews. It is just for giving more information for my visitors. To help them before they buy the product.

After I got this message, I tried to remove all those reviews and made contact with Amazon again but here was the reply.

Code:
Hello.

As previously stated, you have not complied with the Associates Program Operating Agreement that governs participation in the Associates Program and therefore your account was closed.

You can find the complete terms of the Operating Agreement, including the Linking Requirements and Participation Requirements, via this link:  https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/agreement.

We have confirmed that the decision to close your Associates Program account and withhold fees is final, and you are no longer eligible to participate in the Associates Program.  Any other accounts you have or may open in the future may be closed and advertising fees withheld without further notice.

Because this decision is final, further requests to review your account for reinstatement will not receive a response.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Gary - Associates Account Specialist
http://www.amazon.com
=============================
I didn't know why this message came to me although I have removed the violations that I made.

I really want to go back to Amazon. I didn't do cookie stuffing or tricky moves or black hat on my amazon sites but I got banned after I tried to follow the rules.

Is there any possibility I can back to Amazon?

Thank you
#amazon #banned
  • Profile picture of the author network39
    Sorry to hear that. Were you earning good money with them?
    I'm not sure how to re instate an Amazon account.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8393856].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author briantalk
      Sorry about your ban, but thanks for posting. You may want to look at Buy.com, now Rakuten.com, available through Rakuten's Linkshare affiliate program.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8393935].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jungl
    You are almost guaranteed to never get it back. What they should do IMO (as an experienced Amazon affiliate who is not banned) is give you a waiting period and a serious warning and then tell you exactly what you did wrong and reinstate your account after a month or so. From my experience the best behaved people are people who've experienced the repercussions of breaking the T&Cs and if they do anything further to break the TNCs, confiscate all their commissions and ban them for life.
    By the way, even if you're not banned, the Amazon Associates support team (phone) is a group of rude, unhelpful people unlike their customer support (they probably think they can treat their affiliates like crap, but not their customers!) I wish smaller companies or ones with better business practices could move into this market even for specific niches (so I can earn higher commission rates) but I'm doing quite well on Amazon so I suppose I shouldn't be complaining about them. Good luck in IM, and I'd recommend you start your own eCommerce store selling a specific product (and maybe one day move ahead of Amazon!)
    Good luck,
    Alex.
    Signature
    [Free Review Copies!] I am looking for reviewers for my Kindle book and will gift copies to interested reviewers. PM me if you are interested
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8393958].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author GrowTutor
    Originally Posted by bhoo-day View Post

    I didn't intend to boost sales by just display customer reviews. It is just for giving more information for my visitors. To help them before they buy the product.
    Sorry, but the reason you want to give them more info is so you can boost sales.

    Since "Gary" is merely an account specialist there is probably an account supervisor, manager or director so you *might* be able to go over his head but before you try you should make sure that you're in compliance with their terms. Trying to remove all of the reviews evidently didn't work since Gary said you were still in violation. Better double check all of your sites to be sure. I'd try to resolve this over the phone too, it's much easier for them to be nasty via email. Ask which domains were in violation and, since you're going to be checking them all, before you call, you can tell them you fixed the problem. That MIGHT convince them to review your account again...it might not.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394134].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    That's uinfortunate. I'm sure you can update your sites and then apply for a new account with the updated links where you are in compliance.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394156].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      A few years ago this probably would have been a warning and Amazon's affiliate violation messages were friendly. But I've seen a trend away from that.

      A new business, offline and digital identifying information, and websites, have in the past been sufficient to get a new Amazon affiliate account.

      In the meantime, for your old sites there is Adsense, better affiliate programs, eBay, etc.

      .
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394334].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dreamtoreality
    When you say that you displayed customer reviews, were these in their entirety or just a line or two? I'm wondering just how strict Amazon has become these days.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394375].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    This is unfortunate although this serves as warning to other affiliates. I never copied any amazon review even a line or two so I think I'm safe..

    By the way, did they just terminated your account without sending a warning first?
    Signature



    Moderator's Note: You're only allowed to put your own products or sites in your signature.

    Signature edited.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394510].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author noxid101
      Originally Posted by Adie View Post

      This is unfortunate although this serves as warning to other affiliates. I never copied any amazon review even a line or two so I think I'm safe..

      By the way, did they just terminated your account without sending a warning first?
      Yes in my case. I have no idea why my account was shut down. I never did any of the things mentioned here. There was no warning just a notice telling me I was not getting my $2,000 + commission that month. I tried opening a new account and within 2 months I got shutdown again.

      I made them lots of money and now I'll move on and make money for another affiliate program.
      Signature

      Newbies PM me if you need simple answers to simple questions. Don't waste too much time figuring things out (being lost) when all you have to do is ask for directions. TweakingWP.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8473510].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author StingGB
        Amazon are assh*les. They have built this conglomerate on the backs of hardworking resellers, and are now working to get rid of them and run it themselves.

        Look at what's happening to the desperate second-hand book dealers. Anyone who relies on Amazon for a living will rue the day they ever got into bed with them.

        Bet this post isn't here one second after the mods read it.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8473656].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Fool
    Sign up for a new amazon affiliate account using a different business name and a new P.O. Box. Problem solved.
    Signature
    Learn to CODE at Codemy.com - It's Pretty Awesome!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394547].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Welcome to the club. I haven't had my Amazon affiliate account banned, but my Amazon Services account did. I could never rely on Amazon as a long term strategy, and neither could these guys:

    Selling On Amazon.com Sucks !

    Sorry dude.
    Signature
    ==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394740].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author hustlinsmoke
    You will waste so much time trying to get back in, for what an average of 4 percent.
    Everything happens for a reason.
    I was a big amazon affiliate at one time and at one time it was easy to make money and make good money.
    I would expect to make 4 percent in a high dollar area like real estate but not amazon.

    I went strictly to affiliate sales such as info products and such and have alot more income now and a lot less work.

    You know some things happen for a reason and when it happens it spurs us to new ways of making money.

    I no longer do ebay or amazon and stick primarily to jvzoo, kolimbo and cj.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394758].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author lofiegos
    Sorry to hear that mate, however I agree with hustlinsmoke, everything happens for reason
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8394947].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author onegoodman
    Sorry to hear that, Amazon would suspend your account for good for way less than that.

    I would move on, there are many other stores you can promote through other networks. Don't waste your time trying to get back to Amazon.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8395049].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    You might be the first person on Earth to be banned from Amazon, besides the states that were dropped over the Amazon tax fiasco.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8395097].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author hustlinsmoke
    Seriously dude you have to sell 1000 worth of merchandise to make 40 bucks. Do you know on jvzoo you can sell 40 bucks in products and make 40 bucks.

    I would say 100 percent is better than 4 percent and its alot less effort for the money.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8395123].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Fazal Mayar
    Im really surprised you got banned, I never seen someone get banned from amazon. Other affiliates should take notes
    Signature

    Blogger at RicherOrNot.com (Make Money online blog but also promoting ethical internet marketing)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8473755].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author johnmags
    Sorry to hear that. But you have to move on and look for other options. You can also ask a close friend, a relative, or your spouse to open an account and use that for your IM.

    I am actually confused about your case. I have seen many sites that show Amazon reviews, and even Amazon photos of the products, and yet they are still doing it - it means they did not encounter issues with that. I also purchased a WP plugin before that automatically grabs Amazon reviews and images and fortunately I did not encounter issues.
    Signature
    Are you looking for a Professional Content Writer
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8473851].message }}

Trending Topics