The Dos and Don’ts of writing an Amazon Action Plan

Finding yourself suspended from Amazon for breaking Amazons Business Solutions Agreement can be a daunting prospect, particularly if it’s happened for the first time. This article is written by Amazon appeal specialists who provide an Amazon appeal service on how to write an Amazon Action plan that reinstates your Amazon account on the first submission.

Amazon Appeal Letter and Plan of Action

What is an Amazon Action Plan?

An Amazon action plan is a statement that you usually make to the Amazon Seller performance team that appeals or prevents an Amazon suspension. It usually contains:

1. An explanation of the root cause of the issue

2. The actions you will take to resolve the issue

3. The steps you will take to prevent the issue from happening again

What should be included in an Amazon Action Plan?

An Amazon action plan should be clear and concise, it should provide an explanation of all the issues, evidence should be provided where appropriate for example if Amazon request invoices or safety certificates and any supporting documents/evidence should be referenced.

There are proven methods to successfully reinstating your account through writing an Amazon Action Plan, and also a host of common mistakes that you should look to avoid.

How to write an Amazon action plan

Craig Gedey, the managing partner for Thompson and Holt, has seen it all in terms of compiling an Amazon Action Plan - this is his key lists for the Dos and Don’ts when looking to get yourself back selling as quickly as possible.

DON’T - Rush into a hasty Amazon Action Plan

“During our work with Thompson and Holt we’ve come across plenty of Amazon Action Plans

that have been written and fired off in the heat of the moment,” Gedey explains. “Expressing anger and frustration about your situation isn’t going to cut it with the relevant Amazon teams, who are used to dealing with high numbers of this appeals, and often leads to poor spelling, punctuation and grammar. Others that we have seen have simply been desperate pleas for help. Take a step back if you’ve been informed of a suspension and take a measured approach to your Amazon Action Plan.”

DO - Identify exactly why you’ve been suspended

“It might sound obvious, but the first step of your Amazon Action Plan is understanding the reason behind your suspension,” Thomson and Holt’s managing partner says. “Amazon can often give you a very basic explanation for their action, so it’s down to you to do uncover exactly what it is that has gone wrong. The more you understand the reason for your suspension, the better your Amazon Action Plan will be.”

DON’T - Copy and paste generic Action Plan for Amazons from the internet

“This is one of the most common mistakes we see and the one that is the easiest to avoid. Amazon investigators don’t want to read generic responses that you’ve lifted from the internet - they are extremely well versed in them. Instead put together detailed information from your own specific case, highlighting that you’ve identified the issue and explaining how you will avoid it being repeated again in the future. As a guideline of structure, your Amazon Action Plan should include an introductory paragraph, the description of the issue, your action steps to avoid repeat and a closing statement.”

DO - Include specific details relevant to your own case

“This is absolutely key. Amazon wants to hear clear plans to rectify whatever they’ve highlighted, not vague excuses about what you think might have gone wrong,” Gedey said. “Reasons for suspension can broadly fall into two categories - either failing to follow Amazon’s agreed Seller Policies, or your Seller Performance has fallen below the required expectations. Take your time to research both and figure out which one is the issue for you, but be specific with the details when putting your Amazon Action Plan together. The details of your individual case are very important.”

DON’T - Use your Appeal to offer your opinion on Amazon processes

“Your Amazon Action Plan doesn’t need to include a personal analysis of how the company works, how the system has been unfair to you or what you think they are doing wrong. It simply won’t cut it with the relevant Amazon teams. Instead, you need to accept some responsibility for your reason for suspension, and use your Amazon Action Plan to show how seriously you are taking your response to it.”

DO - Keep your Appeal concise and to the point

“It’s important to provide key details of your case, but bear in mind that this isn’t an exercise in showcasing your writing skills with long-winded, descriptive paragraphs,” Gedey adds. “Instead, the primary aim is providing the key details of your case. Using bullet points is a good idea because it allows the Amazon team reading your Amazon Action Plan to access the information they need quickly and easily. Make your closing statement concise and clear, so they are left under no illusions about your plans to avoid suspension again in future.”

If you have found yourself suspended while selling on Amazon, contact Thompson and Holt for a free LiveChat to get your Amazon Seller business back online as quickly as possible.

One of the most popular Action plans we write is for Inauthentic Item Seller suspension due to drop shippers listing High Risk Brands, for help on who to write an Amazon inauthentic account suspension appeal and plan of action click here.