Amazon IP Complaint: What Amazon Sellers Need to Know About

As Amazon sellers, we all want to build a successful business while adhering to the platform's rules and regulations. One crucial aspect that demands our utmost attention is avoiding intellectual property complaints. That can result in bad account health or account ban. In this post, we bring you valuable insights into IP claims. 

Join us to discover IP complaints and learn actionable strategies to avoid falling victim to these issues. 

What Are Amazon IP Complaints?

An Amazon intellectual property (IP) complaint refers to a claim made by a rights owner regarding a potential violation of their intellectual property rights on Amazon. Intellectual property can include trademarks, copyrights, and patents. 

When a rights owner believes a seller's product listing or activity on Amazon infringes upon their IP rights, they can file a complaint with Amazon. That can result in various consequences for the seller, such as product listing deactivation, account suspension, or even legal action.

To maintain a healthy account, Amazon requires sellers to stay compliant with a number of policies. In addition to IP complaints, Amazon's product policy violations cover concerns regarding authenticity, inconsistencies in product condition, and various other infringements.

Sellers can review their policy compliance status in Amazon Account Health Dashboard on their Seller Central account.

Related: Seller Assistant App Extension Review

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Related: What is Amazon IP Complaint? How to Avoid IP Complaints

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What Are the Types of Amazon Product Complaints?

On top of IP complaints, brand owners and Amazon customers can file various types of claims regarded by Amazon as policy violations. These complaints may negatively affect your Account Health and your chances of winning the Buy Box.

Suspected Intellectual Property Violation

A suspected intellectual property violation occurs when you sell or create a product using a brand name that is not yours. That triggers an automatic violation on your account. 

This violation can also happen if you mention another brand's name or use their images, even if you are using your own brand name. For example, if you include phrases like 'compatible with iPhone' or 'compatible with Google' while promoting your own brand, Amazon's scanning system may identify it and deactivate your listing. They will then require you to remove any reference to the brand. 

‍Tip. Be careful when using brand names in your product listings and descriptions to avoid suspected intellectual property violations. Ensure you have the necessary rights or permissions before mentioning or using any brand names or images.

Received Intellectual Property Complaints 

Received Intellectual Property Complaints can be a dangerous situation that occurs when you sell a brand's product without permission. In such a case, the brand can file a complaint against you. 

Upon receiving the complaint, Amazon informs the brand and seeks their approval regarding the unauthorized use of their brand name. It is crucial to address this issue promptly by reaching out to the brand owner, requesting them to retract the complaint from Amazon. Remember resolving such complaints can be time-consuming, emotionally draining, and costly.

Tip. If faced with an intellectual property complaint, consider writing to the brand owner directly, requesting them to withdraw the complaint against you on Amazon.

Product Authenticity Customer Complaints 

Counterfeit complaints arise on Amazon when sellers offer counterfeit products for sale. For instance, if you source a product from Alibaba and sell it through FBA without realizing it's counterfeit, customers may file complaints if they receive fake goods. 

Tip. To prevent this, always ensure the authenticity of your products to avoid potential customer complaints and protect your reputation on Amazon.

Product Condition Customer Complaints

Product Condition Customer Complaints can occur when sellers list products as new, but they are actually in second-hand or poor condition. While Amazon's FBA process focuses on packaging and delivery rather than quality checks, customers may file complaints if they receive products in unsatisfactory condition. 

As a seller, it is crucial to accurately represent the condition of your products to avoid customer complaints and maintain a positive reputation on Amazon.

Tip. One common mistake Amazon sellers often make is automatically relisting customer returns. If you let Amazon resell returned items, they may quickly check them without going into much detail and list them for sale again on your product listing.

That can lead to dissatisfied customers, prompting them to file complaints. Select to ship the returns back and review them yourself.

Related: Amazon Return Policy for Sellers - All You Need To Know 

Food and Product Safety Issues 

Food and Product Safety Issues can pose significant risks for sellers on Amazon. Imagine a customer purchasing an appliance that explodes or causes harm or a face cream that triggers allergies or skin issues. That can have harmful consequences for your business and account. 

To safeguard your reputation and avoid such problems, it is crucial to be proactive and avoid selling products with known safety issues. Prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of your customers by offering safe and reliable products.

Listing Policy Violations

Listing Policy Violations can occur on Amazon when sellers unknowingly violate the platform's policies. One common violation is copying or duplicating listings, especially when creating variations that give the impression of being related to the original product. Examples include creating variations like 'set of 4' or 'set of 8', which are not permitted on Amazon. 

Tip. To ensure compliance, focusing on selling original products rather than variations that may lead to policy violations is advisable. Also, carefully review Amazon’s variation policies in your Seller Central.

Restricted Product Policy Violations

Amazon's comprehensive product policy outlines which products you are permitted to sell, which you must get approval to sell, and which you can’t sell. 

Violations of the restricted product policy occur when sellers attempt to list products that go against these guidelines. In such cases, Amazon promptly removes the ASIN, leading customers to encounter a dead-end page when they access the restricted product. If the product you want to list is gated, you must apply to get approval from Amazon to sell it.

Related: Amazon Restricted Products – Complete Guide for Sellers

Customer Product Review Policy Violation 

Customer Product Review Policy Violation occurs when sellers post fake reviews on their products. Some sellers go to hiring services to generate false reviews, employing these unethical tactics to attract more customers. 

However, this approach is not recommended as it violates Amazon's customer product review policy. Violations can lead to a listing or account ban. It's crucial to prioritize authentic and genuine customer reviews to maintain compliance and credibility on Amazon.

Related: How to Handle Negative Reviews on Amazon

How to Avoid IP Complaints with Seller Assistant App?

To avoid IP complaints with Seller Assistant App, you can utilize its free IP Alert feature. The app provides automated warnings for potential policy violations, account health issues, and intellectual property infringements. 

Here is a practical example that shows how to know if a product has any IP complaints against it.

When you go to the product page on Amazon, Seller Assistant App will show you any violations related to the product. The extension will show you the date of the IP complaint, the type of violation, and the action that was taken by Amazon.

In the screenshot above, the product has an intellectual property complaint against it that was registered on June 1, 2022. The extension also indicates that this product is a high-risk product and has had account health issues previously. The immediate action taken by Amazon was a strong block.

The user interface is very simple: the Red Triangle icon on the extension's dashboard clearly indicates what was wrong with the product and what action was taken by Amazon. 

When you come across products with IP complaints, you may not know what went wrong or when. Seller Assistant App helps you understand the product's violation history and take steps to prevent future violations. This can help you to protect your Amazon account from suspension.

Seller Assistant App offers two options that help you see product’s IP complaints — a free and a paid version.

Free Amazon IP-Alert Lookup

Seller Assistant App’s Free IP-Alert helps quickly identify products with associated IP Alerts. It shows the Red Triangle icon right on the Amazon search and product pages if a product has any complaints or Amazon policy violations. 

This visual indicator highlights potential problems and empowers sellers to make informed decisions to maintain a healthy selling account. However, it doesn't show the IP complaint reason and date it was filed.

Advanced IP Alert 

Seller Assistant App’s advanced IP Alert feature offers automated warnings on product restrictions, intellectual property infringements, review policy violations, authenticity complaints, and more. By utilizing this feature, sellers can identify the products and brands that may lead to account health issues. The extension’s user-friendly interface presents clear information on the nature of the complaint and the corresponding action taken. 

Seller Assistant App's proprietary IP alerts solution stands out as a top solution in the market. With its automatically collected complaints database updated daily, sellers can access the latest information in real time.

FAQ

What are Amazon IP complaints?

Amazon IP complaints are reports or accusations made against sellers for infringing on intellectual property rights, such as unauthorized use of brand names, copyrighted material, or patents on the platform.

How long do IP complaints stay on Amazon?

If Amazon agrees with the actions you've taken to prevent IP violations, they will remove the complaint. However, if Amazon doesn't accept the plan of action you provide and doesn't suspend the listing right away, the violation may stay on your account for a period of 6 months.

How do I get rid of IP complaints?

To avoid IP complaints, sellers can use the Seller Assistant App. It's a helpful tool that helps prevent product issues before they happen. One of its useful features is IP Alerts, which sends automated warnings about potential IP violations.

How to handle IP complaints once & for all?

To handle IP complaints and forget about them, sellers can use the Seller Assistant App. This helpful tool helps proactively avoid problems with products. It has a special feature called IP Alerts that gives sellers automatic warnings about possible IP violations.

Final Thoughts

By implementing the strategies discussed in this post, you can proactively safeguard your Amazon business against intellectual property complaints. Maintaining compliance and protecting your account health is crucial for long-term success. You must regularly review your product listings and leverage seller tools to stay informed about potential policy violations and proactively avoid problematic products. 

Seller Assistant Аpp can effectively and reliably help you with this task. This all-in-one extension incorporates all features vital for product research. Seller Assistant App shows you the product’s profit, margin, and ROI. It also helps you immediately see if a product has any sales restrictions or has previously triggered problems with account health. It combines an FBM&FBA profit calculator, Quick View, Stock Checker, and Restrictions Checker in one tool.

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