Last week, on paper, was one of the toughest weeks of my life. While attending our Costa Rica Amazon Mastermind, I received the dreaded email:
"Your Amazon.com selling account..."
The message continued to inform me that my account had been deactivated—for life.
Despite this setback, I’m fortunate to have an incredible network of friends and supporters. Truthfully, I’ve faced worse challenges, and this is just a bump in the road. I’d choose an account shutdown over a loved one in the hospital any day.
Why Did My Amazon Account Get Shut Down?
I’ve had several people reach out with questions and concerns, including shoutouts to Raiken Profit and Mike the Used Book Guy, about whether their accounts are at risk too.
To address those worries: Using Go2Lister will NOT cause your Amazon account to be linked to mine or anyone else’s. Go2Lister has over 400 users, and none of them have experienced account shutdowns due to the app.
As for my other business, RestrictedInventory.com, we’re still operational. My personal account shutdowns do not impact our services. We have an EPEG-approved partner account authorized to sell textbooks, ensuring all items are checked for counterfeits.
My Theory: Why Amazon Deactivated My Account
While Amazon hasn’t provided a clear reason for my suspension, here’s my theory:
- Linked Accountssome text
- In October of last year, a friend’s account was shut down due to textbook test buys flagged as counterfeit.
- I had user permissions access to her account, and at some point, I logged in from my computer. This linked my account to hers, and when her account was shut down, mine followed.
- Amazon’s Algorithmsome text
- Amazon’s algorithm linked my account to over 17 others, some of which I didn’t even recognize. Their system suspected I was part of a large-scale counterfeit operation, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
- Used Books Salessome text
- My accounts were flagged for an increase in used book sales, a category Amazon is cracking down on due to counterfeit concerns.
Lessons Learned: User Permissions Can Be Dangerous
The biggest takeaway from this experience is how risky granting user permissions can be.
Here’s why:
- Amazon considers accounts with delegate access as linked.
- If one account gets flagged or suspended, all linked accounts may face the same fate.
Examples of Impacted Accounts:
- My mom’s account was suspended and reinstated, only to be shut down again.
- My Go2Lister developer’s account was suspended because he had user permissions to my account while acting as a prep center.
- Several friends and family members also lost their accounts due to shared access.
The moral of the story: Be very selective about who you grant user permissions to, and remove access as soon as it’s no longer needed.
Moving Forward: A Blessing in Disguise
While losing my Amazon account is frustrating, I see it as an opportunity to focus on what matters most: growing Go2Lister.
Building a SaaS company is a massive undertaking, and it deserves my full attention. Although I believe Amazon will eventually review my case and reinstate my accounts, I’m embracing this time to strengthen my contributions to the Amazon seller community.
God has a plan for all of us. If selling on Amazon isn’t in the cards right now, so be it. I’ll continue supporting the Amazon community, and let’s be real—I’ll be back someday.
How You Can Help
If you’d like to support me, feel free to share this blog with dherring@amazon.com, along with a personal message.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out during this time. Much love,Avery
