Feeling pretty defeated right now.
Timeline:
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Day 0: Received copyright infringement notice. Immediately reached out to rights owner via email and WeChat.
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Same day: Negotiated settlement, paid compensation, transferred funds. (Have screenshots of all communications + transaction records.)
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Day 1: Rights owner sent retraction to notice-retraction@amazon.com and also retracted in Seller Central backend. (Have screenshots.)
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Day 1 afternoon: Since my only appeal option in Account Health was DMCA (not applicable because I did infringe), I opened a case and had Seller Support forward all retraction documents to the Performance team internally. (Have case ID.)
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Day 2-3: Received multiple emails from no-replies-appeals@amazon.com — violations cleared on several child ASINs, listings being reinstated. Immediately removed all infringing images from backend. (Have confirmation emails + backend edit screenshots.)
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Day 3-5: One ASIN still stuck — violation not cleared. Opened one case per day to follow up with Seller Support. (Have all case IDs.)
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Day 6: Account deactivated. Out of nowhere.
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Day 8: Received email that the final ASIN violation was cleared — logged into Account Health, everything is zero. (Have email confirmation.)
Support told me over the phone: the Performance team and the Account Health team are different departments. The internal sync took too long, and the system flagged my account before the retraction was processed.
I've asked multiple appeal services. Some said no hope. Some rejected it. A few sent templated responses.
I'm writing my own appeal. Question is:
Should I appeal as "wrongful deactivation" (since retraction is already in the system), or should I admit the infringement and write a full POA?
Any advice from someone who's been through this? Would really appreciate it.
Answers (8)
I'm going to be blunt: stop arguing about the timeline and department delays.
Amazon doesn't care. Their systems are automated. A bot flagged your account. The retraction came in after the flag. The bot doesn't know the difference.
Your job is not to convince Amazon their process is broken. Your job is to make them trust you again.
Write the POA. Admit fault. Show proof of resolution. Show proof of prevention. Submit through Account Health dashboard. Wait.
If rejected, appeal again. Some sellers need 2-3 attempts before finding the right reviewer.
One escalation path: if dashboard appeals keep failing, you can email seller-performance@amazon.com with your case ID and evidence. Some sellers also use the old jeff@amazon.com address — yes, it still exists and goes to Executive Seller Relations. But use that only as a last resort. You usually get one shot with that team. Don't waste it on a weak appeal.
Good luck. This sucks. But you can get through it.
Let me give you the hard truth about "retraction" appeals.
Amazon's policy says: if a rights owner retracts, your violation is removed and your listing may be reinstated. Notice it says "listing" — not "account."
Account deactivation is a separate review. When your account gets flagged for IP issues, the system looks at your entire history. Even if the specific violation is gone, the fact that you received a complaint triggers a deeper look.
So your appeal needs to address two things:
For #2, show that this was an isolated incident. Provide your Account Health rating history, sales record, return rate — anything proving you're generally compliant. Then explain how this one mistake happened and why it won't happen again.
That turned my appeal around.
Been there. Copyright complaint, settled, retraction sent, account still suspended. Infuriating.
What finally worked for me: escalation through a US-based attorney ($500-1500). They know exactly what language triggers approval.
If you can't afford that, the free path is: write a POA that's brutally honest. Don't minimize. Don't say "I didn't realize" — say "we failed to follow Amazon's policies, and we take full responsibility."
Also attach before/after screenshots of your listing. Show exactly what you removed and what you replaced it with. Visual proof is powerful.
Quick practical tip: use the official Account Health appeal form, not just email.
Amazon's 2026 policy made this explicit — submissions through Seller Central tie to your case record. Email appeals (including to notice-retraction@amazon.com) are only for specific actions like DMCA counter-notices.
Also, don't submit multiple versions. Each rejection resets the clock. Wait for a response before sending anything else.
One more thing: if your account is deactivated and the "Appeal" button disappears, open a case through Seller Support requesting the appeal form be re-enabled. It happens.
I'm going to say the uncomfortable thing: admitting fault is your only real path.
Your "wrongful deactivation" argument relies on the retraction being processed in time. But Amazon's system already recorded the violation. The retraction clears the listing restriction — not your account's history of having violated policy.
Think of it this way: Getting a ticket dismissed in court doesn't erase it from your driving record. Same concept.
Write the POA. Admit the mistake. Show what you fixed. Show how you prevent recurrence.
I've seen this exact situation 20+ times. The ones who admitted fault and wrote a strong POA got reinstated within 2-3 weeks. The ones who argued "but they retracted" are still suspended.