Just had 8 Amazon Stealth accounts deleted

CGorilla · #1 10-05-2013

To my partial surprise, I had 8 Amazon Stealth accounts deleted simultaneously over night.

I use a VPS service for each account that has the same 6 digits for the beginning of the Ip Address. For example: 209.208.97.23, 209.208.78.68, and 209.208.63.29.

I'm assuming that some one over there at Amazon was clever enough to narrow down on to my accounts by that similarity.

I prefer to use VPS to primarily use Ship Rush and to jump between accounts quickly. If anyone can provide any in sight to my theory, I would appreciate the help.

Thank you

GreenBean · #2 10-05-2013

No way would I ever run more than 3 accounts with the same ISP.

I do wear a tin hat and go over the top for stealth.

Your theory is one I agree with.

Never assume with amazon. They ARE clever. They do detect links with account. It is something they practise all the time.

Stealth means not linking .

8 accounts, same items, same IP range is going to flag accounts.

Your set up linked you.

**aspkin** · #3 10-05-2013

So Amazon manually reviews and has the tools to make linking like this happen. It's not a system you're working against, it's a person with tools to link accounts. It's EASY to link accounts with your setup..

They can review your account, they see some slight red flags to it and investigate it further using their tools. They see several other accounts under the same IP range, check for similarities in these accounts, whether it's the creation date, location or other red flags and that's all it takes.

As GB mentioned, don't let anything be similar to another account. It's not even the 'same' it can be different and still link you, it's about similarities.

jeffweico · #4 10-05-2013

Aspkin/GreenBean are exactly right. There are SO MANY people who have been linked this way, or doing something similar. Always strive to make EVERY DETAIL of each account as different as possible. I use different PC's for each account, different browsers, sell different merchandise, use different ISP's, show locations in different areas, etc. ANYTHING I can do to make it look totally different.

rsot · #5 10-06-2013

It is also possible with your setup OP that you used the same VPS across different accounts by accident - another possible link besides the manual review and such posted by people above.

Good luck on the new approach.

CGorilla · #6 10-07-2013

Thank you for the advice! I had to much success and was becoming sloppy. The creation date and browser is something I never put much thought into. I think what caught up with me is using the same VPS host for over 30 accounts within 45 days.

I'm going to be using multiple vps hosts, sporadic creation dates, and various browsers in the future. I would avoid using Atlantic hosting if I were you.

Is it a red flag that I'm always using windows server on my VPS? Any way around that?

The last 8 accounts I had were deleted and not just suspended. I don't mind giving Amazon Net 90 to pay up, but deletion doesn't sit well with me. I believe I had $14,000 in those accounts. Any advice?

jeffweico · #7 10-07-2013

I hate to tell you this, but you can kiss that money goodbye.

VPS's are not ideal. They can be detected and using Windows Server for a bunch of accounts could also be a red flag, because very few normal users are on that platform.

CGorilla · #8 10-07-2013

I figured I was making a donation to Amazon. Our products are in demand on Amazon and there is a high profit margin, so hopefully this loss can be absorbed soon with more accounts.

It's hard for me to come up with an easier solution other than using VPS for the way we process orders. I create separate losing on the VPS for employees to complete shipping functions on Ship Rush, and then another user to reply to emails on outlook express. I made it fool proof on their end so they don't have access to Amazon directly.

GreenBean · #9 10-07-2013

Try not to say too much about your past

rsot · #10 10-07-2013

Not much advice to get those accounts baCk - you can try but many have failed to have success. All the best moving forward.

GreenBean · #11 10-07-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsot

Not much advice to get those accounts bank - you can try but many have failed to have success. All the best moving forward.

Que?

Noone talked about banks in the thread.

rsot · #12 10-07-2013

Early morning troubles - "back" not "bank" - wont get those accounts back, or very low likelihood

MM78 · #13 10-07-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsot

Early morning troubles - "back" not "bank" - wont get those accounts back, or very low likelihood

Here you go bro...

rsot · #14 10-07-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM78

Here you go bro...

Thanks MM78 - living legend you are

I re-read this statement of the OP: I think what caught up with me is using the same VPS host for over 30 accounts within 45 days.

TonyAlmeida · #15 10-08-2013

Why give up? Start the fight and you may have something back in that 8 account.

- Keep sending email to sellerperformance, mechant, payment, support and what ever amazon email you can find.
- Get some answer (we all know these are BS answer anyway)
- Wait couple days and open the case with BBB.org (they will reply to this complaint)
- Let see what happen next then email Jeff@amazon.com

Last couple years I got money back by doing this and the account have more than 5K

Good luck

Quote:

Originally Posted by boal4828

I figured I was making a donation to Amazon. Our products are in demand on Amazon and there is a high profit margin, so hopefully this loss can be absorbed soon with more accounts.

It's hard for me to come up with an easier solution other than using VPS for the way we process orders. I create separate losing on the VPS for employees to complete shipping functions on Ship Rush, and then another user to reply to emails on outlook express. I made it fool proof on their end so they don't have access to Amazon directly.

rsot · #16 10-08-2013

I tried BBB.org for my US-based stealth Az accounts in the past - did not yield any results

TonyAlmeida · #17 10-08-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsot

I tried BBB.org for my US-based stealth Az accounts in the past - did not yield any results

I might be a lucky one along with some people here that help me back then.

jeffweico · #18 10-08-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyAlmeida

I might be a lucky one along with some people here that help me back then.

The problem is, back when this all started, the people in Jeff Bezos' office may have been a little freaked out by the aggressive response you gave and decided to relent. Since then, however, it is in Amazon's Policy Statement that if they have reason to believe that any illegal fraudulent or deceptive activities occurred on the account, they will not release the funds. So, they probably stopped responding by releasing money a while ago.

The only way I have heard of anyone having money released recently is by having an attorney contact Amazon. And I believe, if memory serves, that the ONLY issue in that case was the stealth account. If anything high-risk was being sold, I doubt the outcome would have been a positive one.

GreenBean · #19 10-09-2013

Once stealth account holders plagued BBB.org & amazon executives, policy change was invevitable.

To the deteriment of many.