Stealth account suspended/linked after 10 month

[wooha]

Anyone have any clues as to how "older" stealth accounts can be linked despite been running for a while? You'd think that an account surviving the first 6 month would be coasting thereafter, given that nothing was changed.

Been live and running fine for going on 10 month. Passed all previous validation and account reviews previously. Dedicated IP and VPS, CC's not expired and live. No changes at all to the account since initial setup.

Inventory wise, always been selling the same stuff, been adding/cutting products monthly. No other disruptions - had always been business as normal. Except suddenly got a suspension due to linked to closed account.

Just seems 10 month is a while for Amz to "catch up" on. Was wondering about experiences from other sellers with more established stealth accounts that've already been running for year + , if/how they suddenly got linked, or general ideas?

[rsot]

Were the items considered high risk? How good was your feedback? Is the account deleted or can you still log in?

[wooha]

No not high risk products. Get returns but 0 "authenticity" issues.
80+ feedback.
Accounts not deleted, just suspended.

Im just not sure what the meta is for stealth accounts going on 6+ months. If its abnormal to get linked after so long, then maybe its my setup process or some bs bad luck. If it happens often, then thats just part of the pain i guess.

[Kristy]

Originally Posted by wooha

No not high risk products. Get returns but 0 "authenticity" issues.
80+ feedback.
Accounts not deleted, just suspended.

Im just not sure what the meta is for stealth accounts going on 6+ months. If its abnormal to get linked after so long, then maybe its my setup process or some bs bad luck. If it happens often, then thats just part of the pain i guess.

You slipped up along the way some how. Amazon doesn't have a magic crystal ball foreseeing and connecting accounts. They linked you because the accounts had something in common with each other. You now need to try hard and think to find out what it was.

It wasn't bad luck; it was similarity.

[james929]

Originally Posted by wooha

Anyone have any clues as to how "older" stealth accounts can be linked despite been running for a while? You'd think that an account surviving the first 6 month would be coasting thereafter, given that nothing was changed.

Been live and running fine for going on 10 month. Passed all previous validation and account reviews previously. Dedicated IP and VPS, CC's not expired and live. No changes at all to the account since initial setup.

Inventory wise, always been selling the same stuff, been adding/cutting products monthly. No other disruptions - had always been business as normal. Except suddenly got a suspension due to linked to closed account.

Just seems 10 month is a while for Amz to "catch up" on. Was wondering about experiences from other sellers with more established stealth accounts that've already been running for year + , if/how they suddenly got linked, or general ideas?

Possibly listing to many similar products to the previous account?

Or post office trackings with the same area zipcodes?

Similar logging in usage times..?

Or listing any rare products with none or 1 seller?

[Kristy]

Originally Posted by james921

Possibly listing to many similar products to the previous account?

Or post office trackings with the same area zipcodes?

Similar logging in usage times..?

Or listing any rare products with none or 1 seller?

Wow, I didnt know there can link you by zip codes, very scary!

[wooha]

Linking due to similar products would have been one of those things i figured would flag during the first few weeks, if not month, of actual listing/even selling. Not 10 month later.

But ya, i guess - something due to some sort of similarity.

Zip code tracking? You are referring to the origin of shipments sent to Amazon (in case of FBA) or customer orders? If this were the case, no 3PL would ever be able to take ANY amazon clients. Impossible.

[Kristy]

Originally Posted by wooha

Linking due to similar products would have been one of those things i figured would flag during the first few weeks, if not month, of actual listing/even selling. Not 10 month later.

But ya, i guess - something due to some sort of similarity.

Zip code tracking? You are referring to the origin of shipments sent to Amazon (in case of FBA) or customer orders? If this were the case, no 3PL would ever be able to take ANY amazon clients. Impossible.

I fully agree here. linkage by zip code would disastrous for us stealthiers

[rsot]

Zip code tracking is too extreme - this is paranoia

[Kristy]

Originally Posted by rsot

Zip code tracking is too extreme - this is paranoia

Zip code in combination
with similar items for sale

is more logical

[james929]

Originally Posted by Kristy

Zip code in combination
with similar items for sale

is more logical

ye thats what I meant - if somone does a manual review they check these things - its common sense..

[Taking The Micky]

wooha, did you sell as an FBA seller or merchant fulfilled?

[wooha]

Originally Posted by Taking The Micky

wooha, did you sell as an FBA seller or merchant fulfilled?

Sold as FBA

[Taking The Micky]

OK, did you use amazon "preferred shipping" methods rather than using say FedEX with your own account. If so did you drop the goods at the same UPS depot.

Could you have sent stock from a previous FBA account and not removed all the stickers, or have you just stickered over old stickers. If so this will link you.

Amazon looking for links everyday with there software. Somewhere within a week of your suspension notice you have made a mistake.

[wooha]

Originally Posted by Taking The Micky

OK, did you use amazon "preferred shipping" methods rather than using say FedEX with your own account. If so did you drop the goods at the same UPS depot.

Could you have sent stock from a previous FBA account and not removed all the stickers, or have you just stickered over old stickers. If so this will link you.

Amazon looking for links everyday with there software. Somewhere within a week of your suspension notice you have made a mistake.

- Yes I used Amazon's account to ship via UPS for some domestic shipments to Amazon. International inbound would be via my own account.
---Dropped off the goods at the same UPS depot. I thought about this before. So i always use a different address on the labels "ship from" address, even though the goods are dropped off at the same location. But with respect to the timeframe of the suspension/linking, the suspension was 1.5 month AFTER the last domestic shipment to FBA. And 1 month after the last international inbound shipment was received.

I always wondered, could they link via the packing slip/customs invoice attached on the side of the cartons?? I always used the same "importer" company name on those - despite never actually using that company name for any amazon accounts.

- I always do make note to tear off any stickers - both UPS and/or Amazon labels before sending anything in. And again, i was puzzled because the suspension came 1 month after the last inbound shipment. Is their system so back up that suspensions notices are delayed by 1 month?!?

Im thinking that it might be due to SKU naming. I might have 1/4 of my current skus running under the same SKU name as a closed account. Even though 19/20th of those same SKU's are inactive/no inventory...

But again, i figured if it was due to linking of same SKU names, they would have flagged the account by the 1-3rd shipment, not after the 50th...

[Taking The Micky]

I would imagine its the UPS shipping, similar goods shipping from the same UPS depot. Chances of being 2 different sellers "very unlikely". This is why I never use the preferred shipping rates and rather pay extra using my FedEx account, where amazon have no info.

Amazon have all the info, goods, tracking etc and I would say its very easy to link this way. Maybe amazon only run this check every month or so.

[james929]

Originally Posted by wooha

- Yes I used Amazon's account to ship via UPS for some domestic shipments to Amazon. International inbound would be via my own account.
---Dropped off the goods at the same UPS depot. I thought about this before. So i always use a different address on the labels "ship from" address, even though the goods are dropped off at the same location. But with respect to the timeframe of the suspension/linking, the suspension was 1.5 month AFTER the last domestic shipment to FBA. And 1 month after the last international inbound shipment was received.

I always wondered, could they link via the packing slip/customs invoice attached on the side of the cartons?? I always used the same "importer" company name on those - despite never actually using that company name for any amazon accounts.

- I always do make note to tear off any stickers - both UPS and/or Amazon labels before sending anything in. And again, i was puzzled because the suspension came 1 month after the last inbound shipment. Is their system so back up that suspensions notices are delayed by 1 month?!?

Im thinking that it might be due to SKU naming. I might have 1/4 of my current skus running under the same SKU name as a closed account. Even though 19/20th of those same SKU's are inactive/no inventory...

But again, i figured if it was due to linking of same SKU names, they would have flagged the account by the 1-3rd shipment, not after the 50th...

sku linking is very common - I suspect someone did a manual review and saw the same sku's and same products..

[wooha]

Originally Posted by Taking The Micky

I would imagine its the UPS shipping, similar goods shipping from the same UPS depot. Chances of being 2 different sellers "very unlikely". This is why I never use the preferred shipping rates and rather pay extra using my FedEx account, where amazon have no info.

Amazon have all the info, goods, tracking etc and I would say its very easy to link this way. Maybe amazon only run this check every month or so.

For discussion sake:
If this were true, that amazon actually hooks up with UPS's API to obtain the "ACTUAL" physical pickup address of a FBA label (not what you entered mind you).
Then, wouldnt all 3PL warehousing services (especially fba specific like fbainspection, fbaprepandship, etc) that service Amz customers will, eventually, be out of business if even one of their customers AMZ account is closed, given the linking by address effect.

[Taking The Micky]

The first link is the address, no big problem and amazon will be aware of people using specific warehouses. A UPS Store address is different again, less use. Second link same product/ASIN/Sku whatever coming from that address.

If you clicking on tracking when you send a FBA order from a UPS Store with amazon preferred shipping all the information is there, where its collected from, time and full tracking till delivery. So even if you use an address in Texas as a collection address but dropped it at a UPS store California, California shows as the collection address.

[Yolokiee]

I agree, it was similarity, something you did. Back track