How to win more Amazon Support Cases

Luke Sanders

Content Specialist

All Amazon Sellers need to contact the Amazon Support team at some point, and many will need to file a case when something goes wrong. In these moments, the Amazon Support team holds the fate of Seller’s products and profit in their hands. A Support team’s decision not in the Seller’s favor can be an extremely disappointing setback and cut in to their bottom line.

We hope the tips and tricks in this blog will help you win more cases and walk away happier from your encounters with Amazon Support.

Current state of amazon support

Speaking from our experience, Amazon Support has become less helpful when compared to just a few years ago. Not long ago, a Brand Registered Account was all you needed to make any change that you wanted. Amazon would respond quickly, and real representatives would receive your tickets. These representatives would promptly read and respond to listing and account suspension cases, as well as push through additional changes such as Detail Page changes, duplicate merges, Listing Hijacker removal, and more.

In the current support climate, we find that many cases are immediately rejected by Amazon’s automated support system before they are read by a representative. When a real support representative does respond to a case, the short replies give Sellers the perception that the rep is merely trying to get through the case as quickly as possible. Being a Brand Owner doesn’t seem to carry as much weight as it once did, and Brand Registered Accounts don’t seem to be shown any favoritism.

Perhaps the core of the issue comes down to the immense popularity of selling on Amazon. With more Sellers than ever before, the level of competition is higher than ever. This can encourage Sellers to employ black hat tactics to list and sell their products. Though the penalty for these actions is account or listing suspensions, these sellers do not see this as a problem when they can simply create a new account and re-launch the same product under a new name.

We have tested many methods of communication with Amazon Reps . Here are a few of the lessons we have learned that will give you an edge, without resorting to black hat tactics.

Adjust your Tone and Verbiage

The first and simplest change to make when creating a support case is to change how you word your messages to Amazon. There are a few best practices that are important to keep in mind.

Always be polite
Be specific
Use simple language
Use the magic buzzwords

Dealing with Amazon can be exceedingly frustrating, especially when they send the same generic response over and over with no indication that your message was actually read. No matter how infuriating the response, it is important to remain professional and polite. Always say please and thank them for their time and effort. Voicing your frustration will only make them less likely to help. If they have obviously not understood your request, gently suggest that they seem to have misunderstood. This will often get your case transferred to the “internal team”, which usually gives your case a better shot at being closely examined.

Include specific detail and be direct. Reps read a high number of messages every day and they are not likely to comb through multiple paragraphs of information to find the details they need. Make sure you are prepared with the appropriate information before you send your message. This could include UPC, ASIN, shipment number, and screenshots or photographs that illustrate the problem.

Helping the reps to understand your issue will give it a better shot at resolution; the best way to do this is to use less words to explain it. Since Amazon outsources their support to countries all over the world, the reason your case gets a generic reply could be as simple as an error in communication. Make sure you explain your problem using the simplest language possible.

Perhaps the most effective strategy to increase the success of your case is referencing the “Customer Experience”. Amazon cares about their customers more than anything else. Explaining how an issue hurts the customer experience will usually heighten the priority of your case. For example, if you are trying to replace an inferior image on your listing that was supplied by a competitor, it would be important to highlight how the current image makes it harder for customers to learn about the product and hurts the customer experience. An additional trick to help lessen the number of support messages is to encourage the rep to “take ownership” of a problem. Remember to thank them for their work first.

Be Persistent

Even if you are polite, specific, concise, and reference the “magic” wording, the odds are still low that your issue will be solved on the first case submission. Fast resolutions do happen more often than winning the lottery, but still seem to feel just as rare. If your case is not solved on the first response, the next course of action is to reopen the case and do your best to explain as simply as you can. Maintain your polite and thankful attitude, but kindly ask for them to escalate the issue to their supervisor if you are not being understood.

Many cases are lost because Sellers simply give up too early. Keep pushing until you get a resolution, or escalated to the internal team

Winning a case often feels dependent on winning the support-rep-lottery. Some people are willing to assist you, and some are not. Closing the case and opening a brand-new version of the same complaint will occasionally get your issue on the desk of a more helpful individual.

Brand Ownership

The Amazon Brand Registry used to make obtaining helpful support easy. Recently, even Brand Registered accounts seldom win cases on the first few tries. Gently reminding the support representative of your Account’s Brand status is often needed. If you are still unable to attain the support you need, you may have to provide proof of Brand Ownership. There are several ways to do this, and we’ve ranked them by how well they actually work.

UPC confirmation letter
Product manufacturing invoice
Photo of product and barcode
Website screenshots

The best way to prove brand ownership is a scanned copy of the letter from the Uniform Product Council confirming your unique manufacturer identifier. In our experience, we have found that using this method works more often than others. If you are the supplier, a similar option is to send Amazon a copy of the invoice from the manufacturer.

If neither of the first two options are available, a clear photo of the product with the price tag and barcode visible will occasionally work. Be sure to capture two photos, one of the entire item and barcode, plus a close-up of only the code. Sending a screenshot of the product on the manufacturer’s website is usually what Amazon will ask for first to prove ownership. Unless the product detail copy on the website is the same as the product copy on Amazon, this method is not likely to be of much use. However, it is much easier than the other options and it is often worth a try.

Learn to beat the system

The Amazon Support system currently in place is difficult and frustrating, but getting angry or giving up early is a guaranteed way to lose your Amazon Support case. Always stay polite, thank the reps for their service, and make sure you have solid evidence on your side. Don’t give up: Continue submitting support cases using the methods that we’ve detailed above. Like the real lottery, there will eventually be a winner.

Keep trying and keep reading this blog. We have more interesting blogs coming soon that will cover more account health topics, including Account Suspensions and Appeals, making Detail Page changes, defeating black hat tactics, and more. In addition, our team is always available to provide advice and help you deal with Amazon Support.

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