Duplicate Listing Suspension on Amazon: Case Study
Greetings!
We would like to share with you a case about a duplicate listing.
Amazon identified a listing as a duplicate, so before we started working on the case, we compared 2 listings – title, bullet points, product description, and images. There was indeed a similarity, but that percentage was small. The listing contained the same images and bullet points.
The work started with preparing a text file containing differences in the items. We attached screenshots of the two listings and showed in detail how they differed – product model number, weight, and package dimensions. We also spelled out all the differences in the appeal and why Amazon would decide the listing was a duplicate when it wasn’t. The products were different, but the images and information in the product description were the same because the models looked almost the same, but they were different models of goods. Correcting the listing using the “edit” button was technically impossible. Note: we never admitted the guilt; this was not the standard Plan of Action.
The first appeal was rejected, and the Seller Support specialist said that it was good, BUT “you need to admit guilt and remove the listing”. We did not plead guilty but added some details to the document and resubmitted, but the appeal was again rejected. The whole emphasis was on the calls because it was important for us to reinstate the listing and prove the differences between products. Together with the Seller Support specialist, we looked at the 2 listings, compared their characteristics, and described every detail of both. In the end, he flagged the appeal as good, indicated all the points we discussed in the internal system, and sent it for a second review. As a result, the listing was reactivated. After that, similar information and images on the listing were updated to avoid repeated violations.
In conclusion, we advise you to check listings before selling a product. Even if there haven’t been any sales yet, the listing is already there (in addition to having a violation); this is enough to get the account or listing suspended.
