In Summary
- Amazon has been known to suspend accounts when it detects suspicious activity from users, such as excessive returns, requesting too many refunds, and so on.
- When an account is suspended, the user may not be able to log in, making it difficult to contact customer service.
- In this article, we will present 4 methods that you can use to recover your locked Amazon account.
Amazon is the largest e-commerce platform in the world, with over 300 million active customers around the world. Given the huge number of users, Amazon takes various measures to prevent abuse of its customer-friendly policies by blocking suspicious users. However, these policies can sometimes result in innocent customers being locked out of their Amazon accounts.
If your Amazon account is blocked, suspended, or blacklisted, in some cases, you can still get it back by appealing. But why does Amazon block some users from shopping on its platform? Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Why Was My Amazon Account Blocked?
Amazon has no set rules for blocking accounts. It is simply a case-by-case decision made by the Amazon team. According to reports from Amazon users, the most common reasons for account suspension are excessive returns, invalid payment sources, incomplete personal information, and frequent bulk orders (suspicion of reselling goods).
However, Amazon may cite several other reasons for suspending your account. Sometimes, a sudden login from an IP address that is far from your usual location is also considered suspicious, which can lead to account suspension. Here are some methods you can use to contact Amazon to restore your blocked account.
4 Ways To Unlock Amazon Account
Do not worry if you get locked out of your Amazon account. Follow these simple steps to contact the company and get your account unlocked.
Contact Amazon Support Using Website or App
In some cases, Amazon may impose a soft ban on your account, where you remain logged into your Amazon account but cannot place new orders. In such cases, you can contact Amazon Support directly through the website or app to quickly restore your account.
Since you’re contacting the company while staying logged into your account, it’s easier for Amazon to verify your credentials. Here are two ways you can contact Amazon customer support:
Using Amazon Website:
- Head over to the Amazon website, and then select the Customer Service option from the top ribbon.
- Scroll down, and navigate to Customer Service > Contact Us.
Alternatively, you can also enter this URL in your browser to reach the support page directly.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/contact-us/ - Here, you can either choose to chat with a customer support agent or request a voice call to speak to an agent directly.
Note that the voice call option connects you directly to a human agent without IVR. The chat option, on the other hand, connects you to a chatbot first. If you use simple commands like “connect me to an agent“” the chatbot will assign you a human agent in less than a minute.
Related Read: How to Archive Amazon Orders
Using Amazon App:
- Open the Amazon app on your smartphone, and go to Menu. Scroll down and select the Customer Service option.
- At the bottom, Amazon will show you two ways to connect to an agent directly. You can choose to either chat or have a telephone conversation.
Contact Amazon Using Email
If you are completely locked out of your Amazon account and unable to sign in, the best solution is to contact the company via email. However, it may take about 1-2 business days for Amazon to respond to your email.
You can email Amazon at cs-reply@amazon.com describing your problem. Don’t forget to change the domain from .com to your local Amazon address. For example: cs-reply@amazon.in for India, cs-reply@amazon.ca for Canada and so on.
Although email is a formal way to contact Amazon, there is a faster alternative you can use to contact the company if you are locked out of your account.
Contact Amazon Using Twitter
Twitter (or X, as Elon likes it) is more than just a social media platform. Almost every business uses Twitter to connect with their customers for feedback and support. This helps both the user and the company. The user can make their problem public, while the brand gets a platform to not only serve their customers but also make announcements to solve common problems.
Amazon has its own Twitter handle, @AmazonHelp, which users can use to contact the company if they need help. You can either write a tweet tagging Amazon asking for your account to be restored, or you can send them a direct message (DM). Note that Amazon uses the same Twitter handle for support in all regions of the world.
Bonus Tip: Send an Email To Jeff Bezos
Yes, you read that right. Jeff Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, still keeps his email ID open to the public. Jeff has also admitted that he personally reads some emails that he picks out of curiosity.
However, writing an email to Jeff Bezos is indeed a far-fetched solution. The chances of getting a response are less, but not zero. The official email address of Jeff Bezos is jeff@amazon.com. You can also try sending an email to the current CEO of Amazon, Andy Jassy, at andy@amazon.com.
Note that Jeff and Andy do not receive public emails directly. Only a select number of emails reach their inboxes, as most of them are filtered out by Jeff and Andy’s assistants first. We still recommend trying this solution to recover your suspended Amazon account because it never hurts to ask.
Tips to Speak to Amazon Customer Service for Faster Resolution
If your Amazon account gets suspended for any reason, it’s clear that you’ll get annoyed or even angry. Even if your reaction is knee-jerk and understandable, taking your anger out on customer service representatives won’t help you resolve your issue any faster.
Remember to remain polite and describe your problem in detail to the employee. In most cases, you will be asked for details about your last order or previous support tickets with Amazon. Try to help the agent with as many details as you can remember and submit any document or account verification details if requested.
Amazon is known for going the extra mile for customer satisfaction. Therefore, cooperating with customer service agents while keeping your frustration under control is the fastest way to solve your problem.
Best Practices To Keep Your Amazon Account Safe
Having your Amazon account suspended is certainly an unpleasant experience. Once you regain access to your account, you should follow these tips to prevent your account from being locked in the future.
- Avoid sharing your password with too many friends.
- Do not abuse Amazon’s product return policy.
- Don’t use a new payment method for each order, as this can trigger a payment security check.
- Avoid making bulk orders on a regular basis.
- Try to place orders through fewer addresses, or Amazon may suspend your account for suspected commercial use.
In most cases, Amazon will help you recover your account because of their customer-first policies. However, if Amazon claims that you have been blacklisted for violating their terms and conditions, you may not get your account back. In such cases, creating a new account under the same name and address may result in the new account being suspended as well.
FAQs about Unlocking Amazon Account
1. What do I do if my Amazon account is locked?
When your Amazon account is locked, don’t panic, you’ve got a couple of options.
- Firstly, you can try contacting Amazon customer support via a phone call. Establish a new temporary account if you can’t sign into your locked one.
- To request a call, navigate through ‘Accounts & Lists’ followed by ‘Customer Service’, ‘Something Else’, ‘I Need More Help’ and finally ‘Request Call now’.
- Communicate your issue and provide any necessary verification.
Alternatively, you can use their chat support.
- After signing in using the alternative account, click on ‘Customer Service’ > ‘Something Else’ > ‘I Need More Help’ > ‘Start Chatting Now’.
- Explain your problem and provide needed documents for verification.
Remember, unlocking might take a couple of days. Patience is key here!
2. How do I get my Amazon account back?
Locked out of your Amazon account? Don’t sweat, it’s fixable! Here’s a simple guide on how to unlock your blocked Amazon account:
- Head on to the Amazon website and sign in with your credentials. Can’t? Create a new account with a different email.
- Spot the “Account & List” option at the screen’s top and click on the drop-down arrow next to it.
- Navigate to the “Customer Service” option and select “Something Else”.
- Hit “I Need More Help”, then “Start Chatting Now”.
Explain your snafu to Amazon’s friendly chat support and authenticate your identity if requested. Stay patient, and your account should be back in action in a few short days. Just remember that succinctness is key when explaining your ordeal.
3. How Long Will My Amazon Account Be Locked?
Your Amazon account may be suspended for reasons such as possible unauthorized purchases. The duration of the suspension depends on the situation and can range from a few hours to two weeks or sometimes even permanently. Please note that in some cases you may still be able to log in, but you will not be able to make any purchases. The interruption of the process may result in messages such as “Account on hold temporarily” or “Account Locked”.
4. What Happens If Amazon Closes Your Account?
If Amazon permanently closes your account, let’s just say it’s going to be a bit of a bummer. All your account data, including your previous orders, returns, refunds, reviews, and even your AWS access, will be out the window.
Not all is lost, though! Here’s what you can do:
- Figure out why: Amazon usually closes accounts due to policy misuse, like abusing the return policy. Statistics on a “magic number” of returns that triggers a ban are vague, it’s judged case by case.
- Appeal: If you think there’s been a misunderstanding, get in touch with customer support to submit an appeal.
- Check your Email: Amazon sends an email if they lock your account, explaining why and giving you a chance to update your info.
So be cautious about your account usage, and keep these tips handy.
5. Can Amazon Close Your Account For Too Many Returns?
Yes, Amazon can close your account for excessive returns. Here’s a breakdown of the reasons:
- Amazon reserves the right to terminate accounts based on their sole discretion.
- While there’s no set return limit, frequent returns may be perceived as abuse of the policy.
- Amazon pays attention to accounts with unusually high return rates due to the cost it incurs for shipping.
- Excessive orders from a new account can also flag you, ideally, keep it below 30 orders per day initially.
- Returning a sizable quantity of products is a red flag – Amazon warns against it before locking the account.
- Also, using different IP addresses or overusing gift cards can raise suspicions. Ensure you don’t fall into these categories.
6. Can I Have Two Accounts On Amazon?
Yes, you can have multiple accounts on Amazon, but it’s important to remember there are strict guidelines to prevent misuse. Here are a few key points:
- Amazon maintains fairness and prevents unfair competition, therefore duplicating functions of two accounts is prohibited.
- Operating and maintaining multiple Seller Central accounts is not allowed without an exception permit.
- Amazon monitors linked accounts for violations using criteria such as shared IP address, bank info, emails, or physical addresses.
- Amazon may lock or close accounts that frequently return items, use a false identity, or appear suspicious, such as using differing IP addresses or making a high volume of orders from a newly created account.
7. What is the “Amazon Account Locked” email scam?
The “Amazon Account Locked” email scam is a phishing trick you can encounter. It starts with an email supposedly from Amazon claiming your account is locked due to suspicious activity. You’ll be asked to click on a link in the email to unlock your account. But beware The link redirects you to a fake website that imitates Amazon’s page and is designed to grab your login credentials and even your credit card information. If you become a victim and provide this information, the scammers behind this scam can access your account and make unauthorized purchases or, even worse, steal your identity.