Critical Strategies for Protecting Your Amazon Account and Appeal Suspensions in 2024 With Chris McCabe

Chris McCabe, Founder of eCommerce Chris  - Former Amazon Insider. He knows Amazon from the inside out. After several years evaluating seller account performance and enforcing Amazon’s policies, he became a consultant and launched ecommerceChris.com. Now, he teaches his clients how to think like Amazon. His insider knowledge helps sellers to protect their accounts and appeal listing restrictions.

> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn…. 

• Understanding Amazon's perspective and strategies for account protection
• Misconceptions and enforcement trends related to influencer marketing and product giveaways on Amazon
• Challenges and strategies for brand owners dealing with abuse and intellectual property (IP) violations on Amazon
• Crackdown on listing optimization attempts and the challenges related to compliance flags
• Insert cards and product packaging strategies
• Importance of adhering to Amazon's guidelines and avoiding practices that could be perceived as incentivizing biased reviews
• Power imbalance between sellers and the marketplace
• Recommendations for influential books, productivity tools, and individuals in the e-commerce space
• Details about the upcoming seller Velocity conference
• Encouragement to seek expert help when facing challenges in the e-commerce space
• Details about the Seller Velocity conference, including a discount code, and how to reach out to Chris McCabe for conference inquiries or services.

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Chris McCabe, an ex-Amazon insider and founder of ecommerceChris. They discuss the intricacies of Amazon's suspension system, the importance of understanding Amazon's perspective on account protection, and the trends in enforcement for 2024. Chris advises sellers to avoid competitor abuse and ensure that any intellectual property claims are substantiated. They also touch on the crackdown on competitor abuse and the need for compliance with Amazon's policies. The conversation includes strategies for dealing with influencer marketing, product giveaways, and the significance of white hat practices. Chris recommends resources and shares information about the Seller Velocity conference.

Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:

Action item #1: Chris stressed the need for sellers to align with Amazon's guidelines and avoid practices that could be perceived as incentivizing biased reviews.

Action item #2:  A common misconception among sellers is that giving away products without asking for a review is acceptable. However, Chris pointed out that Amazon is suspending accounts for such giveaways because they can still result in biased positive reviews. He urged sellers to understand Amazon's perspective and strategize accordingly.

Action item #3: Chris highlighted the importance of having a rainy day fund to prepare for potential account issues and the need to decide upfront whether to dispute a suspension. He also recommended seeking expert help when facing suspensions or warnings.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• eComm Breakthrough Consulting
• eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• ecommerceChris
• Prosper Show
• Seller Velocity Conference use SVC24NYC when you register to get 25 % off
• Amazon Brand Registry
• Amazon Unbound Book by Brad Stone
  Special Mention(s):
• Adam “Heist” Runquist on LinkedIn
• Kevin King on LinkedIn
• Matt Clark on LinkedIn

Related Episode(s):

• “Cracking the Amazon Code: Learn From Adam Heist’s Brand Scaling Secrets” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• “Kevin King’s Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• “You've been doing Shopify wrong—Matt Clark's top 1% strategy for Shopify a game-changer.” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast

This episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures.

I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figure brand in seven years.

I made mistakes along the way that made the path to eight figures longer. At times I doubted whether our business could even survive and become a real brand. I wish I would have had a guide to help me grow faster and avoid the stumbling blocks.

If you’ve hit a plateau and want to know the next steps to take your business to the next level, then email me at [email protected] and in your subject line say “strategy audit” for the chance to win a $10,000 comprehensive business strategy audit at no cost!

Transcript Area

Josh (00:00:00) - Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Michael Gerber, author of The E-myth, and Matt Clark from ASM. Today I am speaking with Chris McCabe. He is the founder of eCommerce, Chris, and he's going to be sharing how to think like Amazon, how to protect your account and appeal any restrictions or suspensions that might come your way. He's also going to be sharing what he sees happening and what Amazon is focused on in 2024. This episode is brought to you by Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting, where I help seven figure companies grow to eight figures and beyond. Listen, Chris, I started my business back in 2015 and I grew it to an eight figure brand in seven years. I made a lot of mistakes...