List of Reasons Why Amazon Merch Accounts Get Closed/Terminated
Contents
- 1 Why Amazon Merch Accounts Get Closed?
- 1.1 Case Study 1: Upload Ass/Penis/Pussy Words & Try To Mention Basketball Team
- 1.2 Case Study 2: Upload Racist/ Sensitive Words
- 1.3 Case Study 3: Upload Design With Full Name Of Famous Song
- 1.4 Case Study 4: Metadata Issues (Use (e.g., gift, perfect for birthday), promotional phrases (e.g., free shipping, best seller), or other unrelated metadata (e.g., 100% quality guaranteed, new product) is prohibited)
- 1.5 Case Study 5: Copyright Violation - Upload Design Similar With Product Of Gucci
- 1.6 Case Study 6: Using Movie Characters in Designs (Trademark ≠ Copyright)
- 1.7 Case Study 7: Risky Keywords – "Zombie Squad"
- 1.8 Case Study 8: Copy Designs Of Another Store
- 1.9 Case Study 9: Make Design Similar To Logo Of A Brand
- 2 What To Do If Your Amazon Merch Account Gets Closed?
- 3 Where To Buy Amazon Merch On Demand Account?
- 4 Join Special Group Of Sonny To Learn Free
Welcome! If you’re wondering why an Amazon Merch account might get closed or how to avoid it, you’ve come to the right place. This guide shares real-life cases based on my own experience, my team, and feedback from customers. Learn from these mistakes to keep your account safe!
Why Amazon Merch Accounts Get Closed?
Case Study 1: Upload Ass/Penis/Pussy Words & Try To Mention Basketball Team
Issues
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how her actions might have breached these policies:
- Political Posts
While the customer mentions having very few political designs, it’s important to note that “Offensive or Controversial Content” is prohibited. Even a few political posts can be seen as controversial, especially if they promote or incite certain ideologies.
- Design about “Free Scottie”
Without more context, it’s challenging to pinpoint the exact issue, but it could fall under several prohibited categories:
“Offensive or Controversial Content”: If the design had any elements that could be seen as promoting or glorifying certain views.
“Content related to human tragedies and natural disasters”: Depending on the context of “Free Scottie,” it might be interpreted as relating to a specific event or tragedy.
- “Bring ya ass Minnesota”
This design might have violated policies under:
“Offensive or Controversial Content”: The phrase “bring ya ass” could be seen as using profanity or being inflammatory, which is not allowed.
“Illegal or Infringing Content”: Even if the phrase itself is not trademarked, using a well-known sports team’s locale in a manner that could imply endorsement or affiliation might still be problematic.
- Use of Words like “Penis” and “Pussy”
Using explicit or obscene language clearly violates the “Sexually obscene content” policy. Even though these were not placed on children’s shirts, the use of such language in any listing is against Amazon Merch’s guidelines.
Case Study 2: Upload Racist/ Sensitive Words
The Issue
The termination likely resulted from the upload of content that Amazon deems inappropriate or offensive, in this case, a design with racist elements. Amazon has strict policies against such content to maintain a respectful and inclusive platform.
Case Study 3: Upload Design With Full Name Of Famous Song
The Issue
The customer’s Tier 10,000 Amazon Merch account was terminated due to a content violation. The specific design in question was titled “Chillin’ Like a Villain,” which is associated with a famous song title. The account was terminated immediately after the design was reported.
Potential Reason
The primary reason for the account termination is likely a violation of Amazon Merch’s content policy concerning the use of copyrighted or trademarked material. In this case, the phrase “Chillin’ Like a Villain” is a well-known song title, which may be protected by copyright or trademark laws.
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
The customer violated Amazon Merch’s content policy by using a song title in their design. This can be categorized as:
- Intellectual Property Violation: Using content that incorporates intellectual property (such as trademarks, copyrights, or the name or likeness of others) without proper authorization.
- Trademark Infringement: The phrase “Chillin’ Like a Villain” may be trademarked by the song’s owner, leading to a potential trademark infringement issue.
- Copyright Infringement: The use of a song title, which is likely copyrighted, constitutes copyright infringement if the customer does not have documented rights to use it.
Case Study 4: Metadata Issues (Use (e.g., gift, perfect for birthday), promotional phrases (e.g., free shipping, best seller), or other unrelated metadata (e.g., 100% quality guaranteed, new product) is prohibited)
The Issue
The customer’s Tier 10,000 account closure stemmed from a design associated with birthdays that contained the term “gift” within its metadata, including the title, bullet points, and description. This contravenes Amazon’s stringent content policy.
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
The customer inadvertently violated Amazon’s content policy by integrating unrelated information, such as the term “gift,” within the metadata of their design. This transgression falls under the category of metadata issues, as delineated by Amazon’s stringent guidelines.
Make sure your listing’s metadata doesn’t result in inaccurate search results or impair customers’ ability to make good buying decisions. We do not allow metadata containing information unrelated to the design, such as suggested use (e.g., gift, perfect for birthday), promotional phrases (e.g., free shipping, best seller), or other unrelated metadata (e.g., 100% quality guaranteed, new product). Please ensure the title, feature bullets, or description match the design.
Case Study 5: Copyright Violation - Upload Design Similar With Product Of Gucci
Issues
Customer upload “Year of snake” design then account close so this account is in high risk of having issues.
Gucci Snake ProductCustomer’s content is ok, but his design have already use the design, the image as the product of Gucci and try to mention it “Snake Luxury Collections”, luxury product in a brand name.
Once try to re-design, copy design of big brand such as Gucci, it will be closed or being report immediately by other seller, loyal on Amazon. This is the main reason make your account close immediately right after uploaded it.
Case Study 6: Using Movie Characters in Designs (Trademark ≠ Copyright)
This is a set of 4 designs with titles like “Dracula Unleashed,” “Frankenstein Unleashed,” “Mummy Unleashed,” and “Wolfman Unleashed.” As a newbie, you might think these are just normal designs. However, using these could lead to your account being closed almost immediately because “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “Mummy,” and “Wolfman” are all characters from the movie House of Monsters and are protected by copyright.
Common mistakes new sellers often make:
- “I checked the trademark, so it should be fine, right?”
- “My design is live, so there are no issues.”
Let’s clarify a few important points here:
1. Trademark and Copyright Are Different
- Just because a name isn’t trademarked doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. Copyright typically applies to names, characters from movies, famous individuals, and brands.
- Amazon strictly enforces trademark violations, but they are even more stringent when it comes to copyright issues, as they involve multiple legal concerns in the U.S.
2. Amazon’s System Might Not Detect Violations Immediately
- Your design may initially get approved because Amazon’s bot may not immediately recognize the violation if you don’t directly mention the names or characters in the title or bullet points (this is known as “tricking the Amazon bot”).
- However, once your design goes live, competitors or dedicated teams will likely report it for infringement. If Amazon employees manually review the design, they can catch your attempt to bypass the rules.
Final Thoughts
- Amazon is a massive platform with strict policies. If you want to take shortcuts or try to make quick sales, you have to be prepared for the risks.
- If you only have one account, think carefully and always check for yourself before moving forward. Don’t rely solely on what others say. A good mentor will teach you the right methods, but they won’t give you a niche because that leads to competition from others who are doing the exact same thing as you.
Case Study 7: Risky Keywords – "Zombie Squad"
Scenario:
You notice that popular keywords like “Zombie Squad” is trending. You think incorporating them into your designs will boost your sales. However, after using these keywords, some sellers are facing account closures, and you realize there might be more risk than reward.
What Went Wrong:
1. Zombie Squad:
“Zombie Squad” is more than just a generic phrase—it’s the name of a popular game with 313,889 reviews on Google Play. This means the phrase is protected under trademark and copyright laws.
- Tricking the System: Some sellers attempt to bypass Amazon’s bots by avoiding direct mention of “Zombie Squad” in their titles. Instead, they split the keywords like this:
- “Zombie” + “Kids Halloween Colorful Matching” + “Squad” + “Costume.”
- This may allow their design to slip past Amazon’s automated detection temporarily. However, this tactic only provides a short-term advantage. Once the design is live, competitors or loyal team are quick to report it. Manual review by Amazon employees can easily detect the infringement, leading to an account suspension or closure.
Case Study 8: Copy Designs Of Another Store
This is the most popular mistakes of newbie. That is copy design of another and re-post. Make money never easy like that.
Here is an example:
One seller uploaded this, and then get close account after that.
- Title: Cute Axolotl of the World For Girls Boys Kids Women
- Brand Name: Funny Kawaii Axolotl
After checking, Sonny found that he hire designer to do this design, he just send idea to designer and let them work. Not check. He think design do it by his own ideas of design.
But we found that design is copied from another brand on Amazon. He copied designed and remove background of the original design and change background. The rest is the same.
Case Study 9: Make Design Similar To Logo Of A Brand
Every year, new sellers fall into the trap of using symbols or designs that seem harmless but are actually protected by big brands. One common example is the use of the “M” symbol in Halloween designs, which many don’t realize is strongly associated with M&M, the popular candy brand.
Sonny do a survery but less people know what is violation of this design.
The Problem:
In the U.S., this symbol is instantly recognized as part of the M&M branding. Even if the seller thinks the symbol has no specific meaning, it can still violate intellectual property laws.
Result:
Amazon may either remove your design or, worse, close your Merch by Amazon account without any warning.
What To Do If Your Amazon Merch Account Gets Closed?
If your Amazon Merch account has been closed, don’t panic! There are steps you can take to try and re-open it. For detailed instructions, you can read this post here