Amazon deactivated your account: how to get your inventory and money back

Your FBA inventory: act early

Under the Fulfillment by Amazon terms in the Business Solutions Agreement, after termination Amazon will return or dispose of your units as you direct. If you do not give directions within 14 days after termination (or another period set in Amazon's policies), Amazon may return or dispose of the units itself. Removal and disposal fees still apply.

Sellers also report that removals can start automatically after deactivation. Do not wait for the appeal decision to plan for your stock.

A removal plan in five steps

• Count it: list every SKU, quantity and fulfillment center from your inventory reports.
• Decide what is worth bringing back by comparing each SKU's resale value with the per-unit removal fee and freight.
• Choose a receiving address: your own warehouse, a third-party logistics provider or a prep center that can receive mixed returns.
• Create removal orders if Seller Central still allows it. If it does not, ask Account Health or Seller Support in writing to return your inventory to a named address, and keep the case number.
• Track every shipment and reconcile units received against the removal report. Open cases for anything missing.

Your money: the 60-day funds request

Amazon's Funds Disbursement Eligibility Policy says that you can separately appeal for withheld funds by contacting disbursement-appeals@amazon.com at any point after 60 days from the date your account was deactivated. That applies whether or not you appealed the deactivation. Older notices and forum posts often mention 90 days, so check the current policy and your own notice.

Amazon says it will release remaining funds, less any amounts used to offset what you owe it, after evaluating the account for deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity and confirming your identity. The agreement also makes accurate identity verification a condition of further disbursements after suspension or termination.

What can reduce or stop a release

• Offsets: refunds, A-to-z claims, chargebacks and fees from orders placed before deactivation.
• Identity: if Amazon cannot confirm your identity, it may withhold payments permanently.
• Serious findings: deceptive, fraudulent, harmful or illegal activity, system abuse or repeated violations can lead to permanent withholding at Amazon's discretion. The agreement says Amazon will offer an avenue to appeal a withholding decision.

Making the request

Put the date 60 days after deactivation in your calendar. Before that date, prepare your identity documents and a short, factual summary: your legal business name, Merchant Token, the deactivation date, the balance shown and your registered bank details. Respond promptly to any verification request and keep a dated log of every exchange.

If funds are still withheld: arbitration

The Business Solutions Agreement requires most disputes to be resolved by binding arbitration rather than in court. Washington law and the Federal Arbitration Act apply, and arbitration is run by the American Arbitration Association under its commercial rules. Before starting, you must send a letter describing your claim to Amazon's registered agent, CSC, at 300 Deschutes Way SW, Suite 208 MC-CSC1, Tumwater, WA 98501. Either party may instead choose a qualifying small claims court. Claims seeking only money under $50,000 use expedited procedures, and class actions are excluded.

Arbitration costs can be significant relative to small balances. Speak with an attorney experienced in Amazon seller disputes before filing.

Keep your records

Whatever happens to the account, you remain responsible for taxes on the sales you made. Keep the reports you downloaded (see the first 48 hours), your payment records and Amazon's tax documents for your accountant.

Reinstated ($9) includes a funds disbursement request, a notice of intent to arbitrate, an inventory recovery checklist and a case tracker that calculates your key dates. General information only, not legal advice.