@roger_shuhhaus (Roger Shuhhaus) posted a new topic, subject "Counterfeit accusation". It read:

   Hi…
    
    I had my Seller Account removed because 3 people said I sell conterfeit products… However, I sent to Amazon all invoices proving the specific style/sku was bought for us from the legal brands. I included all details where we contact with the buyers and one said the product “lukes like” counterfeit…
    
    One detail: one of the buyers never answer me when I asked for the return of the product, in order we be able to check the quality…
    
    There is someone here with the same problem??
    
    Many thanks.
    
    Roger

To which @O.L.D_Books (O.L.D. Books) replied

    Post the original suspension letter as well as your appeal. Without those we can be of limited help.

To which @Book_and_Music_Excha (Book and Music Exchange) replied

    Has Amazon sent you a final notice that you're account has been closed? Sometimes it can take several days for the whole appeals process to play out. If it's only been a day or two since you sent the invoices, you just need to wait until they contact you again.

After which, @Beff_Jezos (Beff Jezos) added

    He's selling Birkenstocks drop-shipped from Germany. He requires his customers to return the shoes to Europe if they're unhappy.
    
    Could be three very unhappy customers who don't want to pay $$$ to return a product. Or, since the shipper sends the shoes with no other protection than the flimsy shoebox (which is typically destroyed in shipping) the next customer gets the returned shoes but no box.
    
    Not a great business model.

Then @a_starving_actor (a_starving_actor) said

    Roger Shuhhaus:
    
    > Hi…
    > 
    > I had my Seller Account removed because 3 people said I sell conterfeit products… However, _I sent to Amazon all invoices proving the specific style/sku was bought for us from the legal brands._ I included all details where we contact with the buyers and one said the product “lukes like” counterfeit…
    
    I don't understand what that means? Who bought these for you? And what constitutes a ‘legal brand'? Did you buy these direct from an authorized wholesale distributor, or from a retail establishment that you're reselling? Are you confusing 'invoices" from retail receipts?
    
    > One detail: one of the buyers never answer me when I asked for the return of the product, in order we be able to check the quality…  
    >
    
    I don't think that matters, and if you were convinced they are real, why would you need to ‘check the quality'?
    
    > There is someone here with the same problem??  
    >
    
    Yes, this is common, but you need to post your suspension letter for others to assist further.
    
    > Many thanks.  
    >  
    > Roger

@a_starving_actor (a_starving_actor) replied

    Beff Jezos:
    
    > He's selling Birkenstocks drop-shipped from Germany. He requires his customers to return the shoes to Europe if they're unhappy.
    
    Oh Jeez–well that's not going to fly.
    
    > Could be three very unhappy customers who don't want to pay $$$ to return a product.
    
    Could be, or they really are counterfeit–last time I was in South East Asia in November, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a “Birkenstock” vendor.

To which @debranator (Debranator) replied

    This also did not help matters.
    
    feedback 4/26
    
    These  
    are the real deal! The last time I ordered Birkenstock from another  
    seller they sent me a knock off. I wear these ALL the time. I will  
    definitely buy from this seller again!
    
    I think knockoff in the feedback triggered the bots.

So @robin_e (Robin-e) replied

    I can see where you think you have addressed the issues , but you have not. This is not what Amazon wants. Amazon really wants an overall fix of this problem so that future sellers won't have to leave bad feedback.
    
    Your reply should include Manufacturers Invoice. It should also be short, using ‘bullets' where needed. So what policies and operations have you changed and made better that will address the several problems you face?
    
    There are many many many examples given on the forum of what the format and process is to write a review.

@roger_shuhhaus (Roger Shuhhaus) replied

    Dear Mr. Jezos, good morning.
    
    Thank you for your help. We let all details clear in our on-line store, where you will see we live and work here in Europe…
    
    Regarding the return cousts, we send messages saying we are opened to negociate and pay the full cousts the buyer spent, and we did it a lot…
    
    It can be the cause they said the product are fake?
    
    Thank you so much

To which @debranator (Debranator) replied

    This is not an appeal.  
    It is horrible.  
    there are so many things wrong here.  
    You do not get it.
    
    lets start.  
    The only thing that will save your account is Birkenstock invoices…
    
    you HAVE to pay return shipping or have a US address for buyers to return merch to.
    
    You have to BOX the shoeboxes. You cannot use them as mailers.

To which @roger_shuhhaus (Roger Shuhhaus) replied

    Hi…
    
    It was the Amazon message:
    
    Hello,
    
    You have not sent us an acceptable plan to address the problems with your account. This is against our policies. As a result, you may no longer sell on Amazon.com, and your listings have been removed from our site.
    
    Please ship any open orders. If you have funds in your account, they will be available after any amounts paid for A-to-z claims or chargebacks on your orders have been deducted. This usually takes about 90 days, but funds may be held longer.
    
    You can see your balance and settlement information in the Payments section of Seller Central. If you have questions about those, please send an email to teresa23@example.com.
    
    If you want to appeal this decision, click the Appeal button next to this message on the Performance Notifications page in Seller Central (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/customer-experience/perf-notifications.html).
    
    Sincerely,
    
    Seller Performance Team

To which @roger_shuhhaus (Roger Shuhhaus) replied

    It was my last appeal:
    
    Account status question  
    Dear srs,. good morning.
    
    Thank you for having responded to my previous email, I hope to be able to answer your questions clearly, but I would like to respectfully put some point of views that I consider important.
    
    1º - Description of the issues that caused the complaints  
    ASINs: B0091FMT6S, B00881YR9S, and B003AVMPBI.  
    B0091FMT6S - 111-8028406-3204205 buyer: Todd  
    B00881YR9S - 113-3351759-7625849 buyer: Ellen  
    B003AVMPBI - 002-6859308-5242617, buyer: Peter
    
    2.1º - Explanation of the steps you have taken to resolve the issues.
    
    111-8028406-3204205 buyer: Todd.  
    The last mail he sent says: "I do not want to pay international shipping to return. The box was damaged and Therefore the heels of the sandels got damaged - looks like water to the edges. Thanks "  
    He did not say this first email that the product was fake, only said this after.  
    We send the invoice to you with this style marked in yellow, proving that it is authentic.
    
    113-3351759-7625849 buyer: Ellen  
    The first mail she sent was: “I have many Waldlaufer's this is counterfeit Want to return.-: -.”. I wrote to her asking for details of the return package, why I wanted to personally inspect the package and see what was the problem in detail, but she never answered me. Why she never wrote me? I dont have any answer until today and I dont have the package with me.
    
    002-6859308-5242617, buyer: Peter.  
    The return reason was: "Inaccurate website description. These are narrow size and was not online stated in the description. These Also did not come in an original Birkenstock shoe box and look like they're counterfeit. The cork in the front is uneven. "  
    He said the product SEEMED counterfeit, no more than this. We send the invoice with this style marked in yellow, proving that it is authentic.
    
    2.2º - Explanation of the steps you have taken to ensure that similar complaints won't happen again.
    
    Our common practice is to send each product in its original box, we sincerely believe that this is the best guarantee that the buyer is that the product is authentic, together of the product quality. However, we know that problems may occur during the transport from our facilities/stock to the customer's home. wet boxes, damaged during transport or customs are not impossible to happen and we know these factor alter the product quality, so we define changes in the way we package and ship each product  
    • we changed the carriers services to change your delivery method.  
    • In order to better protect the boxes/shoes/sandals, we will put the original box into another box first to make sure that they will arrive in good condition.  
    • We have extra employed a new co-worker to check all orders in detail before they are going into the package process to avoid any mistake with the order/package.
    
    3º - Any additional details you would like us to know.  
    We are reducing our entire stock, we will only buy and sell Birkenstock brands. Once the staff will remain the same, we agreed that the significant reduction of orders will help maintain the quality of service, and the fact that only commercialize the Birkenstock brand will help us to send receipts to you, if needed, and prove to buyers that only sell original brands.
    
    Best regards.
    
    Rogerio Mari.
    
    PS: Regarding all of the review process, I would like to respectfully ask a few things to you srs., once you gave me the oportunitie to do so: I know that my personal experience with online sales is not large, yet, we are selling on Amazon a little more than one year and we know this is a very short time. My main question and doubt is: How to prevent the buyer finds that the product is counterfeit? We sell until this day, about 4590 shoes and sandals. The total amount of orders received 3 complaints that the products are fake, this means 0.06533101% of all sales and, I suppose IF we negotiate with counterfeit article, not only 3 order will be possible to appear… Even because the Amazon´s buyers are very rigorous with the product they received from all sellers. To be honest and clear, we will never have 100% sure that the buyer will not find that the product is fake and we can never convince the buyer if he does not want … What we can do against it?

To which @smittytimms (smittytimms) replied

    I think one of the problems here is that you shipped the shoebox itself. You need to put the shoebox into a larger cardboard box. Amazon buyers expect that the merchandise they receive comes pristine, and this includes all packaging.
    
    Edited by: smittytimms on May 18, 2016 9:48 AM

Then @CanadaRAM (CanadaRAM) said

    IF you sell on Amazon.COM you must provide the buyer with a return address in the USA  
    OR you must pay all international return shipping even for buyer-discretion returns.
    
    This is Amazon policy, it is NOT an item for negotiation.

Then @smittytimms (smittytimms) said

    Like others have said, your reply to Amazon needs to have simple language explaining what you have done to change the situation. You may want to have a native English speaker help you with the writing. Look through the Amazon forums to find other appeal letters. This will give you an idea of how to structure your letter. Don't send it until others on the forum have read it and helped you with it.

@system (system) replied

    


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