Anyone know how to save my Inventory?
Amazon claims my P&G products are counterfeit. I have invoices leading them back to their brand, but Amazon doesn't want the invoices and only wants an LOA from me which as you can imagine, is difficult to provide. At this point, I'm probably going to have to just comply and stop selling this product. Tried contacting P&G, lawyers, my supplier, and hours of research all have left me fruitless. I'm going to be more careful going into the future with IP complaints, my products are genuine, but there is nothing I can do about this claim. My worry is that I want to at the very least, get my inventory back from FBA. I don't want Amazon to destroy them because I can still sell them on other platforms. Does anyone know any way to save this inventory so Amazon doesn't see it as counterfeit, and then destroy it?
Anyone know how to save my Inventory?
Amazon claims my P&G products are counterfeit. I have invoices leading them back to their brand, but Amazon doesn't want the invoices and only wants an LOA from me which as you can imagine, is difficult to provide. At this point, I'm probably going to have to just comply and stop selling this product. Tried contacting P&G, lawyers, my supplier, and hours of research all have left me fruitless. I'm going to be more careful going into the future with IP complaints, my products are genuine, but there is nothing I can do about this claim. My worry is that I want to at the very least, get my inventory back from FBA. I don't want Amazon to destroy them because I can still sell them on other platforms. Does anyone know any way to save this inventory so Amazon doesn't see it as counterfeit, and then destroy it?
4 replies
Seller_i6S8knzW6zU6Z
Hi @Seller_hsElE7nS8eRMr,
I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you're facing with your P&G products. Dealing with counterfeit claims can be challenging, especially when obtaining a Letter of Authorization isn't possible.
According to Amazon's Intellectual Property Policy for Sellers (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201361070), when a product is flagged for counterfeit, Amazon may request specific documentation. While invoices are usually acceptable to demonstrate authenticity, in some cases, Amazon requires an LOA from the rights owner to confirm that you're authorized to sell their products. If you've exhausted all avenues to obtain this letter, it might be tough to overturn the claim.
Regarding your FBA inventory, the Unsuitable Inventory Investigations Policy (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GH4YYXNDRW9BSZEN) states that if inventory is withheld due to suspected counterfeit violations, Amazon may dispose of it if the issue isn't resolved. Unfortunately, they often don't return such inventory to sellers to prevent counterfeit items from entering the marketplace elsewhere.
It might be worth reaching out to Seller Support one more time to explain your situation and ask if there's any possibility to have your inventory returned. However, based on the policies, there's a chance they may not agree.
Going forward, to avoid similar issues, it may help to ensure that you have all the necessary authorizations when sourcing branded products, especially from brands that closely monitor their distribution channels.
I know this isn't the outcome you were hoping for, but I hope this information provides some clarity.
Best regards, Michael
Seller_rI7BZIczK8iAC
Unfortunately there is no way and you will loose products, money (if you sold some) and seller account. Why didn't you visit the forum BEFORE? It's repeated again and again ten times daily that selling without LOA is very risky.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
A court order MAY get them returned to you; absent that, Amazon will not be willing to return to you any items for which they are not 100% sure are legit; to do otherwise would expose them to possible charges of Trafficking in Counterfeits; even if the chance is very low, Amazon is not going to take it.
A court order would relieve Amazon of liability, but you'd likely be spending several thousand dollars, so only after discussing with your lawyer can you decide if it is worth it.
For cases like this, be happy that you still have an Amazon account; you're ahead of most people who cannot prove authenticity.
Atlas_Amazon
Hello @Seller_hsElE7nS8eRMr
Thank you for the information provided regarding the recent issues you have encountered on the account. I understand that there are concerns of counterfeit issues on your listing, and you would like to get the inventory returned to you. I know this can be frustrating if you do not have the required information to remove the restrictions.
As mentioned in the thread, the inventory cannot be released unless you were able to provide what is being requested. Due to the set up of our policies in addition to the law, our team cannot legally release any kind of counterfeit or suspect counterfeit product to you. We do encourage you to provide what you have for review, but we cannot guarantee a resolution if it does not meet our requirements.
If you do receive any new information or updates, please refer back to this thread for continued support.
Best,
Atlas
