How do I report a FAKE IP claim with an Item sold at Costco
So this happened to me, someone has filled a fake IP complaint against me for a product I found at Costco to sell on Amazon. A simple internet search of who the owner of the company is would let anyone know that the person who filed the complaint is not the brand owner. Side note, I was approved by Amazon to create the ASIN about a month earlier. So I started paying for ads and getting some organic sales with no ads just before the fake IP complaint. I was the only seller under this ASIN. I did what I am supposed to do. I supplied proof or purchase from the Costco Stores with receipts and emails from Costco showing my purchase quantity, sufficient to cover all sales. I also submitted photos of the display in Costco of the product. As you know if you shop at Costco, they put their own item numbers on the products and receipts, so I showed photos of the product's UPC, which is right next to the Costco Item number on the product itself. I submitted proof that my business is registered with Costco, the same business name that is my third party seller name. The last 2 e-mails I get have the subject line "Your Amazon.com seller listings have been reinstated", but then in the e-mail it says "Unfortunately, we do not have enough information to reactivate your listings at this time". I know I have submitted sufficient information for Amazon to know who my supplier is, but I don't know why I can't get this information to anyone who understands this to remove the IP complaint. Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you.
How do I report a FAKE IP claim with an Item sold at Costco
So this happened to me, someone has filled a fake IP complaint against me for a product I found at Costco to sell on Amazon. A simple internet search of who the owner of the company is would let anyone know that the person who filed the complaint is not the brand owner. Side note, I was approved by Amazon to create the ASIN about a month earlier. So I started paying for ads and getting some organic sales with no ads just before the fake IP complaint. I was the only seller under this ASIN. I did what I am supposed to do. I supplied proof or purchase from the Costco Stores with receipts and emails from Costco showing my purchase quantity, sufficient to cover all sales. I also submitted photos of the display in Costco of the product. As you know if you shop at Costco, they put their own item numbers on the products and receipts, so I showed photos of the product's UPC, which is right next to the Costco Item number on the product itself. I submitted proof that my business is registered with Costco, the same business name that is my third party seller name. The last 2 e-mails I get have the subject line "Your Amazon.com seller listings have been reinstated", but then in the e-mail it says "Unfortunately, we do not have enough information to reactivate your listings at this time". I know I have submitted sufficient information for Amazon to know who my supplier is, but I don't know why I can't get this information to anyone who understands this to remove the IP complaint. Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you.
10 replies
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
" Side note, I was approved by Amazon to create the ASIN about a month earlier."
You are confusing AMAZON allowing you to list (or at least "ungate") an item or category and actually being APPROVED to sell a product. Amazon might ungate you for a CATEGORY, but there can be 100's of brands in the category and they ALL have their own restrictions.
AMAZON is only interested in FEES. They will allow a chimpanzee to list if it means they collect $$$$$.
Additionally, brands that you COULD sell yesterday may be restricted today or next week. Amazon is a moving target to deal with.
DO YOU have an LOA from the brand allowing you to sell on here?
More and more brands are providing a "whitelist" of their approved sellers and if YOU are NOT on the list you will be stopped in your tracks and probably hit with an IP violation.
DID YOU source from AUTHORIZED wholesale sources that your rep at the brand says are OK? You DO have a sales rep at the brand, don't you?
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
If you have a receipt, that is a RETAIL purchase (a good clue; did you pay sales tax?). It IS possible to buy wholesale from Costco, but in general, if you go into their store (even though it states "wholesale" in the name) it will be a retail purchase.
To make a WHOLESALE purchase, you will need to provide your business license and/or tax ID# (varies by state), and make a purchase that shows no sales tax. But even then, if you are not authorized BY THE BRAND to sell the products on Amazon, you could run into problems. The fact that the product is sold at Costco means nothing if the brand complains about you being an unauthorized seller.
What brand are you trying to sell? And have you approached the brand for permission to sell it on Amazon?
Levi_Dylan_Amazon
Hello @Seller_nTuYI9SBfpWZW,
Thank you for sharing details about the recent intellectual property complaint you received. I understand that multiple rejected appeals and limited details about who submitted the complaint is causing significant frustration for you, so I would like to learn more and offer support however I can.
As I have limited visibility, I will need more information about this scenario. Can you please share an associated case ID here in this thread? If you do not have one, please create a case, attach your dispute documents and share the case ID with me. This way, I can work with our teams to better understand the complaint and all available appeal options.
Typically, you will be required to submit invoices, a letter of authorization (LOA), or obtain a retraction from the brand itself. Since your invoices have not been accepted and the brand claims they have not submitted the complaint, are you able to obtain an LOA from the brand in question? If so, this will be very helpful in resolving the complaint.
I look forward to your response so I can investigate the details and provide more targeted guidance. The forums community and I are here to support you.
Wishing you the best,
LeviDylan
