Unauthorised sellers can hijack your product listings on Amazon. Discover how to identify, prevent, and remove hijackers to safeguard your brand.
Jens Vittrup
Selling on Amazon provides access to millions of customers, but it also exposes your brand to risks such as listing hijacking. Unauthorised sellers can ‘take over’ your product listings, undermine your pricing structure, and damage your reputation. As a brand, it is crucial to understand how you can protect yourself from this threat.
At WeMarket, we have seen many businesses face challenges with listing hijacking on Amazon. This type of infringement is becoming increasingly common, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can effectively safeguard your brand and maintain your market position.
Amazon listing hijacking occurs when unauthorised sellers begin offering products on your product detail page (ASIN). These ‘hijackers’ might sell counterfeit items, list used goods as new, or sell authentic products bought at a discount to compete on price. In the worst instances, they can even alter your listing content, images, and descriptions.
Listing hijacking usually targets successful products with strong reviews. Hijackers take advantage of the credibility and positive feedback you have built up to sell their own – often inferior – goods. This can result in:
In a marketplace where customer experience is paramount, listing hijacking can rapidly undermine the trust you have established with your customers. Let us explore how you can identify the signs of listing hijacking.
To protect your brand effectively, you need to identify when listing hijacking is occurring. Here are the main warning signs to look out for:
Loss of the Buy Box: If you suddenly lose the Buy Box position for your own products, it may indicate listing hijacking. The Buy Box is essential for Amazon sales, as over 80% of all purchases are made through it.
New sellers on your product page: Regularly check the ‘Other Sellers on Amazon’ box on your product pages, as it can reveal unauthorised sellers you have not approved to resell your products.
Sudden price changes: When hijackers attempt to claim your listing, they often undercut your price to win the Buy Box. An unexpected drop in your product’s price can therefore be a warning sign.
Changed listing content: If descriptions, images, titles, or other elements on your product page change without your approval, it may suggest that a hijacker has gained control of your listing.
Increase in negative reviews: If customers start to complain about product quality, authenticity, or the item not matching the description, it may be because they have bought from a hijacker selling counterfeit goods.
It is vital to monitor your product listings regularly through Amazon Seller Central. The earlier you spot a hijacking attempt, the less damage your brand will endure. Now let us look at how you can prevent these situations.
Amazon Brand Registry is the most effective initial defence against listing hijacking. The programme provides brand owners with control over their product listings and enables swift and efficient reporting of infringements.
To qualify for Brand Registry, you must have:
The benefits of Amazon Brand Registry include:
Once you are enrolled in Brand Registry, you also gain access to the Report a Violation tool, making it much easier to report and remove unauthorised sellers from your listings. This is a crucial component of any Amazon marketing strategy, as it ensures your brand’s integrity is protected.
Brand Registry is a powerful tool, but it should be part of a wider brand protection strategy. Here are effective, proactive measures to help prevent listing hijacking on Amazon:
1. Clearly mark your brand on products and packaging
Make sure all your products have clear branding that is difficult to copy. This can include:
This not only makes it harder for hijackers to sell counterfeit products, but also provides you with clear evidence should you need to file a complaint with Amazon.
2. Create unique product bundles
By developing unique product bundles or combinations, you make it more challenging for hijackers to match your exact offer. This can also boost your Amazon SEO, as unique product offers often achieve better search rankings.
Examples of bundle strategies include:
3. Implement a strict distribution strategy
Many listing hijacking cases arise from grey market sales, where products are diverted from authorised distribution channels. To reduce this risk:
4. Participate in Amazon’s Transparency programme
Transparency is a component of the Amazon Brand Protection Programme, where each product receives a unique code. Amazon scans these codes in its fulfilment centres to ensure only genuine products are dispatched to customers. This makes it virtually impossible for hijackers to sell counterfeit goods via Amazon FBA.
By putting these proactive strategies into practice, you create multiple layers of protection for your brand and make it substantially more difficult for potential hijackers to target your products.
Even with the best preventive measures, you may still encounter listing hijacking. When it happens, swift and decisive action is necessary. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you remove hijackers from your listings:
Before reporting the hijacker, collect thorough documentation:
In many cases, it is worthwhile to make a test purchase from the suspected hijacker:
This provides you with clear evidence as to whether the hijacker is selling counterfeit or unauthorised goods, significantly strengthening your case with Amazon.
There are several ways to report a listing on Amazon:
If you are enrolled in Brand Registry:
If you are not in Brand Registry:
Via Seller Central:
Alongside reporting to Amazon, you can also try to contact the hijacker directly through Amazon’s messaging system:
Some hijackers will withdraw to avoid further complications and potential penalties to their seller account.
If Amazon does not respond within 24-48 hours, or if the first reply does not resolve the issue:
Persistence is key, as it can sometimes require several attempts to get Amazon to take action, especially in complex cases.
Amazon has developed several specialised programmes under its Brand Protection umbrella to help brands combat counterfeiting and unauthorised sales. These programmes offer broader protection than the standard Brand Registry:
Project Zero combines three powerful tools:
Project Zero is invite-only, and brands must meet certain criteria to participate, including being enrolled in Brand Registry and having reported a significant number of counterfeits.
The Transparency programme allows brands to apply unique codes to each product. When products arrive at Amazon’s warehouses, the codes are scanned to verify authenticity. Customers can also scan the codes through the Amazon app to confirm that they have purchased genuine goods.
For brands selling via Amazon FBA, Transparency is a powerful tool to prevent counterfeit goods from being mixed with genuine products in Amazon’s logistics system.
IP Accelerator helps brands obtain trademark protection more quickly by connecting them with a network of approved trademark attorneys. This is especially valuable for new brands that have not yet achieved trademark registration, as it can provide faster access to Brand Registry.
Effective brand protection on Amazon requires a proactive and ongoing effort. Here are the key elements of an effective brand protection management strategy:
Many brands choose to work with Amazon consultants with specialist expertise in brand protection, as this field requires both technical know-how and experience with Amazon’s systems.
Even if your brand does not actively sell on Amazon, it is still important to protect your intellectual property rights on the platform. Unauthorised sellers may list products under your brand, potentially harming your reputation or diluting your trademark.
Regularly searching for your brand and products on Amazon can uncover unauthorised use:
Even if you do not sell on Amazon, you can register your trademark and enrol in Brand Registry. This provides the tools to report unauthorised sellers and infringements.
Some brands choose to establish a limited presence on Amazon mainly to control the brand experience:
Consult with legal experts to develop a solid strategy:
Protecting your brand on Amazon, even when you do not sell there, is an important investment in your brand’s long-term value and integrity.
While you work to protect your brand from hijacking, it is also important to safeguard your Amazon seller account from various risks. Amazon seller protection involves following Amazon’s policies and best practices to maintain a healthy seller account.
Amazon enforces strict policies, and violations can result in your account being suspended:
Document every aspect of your Amazon business:
Good customer service is essential to avoid negative reviews and A-to-z Guarantee claims:
Continuously monitor your performance metrics in Seller Central:
Combining effective brand protection with robust seller protection creates a solid foundation for long-term success on the Amazon platform. Enhancing your Amazon advertising strategies also helps strengthen your position and makes your brand more resilient against hijacking.
For maximum protection, you can work towards restricting or ‘gating’ your brand on Amazon. This means only authorised sellers can list products under your brand. Here is how you can achieve this:
Applying for brand gating on Amazon involves these steps:
Brand gating is not guaranteed and is most often granted to larger, well-known brands or those with documented counterfeiting or hijacking issues.
The Transparency programme is a practical alternative to full brand gating:
Make your products more difficult to copy by:
Implement strict reseller agreements:
By combining these strategies, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of unauthorised sellers listing and selling your products on Amazon.
In addition to the strategies we have discussed, here are some practical tips for handling listing hijacking effectively:
Not all hijacking cases require the same level of attention:
Amazon Brand Analytics (available through Brand Registry) can help you to:
Amazon regularly introduces new features to its brand protection programmes:
For larger brands, outsourcing brand monitoring can be worthwhile:
By combining these practical tips with a robust brand protection strategy, you can minimise the risk and impact of listing hijacking.
Effective brand protection is not just about managing threats, but also about building a stronger foundation for growth on Amazon. Here is how you can turn your brand protection efforts into a competitive advantage:
Brand Registry provides access to several tools that can increase sales:
The Transparency programme can also enhance your brand story:
With fewer unauthorised sellers you can:
Your brand protection efforts can improve your relationships with partners:
By seeing brand protection as a strategic asset rather than just a defensive measure, you can sell more effectively on Amazon and generate long-term value for your business.
To help you implement an effective brand protection strategy, here is a practical action plan you can follow:
Remember, Amazon brand protection is not a one-off task, but a continuous process requiring regular attention and adjustment. By being proactive and consistent, you can protect your brand’s integrity on Amazon and secure long-term growth.
For many brands, navigating the complexities of Amazon brand protection can be challenging. Professional assistance can make a significant difference, especially if you have limited internal resources or expertise.
An experienced Amazon specialist can support you with:
By partnering with experts, you can focus on growing your business while they handle the technical and administrative aspects of brand protection.
Effective Amazon brand protection is an investment in your brand’s long-term health and value. With the right strategies and tools, you can not only respond to threats but also proactively prevent them and build a solid foundation for growth on Amazon.
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