Hello @Sales4Me1995,

This is Emet from Amazon to help you with your concerns.

I got an inauthenticity complaint from buyers and Amazon is requesting a put a plan of action

Thank you for your post, I can see that there is a concern with authenticity with your products

I do 97% RA and get my products from retail stores. The reason why I got this complaint is because I started working with a distributor and he sold me inauthentic high end perfume.

Typically, with concerns of authenticity, you are required to be in possession of valid invoices or receipts, or a valid letter of authorization or license agreement from the manufacturer or brand owner themselves.

You mentioned that you started working with a distributor who sold you inauthentic products, but in your appeal, you provided, there’s no mention of why or how this happened. Did you have a process to verify this supplier, their authorization to distribute these goods or verify their supply chain credentials?

A strong plan of action includes details surrounding the root cause of the violation or concern, this would need to include not only why there is a concern of authenticity from a buyer, but why you cannot provide the requested documentation. You will also need to outline gaps in your souring process that also attributed to this concern.

Here is what I have so far: Plan of Action:

1. Research suppliers: Before doing business with a supplier, I will research to ensure that they are a reputable and legitimate supplier. Check online reviews, industry forums, and ask for references from other sellers who have worked with them before.

2. Request supplier documentation: Asking my suppliers for documentation that proves they are authorized to sell the products I am interested in reselling. This could include invoices, receipts, and/or product testing reports.

3. Perform product testing: Consider performing my own product testing to verify the authenticity of the products I am reselling. This includes testing the products' materials, packaging, and/or performance.

4. Verify the supply chain: Work with my suppliers to ensure that they are sourcing their products directly from the manufacturer or an authorized distributor within the valid supply chain. This can help ensure that the products are genuine and have not been tampered with.

When looking over the appeal information provided, these are more general statements. You will need to be specific about the actions, processes and steps taken to ensure you have a valid supplier, supply chain review process including the important specifications to offer reassurance. Typically relying on other sellers is not very reliable and you should have your own process to ensure that you’re not relying on another business practices to protect yourself and your store.

Some of the statements across sections 1-4 are somewhat duplicated as they all reference the same processes in different ways. Again, you will need to provide much more detail including what your planning on selling, how you plan on verifying your supply chain to ensure they’re an authorized distributor, prior to listing or attempting to sell them on amazon.

5. Implement ongoing supplier monitoring: Regularly monitor my suppliers to ensure that they continue to meet your standards for product authenticity. This could include regular communication, product testing, and audits of their business practices.

As for this statement, you will need to include process details explaining what this process will look like, what documentation you will gather to verify that your supplier or supply chain maintains their requirements to be a valid supply chain.

6. Have a backup supplier: Have a backup supplier in place in case my primary supplier is unable to provide authentic products or has other issues that prevent me from working with them.

Having a backup supplier is a reactive solution, not proactive. This solution would not bring reassurance, as you mentioned using them if your primary supplier cannot provide authentic products. This points out a possible uncertainty in maintaining your primary supply chain.

I would also suggest reviewing our responsible sourcing documentation request requirements. This help page offers guidance on our requirements for these invoices or receipts. The processes you provide in your appeal should also indicate how you will verify the documentation you receive from your supplier meets these expectations.

The forums community and I are here to support you. Please let us know how we can help you from this point forward.

Emet.