How to Prevent & Get Rid of Amazon Hijackers? 

Have you ever heard the word ‘hijacker’? No? Congratulations, you have avoided a lot of problems. Those who have dealt with hijackers know how much trouble these freeloaders cause. We believe it’s better to be forewarned and armed. So, feel free to check our experience in avoiding and dealing with hijackers.

Who Are Hijackers?

A hijacker is a person who sells counterfeits of branded (private label) products, or resells original products purchased from you on your listing. In most cases, they buy a unit of a branded product, copy them, and then sell fakes at a low price. Otherwise, if you are giving away a product for reviews, the hijacker buys the product at a discount, and then sells it on your listing for a higher price.

Is Hijacking Allowed?

To start with, the listing is Amazon’s property, not the seller’s one. And different people can sell products on it. But Amazon is constantly fighting counterfeits of goods. If you prove that someone is selling a fake product, then their account will be blocked without further questions. The main thing is to prove it.

What Are the Consequences of Hijacking?

Firstly, hijackers sell goods at a price lower than yours, and thus win the Buy Box and take buyers away from you.

Secondly, by selling low-quality goods, they spoil your reputation. And shoppers who received fakes can leave negative feedback on your listing.

Moreover, they can add fake or incorrect images, titles, and bullet-points to the listings. As a result, your listing might get suspended and your sales might decrease. 

Pro tip: Use Amazon seller software to track product listing, get real-time notifications about all the changes, and handle the issues promptly. 

How to Understand That There Are Hijackers on the Listing?

Go to the listing and check the section “Other Sellers on Amazon”. It lists everyone who sells the item on that product listing. The merchant with the lowest price will be displayed on the listing under ‘Sold by … and Fulfilled by Amazon’ (that is, the buyer who entered the listing will buy from this particular seller). You might also notice that some sellers added the ‘AUTHORIZED SELLER OF THIS PRODUCT’ part to their name to identify that they produce the original items.  

How to Prevent Hijacker from Appearing on a Product Listing?

• Create a product that is hard to counterfeit. Uniqueness is always a huge advantage. If you make efforts at the stage of product development, you will have much less problems while selling items. Alternatively, you can create a unique packaging or product sets (for example, give earplugs in a set with a sleep mask). In addition, try printing the UPC directly on the item, or on the packaging, instead of using a sticker.
• Monitor your listings. The sooner you see that you have a hijacker, the sooner you can take action and the less sales you will lose. SellerSonar is a perfect tool for this as it provides real-time monitoring and changes alerts. 
• Take screenshots of your listing. Just in case, if suddenly someone changes the information in it. Amazon loves proof.
• Strengthen your brand. Place your logo on your item and packaging, and be sure to show it on the listing images. Create features by which you can distinguish the original from the fake.
• Register your brand on Amazon. This procedure is called Amazon Brand Registry. To do this, you will need to create a company website (it can be a regular landing page). Of course, the Brand Registry doesn’t prevent others from selling the branded item on your listing, but they will not be able to change the information on the listing (other than images) without your consent. Also, if you have a Brand Registry, it’s much easier to get Amazon to remove the hijacker.
• Create your website and specify the product SKU on it. Also use product descriptions like on Amazon and preferably include the brand name in the URL.

What to Do If Hijackers Compromised Your Account? 

1. Reduce the price. It will return the Buy Box to you and buyers will not receive counterfeit items.
2. Send the hijacker a polite warning letter. For this, click on the name of the seller on the listing, and on the “Ask a question” button. You can compose the text yourself, or search for the generally accepted template on the web.
3. Write a complaint to Amazon. If the hijacker does not respond, or refuses to remove their offer from the listing, fill out the form at https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/reports/infringement. Be prepared for the fact that Amazon will ask for proof that the products aren’t real. For example, you can make a test order (ask your friends), and take photos of a fake item. Also ask them to write a complaint against the merchant in Amazon (‘Report a Problem’), and select the reason that the product is “not materially the same”. 

By the way, if you get a negative review and you are sure that this person received a fake, contact them, offer to send them a genuine product and ask them to compare both products. In this way, you will get evidence that can be provided to Amazon. 

4. Redeem the item. If it turns out that your hijacker sells only one piece of goods, then as an option, you can simply buy it out. Thus, you will save a lot of time. To find out how many products the hijacker has, click on the ‘Add to cart’ button, then proceed with an order until the moment when you can change the quantity of goods. Enter “999” and click “Update”. Amazon will warn you that this quantity is not available and tell you the maximum you can order.

Running business on Amazon is not easy, but any issues can be overcome. Use our tips and let no hijackers interfere with your success!