Overview

Amazon enforces strict policies governing customer product reviews, and sellers who violate them face severe consequences including permanent account suspension and legal action. Understanding these rules is essential for every Amazon seller, as even unintentional violations by employees or third-party partners can trigger enforcement. This reference page outlines what constitutes review manipulation, the specific actions Amazon prohibits, and the penalties sellers can expect if caught.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Zero-tolerance enforcement — Amazon takes immediate action against any form of review manipulation, with no warnings or grace periods before penalties are applied.
• You are responsible for everyone in your organization — Violations committed by employees, business partners, or third-party agencies you work with will result in enforcement against your account, even if you were unaware of the activity.
• Incentivized reviews are prohibited — Offering refunds, discounts, free products, or any other compensation in exchange for reviews is a policy violation, regardless of how the offer is communicated.
• Review diversion is not allowed — Funneling negative feedback away from Amazon while directing positive reviews to your listings is considered manipulation.
• Penalties are severe and immediate — Consequences range from review removal and product delisting to permanent selling privilege revocation, fund withholding, and legal action.

Prohibited Actions

Amazon's review policies cover a wide range of manipulative behaviors that sellers must avoid. Posting reviews on your own products or on competitor products is explicitly banned, whether done personally or through family members and employees. Sellers cannot offer financial rewards, discounts, free products, or any form of compensation in exchange for reviews, and this extends to using third-party review services, social media groups, or websites that facilitate paid reviews. Requesting that a customer change or remove a review is also prohibited, even when accompanied by a legitimate refund. Additionally, sellers may not use review clubs that require customers to share their Amazon profiles for monitoring purposes, and inserting review requests or incentives into product packaging or shipping materials is a clear violation.