Most of us have trouble asking for help. This is especially true for new entrepreneurs who feel like they can take on the world with little guidance. But, if you run your own business on Amazon, you’ll quickly find that your stubbornness will subside and be replaced with humility. Getting help is a huge part of running an online store, and yes, that means having to deal with the dreaded Amazon Seller Support. 

Amazon sellers of the world are at the forefront of the e-commerce revolution. Without their participation and innovative products, the online marketplace, Amazon, wouldn’t be the largest internet-based company in the world, with an estimated 2.4 billion visits every month. The hyper-successful platform has been a true groundbreaker when it comes to recruiting and partnering with the world’s best retailers. 

However, with all of the advancements and systems Amazon has offered its contributing sellers, one thing that never seems to go smoothly is Amazon’s notoriously bad seller support. 

While there certainly are many flaws in the sellers’ support pipeline, if you understand the right questions to ask, how to ask, and who to ask, many sellers have a fairly easy experience. In order to make the most of the marketplace’s support, sellers must first acquaint themselves with the established system. Sellers can receive Amazon seller central help services in a few different forms, including form-based, email, and community support. On top of that, there are numerous Amazon Seller Support blogs which are written to address Amazon Seller problems as well. 

Let’s take a look at the ways sellers can ask for and receive the help that they need.

Get Help Through the Amazon Seller Support Page

Once logged into Seller Central, you should be able to easily locate the Amazon Seller Central Support tab, labeled ‘Get support.’ There, you’ll see a shortlist of quick answers that represent the most frequently asked support questions.

If you don’t see your specific issue highlighted on the list, click the ‘Contact us’ button at the very bottom of the pop-up. Once selected, you will then be asked about which service you need help with. From there, you can either choose ‘Selling on Amazon’ (Listing and selling on Amazon.com) or ‘Advertising and Stories’ (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Stories). Since we’re discussing seller issues, we will take a closer look at those support options, specifically.

After the ‘Selling on Amazon’ designation has been activated, it’s time to get the help you need with Amazon’s seller help case logs. These are as follows:

• Customers and orders
• Fulfillment by Amazon
• Products and inventory
• Your account
• Other issues
• Amazon Business (B2B)
• Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS)
• Seller Fulfilled Prime and Same-Day Delivery

Select your exact issue based on the list provided. If you do not see yours, click ‘Other issues.’ From there, you’ll be put in touch with an Amazon representative who will assist you with your selling-related problem.

Get Help via the Amazon Seller Community

Often, another seller has experienced the same problem that you are facing and is willing to share their advice on the Amazon Seller Services Forums. There, you can find an endless number of posts organized by category and popularity.

While the replies can be a lot to sift through, the forum serves as an important meeting place for sellers to gain peer-to-peer insight and support for more precise responses that may be hard to get if you try calling regular seller support. The Amazon Services Seller Central Forums’ current top help categories differ slightly from the aforementioned case logs. They include:

• Selling on Amazon
• Fulfillment by Amazon
• Site Feedback
• Amazon News US
• Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS)
• Login with Amazon
• Amazon Sponsored Products
• Amazon Pay
• Health, Safety, Sustainability, Security, and Compliance
• Amazon Custom
• Groups
• Global Selling

It is, however, important that you take into consideration the source of your information. Firstly, some of the answers from the community may be outdated, wherein different rules and processes are now in effect. Secondly, answers can vary depending on if the person providing advice is in a different category than you, a vendor as opposed to a seller, or is Brand Registered. Thirdly, there just may be plain bad advice. So be sure to check your sources. 

Get Help via Email

Every now and then, Amazon sellers run into dead-ends or simply feel that they are not getting the support that they need. In the past, they were able to call a helpline that was specifically made for Amazon sellers, but the company recently discontinued this program in favor of the Seller Support option.

If you feel that your issue has not been resolved through this method, then you can always take help from Amazon seller central email support team. Just send an email to one of the official support email accounts. While veteran Amazon sellers would likely warn against this method as an initial way to secure help, it does serve as a fitting alternative to those whose problems remain unresolved. Below are some helpful amazon seller support email addresses:

• Seller Evaluation Email:  seller-evaluation@amazon.com
• Amazon Seller Service Performance Email:  seller-performance-policy@amazon.com
• Brand Trademark Infringement Email: copyright@amazon.com
• Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights Email:  notice@amazon.com
• For unpaid earnings after the account is closed by Amazon: payments-funds@amazon.com or notice@amazon.com

Tips on Presenting Your Issue

Since Amazon has discounted its seller support phone line, some sellers complain that it’s difficult to get multiple issues resolved at the same time. Prior to receiving help, sellers must first select from a list of common case logs which are meant to represent just one question. If you find yourself in a predicament in which multiple pieces of your technical puzzle are crumbling, you are best to submit a request for each and every issue.

It may seem counterproductive, but Amazon has designed the system this way so that its representatives can attend to one concern at a time. After you officially reach out to Amazon, hop on the Amazon Services Seller Forums and seek help there for your problems if you are made to wait. While it’s a step that might require a bit of extra leg-work, you are likely to learn something new, make some new allies, and/or learn new selling strategies in the meantime.

Amazon Seller Support offers guidance on everything from basics like canceling listings and finding the right shipping address for a buyer, to more complex functions such as setting up and using email templates to communicate with buyers and how to submit an FBA reimbursement claim. Whether you’re a new or seasoned Amazon seller, you’ll find a wealth of information that can help you manage your business in the forums and case logs.