Over the last year, I have had many clients suspended over late shipments. I think there are significant delays at the USPS and other delivery services. However, Amazon has still ramped up their account suspensions. Sellers have to be aware that Amazon tracks late shipments on both a 10 day and 30 timeframe. Sellers must have a late shipment rate (LSR) of under 4% on both time frames.
Root Causes
You will have to thoroughly explain the root causes for the late shipments. What you do not want to do is to shift the blame on another party. For example, if the USPS was delayed, you do not want to blame the USPS even though this is the most true explanation. I also know that the root cause is often that the Seller became back logged and simply could not process the shipments on time. Most of the time your root cause explanation will revolve around a software issue or a staffing issue. You will need to demonstrate that you actually understand why you have been suspended. You need to explain that you understand the LSR rate and how it is calculated. Be specific and reference your own LSR rate in the Appeal.
Immediate Improvements
You will then to demonstrate the steps that you took to fix the problem. Often times this includes sending an email to affected customers offering a refund. Reach out to your customers and make sure they are satisfied.
Long Term Changes
In the final section of the Appeal, you need to provide evidence that you have made long term changes to your business model. Often times this includes hiring and training new staff. In addition, mention if you have adopted any new software that should speed up your shipment process.
After your account is reinstated you need to carefully monitor your LSR rate. Make sure that you are especially vigilant in the month after your LSR spike. You need to get that number down as you do not want two suspensions in quick succession. The second Amazon suspension is often harder to reinstate.