Your account has been hacked, you have inadvertently listed a product on a new ASIN when it’s regulated by an Amazon Brand Registry owner, you have a customer service complaint… just some of the reasons that Amazon might want to get hold of you in a hurry and if they phone your Amazon emergency contact telephone number and it ends up going unanswered because it’s Sunday afternoon and there’s no one in the warehouse then yes your account could be suspended.
Amazon are reminding merchants that use your emergency contact phone number to contact you if there is a critical issue concerning your account with examples being a risk of deactivation of your account, a problem with one of your listings, or a critical issue requiring your immediate attention. This is a phone call you want to receive as it makes the difference to waking up in the morning with a business compared to waking up to find your entire operation has been shut down because you missed a phone call.
It’s critical that your Amazon emergency contact telephone number is not only registered but kept up to date. This number can be different from every other telephone number you register with Amazon – customers don’t get to access it so you won’t be bugged with calls from buyers.
Amazon recommend that you “provide a contact who is knowledgeable about your Amazon account and the products you sell“. We’d go a bit further than that and say that if you are the business owner then you want to make damn sure you receive the call that’s going to tell you if action isn’t taken then your account is going to be deactivated. If you’re the business owner then put your own mobile phone number in and make sure you take the call.
If you lead the marketplace team for a larger retailer, it’s worth taking a few minutes to ensure the emergency contact number is updated to yours – especially if someone else led the team previously who no longer works for the company. If you’re head is on the block if your company’s Amazon account is deactivated you want to be the one taking the call giving you an opportunity to rectify any issues before your account is shut down.
How to update your Amazon emergency contact telephone number
To check if the number Amazon have on file is accurate:
- Go to Seller Central
- Navigate to Settings
- Select Notification preferences
- Your emergency notification number is listed under “Emergency Notifications” on this page which you can update if needed
