For Amazon sellers, encountering product hijackers is a persistent headache. While same-marketplace hijacking can be detected and addressed relatively quickly, cross-site hijacking presents a more insidious challenge. These unauthorized sellers often go unnoticed until negative reviews from other marketplaces appear on the listing, causing unexpected damage.
Although Amazon's policies permit product hijacking, cross-marketplace hijacking creates unique complications. The platform typically recommends brand registry enrollment in each marketplace for resolution—an impractical solution for most sellers. Does this mean sellers without multi-marketplace brand registration are powerless against cross-site hijackers? Not necessarily. This article outlines an effective strategy to remove cross-site hijackers without brand registry.
The Problem: Understanding Cross-Site Hijacking
Cross-marketplace hijacking occurs when sellers list identical ASINs across Amazon's global marketplaces, causing product listings (including reviews) to be shared between sites. This practice can negatively impact:
- Listing quality through imported negative reviews
- Sales performance across all marketplaces
- Brand reputation and customer trust
The primary challenge lies in enforcement—most sellers only maintain brand registry in their primary marketplace, leaving other sites vulnerable to unauthorized sellers.
The Solution: Removing Hijackers Without Brand Registry
Follow these steps to effectively remove cross-site hijackers:
- Access Account Health: Log into Seller Central and navigate to "Performance" > "Account Health"
- Report Abuse: Click "Report Abuse" in the Account Health section
- Select Violation Type: Choose "Intellectual Property Violation" > "Report Violation"
- Identify Listing: Select the affected marketplace and enter your brand name or ASIN
- Target Hijacker: Select the hijacking seller's store from search results
- Claim Copyright Infringement: From the dropdown menu, select "Copyright Violation"
- Provide Evidence: Include the original marketplace listing URL (where you have brand registry) with detailed explanation
- Submit Report: Review and submit the completed form
Effectiveness and Implementation
Practical experience shows this method typically removes hijackers within approximately 10 minutes of submission. The strategy works by leveraging Amazon's copyright enforcement mechanisms—even without brand registry in the hijacked marketplace, providing the original listing URL establishes your copyright claim over the content.
Amazon sellers face numerous operational challenges, but solutions exist for most issues through proper understanding of platform policies. Regular monitoring of listings across all marketplaces remains essential for early detection and prevention of unauthorized sellers. Maintaining vigilance and mastering enforcement tools empowers sellers to protect their brand equity and sales performance effectively.