One of the biggest challenges Amazon sellers face is dealing with listing hijackers and unauthorized resellers. These third-party sellers often jump on your Amazon listings, offering counterfeit or unauthorized products at lower prices. This not only damages your sales but can also harm your brand reputation and customer trust.
The solution? Amazon Brand Gating.
Brand Gating is one of the most powerful tools for protecting your listings and ensuring only authorized sellers can sell your products. In this guide, we’ll cover what Brand Gating is, why it’s essential for your Amazon business, and how you can get your products gated to keep hijackers and unauthorized resellers away.
What is Brand Gating on Amazon?
Brand Gating is an Amazon program designed to protect your brand and products from unauthorized sellers. When your product is “gated,” only sellers that have your approval can list and sell those items on Amazon.
For a seller to list your Brand Gated products, they must:
- Get your explicit approval as a legitimate seller.
- Provide invoices or documentation proving they purchased the product through an authorized source.
- Pay a fee (if applicable) to prove their legitimacy.
By restricting access to your listings, Brand Gating ensures:
- Hijackers cannot sell counterfeit or unauthorized versions of your products.
- Only approved, legitimate sellers can sell under your brand.
- Your brand’s reputation and customer trust are protected.
Why Hijackers and Unauthorized Resellers Are a Problem
1. Loss of Sales
Hijackers often undercut your price to win the Buy Box. When customers purchase from these sellers, you lose revenue—despite the hard work you put into your listings, advertising, and inventory.
2. Damaged Brand Reputation
Counterfeit products or low-quality items sold by unauthorized resellers can lead to customer complaints, negative reviews, and product returns. This damages your brand reputation and erodes customer trust.
3. Increased Competition on Your Own Listings
Unauthorized resellers create unnecessary competition on your product listings. This forces you to lower your price or invest more in PPC campaigns to win the Buy Box back.
4. Potential Account Suspension
If counterfeit products sold by hijackers trigger customer complaints, Amazon might suspend your listing or seller account.
How Does Amazon Brand Gating Work?
Amazon uses Brand Gating to restrict who can sell specific branded products on their platform. Here’s how it works:
- Once your product is Brand Gated, unauthorized sellers must provide proof of authenticity (e.g., invoices from authorized distributors) and often pay a fee to gain access.
- If they can’t provide the necessary documentation, they will be blocked from selling that product.
- As the brand owner, you control who can and cannot sell your products.
Steps to Remove Hijackers and Get Brand Gating on Amazon
Step 1: Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
Before you can apply for Brand Gating, you must be enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry, a program that helps brand owners protect their intellectual property.
How to Enroll in Brand Registry:
- Own a Registered Trademark: Ensure you have an active trademark for your brand in the country where you’re selling.
- Sign Up on Amazon Brand Registry: Go to brandservices.amazon.com and provide your trademark information.
- Verify Ownership: Amazon will verify your ownership of the trademark. This process typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks.
Benefits of Brand Registry:
- Access to Brand Gating.
- Tools to report violations and remove counterfeit sellers.
- Enhanced content features like A+ Content and Sponsored Brands ads.
Step 2: Submit a Brand Gating Request to Amazon
Once you’re enrolled in Brand Registry, you can submit a request to Amazon to have specific ASINs (product listings) Brand Gated.
Here’s how to apply for Brand Gating:
- Contact Amazon Seller Support or your Brand Registry specialist.
- Provide the following details:
- Your registered brand name.
- Trademark registration details.
- The ASINs (product listings) you want to protect.
- Explain the issue you’re facing with hijackers or unauthorized sellers.
Amazon will review your request, and if approved, your listings will be gated.
Step 3: Monitor Your Listings for Hijackers
Even with Brand Gating in place, it’s crucial to monitor your listings regularly to ensure no unauthorized sellers slip through.
Tools to Monitor Your Listings:
- Helium 10 Alerts: Automatically notifies you when a hijacker appears on your listing.
- SellerApp: Tracks Buy Box ownership and unauthorized seller activity.
- Manual Monitoring: Check your listings periodically to ensure only approved sellers are active.
Step 4: Report Unauthorized Sellers to Amazon
If you find hijackers or resellers still attempting to sell your products:
- Report the Seller through Amazon’s Brand Registry portal or Seller Support.
- Provide evidence, such as:
- Screenshots of the unauthorized listing.
- Proof of your ownership and trademark.
- Amazon will investigate and remove the unauthorized seller if they violate the rules.
Step 5: Work with Authorized Sellers Only
Brand Gating ensures only approved sellers can sell your products. If you work with third-party sellers, create a formal authorization process.
Tips for Authorizing Sellers:
- Establish a written agreement that clearly states the terms for selling your products.
- Provide them with official documentation they can use if Amazon requests proof.
- Monitor their performance to ensure they maintain the quality and standards of your brand.
Additional Tips to Protect Your Amazon Listings
1. Optimize Your Listings
Hijackers target poorly optimized listings because they’re easy to undercut. Strengthen your listings with:
- High-quality product images.
- Detailed, SEO-optimized titles and bullet points.
- A+ Content (if enrolled in Brand Registry).
2. Use Amazon Transparency Program
Amazon’s Transparency Program helps combat counterfeits by adding scannable, unique barcodes to each unit. Shoppers and Amazon can verify the authenticity of your product, making it harder for hijackers to sell counterfeit versions.
3. Register with Amazon Project Zero
If hijackers are a persistent problem, consider enrolling in Amazon Project Zero. This tool allows brands to automatically remove counterfeit listings without waiting for Amazon’s approval.
The Benefits of Brand Gating
By getting your products Brand Gated, you’ll experience several key benefits:
- Eliminate Hijackers: Unauthorized sellers are blocked, ensuring only legitimate sellers can list your products.
- Protect Your Brand Reputation: Customers receive authentic products, improving trust and reducing complaints.
- Win the Buy Box: Without price undercutting from hijackers, you can maintain control of the Buy Box.
- Increase Profitability: Improved pricing control leads to healthier profit margins.
- Peace of Mind: With fewer hijackers, you can focus on growing your business instead of fighting unauthorized sellers.
Conclusion
Amazon hijackers and unauthorized resellers can harm your sales, reputation, and customer trust. The solution lies in proactive measures like Brand Gating, which blocks unauthorized sellers and gives you full control over your listings.
By enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, submitting a Brand Gating request, and continuously monitoring your listings, you can remove hijackers and safeguard your brand. Combine these strategies with tools like Amazon’s Transparency Program and Project Zero, and you’ll have a comprehensive plan to protect your business.
Start taking action today—don’t let hijackers steal your hard-earned success.
Have you dealt with hijackers on your Amazon listings? Share your experiences in the comments below and let’s discuss how to fight back! 🚀