Amazon Seller Code of Conduct — Competitor Review Restrictions

Overview

Amazon's seller code of conduct explicitly prohibits sellers from taking any action that harms a competing seller — including writing negative reviews about their products, even if the content of those reviews is factually accurate. This rule applies to the seller themselves and anyone associated with their account or business.

Violating this policy can trigger an Amazon investigation and put the seller's account at risk of suspension or cancellation.

The Rule

A seller cannot write negative reviews about a competitor's products, regardless of whether the content is true.

The prohibition extends to:

Writing negative product reviews directly on Amazon
Soliciting or coordinating others (family, employees, associates) to write negative reviews
Any other action intended to harm another seller's standing on the platform

The rationale is that Amazon treats sellers as a distinct class of participants with elevated obligations. A seller who is also a customer retains their rights as a customer in general commerce, but on the Amazon platform, the seller code of conduct takes precedence.

Amazon's Enforcement Capabilities

Amazon has a sophisticated investigative capability for detecting policy violations:

IP address tracking — Amazon can identify which accounts are logging in from the same IP address
Account association mapping — Amazon can identify family members, household members, and other individuals associated with a seller account
Evidence without disclosure — Amazon investigators will confirm that a violation occurred and that they have evidence, but they will not reveal the identity of the violator or the specific evidence to the seller

In practice, this means a seller cannot rely on Amazon failing to detect a violation. If a review is written by someone in the seller's household or network, Amazon is likely to find it.

Real-World Example

During a January 2026 account review, a client (Doodla) nearly had their Amazon account cancelled after someone associated with the account wrote a negative review about a competitor product, noting it was not organic. The review was factually accurate, but that did not matter. Amazon's investigative team identified the violation and threatened account cancellation.

Resolution required:
1. Identifying who wrote the review (required an internal investigation by the agency)
2. Having the review removed
3. Demonstrating remediation to Amazon

The account was ultimately saved, but the incident caused significant disruption and risk. See ^[1] for broader account context.

Guidance for Clients and Staff

No one associated with a seller account should write negative reviews about any competitor on Amazon — not as a seller, not as a customer using the same household IP
This applies even when the negative information is true and the motivation is legitimate competitive concern
If a client believes a competitor is violating Amazon's policies (e.g., falsely claiming organic certification), the correct channel is to report the competitor directly to Amazon, not to write a public review
Account managers should brief clients on this policy proactively, especially clients in competitive categories where negative reviews might be tempting

^[1]
^[2]