Brand told me they stopped accepting new Amazon sellers in my market. I already bought inventory. What are my options?
UAE-based seller, first wholesale attempt. Would appreciate input from anyone who's dealt with this.
What happened:
Bought 10 units of a coffee grinder from the brand's official UAE distributor. Small test order ~AED 2,250 (~$610). I knew margins would be thin; the point was to stop overthinking, get out of the analysis paralysis stage, and actually start.
Applied for brand approval. Rejected: "We do not accept online order confirmations, packing slips, sales orders, pro forma invoices, or sales quotes. Submit an invoice from your manufacturer, distributor, or supplier."
The document problem:
The distributor runs everything through Shopify, so all they could produce was a store order receipt, which is exactly what Amazon rejects. I spent weeks going through their sales team and then accounts, asking for a proper commercial invoice. They eventually issued a signed and stamped letter on company letterhead confirming the sale (10 units, date, amount, paid in full). Amazon rejected that too, same canned response.
Amazon support confirmed the rejection was document type, not address mismatch or proof of payment. They just want a "finalized purchase invoice."
The bigger problem:
I emailed the brand directly asking for a Letter of Authorization. They replied that they stopped accepting new Amazon sellers in my market about two years ago and suggested I sell on other platforms. They also (fairly) pointed out that buying from the distributor at their price and reselling on Amazon leaves very little margin.
Where I'm stuck:
- There are existing sellers on these listings. I assume they were approved before the cutoff—is that right, or are they operating without authorization?
- Is there any legitimate path left, or is "brand doesn't onboard new sellers here" simply the end of it?
- Has anyone had luck escalating past the automated rejection to an actual human reviewer? Every submission comes back with identical canned text, which makes me think a person never saw it.
- If the brand has told me in writing they won't authorize me, how risky is listing anyway? Worried about an IP complaint hitting my account.
- Any advice on liquidating 10 units outside Amazon?
What I've learned so far (for anyone starting out): ask a supplier whether they can issue a proper commercial tax invoice before you pay them, and ask the brand whether they even allow new sellers on your marketplace. I did neither, and it cost me two months.
Thanks in advance.