How do you feel when you realize that someone else has gotten to your Amazon product page and moved it from the #1 ranking spot to the #2 or even #3? Well, most of us at one point have had that feeling and it’s not pleasant! But why does it happen? How can we prevent it and save our listing from Amazon hijackers? Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon…
What Is an Amazon Listing Hijackers?
An Amazon listing hijacker is someone who steals another seller’s product listing on Amazon, often with a similar or identical product. When an Amazon listing hijacker steals your listing, they undercut you on price or manipulate your ratings or even take over your account.
They essentially steal your sales, profits and reviews. You can’t rely on Amazon for protection: Sellers complain that when they report their hijacked listings, it takes weeks for Amazon to act. To save our business from amazon hijackers we need to put safeguards in place immediately.
Read: Optimize Amazon Listing
Why Are These My Competitors Doing This To Me?
When an Amazon hijacker takes your listing, they essentially take over your listing. They change your title, description, bullet points, product photos—everything about how you were marketing that item for sale becomes their own.
It may be unethical (and illegal), but it happens anyway. The best thing you can do is try to protect yourself from being hijacked in the first place: come up with a unique name for your product (that doesn’t duplicate another item’s name) and keep track of it by filing for trademark protection.
Keeping tabs on who is selling what will help you get insight into who might be responsible for hijacking you down the line.
How do I know if my product has been hijacked by a competitor Or Amazon Listing Hijackers?
If you’re seeing a bunch of listings for your product, but not yours, then it’s possible that someone has stolen your listing or is copying it in some way.
The best thing to do if you suspect someone is hijacking your listing is first to find out who it is. There’s no need for name-calling or argument; simply contact whoever has copied your listing and say something like Hello, I noticed that [insert product title] appears similar to my product, which I have been selling successfully on Amazon since [insert date]. If you’d like more information about my private label business (and get access to all of my resources), please reach out using one of these methods: [insert email address].
Also, consider providing links to additional information so they can make an informed decision.
When Did This Happen And Where Does it Happen?
As soon as a new listing is created on Amazon, it can be immediately seen by other users who then attempt to take over those listings. In order for another user with a separate account and product that they wish to sell in addition to their own (Amazon hijacker)… To do so, one must enter a listing URL (or search for your product manually).
Once inside of your listing, and Amazon hijacker will replace all of your photos with their own or modify bullet points or keywords—the goal being for an unsuspecting consumer who clicks on that hijacked listing will end up buying their product instead of yours.
This is done because sellers have much lower fees compared to FBA products—meaning more profit can be made by them!
Quick Tips To Protect Your Listings From Being Hijacked
Prevent list hijacking by monitoring your listing closely as soon as you’ve listed your product. If you don’t respond to an issue within a day or two, most people will move on.
Buyers also appreciate businesses that resolve their issues quickly. Create unique titles for your products: Your title should be unique in order to avoid duplicates with other sellers’ listings. Titles beginning with brand names have been seen by some sellers as off-limits since they aren’t easily searchable on Amazon.
