New legislation to regulate how online marketplaces manage seller accounts

Background

Many small businesses rely on online marketplaces such as Amazon but may face account suspensions and withheld earnings without clear reasons or due process.

Additional details

Sellers may be asked to provide documents that are impossible to produce, while platforms may to deduct fees from suspended accounts. We think this has caused serious financial harm, including loss of income, business closure, and even eviction for some. In many cases, suspended sellers may lose access to their accounts and may be unable to respond to requests or communicate with customers. We are calling for legislation requiring platforms to: provide clear suspension reasons, offer a fair appeals process, stop charging fees during suspension, and release funds unless fraud is proven.

Where it’s popular

Constituencies with the most signatures on this petition.