Last Updated: November 21, 2025
Are you trying to recover your listing after an Amazon hijacking? This problem hits more sellers than most people realize, and now’s the right time to learn how to take back control fast.
Selling on Amazon comes with its own set of headaches, like constant competition, tight margins, and unfair tactics from bad actors. One day, you are finally proud of your brand after months of product research, sourcing, testing, and content work, then out of nowhere, someone jumps in and copies your listing.
It’s one of the worst situations any seller can face because after giving everything you’ve got to build a product, someone tries to piggyback off your hard work. It’s completely normal to feel stuck and frustrated when this kind of mess shows up.
This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of recovering your Amazon listing after a hijacking, including reporting counterfeit sellers and using preventive measures to protect your brand. We also cover strategies to prevent future hijacks, optimize your listings, and maintain control of your inventory and supply chain.
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Take Back Control of Your Amazon Listings
Don’t let hijackers steal your sales and reputation. Get expert help to recover your listing fast.
What Is Amazon Hijacking?
An Amazon hijacker is someone who jumps onto your listing with a cheap copy of your product and pretends to be the real seller. They take advantage of your photos, title, and brand work, presenting themselves to customers as if they’re offering the same item you created.
With over 1.1 million sellers in the U.S. alone, it’s natural for products to look similar at times, but hijacking is not the same as two sellers offering a comparable item. This happens because the hijacker intentionally rides your listing to steal your traffic, take your Buy Box, and move low-quality knockoffs under your brand name.
How Amazon Brand Hijacking Affects Sellers
Although some sellers might think that having Amazon listing hijackers isn’t a big deal, it can quickly lead to bigger problems that hurt sales, reputation, and customer trust. In severe cases, hijackers can even drive down your listing’s visibility and force you to spend significant time and money to fix the situation.
- Hijackers often steal the Buy Box with lower-priced copies, directly cutting into your sales.
- Customers who buy counterfeit products may blame your brand for poor quality.
- Poor knockoff products generate bad reviews that reduce your listing’s credibility.
- Buyers may hesitate to purchase from your brand again after a negative experience.
- Monitoring listings, filing complaints, and gathering evidence takes time and resources.
- Increased returns and negative reviews can lower your listing’s search ranking.
- Distinguishing your real stock from counterfeit inventory can create fulfillment issues.
- Amazon hijackers create artificial price competition that is hard to match.
How to Recover Your Listing After an Amazon Hijacking
Due to how damaging Amazon brand hijacking can be, it’s crucial for sellers to take immediate action to prevent further revenue loss and reputational damage. While every case is unique, there are proven strategies that help reclaim control and protect your listing fast.
Step 1: Purchase the Product from the Hijacker
The first step is to buy the hijacked product using a separate consumer account, just like a regular customer would. This allows you to physically inspect the item and verify whether it is a counterfeit or your original product.
Once you have the item, take note of all the differences from your authentic product, including packaging, labels, or markings. This evidence will be important when reporting the hijacker to Amazon or using it in a legal notice.
Step 2: Verify if It’s a Knockoff or Your Product
Compare the purchased item carefully with your genuine product, checking for subtle details like inscriptions, material quality, or packaging inconsistencies. Identifying these differences helps prove the product is a counterfeit and strengthens your case with Amazon.
If it turns out to be your original product, you will need to investigate how the hijacker got access to your stock. This could involve reviewing your manufacturer or wholesale partners to find potential leaks or unauthorized resellers.
Step 3: Report the Seller to Amazon Support
After confirming the hijacker is selling a counterfeit, submit a detailed ticket to Amazon Seller Support. Include the seller’s name, profile link, ASIN, order ID, and photos comparing the counterfeit and your authentic product.
Providing complete evidence gives Amazon Seller Support the information that they need to act quickly. This step is critical because the longer the hijacked listing remains active, the more damage it does to your sales and reputation.
Step 4: Report from a Consumer Account
Amazon prides itself on being customer-centric, serving over 310 million active users worldwide. So when you report as a regular buyer that the product is counterfeit, you can be confident that Amazon will take it seriously.
Use the order number from your purchase and include photos if possible. This adds a different perspective that complements your seller support ticket and strengthens your overall case for removal.
Step 5: Send a Cease and Desist Letter
Draft a formal cease and desist letter and send it to the hijacker through Amazon’s messaging system. This notifies them legally that their actions are unauthorized and warns them to stop selling the counterfeit.
If you’re unsure how to write one, you can find templates online or have a lawyer help you draft it. A clear, professional message can sometimes resolve the issue faster than waiting solely on Amazon to act.
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How to Prevent Future Hijacking on Amazon
With all the trouble that brand hijacking on Amazon causes, preventing it before it happens is the smartest move for sellers. Many sellers don’t think about these steps until it’s too late, but taking proactive measures can keep your listings and revenue safe from bad actors.
1. Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
Amazon Brand Registry is the foundation for protecting your products on the platform. It requires a registered trademark and gives you access to tools that prevent unauthorized sellers from taking over your listings.
Once enrolled, you can report IP violations, edit your product detail pages, and monitor listing changes. Brand Registry also unlocks programs like Project Zero and Transparency, which add extra layers of protection against Amazon hijackers.
2. Create Strong Authorized Reseller Contracts
A detailed distribution agreement or reseller contract prevents partners from selling your products outside approved channels. Explicit clauses, like limiting warranty coverage to authorized sellers, give you legal leverage if someone breaks the rules.
These contracts help turn a breach into a reportable violation on Amazon because unauthorized sales can be flagged as selling “materially different” products. They also make it easier to take swift action if a reseller tries to hijack your listing.
3. Maintain Constant Inventory Stock
Hijackers often wait until a product is out of stock before attempting to seize your listing or steal reviews. Keeping inventory consistently available makes it much harder for them to take control.
Regular monitoring of your stock levels and timely restocking ensures your Buy Box stays under your control. It also reduces the opportunity for bad actors to step in when demand is high and supply is low.
4. Build Product Differentiation Features
Incorporate unique, subtle features into your product that are difficult for Amazon hijackers to copy. Examples include inscriptions, special caps, or molding elements that can serve as proof in a test buy.
These design features not only make it harder to replicate your product but also provide evidence if a counterfeit appears. Customers will also see your product as higher quality, which reinforces your brand’s credibility and value.
5. Optimize Your Listings with High-Value Content
Make your product listing clearly communicate why your item is superior to knockoffs. Include high-quality images, A+ content, and descriptive bullet points highlighting key differentiators and benefits.
Adding a “comparison chart” image showing your product versus a generic alternative can help shoppers understand the value and quality of your product. This not only educates customers but also discourages hijackers, as your listing becomes more recognizable and harder to replicate.
6. Join Amazon Anti-Counterfeit Programs
Programs like Amazon Transparency and Project Zero allow you to place unique codes on every unit you send to Amazon. These codes verify authenticity before shipment, stopping unauthorized sellers from using your listing.
Project Zero goes further by letting you remove counterfeit listings yourself without waiting for Amazon. While it requires setup and some investment, it dramatically reduces the chances of future hijacking and protects your brand reputation.
7. Request Brand Gating in Extreme Cases
For persistent hijackers, you can escalate to Amazon Executive Services and request brand gating. This requires all third-party sellers to provide invoices and written permission from your brand before they can list your products.
Brand gating creates a strong barrier for unauthorized sellers, ensuring that only approved partners can sell your products. This step is especially useful for high-value or frequently hijacked products.
8. Control Your Supply Chain and Inventory
Do not rely entirely on partners, distributors, or even your manufacturer to protect your stock. Maintain strict control over inventory and audit your supply chain regularly to prevent leaks.
Unauthorized sales often originate from within the supply chain, so limiting access to genuine inventory and tracking product movement is critical. This proactive approach reduces opportunities for Amazon hijackers to acquire and sell your products.
What To Do When Amazon Won’t Remove Hijackers
Even after following every step and best practice to recover your listing after an Amazon hijacking, sometimes the hijackers simply won’t be removed. It can feel overwhelming and frustrating to go back and forth with Amazon support multiple times without results.
At this point, the most effective move is to get help from an Amazon agency with proven expertise in brand protection and listing recovery. These professionals know how to navigate Amazon’s support systems, escalate cases, and use advanced strategies to recover hijacked listings faster than most sellers can on their own.
Before outsourcing help, it’s important to choose a professional carefully. Make sure they have strong reviews, clear communication, and a track record of successfully recovering listings for other sellers to avoid wasting time or money.
FAQs About Amazon Hijacking
Recover Your Listing and Protect Your Brand From Amazon Hijackers
It can be frustrating to discover that your listing has been hijacked by Amazon hijackers, especially if you’re unsure of the right steps to recover it. The good news is that recovery is possible by following proven strategies and taking immediate action.
By using Brand Registry, reporting the hijacker, and implementing preventive measures, you can regain control of your listing and safeguard your brand from future attacks. Even if the process feels overwhelming, persistence and the right approach make it achievable.
Need help recovering your listing from Amazon hijacking? Contact our full-service Amazon agency and let our experts guide you through the recovery process, protect your brand, and restore your sales quickly.
Protect Your Brand from Future Hijacks
Learn how Brand Registry, Project Zero, and supply chain control can keep your products safe.
