🚫 Suspended for High Order Defect Rate (ODR) on Amazon? Here’s How to Appeal (Free Template Included)
You’re not alone. This is one of the most common account health suspensions Amazon sellers face — and luckily, it’s one of the most fixable.
Official Definition from Amazon Seller Central
According to Amazon:
“The Order Defect Rate (ODR) is a key measure of your ability to provide a good customer experience.”
It is calculated as the percentage of orders with one or more “defects” during a 60-day period. These defects include:
Negative Feedback
A-to-Z Guarantee Claims (not denied)
Credit Card Chargebacks
Amazon requires sellers to maintain an ODR under 1% to continue selling on the platform. An ODR above 1% may result in account deactivation, including suspension of seller-fulfilled offers.
Components of ODR:
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Negative Feedback Rate
Feedback with 1- or 2-star ratings affects your ODR. Amazon encourages sellers to use the Feedback Manager and Buyer-Seller Messaging templates to resolve negative reviews, and you can request removal if it qualifies. -
A-to-Z Guarantee Claim Rate
Claims granted to the buyer (especially those where you’re found at fault or refund after the claim) will increase your ODR. Withdrawn or denied claims don’t count, and decisions overturned on appeal will be removed from your record. -
Credit Card Chargeback Rate
These are customer disputes filed directly with credit card companies. Service-related chargebacks (e.g., “item not received”) will impact your ODR if the customer wins. Fraud chargebacks (unauthorized purchases) do not affect your ODR.
***Tip:
Sellers at risk of deactivation may be eligible to take a 5-question quiz found at the top of the Account Health page. Passing this quiz can prevent suspension and does not require a Plan of Action (POA).
The #1 Metric That Can Shut You Down Overnight
Amazon’s Order Defect Rate (ODR) is one of the most critical metrics for sellers, yet it remains quietly one of the most dangerous. If your ODR exceeds 1%, Amazon can immediately suspend your account — often without prior notice.
But here's the good news: We've helped sellers just like you get reinstated — and in this blog post, we'll explain how.
Common Mistakes & Misconceptions
About ODR Suspensions
--“I only had 2 bad orders this month…”
It’s not about quantity — it’s about percentage. If you had 2 defects out of 100 orders, your ODR is already at the suspension threshold of 2%.
--“But that negative review was unfair!”
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t care who’s right. Unless you can remove the negative feedback or win the A-to-Z claim, it counts against you.
-- “It’s just temporary, I’ll wait it out.”
ODR suspensions do not fix themselves. You must appeal with a clear Plan of Action if you want your account reinstated.
📝 How to Appeal an Amazon ODR Suspension: Step-by-Step
Amazon wants to see three things in your appeal:
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Root Cause – What went wrong?
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Corrective Actions – How did you fix the issue?
-
Preventive Measures – What will you do (and did) to stop it from happening again?
Here’s a free appeal letter template
you can copy, paste, and fill in with your details.
Free ODR Suspension Appeal Template
(Fill-in-the-Blank)
Subject: Appeal for High Order Defect Rate Suspension
Dear Amazon Performance Team,
Thank you for the opportunity to appeal the removal of our selling privileges due to an Order Defect Rate that exceeded Amazon’s 1% threshold. We take full responsibility and are committed to addressing the underlying causes to ensure a better customer experience.
ROOT CAUSE:
After reviewing our account, we found that our ODR was impacted by [insert issue — e.g., "delayed shipments due to supplier backlog" or "poor product packaging that led to damage"]. These defects resulted in [X number] A-to-Z claims and [X number] negative feedback incidents.
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:
To address these issues, we have already taken the following steps:
-
Below are a few examples, but please **take the time to write your authentic actions taken.
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[Example: Switched to a faster, more reliable shipping carrier]
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[Example: Updated product descriptions to reduce confusion and returns]
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[Example: Reached out to customers and resolved outstanding complaints]
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
To prevent future defects, we are implementing the following ongoing improvements:
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Monitoring ODR metrics daily using Amazon's Account Health Dashboard
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Training our team on updated fulfillment and customer service best practices
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Setting up automated order tracking and alerts for delay prevention
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Reviewing all listings for clarity and customer expectations
- ***PLEASE TAKE TIME TO THINK OF YOUR EXAMPLES TO MAKE THE APPEAL AUTHENTIC.
We kindly request reinstatement of our selling privileges and are committed to providing an exceptional customer experience moving forward. Thank you for your consideration!
Sincerely,
[ Seller Account Name ]
[ Business Name ]
[ Seller Account Email Address ]
***Pro Tip: Don’t Copy This Verbatim
Use this template as a starting point, but personalize your message with:
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Your real numbers
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Specific mistakes
-
Actual process changes
Amazon can spot copy/paste appeals instantly — and they’ll reject them just as fast.
FAQ: Order Defect Rate (ODR)
Suspensions on Amazon
❓ What is considered a “defect” in ODR?
Defects include:
-
A-to-Z Guarantee claims
-
Negative feedback
-
Credit card chargebacks
❓ What is the acceptable ODR threshold?
Amazon requires sellers to maintain an Order Defect Rate below 1%.
❓ How do I lower my ODR?
Remove negative feedback if possible, resolve claims with customers quickly, and improve your fulfillment reliability and product accuracy.
❓ How long do I have to appeal after suspension?
Although you should submit your Plan of Action as soon as possible, it is BETTER TO PREPARE THAN TO RUSH AN APPEAL LETTER. Amazon can quickly go from being very responsive to completely unresponsive. Generally, better results come with better preparation. The idea is for YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DID WRONG (what were your mistakes?)
❓ What if I can’t lower my ODR fast enough?
Amazon doesn't expect perfection overnight, but they do expect you to show that you've taken real steps and have a sustainable plan in place. THE BEST TRICK: Work on your other orders, quick, proper, quality shipping. PREVENT ADDITIONAL ISSUES/COMPLAINTS. Get positive feedback. The algorithms will even out your metric with positive transactions, received orders, and positive seller feedback.
❓ Can you help write my appeal for me?
Yes! We specialize in helping sellers like you craft strong, custom appeals that get results. If you’re overwhelmed or not sure where to start, contact us here.
WE DO NOT JUST WRITE APPEAL LETTERS; we listen to understand your specific issue: this is why we are so successful. The key to reinstatement is understanding the root cause and knowing how to address it for Amazon to consider reactivating your seller account.
📢 Need Help Appealing Your ODR Suspension?
At AmazonAppealLetter.com, we’ve helped hundreds of sellers successfully appeal ODR suspensions and get back to business.
✅ Quality, expert-written appeal letters
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👉 Click here to get help now
