Amazon Account Locked? 4 Fixes
If your Amazon account is locked, you won’t be able to make purchases. Restore your Amazon access using the steps in this guide.
Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, which unfortunately makes it a target for criminal elements. The company does everything it can to try to reduce fraud. Unfortunately, this does mean that you might find that your Amazon account is locked, even if you weren’t using it for anything other than legitimate shopping.
If you contact Amazon, the company should be able to unlock your account for you. Here are some things to try if you have your Amazon account locked.
Why Is My Amazon Account Locked?
There are several reasons why Amazon may temporarily lock your account. It usually happens in an attempt to limit fraud or unauthorized transactions. If Amazon detects suspicious activities on your account, it may lock it to help keep you protected.
The types of activities that may lead to a lock on your Amazon account include:
- A new account making an unusually large number of orders.
- A high number of products being returned.
- False information is being used on your account, such as a false name or billing address.
- Unusual use of gift cards on your account.
- Using your account with different IP addresses.
How to Fix Amazon Account Locked Issues
The good news is that if your Amazon account has been locked, you should be able to get it unlocked again by getting in touch with Amazon. There are a number of ways you can do this.
1. Contact Amazon via Chat
You can contact Amazon customer support directly using the live chat service. There are a few ways to access the live chat, but the steps below are one of the quickest ways to start chatting.
To contact Amazon via live chat:
- Sign in to your Amazon Account. If you can’t access your current account, create a new one with a different email address.
- Click on the small arrow next to Accounts & Lists.
- At the end of the list of options, click Customer Service.
- Select Something Else.
- Click I Need More Help.
- Click Start Chatting Now.
- Explain that there is a lock on your Amazon account.
- Provide any requested verification details.
- Supply any requested documents. Customer services will evaluate your case. If everything is in order, you should have your account unlocked within a couple of days or even the same day in some cases.
2. Call Amazon for Help
If you would prefer to speak to someone in person, you can call Amazon customer support. They will take a look at your account and let you know what you need to do for them to remove the lock.
To call Amazon for assistance:
- Sign in to your Amazon account. If you can’t sign in, create a new and temporary account to speak to Amazon.
- Click the arrow next to Accounts & Lists.
- Select Customer Service.
- Click Something Else.
- Select I Need More Help.
- Request a call by clicking Request Call Now.
- Enter your phone number and click Call Me Now.
- Amazon customer support will call the number you entered. Explain that you have had your Amazon account locked.
- Provide any verification details required to prove it is your account.
- Supply any requested information. They will evaluate your case and if all is in order, they will unlock your account for you. It could happen in as little as a few hours, but it may take a couple of days.
3. Email Amazon
Amazon doesn’t make it easy for you to contact them via email. If you’ve tried the methods above, you’ll notice there’s no email option on the customer service page.
However, you may still be able to resolve the issue over email, if that’s your preference.
To contact Amazon by email:
- First off, check your email account that is registered to Amazon. You’ll need to see if you have received an email from them about your account being locked. If so, you should be able to reply to this email to contact them.
- Be sure that the email is from Amazon before replying to it or clicking any links. Phishing emails can often look like emails from Amazon.
- If you don’t have any Amazon emails to reply to, try sending an email to cs-reply@amazon.com. Include information about the lock on your Amazon account.
You may need to wait up to two days for a reply. Unfortunately, email is definitely the slowest option for contacting Amazon if your account is locked.
4. Upload Documents Directly to Amazon
If you can sign in to your account, but cannot make purchases because your account is locked, then you may be able to send supporting documentation directly to Amazon. This will help you to get your account unlocked again.
To upload supporting documents to Amazon:
- Sign in to your Amazon account if you can.
- Add anything to your basket and try to make a purchase.
- You should see a message stating that your account is on hold.
- Fill in the details including your full name, country, billing address, and phone number.
- Include the request supporting documentation. This could include a billing statement for your payment card or proof of purchase for a gift card.
- Submit the information. Amazon will contact you and lift your restriction or request further details.
Changing Your Amazon Settings
If you’ve had your Amazon account locked, one of the fixes above will hopefully solve your issues.
Got other tips to share to help unlock an Amazon account? Feel free to let us know in the comments below. After unlocking your Amazon account, change your settings to suit your needs better.
For example, if you want to change your shipping address, that’s simple to do. You might also want to share an Amazon wish list from your account so that friends and family know what you get for your next birthday.
Finding it hard to find an order you’ve placed? You can always archive your old Amazon orders. This is a great way to hide purchases if you share your account with someone else.
12 Comments
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William Hicks
March 11, 2023 at 8:13 am
I’m concerted that I’m being scammed.
Steve Krause
March 14, 2023 at 8:55 am
Scammed in what way?
The best way to protect from getting scammed on Amazon is to only buy from high-quality/ranked sellers. Also, change your password and lock down your email address using Two Factor Authentication. Same goes for your Amazon account. Enable Two Factor Authentication.
Here are a few guides for enabling Two Step Verification aka – Two Factor Authentication.
Tonya
April 4, 2023 at 11:41 am
Amazon has done the same to me. The information they are “requiring” me to upload is my personal bank statement, including my full name, my address, my personal bank account number,my debit card number, and my social security number. My debit card isn’t even listed on my Amazon Prime account as a method of payment, why would I give them access to all of that? Isn’t that “how to get your identity stolen 101”? They have canceled ALL of my subscriptions. Every Kindle unlimited book I’ve purchased over the 4 years I’ve had a Kindle fire? Gone. Every ad free App I’ve purchased? Gone. All the movies I’ve purchased from Amazon prime? Gone. All of it. My kindle is now a paperweight. Yes, I can open a new account and start all over repurchasing everything I’ve already paid for, but for what? Knowing they could simply do it again. I have not now, nor have I ever used an Amazon gift card. My purchase activity has not changed. My Amazon Prime account was opened 4 years ago. None of the reasons for this apply to my use of my account. Nothing about what’s happening feels legitimate. I refuse to just hand over what’s being ask for to someone I can’t even speak with or correspond with. All my emails received are “NO REPLY”. I have no options but to cut my substantial losses and find a new source of entertainment. It’s criminal that these people can do this to a customer and just get away with it.
Nelson
October 7, 2023 at 5:28 pm
They are doing the same thing right now to my 79 year old Mom! I have been about to scream trying to deal with them to get her account unlocked. Had to wait 2 days to get the email and when we did they wanted all her banking information, her drivers license number, her social, her Mothers maiden name! It was crazy and I was like NO WAY are they getting that! It’s a shame they can do that when she has paid for all Amazons services.
Christine Paulson
May 10, 2023 at 8:56 am
I have ordered the Google Play card it was suppise to be my grandsons birthday gift. They have asked me for a picture of the card I used and to only show them the last 4 digits of card. They asked for bank statement and drivers license which I submitted. Then they wanted an utility bill for proof. I sent them that also. Then after sending all that they asking me for a picture of my card I used once again only showing the last 4 numbers. I have sent them everything possible.
I also told them to cancel my order can’t do that because my account is locked. I asked to speak to a manager can’t transfer me to a manager. I have asked them to transfer me to the card specialist. Can’t do that either. They keep telling me to wait 24 hours. It has been over 24 hours and I still haven’t received anything. I sent an email asking for the card specialist to call me. No call. This is very frustrating. Makes me not want to do any business with Amazon again.
Corey white
May 23, 2023 at 2:51 pm
I received a $25 gift card for a gift and applied it to my account and made a purchase and my was locked and now they have closed it. I’m tired of being told wait 24 hours when nobody ever contacts me . I look at it like this I am a victim of theft by taking by amazon.com . What right do you have to take from someone and refuse to tell them why . Amazon is the lowest of the low . Scammmmmmmersssssss and thievessssss.. beware of Amazon
tom
June 17, 2023 at 4:29 pm
this does’ent work for me because when i try to click any of the options it asks me to log in but oopsy daisy it repeats saying i cant log in due to it being locked so i cant do anything at all so its just one big fucking circle that leads to an aneurism
Steve Krause
June 21, 2023 at 1:42 pm
I would log out and then clear all your cookies from your browser, close and then reopen again.
Benny
July 22, 2023 at 11:22 am
Logout? That doesn’t work nor does clearing all cookies etc. Nothing works. I’ve sent more than enough info to these DA, nothing works. Not an email, uploading required documents nothing.
Justin
September 12, 2023 at 6:58 pm
My account is locked for no reason Amazon sucks
Andrew
November 20, 2023 at 10:27 pm
The information in this article is completely false.
If you are locked out of your Amazon account, log on to https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint.
Fill out the form and BBB will tell Amazon to unlock your account.
Trying to resolve this with Amazon customer service is futile. They deliberately make the process impossible. BBB will send a rocket up their ass and tell them to unlock your account, provided your reason is valid.
You’re welcome.
Jeff Butts
November 21, 2023 at 10:18 am
Thanks for the additional suggestion, but your insistence that the information is completely false is, well, false. I’ve been in this exact same situation previously, and resolved it with a phone call to Amazon’s Customer Service. You’ll have to provide them with information proving it’s your account, sure…I think I had to give them the cost of one of my most recent purchases (one good reason to keep your order confirmation emails) and the last 4 digits of one of my payment methods.
Dealing with the BBB to get this resolved should be a last-resort type of thing, IMO. It’s usually going to take at least a couple of days from the time you submit the complaint for Amazon to take note of it, and then they’ll have to research it and work with you. The BBB can’t “force” anybody to do anything…it’s not a government agency, after all, and has no way to enforce anything.