👋 Dear Villagers,
I’m the Minister of Economy, and if Amazon is preventing you from leaving a review, it’s important to understand why this happens and how you can resolve—or prevent—the issue.
🛡️ Why Does This Happen?
There are several reasons why Amazon might block a reviewer account:
📦 1. Minimum Spending Requirement Not Met
Amazon requires that your account has spent at least $50 in the last 12 months on the marketplace where you’re trying to leave a review.
📢 Important:
This spending must have been made using a credit or debit card linked to your Amazon account.
❌ Purchases made exclusively with gift cards do not count toward this requirement.
🌍 2. Amazon Marketplace Mismatch
If you’re trying to review on a marketplace different from the one tied to your account, you may receive an error message.
📌 Simple fix: replace the domain in the URL with the correct one for your marketplace.
Example:
Original → amazon.com/dp/ASIN
If your account is UK → change to amazon.co.uk/dp/ASIN
🕵️♂️ 3. Temporary or Permanent Restrictions from Amazon
Amazon uses sophisticated algorithms to monitor account activity. If they detect:
❌ Too many reviews posted in a short time
❌ Reviews focused on the same genre or author
❌ Patterns that appear “unnatural”
… they may temporarily or permanently limit your ability to leave reviews.
📢 How Does BookVillage Help?
Our algorithm is designed to ensure the best possible distribution of authors and books for you to review, avoiding suspicious patterns and maintaining a natural flow.
✅ Additionally, the limit of 6 reviews per week was created specifically to increase the likelihood that your reviewer account remains healthy and functional long-term.
🔒 4. Block Message for Suspicious Activity
If Amazon shows you a message like:
❗ “We have detected unusual activity on your account and have locked it temporarily. Please contact customer service for further assistance.”
📌 This means:
✅ The issue is not related to the selected marketplace
✅ It’s not about the 12-month spending threshold
❌ Amazon’s automated systems have flagged your account for “suspicious activity”
Sometimes this alert is triggered by mistake, but unfortunately, the chances of getting the account reactivated are unpredictable.
If Amazon decides not to unblock it, all previously posted reviews may be removed.
💌 What to Do If Your Account Is Blocked?
You can try to have your account unblocked by emailing:
✅ In your email:
• Be clear and persuasive
• Provide evidence that it’s an error
• Explain that you’ve always acted genuinely and honestly
📚 Coming Soon: Complete Guide to Amazon Blocks
📢 BookVillage is preparing detailed articles to help you:
✅ Better understand why these blocks happen
✅ Prevent high-risk situations
✅ Manage communication with Amazon to attempt recovery
📢 A Word from the Minister of Economy
"Always follow the Village’s guidelines. Members who stick to our recommendations experience minimal issues and build a strong, long-lasting Amazon account."