Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
How can drinks founders get Amazon customer service to respond when automated systems block account inquiries?
Amazon's customer service has become increasingly automated and difficult to reach. Members report that speaking to a human representative now requires hitting revenue thresholds, though these appear to move as you grow. **Revenue thresholds:** Members mention £250k and £500k annual turnover minimums mentioned by Amazon, though some report the goalposts shift upward once you reach each target. **Tactics that have worked:** - **All-caps application submissions** — One member had repeated rejections until they rewrote their application entirely in capital letters, which was then approved immediately. - **Repeated escalation requests** — Pre-2021, persistence and explicit requests to escalate to a manager eventually got results, though this may be less effective now. **Reality check:** Members are frustrated that despite doing £250k+ and £500k+ pa, they still cannot access a human account manager. The consensus is that Amazon's support infrastructure has degraded significantly and the revenue thresholds appear designed to be a moving target—you may never actually qualify.
What's the process for getting Amazon product listings reinstated after brands are delisted from the platform?
When multiple listings are removed from Amazon, members recommend working with specialist consultants who have direct relationships with Amazon's account teams. The community has used the following contacts for reinstatement support: - **Amersify** — recommended as an Amazon specialist for delisting recovery - **Acorn-i** — another specialist option mentioned for this issue - **Tim Davies** — available for ad-hoc Amazon advisory work No specific process steps or appeal documentation requirements were detailed in the discussion. Members' experience suggests that having a dedicated Amazon specialist contact the platform directly (rather than attempting self-service appeals) is the typical route.