How to Remove Hijackers from Your Amazon Listing – A Seller’s Guide

If you’ve been selling on Amazon for any length of time, you know the thrill of watching your product gain traction—great reviews, increasing sales, and rising organic rank. But that momentum can come to a screeching halt the moment you discover an Amazon listing hijacker. An Amazon listing hijacker is a third-party seller who jumps onto your product listing and tries to sell the same item—often a counterfeit, used, or poor-quality version—under your hard-earned ASIN. It’s frustrating, potentially devastating, and unfortunately, very common. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to remove hijackers from your Amazon listing, how to stop Amazon listing hijacker threats before they cause serious harm, and how services like Seller Pickle can help take control of the situation quickly.

What is an Amazon Listing Hijacker?

An Amazon listing hijacker is an unauthorized seller who claims to offer your product but isn’t part of your supply chain. They often undercut your pricing, win the Buy Box, and deliver poor-quality knock offs to customers, leading to bad reviews—and even listing suspension.

Hijackers exploit Amazon’s open marketplace structure, where multiple sellers can list on a single ASIN. If you’re a private label brand owner and not careful, these hijackers can do long-term damage before you even notice.

Step 1: Identify the Hijacker Early

Early detection is critical. Signs your listing has been hijacked include:

• Sudden drops in sales volume
• Losing the Buy Box despite steady pricing
• Negative reviews mentioning a different or inferior product
• New seller names appearing on your listing

You should regularly check your ASINs, especially top-performing ones. Seller Pickle recommends using both manual checks and automated alerts to catch suspicious sellers as soon as they show up.

Step 2: Make a Test Buy

Once you suspect a hijacker, don’t rush to report them yet. First, gather evidence. Purchase the item directly from the suspected seller. When it arrives:

• Inspect the packaging and product for discrepancies
• Take photos and videos if the product is fake, damaged, or significantly different from your original
• Save the invoice or order details

This test-buy step is essential. Without proof, Amazon is unlikely to take strong action. Seller Pickle emphasizes that tangible, visual evidence dramatically increases the chance of success in removing the hijacker.

Step 3: Send a Cease and Desist Letter

Before escalating to Amazon, send a formal Cease and Desist (C&D) message through Amazon’s messaging system. Make it professional and firm:

• Identify the specific ASIN involved
• Mention your brand ownership or trademark
• Demand that they remove their offer within 24–48 hours

Many hijackers, especially small or less experienced ones, will back off after receiving a strongly worded legal message. It shows you’re serious and ready to escalate if necessary.

Step 4: Report the Infringement to Amazon

If the hijacker doesn’t respond or refuses to leave your listing, it’s time to report them. If you’re brand registered, you can use Amazon’s internal tools to submit a complaint, highlighting:

• The unauthorized seller’s name
• Your test-buy evidence
• Differences between the hijacker’s product and yours
• Your brand registration or trademark details

If you’re not brand registered, you can still file a general infringement complaint, but resolution may take longer. Seller Pickle’s team advises that complete documentation significantly improves response time from Amazon’s internal teams.

Step 5: Bring in the Experts

Sometimes Amazon doesn’t act quickly—or at all. If you’re facing a repeat hijacker or getting nowhere with your complaints, using a service like Seller Pickle can help you resolve the issue faster and with less hassle.

Seller Pickle offers specialized hijacker removal services tailored for Amazon sellers. Their team of experts understands Amazon’s processes and knows exactly how to position your case to get the right kind of response. In many cases, sellers see results within 24 to 72 hours after hiring help.

This option is particularly useful for brand owners with multiple ASINs, as hijackers often target bestsellers and rotate across listings.

Step 6: Prevent Future Hijackers

After you remove hijackers from your Amazon listing, it’s time to strengthen your defense. Seller Pickle suggests the following preventive strategies:

1. Brand Registry
   Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry. This unlocks powerful tools like A+ content protection, access to infringement reporting, and more.
2. Unique Packaging & Product Bundles
   Hijackers rarely invest in mimicking custom packaging. Add inserts, serial numbers, or QR codes to differentiate your product.
3. Transparency Program
   Amazon’s Transparency program allows you to serialize your products, making it impossible for hijackers to send counterfeit units.
4. Monitoring Tools
   Consider using tools that send real-time alerts when unauthorized sellers jump on your listings.
5. Legal Trademarks
   If you don’t already have a registered trademark, apply for one. It makes your case far stronger in Amazon’s eyes and helps deter counterfeiters.

Final Thoughts: Take Back Control

No seller wants to deal with the headache of an Amazon listing hijacker—but ignoring the problem can cost you much more in lost sales, poor reviews, and damaged brand trust.

Learning how to remove hijackers from your Amazon listing isn’t just a one-time fix—it’s part of a bigger strategy to build a sustainable and protected brand. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or managing a growing Amazon storefront, it’s crucial to act swiftly and decisively when a hijacker shows up.

Services like Seller Pickle offer an added layer of defense, especially when Amazon’s own support feels slow or unhelpful. If you’re serious about your business, don’t leave your listings unprotected.

Protect your brand. Be proactive. And stop Amazon listing hijacker threats before they ever become a real problem.