What this notice looks like
Inauthentic notices talk about authenticity and ask for documents. Typical wording:
"We removed some of your listings because of buyer complaints about the authenticity of items… To address this issue, please send us copies of invoices, receipts or supplier information for the items listed below…"
The giveaway phrases: "inauthentic", "authenticity", "copies of invoices", "supplier information", a look-back window of 365 days, and a list of specific ASINs.
One distinction matters before you write anything: inauthentic is not counterfeit. Inauthentic = Amazon cannot verify where your goods came from. Counterfeit = a rights owner has formally accused you of selling fakes — that's an intellectual property complaint, and it follows a different appeal path with different evidence. If your notice names a rights owner or a complaint ID, you're not in an inauthentic case.
The only thing the reviewer is checking
Amazon's reviewer evaluates one question: can your supply chain be verified? Concretely:
- The supplier on your invoices really exists — Amazon may call the phone number on the document to check.
- The quantities you purchased cover the quantities you sold.
- The purchase dates cover the period of the complaints.
Everything else is commentary. The POA is the cover letter for your invoice package — if the invoices don't qualify, no writing can save the case; if they do, the POA's job is to make the reviewer's yes easy.
Invoice requirements — the hard gates
These are pass/fail. Check every one before you submit:
- Full-page original scans. No cropped corners, no partial screenshots, no edits of any kind.
- Supplier identity on the document: name, address, phone number, website — enough for Amazon to verify the supplier independently.
- Coverage: the last 365 days, quantities that match your sales volume, and line items that correspond to the ASINs in the notice.
- Clean file naming helps the reviewer connect documents to your case, e.g.
SellerID_Invoice_SupplierName_Date.pdf.
Automatic rejections:
- ❌ Retail receipts (Target, Walmart, Costco checkout receipts) — these are not invoices. Submitting them is a standard rejection.
- ❌ Edited or photoshopped invoices — this converts a policy problem into a fraud problem. A doctored document ends the case, permanently.
The three-part POA, section by section
Amazon expects appeals in the three-part structure from its own published guidelines: root cause, corrective actions, preventive measures. For an inauthentic case, each part has a specific job:
- Part 1 — Root cause. Name the specific gap in your sourcing process — not a misunderstanding, not bad luck. Reference the ASINs and the policy language from your notice. Example of the register the reviewer expects: "The complaint was triggered because our records did not include supplier invoices that Amazon could verify for the affected ASINs."
- Part 2 — Corrective actions. Only things already done, in past tense, with dates: removed the affected ASINs, contacted the supplier for complete invoices, refunded affected buyers, stopped selling any inventory you can't trace.
- Part 3 — Preventive measures. The system that stops a repeat: a supplier vetting process (buy only from authorized distributors or the brand itself), invoice retention for 365+ days, a pre-listing supply-chain check — each with an owner and a record it leaves. Example: "Effective July 10, we source these products exclusively from [Supplier], an authorized distributor, and retain all invoices for a minimum of 365 days."
Keep it short — one to two pages, bullet points over paragraphs, your Seller ID and Case ID at the top. Reviewers process high volumes; clear and concise wins.
Not sure your notice is really an inauthentic case?
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Wording that kills inauthentic appeals
- "Our products are 100% genuine." Protesting authenticity misses the point — the case is about verifiable records, not your sincerity.
- Blaming buyers for malicious complaints. The reviewer only cares about what you control.
- Generic template language. Every sentence should carry your specifics: ASINs, supplier names, dates, quantities. Amazon's own POA guide lists copying a template as an explicit DON'T.
- Future promises. "We will improve our sourcing" is the standard failure phrase — corrective actions must already be done, with dates.
If Amazon rejects your appeal
Rejections in inauthentic cases usually mean one of two things: the invoices didn't qualify, or the root cause was written too shallow. The fix is substantive, not cosmetic:
- Add or replace invoices — from a supplier Amazon can actually verify. If your current supplier can't produce proper documents, that's the real problem to solve.
- Rewrite the root cause from "there was a misunderstanding" into the specific process gap that let unverifiable inventory get listed.
Resubmitting the same letter is close to guaranteed failure, and every failed appeal costs credibility with the review team.
The honest part: if you have no invoices and cannot get them, that is a hard gate — a document tool can't fix it, and neither can a $1,500 agency. Before spending anything on an appeal, work on getting verifiable documents from a real supplier. If your notice suggests your case can't be saved, the decoder tells you that too.
Questions sellers ask
Can I use retail receipts from Target, Walmart or Costco as invoices?
No. Retail receipts are not invoices and submitting them in an inauthentic case is a standard reason for rejection. Amazon wants supplier invoices it can verify — with the supplier's name, address, phone number and website on the document.
Does a well-written POA matter if my invoices are weak?
The invoice package decides an inauthentic case; the POA is the explanation that goes with it. If your invoices don't meet Amazon's requirements, no wording will compensate. Fix the invoices first — for example by asking a verifiable supplier to reissue proper documents — then submit the POA.
What is the difference between inauthentic and counterfeit?
Inauthentic means Amazon cannot verify your supply chain — no rights owner has accused you of anything. Counterfeit is an intellectual property complaint from a rights owner and follows a different appeal path with different evidence.
What should I change if my inauthentic appeal is rejected?
Rejections usually point to unqualified invoices or a root cause written too vaguely. Change the substance: add or replace invoices from a verifiable supplier, and rewrite the root cause as a specific process gap rather than a misunderstanding. Resubmitting the same letter is almost guaranteed to fail.
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