Seeing another seller selling under your ASIN can be alarming, especially when you own the brand, created the listing and have built the sales history and reviews.
But an unfamiliar seller appearing under an ASIN is not automatically a listing hijacking or intellectual-property violation.
Amazon’s own seller guidance makes an important distinction: Amazon is an open marketplace, and another seller can legitimately offer the same product on an existing ASIN. The problem arises when the seller’s product does not match the product represented by the ASIN, is counterfeit, or when the seller has incorrectly changed protected product information.
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What Is an Amazon Listing Hijacker?
“Listing hijacker” is a seller term, not a category Amazon uses to describe every third-party offer.
In practical terms, sellers generally use the term when another seller offers a product against an existing ASIN and the seller believes that the offer is not legitimate.
That can include situations where:
- the seller is offering a counterfeit product
- the product does not match the product represented by the ASIN
- the seller is incorrectly altering product or brand information
- the seller is using a listing for a product they do not actually sell
Amazon’s own Community Manager guidance says that a seller offering an item on an ASIN is allowed when the product being sold accurately represents the ASIN. If the seller’s product is counterfeit or otherwise does not match the listing, Amazon directs sellers to its infringement and Brand Registry processes.
Read more: Amazon Catalog Contribution and Brand Registry Roles
Another Seller on Your ASIN Is Not Automatically Doing Something Wrong
Amazon’s marketplace allows multiple sellers to offer the same product against the same ASIN.
So seeing:
Your Brand → ASIN → Your Offer + Another Seller’s Offer
does not, by itself, establish infringement.
The first question is:
Is the other seller actually selling the same product represented by the ASIN?
If the answer is yes, simply being another seller on the ASIN does not necessarily give you grounds to remove that offer.
Amazon has explicitly stated that sellers can list items on an existing ASIN as long as the intellectual property accurately represents the product being sold and the product has not been illegally reproduced.
This is why “unauthorized seller” and “counterfeit seller” should not automatically be treated as the same thing.
When a Third-Party Offer Becomes a Real Problem
There are several situations that deserve closer investigation.
The Product Is Counterfeit
The seller claims to be selling your product but the item is not genuine.
Amazon treats counterfeiting as an intellectual-property issue and provides Brand Registry and other reporting tools for rights owners.
The Product Does Not Match the ASIN
The seller may be using an existing ASIN for a different or incompatible product.
Amazon’s seller guidance says that when a seller’s actual product is not the same product represented by the listing, that can be reported through the appropriate infringement process.
The Listing Information Has Been Improperly Changed
Amazon’s seller guidance describes listing hijacking as circumstances where sellers make incorrect changes to listing information, such as the brand name.
These are materially different from simply having another legitimate seller compete for the same ASIN.
Read more: Amazon Brand Registry Australia Rejected
Amazon Seller Roles Can Affect Catalog Contribution
Amazon has publicly discussed the relationship between Brand Registry roles and catalog contribution priority.
In an Amazon Seller Central discussion, a brand owner reported that an external reseller with the Brand Representative role was appearing as the Brand Contributor and ranking above the brand owner. An Amazon Community Manager advised the brand administrator to change the reseller’s role to Authorized Reseller, stating that this would “adjust their catalog contribution priority to the appropriate level for an external reseller.”
This provides public evidence that a seller’s Brand Registry role can affect catalog contribution priority.
Amazon Seller Central — Brand Representative vs. Authorized Reseller
Why Sellers Often Notice the Problem When They Lose the Featured Offer
The most visible symptom is often not the seller appearing under the ASIN.
It is the Featured Offer changing.
A brand owner may have:
- Strong sales
- High review count
- A long selling history
- Prime eligibility
and still find another seller occupying the Featured Offer position.
That does not automatically mean Amazon has accepted a counterfeit seller.
Featured Offer selection is a marketplace offer decision. A competing seller can win the Featured Offer if Amazon considers that offer more competitive based on factors relevant to the customer experience.
So there are two separate questions:
Is this seller legitimate?
and
Why did this seller receive the Featured Offer?
They should be investigated separately.
Losing the Featured Offer Does Not Prove a Seller Is a Hijacker
A third-party offer can be legitimate and still compete for the Featured Offer.
Amazon’s Featured Offer system evaluates offers based on factors including competitive pricing, delivery speed and seller performance.
Therefore:
You lost the Featured Offer
does not automatically mean:
Someone hijacked your listing.
Before filing an intellectual-property complaint, establish what the seller is actually offering.
Check the Product Before Reporting the Seller
If the seller appears suspicious, start with evidence.
Amazon itself recommends conducting a test buy when a brand owner suspects a product is counterfeit and wants to use Project Zero or other enforcement mechanisms.
A test buy can help establish:
- What product was actually shipped
- Whether the item is genuine
- Whether packaging matches the authentic product
- Whether serialisation or identifying marks are present
- Whether the seller supplied the product described by the ASIN
For serious counterfeit claims, this is substantially stronger evidence than simply taking a screenshot of the seller’s offer.
What Evidence Should You Keep?
Build an evidence file before submitting a report.
Keep:
- ASIN
- Seller name
- Seller profile information
- Offer screenshot
- Product-page screenshots
- Price
- Date and time
- Order ID, if you completed a test purchase
- Photos of the received product
- Packaging photographs
- Serial numbers or other identifying information
- Proof of trademark ownership
- Proof of product authenticity
- Evidence showing how the seller’s product differs from the authentic product
Amazon’s reporting systems ask for evidence supporting the alleged violation, and Amazon’s guidance emphasizes accurate submissions.
Brand Registry Gives Brand Owners Additional Tools
Amazon Brand Registry provides registered brands with additional intellectual-property protection tools.
Amazon says Brand Registry uses automated protections and machine learning to help prevent inaccurate product information, counterfeits, fraud and abuse. It also gives enrolled brands access to tools for reporting violations.
In July 2026, Amazon introduced an updated Report a Violation experience within Brand Registry.
The new system brings:
- IP infringement
- Store policy violations
- Regulatory compliance concerns
into one guided reporting experience.
Amazon also added a Submission History area so brands can track the status and outcome of reports.
For brands dealing with repeated infringement problems, this gives a more structured reporting process than opening unrelated support cases for every incident.
Read more: Amazon CEPI and Featured Offer Problems
What If You Are Not Enrolled in Brand Registry?
Amazon says rights owners who are not enrolled in Brand Registry can submit suspected infringement through its Report Infringement form.
That means Brand Registry is not the only route for reporting intellectual-property violations.
However, Brand Registry provides additional protection and reporting tools, so brand owners should understand the distinction between:
being the IP owner
and
having Brand Registry protection tools available.
Project Zero Is Different From a Normal Infringement Report
Amazon’s Project Zero provides eligible Brand Registry brands with a self-service tool for removing counterfeit listings.
Amazon says participating brands can search for suspected counterfeit listings and immediately remove them from Amazon stores. It also recommends completing a test buy to confirm the suspected violation before using the removal tool.
Project Zero is specifically about counterfeits.
It should not be treated as a general tool for removing every third-party seller you do not want competing on an ASIN.
An Unauthorized Seller Is Not Automatically a Counterfeit Seller
This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding listing hijacking.
A manufacturer may have an exclusive distribution agreement with a particular retailer or distributor.
That does not automatically mean Amazon will enforce the agreement.
Amazon has explicitly stated that violations of exclusive distribution agreements are generally matters between the manufacturer and retailers and do not, by themselves, constitute intellectual-property infringement.
So:
Unauthorized by you
is not necessarily the same as:
Counterfeit
or:
IP infringement
The enforcement route depends on what the seller is actually doing.
What If the Seller Is Selling Genuine Product?
This is a very different situation.
A seller may be:
- Genuine
- Authorized through another distribution channel
- Purchasing legitimate inventory from a wholesaler
- Reselling authentic products
and still compete against you on the same ASIN.
The fact that you manufacture or own the brand does not automatically mean another seller cannot sell the same authentic product on Amazon.
Amazon’s marketplace guidance explicitly recognizes this difference.
That is why evidence should come before the complaint.
What If the Other Seller Changed Your Listing?
This is more specific.
Amazon’s own guidance describes listing hijacking as making incorrect changes to a listing, such as changing the brand name.
If the product information has been changed incorrectly, document:
- What the listing said before
- What changed
- Who made the change, if identifiable
- Why the new information is inaccurate
- What evidence proves the correct information
Then use the appropriate Amazon reporting channel.
Do not assume that simply being another seller on the ASIN gives you proof of catalogue manipulation.
Don’t Report the Seller as a Counterfeit Without Evidence
This is important because the reporting category needs to match the actual problem.
If the seller is genuinely offering your product, but you simply do not want them selling it, that is not the same claim as:
counterfeit
or
trademark infringement
or
catalogue abuse
Amazon provides different reporting mechanisms because these are different types of problems.
The stronger the evidence and the more accurately you describe the violation, the more useful the report is to Amazon’s investigation process.
A Practical Checklist When Someone Appears Under Your ASIN
Step 1: Identify the Seller
Record the seller name and offer details.
Step 2: Check the Product
Determine whether the seller appears to be offering the same product represented by the ASIN.
Step 3: Check the Listing
Look for incorrect changes to brand, product or catalogue information.
Step 4: Check the Featured Offer
Determine whether the other seller has actually taken the Featured Offer or is simply another offer.
Step 5: Document Everything
Take screenshots and preserve dates, offer details and relevant product information.
Step 6: Test Buy When Appropriate
Amazon recommends test purchases for confirming suspected counterfeit products in relevant Brand Registry enforcement workflows.
Step 7: Select the Correct Reporting Route
For Brand Registry users, Amazon’s Report a Violation tool now consolidates IP and certain other violation reporting. Rights owners without Brand Registry can use the Report Infringement process.
Get a Free Amazon Listing Audit
Seeing an unfamiliar seller on your ASIN or suddenly losing the Featured Offer?
Alisterr offers a free Amazon Listing Audit to help you review the ASIN, seller offers, pricing, listing information and evidence you should document before taking the next step.
Request Your Free Amazon Listing Audit
References
- Amazon — Report brand violations faster with one guided experience
https://sell.amazon.com/blog/announcements/report-a-violation - Amazon — How to report a violation to Amazon
https://sell.amazon.com/blog/report-a-violation-to-amazon - Amazon Seller Central — Need Help in removing unauthorized sellers Hijackers from multiple listings
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/2acabfd9-0adb-40b8-99f3-a9737334ff8e - Amazon Seller Central — Chinese Hijackers able to sell my whole catalogue with no authorisation
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/b396eaa7-ee89-4771-8ab0-d2c1d5cd892e - Amazon — Project Zero
https://sell.amazon.com/brand-registry/project-zero - Amazon Seller Central — How to Report a Violation through Amazon Brand Registry
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/23896e20-2dfb-4d92-be83-6999477ccaa6 - Amazon Seller Central — Scamming sellers from India keep listing under our ASIN
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/db26cb74-d1eb-446e-8f8b-fa90e021a3f0
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