I’ve been selling the same product for over 2 years. Brand Registry, R mark, all that jazz.
Recently I found a competitor selling the exact same product. 5 images total — 3 of them are literally mine. Same exact photos — just copied & pasted, no effort at all. Also FBA. Their price is several dollars lower.
A few months ago they were barely selling. Now? Their listing passed mine in rank. I finally decided to do something about it.
I have the “weapon” — R mark, Brand Registry, the Report a Violation tool. Filled out the complaint already, but I’m stuck on the submit button.
Here’s why I’m chickening out:
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I have 600+ units in FBA.
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If I report them, they’ll 100% know it’s me — who else cares about image theft this much?
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If they get their listing removed, they lose their FBA inventory. That’s a lot of money for them.
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I’m low-key terrified they’ll retaliate — hijack my listing, flood me with fake 1-star reviews, file false complaints against my account. I’ve seen how nasty some sellers can be.
I know the right thing is to report them. They stole my work. But this is my only store. If they nuke my listing, I’m out 600 units and years of work.
I’ve watched the black-hat service ads for years. As a legit seller, I feel like we’re forced to stay quiet and take the hit just to survive. Legit sellers get pushed around while the scammers run wild. It’s frustrating as hell.
So… what would you do? Report or wait? Any advice from sellers who’ve been through this?
Answers (10)
One option nobody mentioned: use a third‑party enforcement service like RedPoints or OpSec. These companies manage IP complaints for you. They have dedicated legal teams and direct channels to Amazon. If the hijacker files a DMCA counter‑notice, the service handles the response (or escalates legally). You don’t expose your brand directly. It costs money, but for a product you‘ve invested 2 years in, it’s worth it. I‘ve used one. They removed 12 hijackers in 3 months. Zero blowback to my brand.
The “600 units in FBA” is not a deterrent. I’ve seen hijackers with thousands of units keep stealing and reselling after being reported. They don‘t care about their own inventory — they care about hurting you. The real question isn’t “how much inventory do they have?” It‘s “will they retaliate?” And the answer is: you can’t know. Some will. Some won’t. If you‘re this scared, your real move isn’t to stay quiet — it‘s to reduce your exposure first. Run a sale. Liquidate down to 200 units. Then report. That way, even if they retaliate, your risk is smaller.
I’ve been in your exact shoes. 2 years of work, 500 units in FBA. I reported the hijacker. They filed a DMCA counter‑notice. Amazon reinstated their listing in 12 days. My complaint failed because I didn‘t have copyright registration — just my word that I took the photos. Now my brand is flagged for “abuse” and I can’t report anyone anymore. Don‘t make my mistake. If you don’t have copyright registration for those images, don‘t touch the report button yet. Go register them first. It costs ~$65 and takes a few weeks. Worth every penny.
First — report them. But do it the right way. Don‘t just click “Report a Violation” without evidence. Here’s why: if they file a DMCA counter‑notice (which they probably will), Amazon will reinstate their listing within 10 business days unless you file a federal lawsuit. Almost no seller does that. So your complaint could fail, and now you‘ve shown your hand. Instead, gather ironclad proof first: original image files with metadata/timestamps, screenshots of your listing with upload dates, comparison showing they copied you. If you can, do a Test Buy — an order ID makes your complaint much stronger. Then report. Without that, you’re gambling with brand abuse flags.