[yyyk]

>I've been wanting to take them to court over it; but most lawyers have quoted me at the process costing ~$8-9k; which, I'm terrified to be on the hook for if I lose.

You could try to crowdfund a lawsuit (promise to donate the crowdfunding to a charity if you win and get costs). I suspect more than a few Sellers would like to get back at Amazon.

[nikkwong]

That's an interesting idea. However, I am terrified that if I do show up in court and do lose for whatever reason, then I will forever lose my chance at recuperating the funds. Maybe someday, they will realize that banning me was an error or the laws will change, and the decision will be reversed and the funds will be disbursed to me. I don't want to do something dumb and lose that opportunity. I've actually had a successful crowdfunding campaign in the past, but I do feel like raising money for something like this would just be shouting at a wall.

[yyyk]

IMHO, even if the rules do change someday, it's not likely Amazon would return the money: it's an administrative burden going over old records of Sellers that might not even be alive anymore, and which boss which like to make his department look worse in the financial reports just to refund some Seller which must have forgot about their money?

It's much more likely Amazon will return the money if the ban is undone, after all, undoing it is basically admitting wrongdoing. However they haven't done it so far; Perhaps they feel they were right to ban you?

Well, it's easy for me to suggest action when I won't have to do the work. It's your money after all. I hope whatever you choose will work for you.

[nikkwong]

Well, I have a lot of records (screenshots in the app, downloaded reports, etc); and I am paying attention closely to the news around antitrust and other items affecting amazon sellers so I believe I'd know if something were to change here.

I don't think they feel right or wrong. I have talked to multiple customer support agents who have told me that I will get the money; or that they want to help me get it, but they have to forward it to X team and that team has to forward it to Y team and then nothing just ever gets done because somewhere down the line a team stops following through or whatever.

They don't feel any way about it. They are simply indifferent. It's a deal so insignificant to them that they don't even notice it even though it's been the #1 or #2 (next to my job) the center of attention for me over the last year.

[Retric]

You are limited in how far back you can sue for damages. Running out of time is vastly more likely than Amazon to suddenly decide to hand you 24k.

[scrollaway]

Did you do the "cheap" first step? Which is to say: pay a lawyer $300 to write a threatening letter, asking for the ban to be undone and immediate return of the funds.