SELLING BEHAVIOURS THAT CAN LEAD TO SHOP PENALTIES AND ACCOUNT SUSPENSION

SELLING BEHAVIOURS THAT CAN LEAD TO SHOP PENALTIES AND ACCOUNT SUSPENSION

Besides reviewing listing content, e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and TikTok Shop have automated tools that monitor your selling behaviour.

Many shop owners wonder why their accounts face feature restrictions, blocked withdrawals or permanent closure even though they have not listed problematic products. Most such cases stem from poor operational habits or excessive use of rule-bending tactics.

Below are dangerous practices you need to stop immediately to protect your seller account.

1. Placing orders yourself or hiring people to place fake orders for reviews (Manipulated Orders)

To build credibility for a new shop, some people create secondary accounts or hire external services to buy products and leave 5-star reviews. Marketplace systems can easily detect this through IP addresses, login devices and unusual purchasing behaviour.

• Consequences: All products with artificially boosted orders will be removed, funds in the shop's wallet may be frozen, and the account may be permanently closed for fraud.

2. Allowing excessive cancellation and late-shipping rates

E-commerce marketplaces assess store quality based on the buyer experience. If your shop frequently cancels customers' orders because items are out of stock, or takes so long to prepare orders that couriers cannot collect them on time, the system will automatically impose monetary penalties or penalty points (Shopee Penalty Points).

• How to fix it: Keep marketplace stock quantities aligned with actual inventory and have packing staff ready to hand orders to couriers within 24 hours of receiving them.

3. Renaming an existing product as a completely different product

To take advantage of an old, out-of-stock product's existing 5-star reviews and sales history, some shops remove its images and replace them with the images and name of a completely different product. This is considered customer deception and a serious violation of marketplace rules.

• The right approach: When selling a new product, create a completely new listing. Do not let reluctance to lose the old sales count put your entire store at risk.

4. Violations during livestreams or video creation on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop has particularly strict rules for livestreams and videos. If you replay an old livestream (re-stream), leave the screen empty with no one interacting for too long, or show children in a livestream without an accompanying adult, your channel's livestream will be stopped and receive a warning strike immediately.

• The right approach: Always broadcast live, with a person speaking and continuously interacting with viewers, in compliance with the platform's community standards.

CONCLUSION

Selling on an e-commerce marketplace is like renting premises in a large shopping centre: you must follow the management's rules. Understanding those rules and operating honestly and transparently is the shortest and safest route for a business to maintain sales and avoid unfortunate legal and financial risks.