seller
- What changed
- Contacting third-party sellers through Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging
- When
- Updated October 2026
- Who it affects
- Amazon shoppers, and the sellers who answer them
- What to do
- Use Your Orders or the seller page, and keep all messages inside Amazon
Key takeaways
- Before buying: seller name, then Ask a question. After buying: Your Orders, then the matching option.
- Replies live in Message Center under Buyer/Seller Messages; keep all contact there.
- No reply in 48 hours? Check whether the A-to-z Guarantee covers your order.
- 1Before you buy
Seller name, Ask a question
- 2After you buy
Your Orders, pick the issue
- 3Send
Add photos up to 10 MB
- 4Read replies
Message Center, Buyer/Seller tab
- 5No reply in 48h
Check the A-to-z Guarantee
First, check whether you need the seller or Amazon
Only third-party sellers who handle their own customer service need a direct message. If the listing is Prime eligible, ships from Amazon or the seller uses Customer Service by Amazon, Amazon's own support team handles questions and problems, and you will usually be routed there automatically.
Look at the Ships from and Sold by lines on the product page or in your order details. If both name a third-party seller, message the seller.
- Ships from and sold by a seller: message the seller
- Ships from Amazon or Prime: Amazon Customer Service
- Not sure: start in Your Orders and follow the prompts
How to message a seller before you order
Pre-sale questions are useful for compatibility, sizing, bundle contents or shipping times. Amazon routes them through a chat-style assistant that can sometimes answer from the listing before the question reaches the seller.
- Open the product detail page
- Select the seller's name under Sold by
- Select Ask a question
- Type your question in the Seller Messaging Assistant chat
- Watch Message Center for the reply
How to message a seller after you order
For an existing order, Amazon wants you to start from the order, so the message is tied to it. The options you see depend on the order type and delivery status.
- Go to Your Orders
- Find the third-party item
- Choose the option that fits: Problem with order, Get product support, Return items or Ask Product Question
- Follow the prompts until the option to email the seller appears
- Describe the issue and attach photos if needed
- Check Message Center, Buyer/Seller Messages, for the reply
| Before ordering | After ordering | |
|---|---|---|
| Start on the product page | ||
| Start in Your Orders | ||
| Seller Messaging Assistant chat | ||
| Tied to an order number | ||
| Counts for A-to-z claims |
Prime and Amazon-shipped orders route to Amazon Customer Service.
Where seller replies appear
All correspondence sits in Message Center under the Buyer/Seller Messages tab, where you can read past messages, reply and send attachments. Amazon accepts PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG and XML files, and a message cannot exceed 10 MB including attachments.
Amazon may strip email addresses and links to untrusted sites from messages. That protects both sides from phishing, so be wary of any seller who asks you to move the conversation off Amazon.
Why you should keep messages on Amazon
Amazon's help page recommends using the messaging service even if you have other contact details for the seller. Messages are filtered for spam and phishing, and Amazon keeps a copy of every message. That record is what Amazon checks if you later file an A-to-z Guarantee claim, so a phone call or outside email does not count as contacting the seller.
What to include in your message
A clear first message gets a faster fix and gives you a better record if you need Amazon to step in later. Sellers often handle hundreds of messages a day, so put the facts they need in the first two lines rather than in a long story.
Be specific about the outcome you want. A seller can act on a request for a replacement, a refund or a return label much faster than on a general complaint.
- Your order number and the item name
- What is wrong, in one or two sentences
- Photos of damage, the wrong item or the label
- What you want: replacement, refund or return label
- Any deadline, such as a gift date
What if the seller does not respond?
Amazon says sellers usually respond within 48 hours. If two days pass without a reply or a fix, check whether your order qualifies for the A-to-z Guarantee, which lets Amazon step in and refund you. For returns, the step-by-step return guide explains what happens when a seller does not authorize a return, and our lost package guide covers missing deliveries.
- Wait 48 hours after your first message
- Keep everything in Buyer/Seller Messages
- Then request an A-to-z refund from Your Orders
Can you stop sellers from messaging you?
Yes, for marketing. You can opt out of unsolicited messages from third-party sellers by changing your promotional email settings under Email Preferences. You will still receive messages about your orders, such as shipping confirmations and replies to your questions.
For sellers: answering buyer messages well
Buyer messages are part of account health. Slow replies lead to A-to-z claims and negative feedback, both of which count toward Order Defect Rate. Aim to reply well inside 24 hours, including weekends, and use templates for common questions so answers are fast and consistent.
Amazon's communication rules limit what sellers can send: no marketing, no external links and no requests for positive reviews. Our Amazon seller feedback guide covers what is allowed, and PPC Spider's catalog and account health service monitors message response times and account health daily. To see where your account stands, request a free Amazon audit.
Sources
- Amazon: Contact a Third-Party Seller (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GLC8ZMBWMBTR6QZZ)
- Amazon: The Buyer-Seller Messaging Service (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G3JQ9V9LQ8FFMR7W)
- Amazon: A-to-z Guarantee (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GQ37ZCNECJKTFYQV)
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