Unauthorized Sales Report 2025
How Marketplace Abuse is Costing Brands Revenue, Relationships, and Control
Executive summary
Unauthorized sellers have evolved from fringe disruptors to a persistent threat in today’s increasingly digital landscape. Operating across a diverse set of marketplaces, ranging from established players like Amazon to up-and-coming social commerce channels like TikTok Shop, these sellers undermine more than just pricing: they erode consumer trust, damage brand equity, and distort partner relationships.
admit they’re unsure whether they’ve lost the Amazon Buy Box.
cite the difficulty of simply pinpointing who these unauthorized sellers are as their biggest obstacle to action.
report meaningful harm to consumer trust.
Key Findings
Over 50% of brands report damage to consumer trust and partner relationships, underscoring that unauthorized sales weaken long-term brand equity, not just margins.
Without clear attribution, legal teams can’t act, and e-commerce teams are left guessing at what to do. This blind spot delays action and undermines confidence in enforcement strategies.
Because Amazon remains the dominant marketplace for most brands, even minor Buy Box disruptions or price undercutting can have outsized effects on performance.
Only 10% of brands are able to regain the Buy box within a day, while most require more than 4 days. For high-volume products, this delay can result in long-term loss of channel competitiveness
