Amazon Product Images - Anyone Been Banned?

I have been building out an amazon site for the last month and am still confused on the issue of amazon images. Many of the top sites are using images directly from amazon. Has anyone's account actually been banned from using images from amazon?

If reviewing a product can we go to the manufacturer website and use a screen shot and upload the image to our server and use this? This seems to be a big grey area.

I was wondering about this recently. It seems like different rules for the big boys as I notice a lot of the larger sites which conceal links behind genius links etc. also which I thought was a no no? I've heard rumours of sites being banned for this.

I don't think there is anything to say you can't use manufacturer pics on an Amazon affiliate site. I wouldn't be surprised though if it was frowned upon though as technically you are not showing the image of the exact item on Amazon?

I have played it safe on my site and just linked to the images directly off Amazon. There can be no argument then (in theory!).

never download images. that will get you banned.

PassiveJ said:

I was wondering about this recently. It seems like different rules for the big boys as I notice a lot of the larger sites which conceal links behind genius links etc. also which I thought was a no no? I've heard rumours of sites being banned for this.

I don't think there is anything to say you can't use manufacturer pics on an Amazon affiliate site. I wouldn't be surprised though if it was frowned upon though as technically you are not showing the image of the exact item on Amazon?

I have played it safe on my site and just linked to the images directly off Amazon. There can be no argument then (in theory!).

Click to expand...

This is what i am doing. Are you just copying the image html that amazon provides you and inserting it into your code to make the image appear? People say that you can bring the photos in using the amazon api, do you know anything about that?

Use API and you'll be fine.

I am using many images downloaded directly from Amazon and they have not banned me yet kaka. Just fine to do so. Anyone banned?

You have to use their API for the images and to be perfectly safe, give them credit. As in "source: amazon.com" etc. That's bulletproof. Plus, I have this info directly from support (not that it matters that much).

as others mentioned just use their api to get the photos on your websites. downloading their images/saving them on your server isnt allowed

what do you guys mean by use their api for images?

i have a website with lot's of images from amazon so and i had downloaded them from google and used them in my posts

Me, me, me! I got banned, after getting a few sales, for downloading images. They told me that I need to use their images, well, their code for the image. That's what I did and it was all good then.

lifehero said:

I have been building out an amazon site for the last month and am still confused on the issue of amazon images. Many of the top sites are using images directly from amazon. Has anyone's account actually been banned from using images from amazon?

Click to expand...

Not to my knowlege, but I know a few people who didn't have their accounts approved after they made their first 3 sales. Amazon just told them that they aren't accepted because they are hosting Amazon images on their servers.

PassiveJ said:

I was wondering about this recently. It seems like different rules for the big boys as I notice a lot of the larger sites which conceal links behind genius links etc. also which I thought was a no no? I've heard rumours of sites being banned for this.

Click to expand...

Geni.us should be safe and here's why.

PassiveJ said:

I don't think there is anything to say you can't use manufacturer pics on an Amazon affiliate site. I wouldn't be surprised though if it was frowned upon though as technically you are not showing the image of the exact item on Amazon?

I have played it safe on my site and just linked to the images directly off Amazon. There can be no argument then (in theory!).

Click to expand...

I was told that using embeded images with links via SiteStripe is the only way to go. Simply using product image on Amazon.com as a source isn't enough.

The bottom line is, I'm still hosting Amazon product images and linking to Amazon with them. A few years ago they weren't so strict about this and I haven't met an old Amazon affiliate who got his account terminated because of that.

I just use their api, been doing fine.

lifehero said:

This is what i am doing. Are you just copying the image html that amazon provides you and inserting it into your code to make the image appear? People say that you can bring the photos in using the amazon api, do you know anything about that?

Click to expand...

I don't know the first thing about using Amazon API tbh, I've just been linking to the image URL but amending it slightly so it displays as the correct size.

DEFINE said:

Me, me, me! I got banned, after getting a few sales, for downloading images. They told me that I need to use their images, well, their code for the image. That's what I did and it was all good then.

Click to expand...

When you say you use the code what do you mean? The image URL?

mqsss said:

Geni.us should be safe and here's why.

Click to expand...

That's good to know as I find OneLink a bit hit and miss and much prefer Genius. I'm glad Amazon are allowing this. Thanks for the link.

DEFINE said:

Me, me, me! I got banned, after getting a few sales, for downloading images. They told me that I need to use their images, well, their code for the image. That's what I did and it was all good then.

Click to expand...

So your account actually got banned? Did they lift your ban and let you reopen that same account? or open a new one?

PassiveJ said:

I was wondering about this recently. It seems like different rules for the big boys as I notice a lot of the larger sites which conceal links behind genius links etc. also which I thought was a no no? I've heard rumours of sites being banned for this.

I don't think there is anything to say you can't use manufacturer pics on an Amazon affiliate site. I wouldn't be surprised though if it was frowned upon though as technically you are not showing the image of the exact item on Amazon?

I have played it safe on my site and just linked to the images directly off Amazon. There can be no argument then (in theory!).

Click to expand...

Yep! I've heard the same thing. Apparently, the big boys can get away with anything. It's sad really, but I guess that's just how the world works.

I am not sure why someone got banned from Amazon. I am doing for almost a year now. Nothing happen yet. Maybe I am lucky!

What's this about an API for images? Will someone please point me to a guide on this?

Personally I've been using products downloaded from Amazon and never had a problem with it. Though it seems very unlikely you'll get a ban, I'd reccomend that you use their API. If Amazon do contact me to change my images to their API then I will.

Asked them many years ago. Said I can "reup" them. But only to associated websites registered

PassiveJ said:

I don't know the first thing about using Amazon API tbh, I've just been linking to the image URL but amending it slightly so it displays as the correct size.



When you say you use the code what do you mean? The image URL?



That's good to know as I find OneLink a bit hit and miss and much prefer Genius. I'm glad Amazon are allowing this. Thanks for the link.

Click to expand...

Not the image URL, the whole code you get. Login to your affiliate dashboard, search for a product, go to a product page and you will see the affiliate top bar. You will see link, image, and text+image. Click on the image and copy the HTML code they provided you with. Paste it on your website and that's it. I didn't try using only the URL, but you can ask them.

lifehero said:

So your account actually got banned? Did they lift your ban and let you reopen that same account? or open a new one?

Click to expand...

Yes, and the reason was I didn't properly use images (downloading and uploading to your website is a no-no). They told me that I need to use the code provided by them for the images. That's what I did and I applied with the same email and after getting a sale, the review was good and my account was approved.