In this article, we will discuss several ways Amazon Flex drivers can attempt to get their account reactivated.
Photo of an Amazon Flex worker scanning an item for shipping and delivery.
Amazon Flex provides some of the best pay and benefits for gig workers out there. So if you get deactivated from their platform, it can shake your world. Luckily, there are several routes you can take to get your account back. Firstly, Driverly offers Reactivation Services to help drivers get their accounts back through their Driverly Premium Membership.
Driverly helps drivers who have been deactivated by Uber, Lyft, Amazon Flex, Instacart, PostMates, GrubHub, and many of the major gig apps.
There are plenty of other options you can take as well. So let's get into it!
Everyone in the gig app community has accepted that it is common for people to get deactivated suddenly and for no apparent reason. However, Amazon Flex in particular is known for banning their independent contractors because of their strict criteria that they enforce in order to be a driver for them.
We wanted to create a list of ways drivers have gotten suspended so that you will hopefully learn from their mistakes!
For those of you that have already gotten deactivated on the Amazon Flex platform, we will also be discussing how you can get reactivated!
How to know your account was deactivated
Unfortunately Amazon Flex does not always give a straight answer to why they decided to block your account.
For the lucky ones, they get an email explaining to them the reasons that their account was banned. But more likely you won't get any sort of notification and the only reason you will realize something is wrong is when you won't be able to access your Amazon Flex app.
If you cannot login to your account, it is safe to assume that you probably got deactivated.
To confirm that your account is really banned and you aren't going through a technical issue, we recommend calling the Amazon Flex support team. Amazon Flex has great customer representatives and they should be able to tell you if you are indeed deactivated.
At this point you might want to to appeal the decision. It will help tremendously if you can figure out the reason why your account was disabled.
Here are some common reasons why Amazon Flex drivers have gotten their account banned.
Reasons for getting your account deactivated
1. Missing Assigned Blocks
Amazon Flex does not explicitly state the set number of blocks you can miss before getting deactivated but they do give you a warning email after you miss your first block. Any missed blocks after that can be possible reason to ban your account.
Keep in mind Amazon Flex lets you cancel a block as long as you let it go at least 45 minutes before your start time. If you do not cancel it within this time, it is counted as a missed block.
For blocks that are accepted in that 45 minute time period, you are given 5 minutes to cancel it.
2. Late Deliveries
You will be penalized if you acquire a high number of late deliveries.
There are times where you will be late because of reasons outside of your control. When this happens, call Amazon Flex customer support right away to explain the situation to them. T
They may be able to have the incident removed from your account so you will not be penalized.
Again, Amazon Flex does not tell you how many late deliveries you can make before they ban your account so you just need to make sure you try your hardest to get your deliveries made on time.
You can check yours standings at any time on the Amazon Flex app.
3. Inappropriate Conduct
Any form of harassment, violence or discrimination is not tolerated by Amazon Flex.
These acts are not allowed toward any Amazon employee, customer, or other businesses and people that are encountered while working.
Amazon Flex has a strict policy in regards to any form of harassment so if your account is deactivated for those reasons, it could be difficult to get it reactivated.
It is best to always stay polite and professional when you are in the workplace.
4. Driving Under the Influence
Amazon Flex has a zero tolerance policy toward drinking alcohol or consuming drugs.
Amazon Flex encourages it's employees to report any suspicious behavior in regards to being under the influence. This means if you are suspected of either drinking or using drugs in any way while on the job, your account will be temporarily suspended.
Your account will be suspended until they determine whether or not you were actually under the influence. Until they come up with a decision, you will not be able to earn on the app.
If they find you guilty of being under the influence, you will be immediately be deactivated and unable to get your account restored.
5. Inactive for 6 Months or More
Amazon Flex has the right to deactivate any account that has not made at least one delivery in 6 months.
If your account is deactivated because of inactivity, you can reapply for the program again. You'll have to go through the entire registration process for a second time. For those who waited months to get invited to the platform, this can be an huge set back.
To avoid signing up for Amazon Flex a second time, shop at least once every six months.
6. Using Bots to get Blocks
The same as with apps like Instacart, for Amazon Flex your blocks can be determined by how fast you see and swipe. It can be annoying to constantly be missing blocks especially if you are in an area where blocks are already rare.
As a solution, many android users have used third party apps that help get blocks as soon as they appear on their phone.
While Amazon may not detect right away if you are using a bot to help get your blocks, they eventually will catch up to you.
The consequences of getting deactivated because you wanted some extra help is not worth the possibility of never working for Amazon Flex again.
7. Delivering with another person or friend
You can actually have a passenger in your vehicle as you work. That being said, Amazon prohibits that passenger to help you in away while working.
These are just a few things your passenger cannot do
interact with customers
help you with packages
drive your car
Violating any of these rules can result in deactivation.
8. Multiple Customer Complaints
Unhappy customers can be your downfall when you work for a gig app like Amazon Flex. The best way to make sure your customers are satisfied with your service is to communicate with them.
If you are going to be late for their delivery, it is wise to let them know. Even if it causes them any inconvenience, hopefully they will appreciate your communication.
Customers can also complain that some of their groceries are not in condition. This will happen if you have a smaller car that makes it hard to fit packages without putting them on top of each other. Let your customer know that this is the cause for the condition of the items and they might not give you a bad rating because you were honest with them.
9. Selfie Verification
Some Drivers have experienced getting deactivated after submitting their selfie verification. Amazon Flex asks for the selfie to verify who you are.
Apparently even if drivers take a great photo, the process has been known to mistakenly disable accounts.
To lower your changes of getting deactivated because of your selfie, make sure you are in good light and that you don't have anything covering your face.
10. Driving for other Gig Apps
A lot of delivery drivers try to use multiple apps at once so that they can make the most out of the time they are on the road.
Other apps may not have any restrictions against this but Amazon Flex clearly states that you are not allowed to drive for any other app while you are completing a block.
How to get your Amazon Flex account reactivated
One of the best ways Amazon Flex workers can attempt to get their account back is through Driverly. Driverly helps workers who have been unfairly deactivated by contacting Amazon for you with a professional letter. Driverly will work with you to get all of your information and communicated with Amazon to help you. While this isn't 100% guaranteed, this process has worked for many gig workers in the past. To learn more about Driverly Premium services, head to the Driverly home page.
While it may seem like Amazon Flex enjoys deactivating their drivers, they actually welcome appeal letters.
Your appeal letter should be sent to them by email. In that email you should address your case with as much specifics as possible. Include why you got deactivated and why you believe you deserve to be reactivated.
You should also include and screenshots, photos, and/or videos you may have. Because it can take Amazon awhile to respond back to you, you want to include everything you want to say in the email. The goal is to prevent as much back and forth emailing as possbile so that you will know as soon as possible if they can reactivate your account.
If you do not hear anything from Amazon Flex, it is likely that they did not see your email. If you still do not get a response after a few weeks, you should try emailing them again.
From the time Amazon actually let's you know that your account will be instated, it can take as little as a few hours to start earning again! It can also take a few days for the changes to be reflected on your app.
If you were deactivated a long time ago and you believe enough time has passed where you can reapply because they probably forgot about you, sadly you are mistaken. Amazon will recognize your social security number when you try to make another account.
Your best chance at working for Amazon again after getting deactivated is appealing their decision.