Hijacker Defense 101: Keep Your Buy Box Safe from the Sharks

REAL TALK: They’re Coming for Your Buy Box

You do all the hard work:

• Find a killer product

• Nail the listing

• Run ads

• Climb the ranks

• Start making money…

Then BOOM.

You lose the Buy Box.
And you didn’t do a thing wrong.

Who stole it? A hijacker — probably reselling your product (or worse, a cheap counterfeit) under your listing.

Sound dramatic? Ask Jess.
She sells bamboo toothbrushes and learned the hard way that success attracts sharks.

🐢 Jess vs. The Hijacker

Jess had it all dialed in. She was selling an eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush under her own brand, "GreenGrin."

Then one day, she wakes up to this:

• Her Buy Box = gone

• Her price = undercut

• Her reviews = tanking

Some rando listed on her ASIN with fake versions of her product. Same photo. Same title. Just garbage quality.

Customers thought Jess sold them junk.
Her refund rate spiked. She panicked.

But Jess didn’t back down. She got smarter.

Here’s how she fought back — and how you can, too. 👇

🧱 The 5-Part Anti-Hijack Foundation

🥇 1. Get Brand Registered

This is your Amazon armor. You’ll need a live trademark (start that ASAP).

Why it matters:
Brand Registry gives you:

• Control over your listing

• Amazon's ears when you report violations

• Tools like “Report a Violation” and “Transparency” codes

👉 Use IP Accelerator if you want to fast-track it.

📦 2. Use Custom Branded Packaging

Don’t be generic.

Hijackers love listings that look like a dropshipper threw them together. Jess upgraded to custom boxes with her logo and colors — and uploaded those images to her listing.

Now? Any seller trying to match her has to match the packaging too. Game over.

🎥 3. Order the Hijacker’s Product & Gather Evidence

Yup. Go full Sherlock.

Jess ordered the fake toothbrush and documented:

• Unboxing video

• Photos of packaging differences

• Comparison with her real product

This let her file a rock-solid case with Amazon. The hijacker got the boot in under 48 hours.

🔔 4. Set Up Hijack Alerts

Jess installed a hijacker alert tool (AMZAlert and Helium 10 both work).

Now when someone jumps on her listing?
She gets a ping before they can steal more than a few sales.

It’s like having a security system for your product page. 📳

🚫 5. Don’t Assume Amazon Has Your Back

Look — Amazon’s marketplace is massive. They don’t babysit your listing.

You’ve got to:

• Monitor it

• Protect it

• Defend it

Think of it like your front lawn. If you don’t put up a fence, people will walk all over it.

🎯 THE BIG LESSON:

You don’t have to be the biggest fish. Just the hardest one to swallow.

Jess didn’t win by being aggressive — she won by being smart.

She built walls around her brand that made hijacking too much work.
And now? Her Buy Box is rock solid. Sales are back up. And she's sleeping easy again. 😴💰

💬 REPEAT AFTER ME:

“Protect the brand, protect the bag.”

🚀 Let’s Wrap This Up

If you’re not brand registered yet, get on it.
If your packaging is bland, fix it.
If hijackers are lurking, flush ‘em out.

You’re not just a seller — you’re a brand.
Own it.

🛡️ Jess got her Buy Box back. You can too.

✅ Save this for later 🔖
💌 Share it with your seller buddy who's getting hijacked
👇 Drop a comment if you’ve ever battled the sharks

Stay guarded, stay grinding, and keep the profits where they belong — in your pocket.

To your success,
Andy Splichal
Founder & Managing Partner of True Online Presence & Author of the Make Each Click Count Book Series

P.S. Overwhelmed by Amazon ads? I get it. Most sellers are throwing darts in the dark. If you want a pro in your corner running your PPC while you focus on growing your brand, let's hop on a call. 👉 Schedule your call here — we’ll see if it’s a fit 👊