Mechanical Turk Suspensions and General Speculation
- Thread starter Metallica
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No, but I've been around awhile and I've helped/supported others to get their acct back.
I think this is good advice.
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@Metallica might have a better handle on that. But it seems like in the last few years - yes, most have gotten t heir account back. (Before that, no). But when he gets here, maybe he'll know more than I 
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Note to any future users that need help:
I am not actively participating on this forum for the foreseeable future. I've added my email address to the main post, which you can use to contact me and I will do my best to help you.
I am not actively participating on this forum for the foreseeable future. I've added my email address to the main post, which you can use to contact me and I will do my best to help you.
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I removed my email from the main post due to a wonderful person harassing me for not helping them instantly.
Anyway, I touched base with the Amazon contacts that I have and they expressed no interest in helping further. Why, I do not know. With that being said, I'm no longer able to offer emails other than the generic customer support. Best of luck with your suspension woes.
Anyway, I touched base with the Amazon contacts that I have and they expressed no interest in helping further. Why, I do not know. With that being said, I'm no longer able to offer emails other than the generic customer support. Best of luck with your suspension woes.
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Hello, I have been a MTurk worker for over a decade and completed more than 12k HITs with accuracy of over 99.36% currently. I got the account suspension email today and all my Amazon accounts (including shopping portal) are locked. I am from India. I would highly appreciate any help you can provide to get my account re-instated.
I have written to worker support, but did not even get an acknowledgement as yet.
I have written to worker support, but did not even get an acknowledgement as yet.
That's terrible, I'm really sorry.
Unfortunately, there's really not much you can do besides just keep emailing them. I got suspended a couple years ago and I was having to send multiple emails every day for weeks before they started to provide me with any sort of meaningful responses. The most important thing is just don't give up until they either give you your account back or you're at least satisfied with whatever reason they've given you for suspending you. They will often not respond you at all or you will get pre-written responses that don't answer your questions. They can be extremely discouraging, but don't give up. Just keep emailing every day until they talk to you and/or do something. Good luck.
Thanks. I have read on this forum about a personal email ID of someone in Amazon who can help expedite this matter. Can someone please share the same with me so that I can also request for some help. I have lost access to all Amazon services (shopping portal, prime video and music etc) due to this suspension. I am also a Amazon prime member, and have many many orders over the past 10 years of my account history.
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I think they stopped responding to emails about suspensions, unfortunately.
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What
@TSolo315 says is true. I haven't been able to touch base with any of them in about 2? months now. When they originally contacted me, they asked that I only point people toward the general MTurk support email. It must have became rather bothersome for the amazon employees to be emailed by however many people I sent their way.. shocking, as it may be. So with that said, there's really not much I can offer anymore other than my giant essay in the OP. Sorry for not responding to your PM sooner (I'm not great with keeping up with them these days), but I hope this clarifies things. Best of luck.
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Thanks for your replies. I appreciate it. Does this mean that the suspended account can not be revoked in any manner now? All the hard earned MTurk money is lost forever? There is no way to know why they suspended and entire decade long MTurk earnings are gone?
Unfortunately, its not just MTurk, this has affected my Amazon Shopping orders and my money in Amazon Pay wallet. This is much bigger loss if they simply cannot respond here.
I wrote several emails to jeff as well, but there is not a single acknowledgement as of today.
Unfortunately, its not just MTurk, this has affected my Amazon Shopping orders and my money in Amazon Pay wallet. This is much bigger loss if they simply cannot respond here.
I wrote several emails to jeff as well, but there is not a single acknowledgement as of today.
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No. It just means that I can't do much to help you these days.
That's unfortunately how it goes. They aren't the type to be responsive, so you have to keep poking them. This is why suspension can last anywhere from 1 day to 6 months, to permanently. edit: Try not to reach out to them multiple times per day, maybe twice at the most. They do use an automated blacklist, so I've heard, so it would just make contacting them harder.
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Oh no!
It's really really b(s)ad news to me, I think I have now losing one of the prime help,... I'm so unlucky...( Still I don't know where is or what is my mistake.....I didn't do any...
working since 9 years...
recently didn't receive any block or rejection....Qualification rate: 99.66....
also only accessing my work from my home own my pc...nowhere else )
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It is over 3 months now. Amazon is giving me a hell of a time. They have stopped responding to my emails completely. I never sent them too many emails for them to block me completely.
This is so cruel to simply block a customer account completely without giving any valid reasons. The worst of all is to seize my hard earned money (earned over many past years). As a size effect, all my own money in gift card and wallet accounts are also seized and blocked.
This is day light robbery by Amazon.
This is so cruel to simply block a customer account completely without giving any valid reasons. The worst of all is to seize my hard earned money (earned over many past years). As a size effect, all my own money in gift card and wallet accounts are also seized and blocked.
This is day light robbery by Amazon.
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I'm really sorry
. I've heard of them withholding money in the past, but I thought they had gotten better recently.I hope it wasn't too much (though anything withheld is too much).
![:\](https://cdn.mturkcrowd.com/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/unamused.png "Unamused :\")
Suspension due to international relocation:
Hi all, I wonder if my situation is so uncommon, or if I just didn't see any other mention of it.
To summarize, I've last used MTurk back in 2007 (no typo, 12 years ago), and decided to get back into the fray. Upon login, I learn that my account was suspended - nothing else. Ireviewed my last few email from MTurk from 12 years ago, nothing negative. But I do have a suspicion: I used to live in the US, moved to Europe for a few years, and then returned to the USA. My Amazon shopping account moved with me, so to say, with foreign shipping address, payment address, etc. I immediately think the suspension is related to that.
Thanks to this forum, I write to the official worker help address. A couple days later, I get the following response:
We were unable to validate important details about your Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) account. As a result, your account has been suspended pending additional verification. At this time, we need you to verify your identity so we can reinstate your account.
In order to verify your identity, please send us a copy of your driver’s license or an equivalent government issued Identification Document (ID). You can provide your ID by sending a scanned copy to our secure fax line at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. In addition, please be sure to type or clearly print the following information at the top of the document to help us identify you:
-- Your first and last name
-- The email you use to log into your MTurk Worker account
Once we receive and validate this information, we will proceed with reinstating your account. Please note that if we are unable to verify your identity, you will not able to disburse your current earnings balance or otherwise participate in the MTurk marketplace.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and we appreciate your patience with our security measures. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please email us using the Contact Us form on our Worker website:
Seems like my hunch was right; either they started verifying ID some time in the last 12 years, or they have noticed something unusual (legitimately switching my country of residence.) I find this noteworthy for two reasons:
- First, there is "nothing bad" I did; everything was completely justified and permissible. (Moving abroad is permissible a long as you update your information, not using MTurk for 12 years is permissible, why not.) Also, their need is justified, they didn't have my ID, and they wanted it. STILL, they did not say this out right, just "Account is suspended".
- Second, I never logged in or even tried to work HITs while living abroad (was busy enough). Still, the account was suspended, which means either a) Amazon acted on the information from my Prime Account, or b) Amazon just suspended my account without any notice when it started identifying people.
Lastly, I find it peculiar that the only way to reinstate the account is to FAX a document. I mean come on, who still has access to a fax? I will have to go to a copy shop and fax from there.
Bottom line: Even if you and Amazon both acted perfectly legitimate (here, not having an ID on file), the suspension is still done without any explanation of the reason. I understand the rationale for doing so if it is about policy violations, but in this case, they simply didn't have my ID on file. They could've just told me that.
See you later - I go search a fax machine now.
~
Hi all, I wonder if my situation is so uncommon, or if I just didn't see any other mention of it.
To summarize, I've last used MTurk back in 2007 (no typo, 12 years ago), and decided to get back into the fray. Upon login, I learn that my account was suspended - nothing else. Ireviewed my last few email from MTurk from 12 years ago, nothing negative. But I do have a suspicion: I used to live in the US, moved to Europe for a few years, and then returned to the USA. My Amazon shopping account moved with me, so to say, with foreign shipping address, payment address, etc. I immediately think the suspension is related to that.
Thanks to this forum, I write to the official worker help address. A couple days later, I get the following response:
We were unable to validate important details about your Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) account. As a result, your account has been suspended pending additional verification. At this time, we need you to verify your identity so we can reinstate your account.
In order to verify your identity, please send us a copy of your driver’s license or an equivalent government issued Identification Document (ID). You can provide your ID by sending a scanned copy to our secure fax line at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. In addition, please be sure to type or clearly print the following information at the top of the document to help us identify you:
-- Your first and last name
-- The email you use to log into your MTurk Worker account
Once we receive and validate this information, we will proceed with reinstating your account. Please note that if we are unable to verify your identity, you will not able to disburse your current earnings balance or otherwise participate in the MTurk marketplace.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and we appreciate your patience with our security measures. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please email us using the Contact Us form on our Worker website:
Seems like my hunch was right; either they started verifying ID some time in the last 12 years, or they have noticed something unusual (legitimately switching my country of residence.) I find this noteworthy for two reasons:
- First, there is "nothing bad" I did; everything was completely justified and permissible. (Moving abroad is permissible a long as you update your information, not using MTurk for 12 years is permissible, why not.) Also, their need is justified, they didn't have my ID, and they wanted it. STILL, they did not say this out right, just "Account is suspended".
- Second, I never logged in or even tried to work HITs while living abroad (was busy enough). Still, the account was suspended, which means either a) Amazon acted on the information from my Prime Account, or b) Amazon just suspended my account without any notice when it started identifying people.
Lastly, I find it peculiar that the only way to reinstate the account is to FAX a document. I mean come on, who still has access to a fax? I will have to go to a copy shop and fax from there.
Bottom line: Even if you and Amazon both acted perfectly legitimate (here, not having an ID on file), the suspension is still done without any explanation of the reason. I understand the rationale for doing so if it is about policy violations, but in this case, they simply didn't have my ID on file. They could've just told me that.
See you later - I go search a fax machine now.
~