Unauthorized Reseller Investigations & Channel Enforcement:
Find the Problem. Stop it at the Source.
When unauthorized sellers pop up across your marketplaces, it’s rarely random. They’re the result of product leaks, diversion, or gray market games.
Howell & Associates helps you uncover the source, and take action to repair the damage..
The Real Cost of Unkown Sellers
Unauthorized sellers do more than just erode pricing power. They damage partner trust. They create poor customer experiences, undercut your partners, dilute your brand story, and ultimately destroy your reputation.
Without knowing who they are, or how they got your product, you’re stuck playing whack-a-mole. Reacting instead of preventing.
What’s at risk?
Channel integrity and partner trust
End customer satisfaction and reviews
Brand perception and pricing power
Visibility isn’t enough, you need a solution. We give you the answers, and the plan, and the tools to take back control..
Our Four-Phase Investigation & Enforcement Framework
When unauthorized sellers slip through, trust breaks down fast. Partners lose confidence. Customers question authenticity.
We help you see what’s happening, trace where it’s coming from, act with evidence, and put safeguards in place so it doesn’t happen again.
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Phase 1: Surface and Prioritize Threats
Spot the real risks before they cause damage.
Before you act, you need to know where to look. We analyze your marketplace presence and monitoring data to surface top threats and repeat offenders.We help you:
Identify unauthorized sellers across marketplaces
Analyze patterns in listings, geos, and price points
Prioritize risks by volume, velocity, and partner overlap -
Phase 2: Investigate the Source
Trace where the product came from and how it slipped through.
We trace the product flow. Who sold it to whom? How did it get there? Our team uses legal, forensic, and channel knowledge to dig deep.
We help you:
Pinpoint supply chain leaks and diversion
Uncover shell sellers, duplicate accounts, and masked identities
Build complete seller profiles with supporting documentation -
Phase 3: Enforce with Evidence
Respond with facts, not guesswork, and bring violations to a stop.
Once the facts are in, we help you act. Enforcement strategies are tailored to your risk tolerance and relationship goals.
We help you:
Draft and send evidence-backed enforcement letters
Support escalation to platforms, legal teams, or litigation
Coordinate internal alignment with brand, sales, and legal -
Phase 4: Clean Up and Close Loopholes
Put safeguards in place so the problem stays fixed.
Enforcement is only the start. We help you reinforce policy, close gaps, and prevent new threats before they surface.
We help you:
Recommend channel, policy, or operational changes
Update distribution rules or Authorized Seller programs
Monitor post-enforcement for recurring or retaliatory activity
Results That Stick
"Howell’s team uncovered the source of the unauthorized sales faster than we expected, and they didn’t stop there. They gave us the evidence, took action, and helped us prevent a serious compliance issue with one of our regulated SKUs. Their expertise and clarity were a game-changer for our brand."
- Director, Channel Strategy,
US-Based Medical Device Company
Why Brands Trust
Howell & Associates
We go beyond the listing.
Most firms flag listings. We trace them. You’ll know where it came from, how it got there, and how to stop it.
Real-world expertise.
Our team includes former law enforcement, legal pros, and brand-side veterans who understand the nuances of channel conflict and gray market behavior.
Human-led investigation.
Software flags violations. Humans solve them. Our team builds investigative cases that support action.
Practical channel guidance.
We don’t just expose the issue. We help you fix the upstream problem and protect the business moving forward.
The result? A path that makes sense, holds up under pressure, and actually works. More than that, it supports the long-term health of your channel so you can move forward with clarity and control.
With guidance from the H&A team, our clients:
Cut unauthorized sellers by over 60%, restoring control across marketplaces
Shut down repeat offenders fast, stopping margin loss before it spread
Recovered pricing power on top SKUs, protecting visibility and profitability
Accelerated platform responses, ensuring quicker takedowns across channels
Aligned internal teams under one playbook, improving speed and precision
Our clients include:
Your Brand Protection Stack
We work across the full lifecycle of brand control. Whether you’re cleaning up unauthorized sellers, enforcing MAP, or preventing gray market diversion before it starts, our approach is built to scale with you. Click to learn more:
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Channel Strategy & Risk Consulting
Design stronger systems that prevent problems before they start
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MAP Policy Development & Enforcement
Build an enforceable policy that works in the real world
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Marketplace Monitoring & Enforcement
Turn your data into action with real follow-through
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Reseller Investigation & Channel Enforcement
Find out who’s behind the violations, and shut it down
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Gray Market & Counterfeit Protection
Protect your brand as you grow. Keep threats from coming back.
You don’t need a bigger tool, you need a smarter response. One that exposes the sellers, and uncovers the facts.
We help brands investigate and enforce with confidence, clarity, and consistency.