Bol.com Account Blocked?

Is your bol.com account blocked? Then you know how stressful that is: your sales channel is gone, orders are stuck, and your revenue drops to zero. In this comprehensive article, we'll explain step by step why bol.com blocks accounts, how the strike system works, what you can do to restore your account, and - perhaps even more important - how you can prevent a blockage for good.

Why is your bol.com account blocked?

Bol.com is a customer-centric platform first and foremost. That means it prioritizes customer satisfaction above all else. As a seller on the partner platform, you must meet strict service standards. If you don't do that structurally, your account risks a temporary or even permanent blockage.

The most common reasons why a bol.com account gets blocked are:

• Too many cancellations - Orders you cancel yourself count heavily. Bol.com expects your inventory to be correct.
• Late delivery - Customers expect delivery within the promised term. Consistently delivering late leads to strikes.
• Insufficient Track & Trace - Without a tracking code, bol.com cannot track the delivery status.
• High return percentage - Many returns indicate product quality or description problems.
• Slow response to customer questions - Bol.com requires a response within 24 hours.
• Violation of bol.com policy - Think of selling prohibited items, trademark infringement, or manipulating reviews.
• Fraud - Intentional deception leads to direct, permanent blockage.

The bol.com policy points and strike system explained

Bol.com uses a system of policy points and strikes to monitor sellers' performance. Each seller starts with 100 policy points per year. When you violate sales policies, points are deducted. If you reach 0 policy points, your account is closed permanently.

In addition, bol.com measures eight performance indicators (KPIs) weekly. If you consistently score below the norm, you'll receive a strike. Below is an overview of all KPIs and the corresponding norms:

Performance indicator	Minimum norm	Consequence of violation
Cancellations	< 2%	Strike for exceeding
Delivered on time	> 93%	Strike for falling short
Track & Trace	> 95%	Strike for falling short
Return percentage	Category-dependent	Strike for exceeding
Customer questions answered	Within 24 hours	Warning / strike
Phone availability	> 90%	Warning / strike
Customer satisfaction (NPS)	≥ 8	Point of attention / strike
Percentage of customer questions	Category-dependent	Monitoring / strike

How do strikes work?

When you score below the minimum standard for a KPI, you receive a strike for that specific component. The strike system works as follows:

• 1-4 strikes - Warnings and tips from bol.com to improve your performance.
• 5 strikes - Temporary blockage: you must submit an improvement plan.
• 7 strikes - Permanent blockage: your account will be permanently closed.

Twice a year, bol.com performs a strike reset. This means your strikes are reviewed and you may be able to start with a clean slate. However, this is no excuse to perform below standards again.

Temporary blockage: the improvement plan

If you have collected 5 strikes, you will receive a message from bol.com requesting you to submit an improvement plan. You can find this plan in the performance tab of your seller account. A good improvement plan includes:

• Analysis of the cause - Which KPIs are underperforming and why?
• Concrete action points - What are you going to change? Think about: improving inventory management, adjusting delivery times, better packaging.
• Timeline - When do you expect the improvements to be noticeable?
• Tooling and support - What tools will you use to monitor your performance?

Tip: submit your improvement plan as soon as possible. The sooner bol.com approves your plan, the sooner your store will reopen. After approval, you will still have used 5 of your 7 strikes - so you're still on thin ice until the next reset.

With Boloo's Sales Dashboard you can track all your KPIs in real-time, so you can identify problems before they lead to strikes. Export return reasons and customer questions to support your improvement plan with hard data.

Permanent blockage: what now?

At 7 strikes, your account will be permanently blocked. This means:

• All stores linked to your KvK and BTW number will be closed.
• You won't be able to create a new sales account for at least one year - not even under a different company name.
• You will still have 6 weeks to process ongoing customer questions, returns, and data.
• For LVB sales, you have 3 weeks to return your inventory.
• Without ongoing orders, your account will be closed immediately.

In case of fraud (intentionally violating policies, fake reviews, counterfeit products), you will face a definitive blockage for an indefinite period. All linked accounts will also be closed.

Can you start again after a permanent blockage?

After at least one year, you can submit a new request to bol.com. You must demonstrate that you have solved the causes and have an improved business process. There is no guarantee that bol.com will readmit you. In case of a fraud blockage, starting again is almost impossible.

The financial impact of a blocked bol.com account

A blocked account has direct and indirect financial consequences that many sellers underestimate. It's not just about losing daily revenue - the damage adds up quickly:

• Direct revenue loss - During the block, you can't receive orders. For an average seller with €5,000 monthly revenue, each day of blockage costs over €165.
• Inventory costs - Your inventory is idle while you still pay storage costs. With LVB inventory, you also pay bol.com storage costs without sales revenue.
• Loss of ranking and buy block - After a block, you have to rebuild your position. The buy block position you lost can take weeks to earn back.
• Reputation damage - Customers visiting your store see that you're not delivering. This damages trust in your brand in the long term.
• Delayed seasonal peaks - A block just before Black Friday, Sinterklaas, or Christmas can affect your entire year's revenue.

Invest proactively in tools and processes that prevent blocks. The costs of prevention are a fraction of the damage caused by a block. With the Profit Calculator you can calculate exactly what a day without sales costs you, so you can quantify the value of prevention.

How to avoid a bol.com account block: 10 practical tips

Prevention is always better than cure. With these ten tips, you minimize the risk of strikes and blocks:

1. Keep your inventory accurate

Most cancellations occur due to inventory issues. Use a product tracker to monitor your inventory levels and automatically synchronize your inventory when selling on multiple channels.

2. Set realistic delivery times

It's better to promise 3-5 working days and deliver in 2 days than to promise 1-2 days and deliver late. A positive surprise leads to better reviews than a broken promise.

3. Always use Track & Trace

Add a tracking code to every order. This protects you not only against strikes but also against unjustified 'not received' claims from customers.

4. Reduce your return percentage

Invest in good product photos, accurate descriptions, and sturdy packaging. Use the Listing Generator AI to optimize your product pages so customers know exactly what they're ordering.

5. Respond to customer questions within 24 hours

Bol.com expects quick responses. Set up automatic receipt confirmations and schedule fixed times per day to answer customer questions.

6. Monitor your performance daily

Don't wait for a strike notification. Check your Sales Dashboard daily to detect trends. A declining score in 'delivered on time' is a warning signal you should address immediately.

7. Automate your VAT invoicing

Many customer questions are about invoices. With automatic invoicing you send a VAT invoice directly with every order, which significantly reduces the number of customer questions.

8. Proactively ask for reviews

Good reviews strengthen your position. Use email campaigns to ask satisfied customers to leave a review. Note: bol.com prohibits buying or manipulating reviews - this leads to direct policy point deductions.

9. Consider Logistics via bol (LVB)

With LVB, bol.com takes care of storage, packaging, and shipping. You automatically score better on delivery time and Track & Trace. Use the LVB Box Size Checker to optimize your packaging costs.

10. Stay up to date with policy changes

Bol.com regularly adjusts its policies and service standards. Read the newsletters and check the Partner platform for updates. Ignorance does not protect you from strikes.

Common mistakes that lead to a blocked account

From our experience with hundreds of bol.com sellers, we see the same mistakes repeated:

Mistake	Consequence	Solution
Inventory not synchronized	Annuleringen > 2%	Use inventory synchronization software
Delivery time set too optimistically	Delivered too late 93%	Set realistic delivery times
No tracking code provided	Track & Trace < 95%	Automate tracking via your shipping software
Poor product descriptions	High return percentage	Optimize listings with AI tools
Ignoring customer questions on weekends	Reactietijd > 24 uur	Plan fixed check moments, also on weekends
Missing policy changes	Unintentionally violating rules	Read bol.com newsletters and platform updates

Recovery steps after a temporary block

If your account is temporarily blocked, follow this step-by-step plan:

1. Analyze your performance - Check which KPIs score below the norm. Export your data from the Sales Dashboard.
2. Identify the causes - Were there inventory problems? Delivery problems? Quality issues?
3. Create your improvement plan - Formulate concrete action points with deadlines.
4. Submit the plan - Go to the performance tab and submit your improvement plan as soon as possible.
5. Implement improvements directly - Don't wait for approval; start with the improvements right away.
6. Monitor your progress - Keep track of your KPIs daily and document your improvements.

Example of a strong improvement plan

A good improvement plan is concrete and measurable. Below is an example of how you can structure it:

• Problem analysis: "My cancellation rate has increased to 4.2% because my inventory system was not synchronized with my bol.com account. As a result, products were shown as available when they were actually sold out."
• Action plan: "I'm implementing inventory synchronization software that updates my stock every 15 minutes. Additionally, I'm setting a minimum safety stock of 5 units per product."
• Timeline: "Inventory synchronization will be active within 3 working days. I expect my cancellation rate to drop below 1% within 2 weeks."
• Monitoring: "I'll check my performance dashboard daily and set up email notifications for products with low stock."

Tools to monitor your bol.com performance

Manually tracking all your performance indicators is time-consuming and prone to errors. With the right tools, you can automate monitoring and prevent problems before they arise:

• Sales Dashboard - Real-time overview of all your sales KPIs, return reasons, and performance.
• Product Tracker - Track your products and stock levels to prevent cancellations.
• Profit Calculator - Calculate your actual profit margin including commissions, shipping costs, and returns.
• Automatic Invoicing - Reduce customer inquiries about invoices by sending them automatically.
• Email Campaigns - Collect reviews in a responsible way via automated emails.
• Listing Generator AI - Optimize your product pages to reduce returns.

Frequently asked questions about a blocked bol.com account

When will my bol.com account be temporarily blocked?

You'll receive a temporary block after 5 strikes. You must then submit an improvement plan before your store can reopen.

When will a permanent block follow?

After 7 strikes, your account will be permanently closed for at least one year. In cases of fraud, the block is indefinite.

How often does bol.com reset strikes?

Bol.com performs a strike reset twice a year. After the reset, you can start with a clean slate, but be aware that bol.com may judge you more strictly if you've had strikes before.

Can I open a new account after a permanent block?

After at least one year, you can submit a request to bol.com. You must demonstrate that you've improved your business processes. In cases of fraud, opening a new account is almost impossible. Opening a new account under a different KvK number while you're blocked is not allowed.

How can I prevent my account from being blocked?

Monitor your KPIs daily, keep your inventory synchronized, set realistic delivery times, respond quickly to customer questions, and use tools like the Sales Dashboard to detect problems early. Also, read our guide on start selling on bol.com for more tips.

Do policy points and strikes count separately?

Yes. Policy points are deducted for policy violations (such as selling prohibited products). You get strikes for not meeting service standards (KPIs). Both systems can lead to a block independently of each other. With 0 policy points, your account is closed immediately, regardless of the number of strikes.