Overview

Amazon has tightened the time limits for filing FBA reimbursement claims, cutting the windows for lost, damaged, or missing inventory. The new deadlines, which vary by claim type, take effect immediately and force sellers to monitor their inventory and returns more closely. Missing a filing window can mean a permanent loss of reimbursement, so proactive tracking is now essential.

Key Points

• 60‑day limit for warehouse loss or damage — Sellers must submit a claim within 60 days of the date Amazon flags an item as lost or damaged, with no waiting period.
• 45‑to‑105‑day window for customer returns — A mandatory 45‑day pause follows a refund or replacement, after which sellers have up to 105 days total to file a claim.
• 15‑to‑75‑day window for removal‑in‑transit losses — Claims for items that disappear while being removed must be lodged between day 15 and day 75 after the removal shipment is created.
• 60‑day deadline for other removal issues — Damaged goods, quantity shortfalls, or other problems with a removal shipment must be reported within 60 days of the shipment’s delivery back to the seller.
• Quarterly audit model no longer viable — The compressed timelines eliminate the safety net that allowed sellers to batch claims every three months; continuous monitoring is now required.

What's Changing

1. Warehouse loss/damage claim — When Amazon’s fulfillment center marks a unit as missing or broken, the seller can file a reimbursement immediately, but the claim expires after 60 days. Example: A seller discovers on March 5 that a batch of 200 units was marked lost; the claim must be entered by May 4.
2. Customer return reimbursement — After a buyer receives a refund or a replacement, Amazon imposes a 45‑day waiting period to allow the returned item to be processed. The filing window then extends to a maximum of 105 days from the refund date. Example: A customer is refunded on April 1; the seller can start filing on May 16 and must submit by July 15.
3. — For items that vanish while being shipped out of Amazon’s network, the claim cannot be opened until the shipment is at least 15 days old, and it must be filed before day 75.