Overview

Amazon will begin automatically removing any FBA units that have remained in its fulfillment centers for more than 365 days. The policy takes effect immediately and applies to sellers who have not set a removal preference, meaning products may be recycled, donated, or disposed of without the ability to stop the process. Sellers need to act now to protect inventory value, avoid unexpected fees, and keep their Inventory Performance Index (IPI) healthy.

Key Points

• 365‑day threshold — Items stored longer than one year are flagged for automatic removal, regardless of sales velocity.
• No cancellation — Once Amazon classifies a unit as a “required removal,” sellers cannot reverse the action, unlike a manual removal order.
• Return vs. disposal — Providing a valid return address routes the aged units back to the seller; otherwise Amazon defaults to recycling, donation, or disposal.
• Opt‑out capability — Sellers can disable the automatic removal feature entirely through fulfillment settings, retaining full control over aged stock.
• Fee mitigation – Automatic removal stops inventory from entering the highest storage‑fee tier, but it also eliminates any remaining revenue potential from the product.

How the System Works

1. Identify aged units — Amazon scans its warehouse data each day and marks any SKU that has been in a fulfillment center for 366 days or more. Example: a batch of 50 winter jackets stored since last October will be flagged on the following October.
2. Trigger removal order — For each flagged SKU, Amazon generates a required removal order that cannot be edited or cancelled by the seller. Example: the 50 jackets automatically receive a removal order the moment they cross the 365‑day line.
3. Apply seller preference — If the seller has entered a return address in the Automated Fulfillable Inventory Settings, the units are shipped back to that address; if no address is set, Amazon proceeds with its default disposal workflow (recycling, donation, or destruction).