Overview

Amazon will start automatically removing FBA units that have been stored for more than 365 days, beginning shortly before the holiday peak season. Sellers who do not adjust their removal preferences or supply a return address risk losing the inventory permanently.

Key Points

• Removal trigger date — The automated process kicks off within the next two weeks, targeting any SKU that has lingered in a fulfillment center for a full year.
• Default disposal outcome — If a seller has not entered a valid return address, Amazon will donate, recycle, or discard the items rather than ship them back.
• Opt‑out option — Sellers can turn off the automatic removal feature in the “Fulfillable Inventory Settings” page of Seller Central.
• Advance email alert — Amazon sends a notice to affected accounts, but the message arrives only after the removal order has been generated, leaving little time to intervene.
• Irreversible orders — Once Amazon creates a removal order, it cannot be cancelled or altered, and the inventory is permanently removed from the seller’s account.
• Impact on IPI — Clearing aged stock can raise the Inventory Performance Index score, potentially unlocking additional storage space for the upcoming season.

How Automatic Aged Inventory Removal Works

1. Eligibility identification — Amazon scans each seller’s FBA inventory nightly and flags any unit that has a “date received” older than 365 days. Example: A seller with 150 units of a winter jacket received on November 1 2022 will be marked for removal on November 1 2023.
2. Removal order generation — For every flagged SKU, the system automatically creates a removal order that specifies the disposal method based on the seller’s profile. Example: If the seller has no return address on file, the order will list “Dispose” as the action.
3. Notification dispatch — An email is sent to the seller’s registered address, summarizing the SKUs slated for removal and the chosen disposal method.