Overview

When you ship inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers through FBA, items can occasionally go missing or arrive damaged. Amazon's FBA inventory reimbursement policy provides sellers with a formal process to file claims and receive compensation for these losses. Understanding the specific claim windows, documentation requirements, and eligibility criteria is essential to recovering the value of lost or damaged stock.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Claim eligibility depends on shipment stage — The process for filing a reimbursement claim differs based on where in the fulfillment pipeline your inventory was lost or damaged, whether during transit to Amazon, during warehouse receiving, or during fulfillment center operations.
• Strict filing windows apply — Sellers must file shipment-to-Amazon claims within a specific timeframe after the shipment is checked in. Claims submitted outside the eligible window will be automatically denied.
• Documentation is required — Amazon typically requires proof of inventory ownership, shipment tracking information, and evidence of the quantity shipped. Keeping thorough shipping records is critical.
• Amazon investigates before reimbursing — After a claim is filed, Amazon conducts an internal investigation to verify the loss. This process can take several weeks, and not all claims are approved.
• Reimbursement amounts are based on Amazon's valuation — Compensation is calculated using Amazon's estimated fair market value of the item, which may not always match your cost or selling price.

How the Claims Process Works

Sellers who notice discrepancies between the quantity shipped and the quantity received at Amazon's fulfillment centers can initiate a claim through Seller Central. The first step is to check your shipment reconciliation report, which shows the status of every unit in your inbound shipment. If units are marked as missing or damaged after the reconciliation window closes, you can file a claim directly from the shipment summary page. Amazon requires that you wait until the shipment has been fully checked in and reconciled before submitting a claim, as units may still be in the process of being received and counted.