Overview

When sellers ship inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), they're expected to meet specific preparation and shipping standards. When shipments don't meet these standards, Amazon issues inbound performance alerts — notifications that flag problems such as mislabeled items, improperly packaged goods, or shipment discrepancies. Understanding how to review and resolve these alerts is essential for maintaining good standing and avoiding potential restrictions on future shipments.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Performance alerts appear on your Shipping Queue – When Amazon's fulfillment center staff identify problems with your inbound shipments, notifications are posted to your shipping summary page in Seller Central, giving you a clear view of what went wrong.
• Alerts require acknowledgment – Sellers must review each alert and acknowledge the problem. Simply ignoring alerts can lead to escalating consequences, including coaching and potential suspension of shipping privileges.
• Coaching levels escalate progressively – Amazon uses a tiered coaching system. Repeated violations move sellers from initial warnings to more serious levels, which can ultimately result in blocked shipments or additional fees.
• Root cause matters – Each alert identifies the specific type of problem encountered, whether it's a labeling error, quantity discrepancy, or packaging issue. Understanding the root cause helps sellers implement corrective action.
• Resolution is seller-driven – Amazon expects sellers to take proactive steps to fix the underlying issues. Acknowledging an alert without making changes won't prevent future escalations.

How the Alert System Works

Amazon's inbound performance monitoring system tracks several categories of shipment problems. When fulfillment center workers receive and process your inventory, they compare what arrives against what was declared in the shipment plan. Problems are logged and categorized by type — common issues include missing or incorrect barcodes, items that arrive without required prep such as poly bagging or bubble wrap, units that exceed the quantities listed in the shipping plan, and products shipped to the wrong fulfillment center. Each problem is recorded against the specific shipment and linked to your account's overall inbound performance metrics. Sellers can view these alerts by navigating to the Shipments section in Seller Central, where the summary page aggregates all active and historical notifications.