Overview

Amazon holds FBA sellers to strict standards when it comes to listing products as "new" condition. Any inventory shipped to fulfillment centers must arrive in pristine, undamaged shape — or risk being rejected or marked as unsellable. Understanding these requirements is essential for avoiding costly inventory losses and maintaining strong account health.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• New means brand-new — Products listed as new must be completely unused, free of defects, and in original condition. Amazon inspects incoming inventory and will flag items that fall short.
• Damaged shipments get rejected — If your shipping boxes arrive at the fulfillment center with visible damage, Amazon may refuse the entire shipment at the point of receipt.
• Unsellable markings are final — Items found with scratches, scuffs, dents, creases, tears, or other cosmetic damage will be marked as unsellable and pulled from your active inventory.
• Used items have a separate standard — Products listed in used condition are evaluated differently, but can still be marked unsellable if they are missing parts, unfit for purpose, or deemed unhygienic.
• Prohibited products face disposal — Items that violate FBA or Amazon marketplace restrictions may be disposed of entirely upon receipt, with no seller recourse.
• Amazon does not cover transit damage — If products are damaged during shipping to the fulfillment center, the responsibility falls on your carrier, not Amazon.

Condition Standards by Product Type

Amazon applies category-specific inspection criteria depending on what you are sending in. For books, new-condition items will be rejected if they arrive with damaged or torn bindings, visible wear, cut or missing covers or pages, or if they have been rebound by the seller. These standards are strictly enforced and there is no gray area for items that show signs of prior handling.

For media products such as CDs, DVDs, and video games, new-condition inventory must arrive with intact, undamaged packaging. Items with crushed, creased, stained, or watermarked packaging will not pass inspection. Cracked or broken cases are also grounds for rejection. The packaging is considered part of the product when evaluating new condition.