Hey Sellers, 👋

We've seen a lot of questions about what to do when FBA inventory goes missing — whether it's units that vanished in the warehouse, items damaged during fulfillment, or shipments that didn't fully check in. The good news? Amazon has a reimbursement policy that covers you in many of these situations.

Here's a clear breakdown of when you're eligible and exactly how to file.

When Are You Eligible for Reimbursement?

Amazon's FBA inventory reimbursement policy covers several scenarios:

• Warehouse lost — Your inventory went missing while stored at a fulfillment center
• Warehouse damaged — Your item was damaged by Amazon during storage or fulfillment operations
• Shipment to Amazon (Missing from Inbound) — Units from your inbound shipment weren't received or checked in
• Removals lost or damaged — Items went missing or arrived damaged during a removal order
• Customer return not received — These can be tricky: If the customer was refunded but the item was never returned, in most cases we’ll charge the customer and reimburse you. If a customer returns your item to a fulfillment center within 60 days of the refund, we’ll first determine the condition of the returned item. If the returned item is sellable, we’ll return the item to your inventory. If the returned item is unsellable, we’ll determine who is responsible for the condition. If Amazon is responsible for an unsellable return, we’ll reimburse you and will not add the item back to your inventory. Amazon will not reimburse you for returned items that are damaged by a customer

Key Deadlines You Need to Know

Timing matters. Here's when you need to file:

• Warehouse lost/damaged claims: File within 60 days of the date the loss or damage event appears in your reports
• Shipment to Amazon (MFI) claims: File after your shipment is closed/finalized (allow time for reconciliation) and within 9 months
• Customer return claims: File no sooner than 60 days after the customer refund (to allow time for the return to arrive) and within 18 months
• Removal claims: File within 18 months of the shipment being delivered or lost

Pro tip: Don't file too early. Amazon's systems need time to reconcile — filing prematurely is the #1 reason claims get denied.

How to File: Step by Step

For Warehouse Damaged Items:

1. Go to Reports > Fulfillment > Inventory Adjustments
2. Look for items with a disposition change to "Warehouse Damaged"
3. Note the Transaction Item ID
4. Navigate to Reimbursement Policy Help Page
5. Use the Check warehouse damaged reimbursement status tool — enter your Transaction Item ID to check eligibility and file

For Warehouse Lost Items:

1. Go to Reports > Fulfillment > Inventory Adjustments
2. Filter for "Missing" (M) events
3. Open a case through Help > Get Support > Selling on Amazon > Fulfillment by Amazon > FBA Issue > Inventory Lost in Warehouse
4. Provide the FNSKU or Transaction Item ID

For Shipment to Amazon (Missing from Inbound):

1. Go to Inventory > Shipments > Shipping Queue
2. Select the shipment in question and click the Reconcile tab
3. Follow the prompts to submit your claim for lost units For damaged inbound units, open a case through Help > Get Support with your Shipment ID, proof of ownership (invoice), and proof of delivery (tracking)

For Customer Return Claims:

1. Go to Reimbursement Policy Help Page
2. Use the Check FBA order reimbursement status tool
3. Enter the customer Order ID to check eligibility and file

For Removal Order Claims:

1. Go to Reimbursement Policy Help Page
2. Use the Resolve a removal order issue tool
3. Enter your Removal Order ID
4. Provide: Shipment ID, ASINs/FNSKUs, quantities affected, and images of affected units if applicable

What Documentation Should You Keep?

Always maintain records of:

• Itemized invoices or receipts proving inventory ownership
• Tracking IDs and proof of delivery for inbound shipments
• Amazon-stamped delivery documents (for LTL/FTL shipments)
• Screenshots of inventory discrepancies from your reports
• Photos of damaged items received in removal orders

How Reimbursement Values Are Calculated

For shipment to Amazon claims, removals claims, and fulfillment center operations claims that occur before fulfillment, we will reimburse you the sourcing cost of the item. This also covers lost and damage claims during inventory replenishment handled by Amazon or on behalf of Amazon to fulfillment centers or non-Amazon buildings in marketplaces where we provide the service.

For items that were in unsellable condition when lost, damaged or removed from the Amazon fulfillment network, we will reimburse at a reduced estimated cost of the unit, and we may request additional information or documentation to help us determine this adjusted value.

Tips to Avoid Claim Denials

• Don't file prematurely — Wait for shipments to finalize and reconciliation periods to pass
• Don't submit duplicate claims — One claim per shipment or event
• Provide complete documentation — Missing info is the fastest path to a denial
• Check your Reimbursements report regularly — Amazon auto-reimburses many warehouse damage events. Check Reports > Payments > Reimbursements before filing manually
• Keep your account in good standing — Accounts in blocked, terminated, or fraud status aren't eligible

Save these Resources

• FBA Lost and Damaged Inventory Reimbursement Policy
• Inventory Adjustments Report— Track lost/damaged events
• FBA inventory reimbursement policy
• Inventory Defect and Reimbursement (IDR) Portal
• Manage Your Sourcing Cost — view and manage sourcing cost for FBA products.
• Inventory Ledger — Detailed inventory movement history
• Reimbursements Report— See what's already been reimbursed
• Shipping Queue — Reconcile inbound shipments

Have you filed a reimbursement claim before? What was your experience — smooth sailing or a bumpy road? Any tips for sellers going through the process for the first time? Share your insights now! 👇