Lost FBA Inventory
I’ve been selling a coffee brand for some time, and Amazon lost one of the shipments created in July. There are twelve pallets; only one was received, in addition to a part of a second pallet.
The case number is 16546238831. All documents have already been sent. Invoices, proof from the carrier that Amazon received the pallets, etc. Because it is a perishable product, we are almost at the limit of time that this merchandise could be found until we can sell it without the consumption date being expired. We’ve already sent several emails and made several calls, but they only say I have to wait.
It is a high value for the size of our business, lost sales, difficulty in maintaining the supplier because of this no longer-used capital, many nights of lost sleep, and my husband even went into depression; the situation is very delicate. I would like someone to help me.
17 replies
Seller_CW0P5hgbsiqWX
You forgot the most important part. When was the inventory receive? Are you sure it is lost?
After the 3rd week of October, Amazon basically quit processing incoming inventory until January 2025. Did they process one pallet and are simply waiting until January to process the other 11?
Being an FBA Seller, hopefully you help-Back a lot of inventory so you could be selling it FBM while you wait.
Bryce_Amazon
Hey there,
Following up with you here as I mentioned I would. I took a further look at the case ID you provided, and I have escalated the issue internally as a result. The team will review and either reach out to you via a new case ID or they may pass information directly to me to share with you. Either way I'll follow up with you here as soon as I know more!
- Bryce
Bryce_Amazon
Good morning,
The escalation team got back to me and confirmed what Seller Support stated in case 16546238831. My recommendation: open another case with Seller Support on this issue and attach every approved distributor's invoice to the case - specifically highlighting each line item to the relevant missing units. (I say this while also realizing you already have attached some invoices to the original case). Let me know once you have done so!
- Bryce
Bryce_Amazon
Hey @Seller_3q2Ch4b74rDcZ,
Wanted to follow up and see if you were able to complete the above recommendation?
Seller_GHqutxBMEjZf7
Hello Bryce,
Our factory recently sent a shipment of inventory to our assigned Amazon Distribution Center without getting an FBA inbound shipment set up first on Seller Central.
DHL has confirmed the delivery of the shipment.
I'm not finding any way to reach out to Seller Central for help - I am asked for different information that I cannot provide because the listings for the products delivered have not been created yet.
I've tried calling the phone number listed for the Distribution Center but I'm able to get anyone.
Based on your experience, would it be possible for me to personally go to the Distribution Center and pickup our stranded shipment?
This shipment is not showing up anywhere on our Seller account because it was not set up prior to shipping, so no Amazon labels are attached to it whereby Amazon would be able to somehow track it and associate it with our account.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Bryce_Amazon
Hey there @Seller_GHqutxBMEjZf7,
Thanks for the reply!
Based on your experience, would it be possible for me to personally go to the Distribution Center and pickup our stranded shipment?
I strongly recommend against this, as only approved carriers with delivery appointments are allowed at the FC.
Have you been able to create a generic case with Seller Support on the issue? If so, reply to me here with the case number I can review for opportunities to escalate. Both the support and escalation team will need documentation to prove that the inventory delivered belongs to your account / you're the rightful owner, based on the details you've shared here that may be difficult to do it sounds like.
- Bryce
Seller_GHqutxBMEjZf7
Thanks for your reply Bryce.
I haven't been able to create a generic case with Seller Support.
I'm not able to open a case - I can't get through the Help assistance prompts when it asks to provide SKUs or transaction IDs.
The problem is that the factory sent a shipment of products which we don't even have listings for. There are no existing SKUs to provide for these.
These were shipped together with some products for which we do have SKUs, but they were mixed in together.
And since an FBA inbound shipment was not initiated on our account, we can't provide that tracking information either.
Bryce_Amazon
Hey there,
Understood. My best recommendation would be to try and use the Contact Us intake link to create some sort of starting case with Seller Support. Understand that without any proof of ownership, labels, or listings for units that arrived at the FC - it may be difficult to obtain a reimbursement. If your factory sent this shipment in without your approval, I might recommend working with them for compensation.
- Bryce
Seller_GHqutxBMEjZf7
Thank you again Bryce.
I was able to open a case and have support look into this.
The case number is 16871336841.
They were not able to use the information I had on hand at the time to help. Since then I've also been able to get more details and documentation.
I have the official Proof of Delivery from DHL showing that Amazon signed off on the delivery receipt at the Distribution Center. I have of course the DHL tracking number, as well as the shipment packing list with itemized details of everything in the shipment, including barcode numbers on the items.
The obstacle has been a missing FBA number, without which the support agent was unable to assist me.
Bryce_Amazon
Hey there @Seller_GHqutxBMEjZf7,
Thanks for providing that. I can corroborate much of what Seller Support stated in that chat log, without an FBA shipment number, labels, etc. they won't be able to progress with the case. Those details are needed in order to tie the unplanned inventory that arrived at the warehouse to your account. I see you mentioned reaching out to DHL, which is worth exploring though they may re-direct you back to Amazon.
One last note however, I do strongly recommend against personally visiting the warehouse, as only Amazon Employees and scheduled carriers are permitted.
- Bryce
