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Pinned by community manager🛡️ Post-Prime Day A-to-Z Surge? How to Respond Effectively
Hi Sellers,
If you've just wrapped up a successful Prime Day, congratulations! But here's something many sellers don't anticipate: the weeks following Prime Day often bring a spike in A-to-Z Guarantee claims. Higher order volume means more opportunities for delivery issues, condition disputes, and customer misunderstandings, and that means more claims landing in your queue.
The good news? How you respond makes all the difference. Let's walk through exactly what to do when a claim hits your account.
💬 We Want to Hear From You
Have you noticed an uptick in A-to-Z claims after major sales events? What's your go-to strategy for handling them quickly? Share your experience below. Your tips could help a fellow seller! 👇
⏰ Know Your Deadlines — They're Non-Negotiable
When Amazon requests additional information about a claim, you have 48 hours to respond. Miss that window, and the claim is automatically granted in the customer's favor — plus it hits your Order Defect Rate (ODR). Here's the timeline that matters:
- 48 hours: Respond to Amazon's information request
- 30 calendar days: Appeal a claim decision after it's been granted
- ODR window: Claims are measured over a rolling 60-day period
📋 How to Respond to a Claim Step by Step
- Go to Seller Central> Performance > A-to-Z Guarantee Claims
- Find the claim under the "Action Required" tab
- Click "Respond to Amazon"
- Enter your comments with supporting details (tracking info, delivery confirmation, communication history)
- If you need to attach documents, send them via Buyer-Seller Messages first, then reference them in your response
- Click Submit
🛡️What Makes a Strong Response
Amazon's investigation team looks at specific evidence depending on the claim type:
- Delivery claims: Valid tracking number, proof of delivery, carrier details, customer signature (if available)
- Condition/returns claims: Domestic return address, prepaid return label details, reason for any closed return requests
- Communication history: Any Buyer-Seller Messages showing you attempted to resolve the issue
📈 Protect Your Account Health
Your ODR must stay below 1% to avoid account deactivation. A-to-Z claims are one of three ODR components (along with negative feedback and chargebacks). All claims initially count toward your ODR while under review, but if a claim is later denied or you win an appeal, it will be removed from your ODR calculation. Responding promptly and thoroughly is your best defense.
🔑Pro Tips to Minimize Post-Prime Day Claims
- Confirm shipments before the expected ship date
- Use carriers with valid, scannable tracking
- Respond to all buyer messages within 24 hours
- Authorize return requests within 48 hours — even if you plan to deny them, respond first
- Consider proactive refunds for clear-cut issues to prevent claims entirely
📚 Helpful Resources
- About A-to-Z Guarantee Claims
- Respond to an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Prevent an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Appeal an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Order Defect Rate
What's your biggest challenge when dealing with A-to-Z claims after a major sales event? Drop your questions and tips below. Let's help each other navigate this together! 🙌
Block Buyers pleeeeeaaaaasssseee 😭😭😭
Hello Community and Amazon Moderation Team,
I am writing to start a discussion on a critical tool that is currently missing from the Seller Central ecosystem: the ability to block specific buyer accounts from purchasing from our individual stores.
While the vast majority of Amazon customers are wonderful, a small percentage of abusive buyers cause disproportionate financial and operational strain. In my own business, we have $20,000+] in losses annually due to:
• Repeat Return Abuse: Buyers who purchase and return the same item multiple times or "rent" products for one-time use.
• Fraudulent Claims: Consistent "Item Not Received" or "Materially Different" claims from the same accounts despite proof of delivery.
• Harassment: Negative feedback loops or aggressive messaging that impacts seller health and team morale.
Currently, our only recourse is to report a buyer after the damage is done. However, this does not prevent that same account from placing another order minutes later, forcing us to either fulfill a high-risk order or take a hit to our Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate.
The Solution:
Other major e-commerce platforms allow sellers to maintain a "Blocked Buyer List." Implementing a similar feature on Amazon would allow us to:
1. Protect our inventory and bottom line.
2. Reduce the volume of "Safe-T" claims and appeals Amazon has to manually review.
3. Focus our resources on providing a great experience for honest customers.
I would love to hear from other sellers on how this would impact your business. Amazon Team, is there a roadmap for giving sellers more agency in preventing known-abusive transactions?
Refunds Are Destroying My Business.
We operate under the FBA model, and for the past two years our return rate has remained consistently low. However, since the beginning of this year, our return rate has increased dramatically.
What makes this even more confusing is that nothing significant has changed. We are selling the same products, and our Voice of the Customer metrics show very few negative complaints or quality-related issues.
From our perspective, one major factor seems to be Amazon's increasingly lenient return policy. Returning products has become so easy that some customers may be using returns without much consideration. As sellers, we are left to absorb the costs of return shipping, processing, and inventory losses, which in many cases consume most—or even all—of our profit margin.
We fully understand the importance of maintaining a great customer experience, but the current balance feels heavily tilted against sellers. I hope Amazon will consider implementing stricter oversight of customer returns and taking additional steps to protect seller interests while still ensuring customer satisfaction.
AMAZON NO LONGER REMOVING NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
Been selling here for over 15 years, the good old days when fraudulent, malicious , product review negative feedback were removed , oh boy, that was great.
Since the beginning of the year (at least for us), we have been filing feedback removal in vain from orders that:
1: Evidence provided with delivery picture: " never received my order "
2: Product review feedback: " did not like the product "
3: Calling us names: " seller is a scammer "
4: Related to return policy: " want to return the product but too expensive "
5: Completely different product: " received my TV set broken "
Basically, filing feedback removal is useless now and automated reply within seconds from filing. Nobody is looking into the filings. Just wondering why Amazon still want us here?
Need help, buyer is abusing return because Amazon asked him to keep $500 worth of item.
A buyer is abusing return policy, Because Amazon asked him to keep one of the items we shipped to him, he is making a second attempt. He is so bold to tell us that he is not returning the item because Amazon asked him to keep or dispose $500 worth of items. He is going after us for another item.
We need help
How to deal with buyer faulted return if they lie about return reason
It is so frustrating when you follow Amazon guidelines but they don't protect you as a seller. Been selling for 25 years. Have a customer who bought a DVD/Blu-ray. Requested return a few days after receiving it and said package and case were damaged in shipping and crushed. It was auto approved and they were given pre paid return label. Once they returned it (39 days later) it is in perfect sealed condition. They even used the original bubble mailer and it has no visible damage. They were auto refunded (total sale refund) at first scan. I tried to file a Safe-T claim because it is not a seller faulted return, they just lied and choose the wrong return reason so they wouldn't have to pay the return shipping or have the original S/H deducted from their refund. I choose they picked wrong return reason and attached pics. Claim denied, appealed and still denied. They say not eligible for refund because it is seller faulted. That is only because they choose wrong return reason. They denied appeal almost as soon as I submitted it, don't even think they could have looked at pictures. How are other sellers handling this when buyers lie about return reasons?
⭐ Negative Feedback: Which Types Qualify for Removal & How to Request It
Hey Sellers!👋
Received negative feedback that doesn't seem fair? You're not alone, it's one of the most common concerns we hear from sellers in the community. The good news is that certain types of feedback can be removed or struck through. Let's break down exactly which types qualify and how to request it.
Why This Matters
Negative feedback (1- or 2-star ratings) directly impacts your Order Defect Rate (ODR), which affects your Account Health. Understanding what qualifies for removal helps you protect your seller metrics and focus your energy where it counts.
Feedback Amazon Will Remove: Amazon will remove feedback if it meets one or more of these criteria:
- Obscene or profane language: The feedback contains words commonly understood to be obscene or profane.
- Personally identifiable information: The feedback includes seller-specific personal details such as email addresses, full names, or telephone numbers.
- Entire comment is a product review: For example: "The Acme Super-Widget lacks the sharpness and speed of the Acme Ultra Widget." This is a product review, not seller feedback.
⚠️ Important: If the comment contains both a product review and feedback about your service, Amazon will not remove it.
Feedback Amazon Will Strike Through: In these cases, the feedback remains visible but is struck through and won't count against your ODR.
- FBA orders: The entire comment relates to the delivery experience for an order fulfilled by Amazon.
- Buy Shipping orders: The entire comment is about a delayed or undelivered order that you shipped on time using Buy Shipping services.
✨ Star-Only Ratings: Star-only ratings (no written comment) are automatically assessed for removal. They're eligible for removal if:
- The rating is confirmed abusive.
- The order was fulfilled by Amazon or shipped using Buy Shipping.
- No action is required from you for star-only ratings.
📋How to Request Removal
- Go to Feedback Manager.
- In the Recent Feedback table, find the specific Order ID
- Select Request removal under the Actions column
💡 Pro Tips
- Fix it First! If the buyer’s unhappy, resolve their issue before asking for removal. Happy buyers might delete their feedback within 60 days.
- Never, Ever… Offer discounts or perks to delete a review.
- Public Reply Magic ✨ Use a polite, professional reply for feedback that can’t be removed.
- Suspect Abuse? Hit “Report a Violation” for extra review.
📚 Quick Links
🔗Can Amazon remove buyer feedback?
💬 Your Turn! Let’s Learn From Each Other
We love hearing your stories:
- Have you successfully had feedback removed? What type was it?
- How do you handle unfair feedback that can’t be removed? Share your go-to reply!
- Any secrets to keeping your ODR shiny?
🌟 Drop your experiences, questions, and wins below! Your insights help all of us thrive. Let's get those seller accounts glowing!
Regards,
Billy
🛡️ Post-Prime Day A-to-Z Surge? How to Respond Effectively
Hi Sellers,
If you've just wrapped up a successful Prime Day, congratulations! But here's something many sellers don't anticipate: the weeks following Prime Day often bring a spike in A-to-Z Guarantee claims. Higher order volume means more opportunities for delivery issues, condition disputes, and customer misunderstandings, and that means more claims landing in your queue.
The good news? How you respond makes all the difference. Let's walk through exactly what to do when a claim hits your account.
💬 We Want to Hear From You
Have you noticed an uptick in A-to-Z claims after major sales events? What's your go-to strategy for handling them quickly? Share your experience below. Your tips could help a fellow seller! 👇
⏰ Know Your Deadlines — They're Non-Negotiable
When Amazon requests additional information about a claim, you have 48 hours to respond. Miss that window, and the claim is automatically granted in the customer's favor — plus it hits your Order Defect Rate (ODR). Here's the timeline that matters:
- 48 hours: Respond to Amazon's information request
- 30 calendar days: Appeal a claim decision after it's been granted
- ODR window: Claims are measured over a rolling 60-day period
📋 How to Respond to a Claim Step by Step
- Go to Seller Central> Performance > A-to-Z Guarantee Claims
- Find the claim under the "Action Required" tab
- Click "Respond to Amazon"
- Enter your comments with supporting details (tracking info, delivery confirmation, communication history)
- If you need to attach documents, send them via Buyer-Seller Messages first, then reference them in your response
- Click Submit
🛡️What Makes a Strong Response
Amazon's investigation team looks at specific evidence depending on the claim type:
- Delivery claims: Valid tracking number, proof of delivery, carrier details, customer signature (if available)
- Condition/returns claims: Domestic return address, prepaid return label details, reason for any closed return requests
- Communication history: Any Buyer-Seller Messages showing you attempted to resolve the issue
📈 Protect Your Account Health
Your ODR must stay below 1% to avoid account deactivation. A-to-Z claims are one of three ODR components (along with negative feedback and chargebacks). All claims initially count toward your ODR while under review, but if a claim is later denied or you win an appeal, it will be removed from your ODR calculation. Responding promptly and thoroughly is your best defense.
🔑Pro Tips to Minimize Post-Prime Day Claims
- Confirm shipments before the expected ship date
- Use carriers with valid, scannable tracking
- Respond to all buyer messages within 24 hours
- Authorize return requests within 48 hours — even if you plan to deny them, respond first
- Consider proactive refunds for clear-cut issues to prevent claims entirely
📚 Helpful Resources
- About A-to-Z Guarantee Claims
- Respond to an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Prevent an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Appeal an A-to-Z Guarantee Claim
- Order Defect Rate
What's your biggest challenge when dealing with A-to-Z claims after a major sales event? Drop your questions and tips below. Let's help each other navigate this together! 🙌
