If you sell on Amazon, you’re probably losing money without even knowing it. Lost inventory, damaged products, and incorrect fees happen all the time in Amazon’s warehouses. Amazon reimbursement services help sellers recover funds from these errors by auditing your account and filing claims on your behalf. Around 94% of Amazon sellers use Fulfillment by Amazon, which means most sellers face these same issues that eat into profits.

The problem got bigger in 2025. Amazon changed its reimbursement policy to pay sellers based on manufacturing cost instead of retail value. This means you could get much smaller payouts for the same problems. A seller who used to receive $339 for a lost item might now only get $11.89 under the new rules. That’s a loss of nearly $200 per unit.

You have options for getting your money back. You can file claims manually through Seller Central, use automated tools, or hire professional reimbursement services that work on commission. These services typically recover 1-3% of your annual revenue that would otherwise be lost forever. The choice depends on how much time you have and how much money you’re willing to leave on the table.

Key Takeaways

• Amazon reimbursement services recover lost funds from inventory errors, overcharged fees, and fulfillment mistakes that sellers often miss
• Amazon’s 2025 policy changes reduced reimbursement amounts significantly by calculating payouts based on manufacturing cost instead of retail value
• Using automated tools or professional services helps sellers recover more money than manual claims while saving time and reducing errors

Understanding Amazon Reimbursement Services

Amazon reimbursement services help FBA sellers recover money lost due to Amazon’s operational errors, inventory issues, and fee mistakes. These services track discrepancies in your account and file claims on your behalf to get back funds you’re owed.

What Are Amazon Reimbursement Services?

Amazon reimbursement services are specialized solutions that help you recover money from Fulfillment by Amazon operational errors. When you use FBA, Amazon handles your inventory storage, packing, and shipping, but mistakes happen during these processes.

These services identify and file claims for losses that Amazon should compensate you for. They work by analyzing your account data, spotting discrepancies, and submitting reimbursement requests to Amazon.

You can handle reimbursements manually through Seller Central or use third-party services. Manual tracking requires you to review reports and file each claim yourself. Third-party services automate this process and typically charge a percentage of recovered funds, usually between 15-25% of what they recover for you.

Common Issues Solved by Reimbursement Services

Reimbursement services address several types of inventory and financial problems that Amazon FBA sellers face. Lost inventory is one of the most common issues, happening when products disappear in Amazon’s warehouses or during fulfillment.

Damaged inventory occurs when Amazon’s warehouse staff or shipping processes damage your products. You deserve compensation when Amazon is responsible for the damage.

Customer return issues include cases where customers return different items than they ordered or Amazon processes returns incorrectly. Overcharged FBA fees happen when Amazon charges you incorrect storage fees, fulfillment fees, or other service charges.

Inbound shipment problems arise when Amazon receives fewer units than you shipped or loses entire shipments. Understanding these claim types helps you know what money you can recover.

Types of Amazon Sellers Who Benefit

FBA sellers with high inventory volumes benefit most from Amazon reimbursement services. If you store hundreds or thousands of units in Amazon warehouses, the chances of errors increase significantly.

Established sellers moving substantial inventory monthly often have multiple reimbursement opportunities they don’t notice. Multi-channel sellers using FBA for various platforms face more complex inventory tracking needs.

Growing brands scaling their operations may lack time to manually audit their accounts. Private label sellers with higher-value products lose more money per lost unit, making recovery more important.

Even smaller FBA sellers can benefit, but you need to weigh the time investment against potential recovery. Amazon Vendor Central users also qualify for reimbursements, though their process differs slightly from seller reimbursements.

Key Entities Involved in Reimbursements

Amazon Seller Central is where you access reimbursement tools and submit claims directly. The Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal shows your eligible claims and tracks their status.

Third-party reimbursement service providers like Helium 10, SellerLabs, and specialized agencies handle the claim process for you. These companies use software to scan your account for discrepancies.

Amazon’s reimbursement team reviews and approves or denies claims based on their policies and your documentation. Your supplier invoices serve as proof of product costs, which Amazon requires for processing claims.

FBA warehouse operations create the paper trail through receiving records, inventory adjustments, and shipment logs. You need these records to support your reimbursement requests and prove losses occurred.

Amazon FBA Reimbursements: Essential Recovery Categories

Amazon owes you money when errors occur in their fulfillment process, from warehouse mishaps to fee calculation mistakes. Understanding which situations qualify for reimbursement helps you recover funds that would otherwise disappear from your bottom line.

Lost Inventory and Damaged Goods

Amazon warehouses handle millions of items daily, and your products sometimes get lost or damaged in the process. When fulfillment centers misplace your inventory or damage it during storage and handling, you can file for Amazon FBA reimbursements.

Lost inventory happens when Amazon can’t locate your products in their system. This occurs during warehouse transfers, while preparing customer orders, or when items simply vanish from inventory counts.

Damaged goods fall into two main categories:

• Warehouse damage: Items damaged while sitting in Amazon’s fulfillment centers
• Fulfillment damage: Products damaged during picking, packing, or shipping operations
• Customer damage: Returns that come back in unsellable condition due to customer mishandling

You need to track your inventory levels regularly and compare them against what Amazon shows in your account. The new policy calculates reimbursements based on manufacturing cost rather than retail value, which significantly reduces what you receive for lost or damaged inventory.

FBA Fees, Chargebacks, and Overcharges

Amazon charges various fees for their FBA service, but they sometimes calculate these fees incorrectly. You’re entitled to reimbursement when Amazon overcharges you for storage, fulfillment, or other service fees.

Common fee errors include:

• Wrong product dimensions leading to higher fulfillment fees
• Incorrect weight calculations
• Duplicate charges for the same order
• Storage fees charged for inventory Amazon lost

Chargebacks occur when Amazon deducts money from your account for issues like customer refunds, removal orders, or disposal fees. Sometimes these chargebacks happen in error, especially when Amazon processes a refund but the customer never returned the item.

Review your FBA fees monthly to catch discrepancies early. The 18-month claim window means older overcharges expire if you don’t act quickly. Weight and dimension errors are particularly common and can cost you significant money over time when incorrect measurements trigger higher fees on every sale.

Inbound Shipment and Removal Order Discrepancies

Your inventory can go missing before it even reaches Amazon’s shelves. Inbound shipment discrepancies happen when Amazon receives fewer units than you sent or reports receiving damaged items during the check-in process.

Common inbound issues include:

• Shortages: Amazon shows fewer units received than your shipping records confirm
• Overages: Amazon claims you sent more than expected (though this rarely results in reimbursement)
• Lost shipments: Entire boxes or pallets that never arrive at the fulfillment center

Removal order problems occur when you request Amazon to return or dispose of inventory. You might discover missing units when Amazon sends back fewer items than requested or fails to complete the removal entirely.

Keep detailed records of every shipment you send to Amazon. Your carrier tracking information, packing slips, and box content details serve as evidence when filing claims for inbound shipment discrepancies. Take photos of box labels and contents before shipping to strengthen your case.

Return and Refund Irregularities

Customer returns create multiple opportunities for reimbursement when Amazon mishandles the process. You lose money when Amazon refunds customers but never returns the item to your inventory or when returned products get marked as damaged when they’re actually sellable.

Key return issues include:

• Amazon issues a refund but the item never leaves the customer
• Products returned to the wrong fulfillment center and marked as lost
• Items returned in sellable condition but classified as damaged
• Customer return windows that exceed Amazon’s standard policy

Watch for situations where Amazon processes refunds outside their return window. Sometimes customers receive refunds months after purchase when policy should have prevented it. You’re also entitled to reimbursement when customers return completely different items than what you sold them, yet Amazon still processes the refund and damages out your inventory.

Track your return rates and investigate any returns that seem suspicious or don’t match normal patterns for your products.

The Amazon Reimbursement Process Explained

Getting reimbursed by Amazon requires following specific steps to audit your account, file claims with proper documentation, meet strict deadlines, and handle any rejections. The recovery process for FBA sellers involves multiple stages that require attention to detail and persistence.

FBA Auditing and Account Reconciliation

You need to regularly audit your FBA account to identify discrepancies between what Amazon owes you and what you’ve received. Start by accessing the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal in Seller Central to review your inventory records.

Compare your shipment records against Amazon’s received inventory counts. Look for missing units, damaged items that weren’t properly credited, and fee overcharges that occurred during fulfillment.

Download your transaction reports and reconcile them against your actual inventory movements. Check for common FBA issues like lost inventory during warehouse transfers, customer returns that were never restocked, and removal orders that weren’t completed.

Key areas to audit include:

• Inbound shipment discrepancies
• Warehouse damage reports
• Customer return reconciliation
• FBA fee accuracy
• Inventory adjustments

You should perform these audits at least monthly to catch issues before they fall outside Amazon’s claim window.

Filing Claims and Documentation Requirements

When you identify an issue, you must file claims through Seller Central with supporting documentation. Amazon requires specific evidence for each claim type you submit.

For lost inventory claims, provide your shipment tracking information, proof of delivery to Amazon’s warehouse, and the original packing list. Make sure your shipping records clearly show the quantity sent versus what Amazon received.

For damaged inventory, include photos of the damage if available and references to Amazon’s warehouse damage reports. Customer return errors require order details and proof that the item wasn’t returned in sellable condition.

Essential documents to maintain:

• Supplier invoices showing your sourcing costs
• Shipping and tracking confirmations
• Packing lists with FNSKU details
• BOL (Bill of Lading) records
• Photos of shipment condition

Upload a “sourcing cost” file for your ASINs to ensure you receive proper reimbursement amounts under the new policy. Without accurate cost documentation, you’ll receive significantly lower payouts.

Timelines and Deadlines for Recovery

Amazon has shortened the claim window to 60 days for most reimbursement types, making quick action critical. You must identify and file claims within this timeframe or lose your right to recovery.

Different claim types have specific waiting periods before you can file. Lost inventory claims require you to wait 30 days after delivery to Amazon’s warehouse before submitting. Damaged inventory claims can be filed immediately once Amazon processes the damage report.

Track your claims carefully because Amazon takes 7-14 days to review and respond to most submissions. Complex cases involving large amounts or multiple units may take longer to resolve.

Critical deadlines to remember:

• 60 days to file most claims from incident date
• 30-day waiting period for lost inventory
• 90 days for fee dispute claims
• 18 months lookback period for eligible reimbursements

Set up calendar reminders for each shipment and transaction to avoid missing these windows.

Handling Disputed and Denied Claims

Amazon denies claims for several reasons, but denial doesn’t mean your case is closed. Review the denial reason in Seller Central to understand what went wrong with your submission.

Common denial reasons include missing documentation, discrepancies between your records and Amazon’s data, or claims filed outside the eligible timeframe. Amazon may also deny claims when they show the inventory was actually received or returned to you.

Gather additional evidence to support your claim and resubmit with more detailed documentation. Include clearer invoices, more specific tracking information, or warehouse receipts that prove your case.

If your resubmission is denied again, escalate to Amazon Seller Support with a detailed explanation. Reference specific policy sections and provide comprehensive proof that supports your claim. Some sellers successfully recover funds after multiple escalations when they persist with strong evidence.

Choosing the Right Amazon Reimbursement Service

The best Amazon reimbursement service should combine advanced technology with transparent pricing and proper Amazon approval status. Your choice will directly impact how much money you recover and how much time you save.

Evaluating Service Features and Technology

Look for services that offer automated claim identification and filing. The technology should scan your account regularly to catch discrepancies in lost inventory, damaged goods, and fee overcharges. Automation tools can help sellers recover thousands of dollars by identifying claims you might miss manually.

Key features to evaluate include:

• Real-time monitoring of your inventory and transactions
• Automated claim filing that submits cases to Amazon on your behalf
• Detailed reporting that shows what claims were filed and their status
• Historical lookback periods to find older eligible claims

Some services like GETIDA offer comprehensive auditing that goes back 18 months. Others provide additional tools for financial reporting and profit analysis. The level of automation matters because manual claim filing takes hours each week and increases your risk of missing eligible reimbursements.

Vendor Approval and Compliance

An Amazon reimbursement service is risk-free when you choose an approved vendor from the Amazon Seller Appstore. Working with an amazon-approved vendor ensures the service follows Amazon’s terms of service and won’t put your account at risk.

Check these compliance factors:

• Verify the service appears in the Amazon Seller Appstore
• Confirm they comply with Amazon’s API usage policies
• Ask about their track record with account suspensions
• Review their data security and privacy practices

Services that aren’t approved may use methods that violate Amazon’s policies. This could lead to account warnings or suspensions. If you also sell through Vendor Central, confirm the service can handle both Seller Central and Vendor Central accounts.

Fee Structures and Contracts

Most Amazon reimbursement services charge a percentage of successfully recovered funds, typically ranging from 15% to 25%. This commission-based model means you only pay when they recover money for you.

Compare these pricing elements:

• Commission rates on recovered funds
• Minimum contract terms and cancellation policies
• Setup fees or monthly subscriptions
• Hidden costs for additional services

Some services charge flat monthly fees instead of commissions. Calculate which model saves you more based on your expected reimbursement volume. Professional services let you pay only on successful claims while benefiting from their expertise and automation.

Read contract terms carefully before signing. Look for flexibility to cancel if the service doesn’t meet your needs. Avoid long-term commitments until you’ve tested the service’s performance with your account.

Best Practices to Maximize Amazon Reimbursements

Recovering every dollar owed requires careful attention to your inventory records and choosing the right mix of claim filing methods. FBA sellers who combine accurate data management with smart automation recover significantly more money than those who rely on Amazon’s systems alone.

Maintaining Records and Inventory Accuracy

Your reimbursement amounts depend directly on the sourcing cost data you provide to Amazon. When Amazon’s new FBA reimbursement policy takes effect, reimbursements shift from retail value to manufacturing cost calculations. This makes accurate record-keeping more important than ever.

Update your sourcing costs for every FNSKU in Seller Central regularly. Download the sourcing cost file from the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal and verify that Amazon’s estimates match your actual costs. Keep detailed records including:

• Original purchase invoices from suppliers
• Shipping and freight documents
• Manufacturing cost breakdowns
• Product packaging expenses

Submit supporting documents for each product as soon as possible. Missing documentation is one of the most common reasons claims get denied. Store all receipts, invoices, and shipment records in an organized system you can access quickly during the recovery process.

Track your inventory counts against Amazon’s records weekly. Discrepancies between what you shipped and what Amazon received often indicate lost units. The sooner you catch these issues, the easier it becomes to file successful claims.

Integrating Manual and Automated Solutions

Combining manual oversight with automated tools gives you the best results for FBA auditing. Manual reviews let you catch unusual patterns and verify high-value claims, while automation handles the repetitive work of scanning thousands of transactions.

Start with automated FBA reimbursement tools that identify eligible claims across your entire account history. These systems scan for lost inventory, damaged goods, overcharged fees, and customer return errors much faster than manual checking. They also track claim deadlines so you don’t miss the 60-day window for filing.

Reserve manual review for these situations:

• High-value items worth $100 or more
• Denied claims that need additional evidence
• Complex cases involving multiple shipments
• Monthly audits of your top-selling products

Set up a regular schedule for both methods. Run automated scans weekly to catch new issues quickly. Perform manual audits monthly to verify your automation is working correctly and to spot patterns the software might miss. This dual approach ensures you capture every eligible reimbursement while keeping your time investment reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Amazon sellers often need clarity on reimbursement eligibility requirements, claim filing procedures, documentation standards, and appeal processes. The platform has specific rules about time limits and calculation methods that directly affect how much money you can recover.

How can I check if I am eligible for a reimbursement from Amazon?

You can check your eligibility by accessing the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal in Amazon Seller Central. This portal shows discrepancies between what you shipped and what Amazon received or processed.

Common eligible scenarios include lost inventory during fulfillment, damaged items at Amazon warehouses, customer return errors, and overcharged FBA fees. You need to review your inventory reports regularly to spot these issues.

The system tracks your inventory movements and flags potential problems. You can also download reports that show missing units or fee discrepancies that qualify for reimbursement claims.

What is the process to claim a reimbursement for a lost or damaged item on Amazon?

Start by identifying the specific inventory issue through your Seller Central reports. Navigate to the Manage FBA Inventory dashboard where you can file claims for lost or damaged items.

You need to use the Reimbursement Request tool to submit your claim. Attach supporting documentation like shipment records, invoices, or photos that prove your case.

After filing, track your case through Seller Central to monitor its status. Amazon will review your claim and notify you of their decision through your account notifications.

Are there any time limits for filing a reimbursement request with Amazon?

Amazon requires you to file reimbursement claims within 60 days of the issue occurring. This shortened window from the previous 90-day limit means you need to act quickly when you spot problems.

The 60-day deadline applies to most claim types including lost and damaged inventory. Missing this deadline means you forfeit your right to reimbursement for that specific issue.

You should audit your account weekly or monthly to catch discrepancies early. Setting up a regular review schedule helps ensure you never miss the filing window.

What documentation do I need to provide when seeking a reimbursement from Amazon?

You need to provide proof of your sourcing costs for each FNSKU affected by the claim. This includes purchase invoices, receipts, or manufacturer documentation that shows what you paid for the inventory.

Shipment records are required for lost inventory claims during inbound shipments. These records prove you sent the items to Amazon and help verify the discrepancy.

For damaged items, photos showing the condition of your inventory can strengthen your claim. You should also include packing slips and any correspondence with Amazon about the issue.

How does Amazon determine the amount to reimburse for an issue with my order?

Amazon now calculates reimbursements based on your manufacturing cost rather than retail value. This policy change in 2025 significantly reduces what you receive compared to previous calculations.

The platform uses the sourcing cost data you upload to their system. If you don’t provide accurate cost information, Amazon estimates the value based on their own calculations, which are often lower than actual costs.

Shipping, handling, and profit margins are no longer included in reimbursement amounts. A product that previously generated a $339 reimbursement might now only yield $11.89 under the cost-based system.

Can I appeal a reimbursement decision made by Amazon if I am not satisfied?

You can appeal denied claims by reviewing the denial reason in your Seller Central account. Amazon provides specific explanations for why they rejected your claim.

Gather additional evidence like detailed invoices, shipment tracking, or warehouse receipts to support your appeal. Submit the new documentation through the case management system and reference your original claim number.

If your appeal is denied again, you can escalate the issue to Amazon support through email or phone. Persistence and thorough documentation increase your chances of overturning the decision and recovering your funds.