As an Amazon FBA seller, you trust Amazon to handle your inventory with care. However, mistakes happen. Items get lost, damaged, or misplaced inside fulfillment centers, and when they do, Amazon is supposed to reimburse you. But does Amazon automatically issue these refunds, or do you need to file claims yourself?
The short answer: Sometimes, Amazon refunds you automatically—but not always.
If you don’t regularly check your account, you could be losing money without even realizing it. This is why many sellers use Amazon FBA reimbursement services like Refunzo to track their inventory and ensure they recover every dollar they’re owed.
When does Amazon automatically reimburse lost or damaged inventory?
Amazon has internal tracking systems designed to detect missing or damaged inventory. In some cases, Amazon identifies an issue and issues a refund automatically. This typically happens when:
- An item is lost in a fulfillment center and Amazon cannot locate it within 30 days.
- Amazon damages an item before it is sold and acknowledges the mistake.
- A warehouse transfer goes wrong, and inventory is lost during transit between fulfillment centers.
If Amazon detects any of these issues, they may reimburse you automatically, usually within 30 days. You’ll see the refund reflected in your Seller Central account under the “Reimbursements” tab.
However, Amazon’s system is not perfect—and many sellers find that a significant percentage of their missing inventory never gets refunded unless they manually file claims.
When do you need to file a manual claim?
While Amazon does issue automatic reimbursements in some cases, there are plenty of situations where you must take action yourself to get your money back. You will need to file a manual claim if:
- Amazon loses your inventory but fails to detect the issue.
- An item is marked as returned by a customer but never actually sent back.
- Amazon damages an item but does not process a refund.
- Your stock is misplaced or allocated to the wrong seller.
- You are charged incorrect storage, referral, or fulfillment fees.
Many sellers assume Amazon will always refund them automatically, but in reality, thousands of dollars can go unclaimed unless you track your inventory and file claims for missing reimbursements.
How to check if Amazon owes you a reimbursement
If you want to ensure you get every dollar you’re owed, you need to regularly audit your account. Here’s how to check for missing reimbursements manually:
Step 1: Review your inventory reports
Go to Seller Central and download the following reports:
- Inventory Adjustments Report – Shows lost or damaged items.
- Received Inventory Report – Helps you verify if Amazon has properly received your stock.
- Reimbursements Report – Displays refunds Amazon has already issued.
Compare these reports to check if any inventory is missing or marked as damaged but hasn’t been reimbursed.
Step 2: Submit a claim
If you find discrepancies, you can submit a claim through Amazon’s support system:
- Go to Seller Central > Help > Get Support
- Select “Fulfillment by Amazon” > “Investigate Inventory Lost in Warehouse”
- Provide details about the missing or damaged items.
- Upload supporting documentation (such as invoices, shipment records, or screenshots).
Amazon typically responds within 7-14 days. However, some cases take up to 30 days or longer, especially if additional proof is required.
Why sellers use FBA reimbursement agencies
Tracking lost or damaged inventory manually can take hours of work each month. Plus, if you don’t know exactly what to look for, you might miss out on money that Amazon owes you.
That’s why many sellers choose to work with an FBA reimbursement agency like Refunzo. Instead of spending hours checking reports, you can automate the entire process and let the experts handle claims for you.
How Refunzo helps you recover lost funds
Automatic account scans – Refunzo identifies lost, damaged, or misplaced inventory using over 20 tracking criteria.
- Detailed reimbursement reports – See exactly how much Amazon owes you in one simple report.
- Hassle-free claim filing – You can choose to file claims yourself or let Refunzo handle them for you.
- No upfront cost – You only pay when Refunzo successfully recovers money for you.
By using Amazon FBA reimbursement services, sellers recover more money than they would on their own—and they save hours of time in the process.
How much money are you missing out on?
Most Amazon sellers are shocked when they realize how much money they’ve been leaving on the table. Studies show that sellers typically recover 1-3% of their total revenue through reimbursements.
For example:
- If you sell $100,000 per year, you could be missing out on $1,000 to $3,000 in reimbursements.
- If you sell $500,000 per year, your unclaimed refunds could total $5,000 to $15,000.
- If you’ve never checked your FBA reimbursements before, you could be sitting on thousands of dollars in lost inventory refunds.
Final thoughts
Amazon does automatically reimburse sellers for some lost or damaged inventory, but their system doesn’t catch everything. If you don’t check your reports and file claims when necessary, you could be losing thousands of dollars without even realizing it.
To make sure you’re getting every reimbursement you’re owed, you have two options:
Manually track your inventory and submit claims yourself.
Use an FBA reimbursement agency like Refunzo to automate the process and recover your funds effortlessly.
With Refunzo, you can quickly scan your account for missing reimbursements, file claims with ease, and ensure Amazon pays you every dollar you deserve.
Check your account today and start recovering your money!
