An Amazon FBA reimbursement service that files only what it can prove.
Shelfcrest runs an Amazon FBA reimbursement service for private label brands: lost, damaged and returned items checked against Amazon's reimbursement policy, sourcing cost set so payouts are right, and only researched claims filed inside Amazon's windows.
What an Amazon FBA reimbursement service does
When Amazon loses or damages an FBA item in its fulfillment centers, or refunds a customer whose return never comes back, Amazon owes the seller for it under its FBA inventory reimbursement policy. Some FBA reimbursements are automated. Where Amazon has not paid, the claims process is manual, with windows that differ by type of loss.
An Amazon FBA reimbursement service finds those inventory discrepancies in your reports and inventory movements, checks each one against Amazon's eligibility rules, and files the claims that hold up, to recover funds FBA sellers are owed. It also makes sure the payout is right: for losses before a customer orders, Amazon now reimburses your sourcing cost, which you can set yourself or leave to Amazon's estimate.
Among Amazon reimbursement services, Shelfcrest files only researched claims. Amazon's own policy warns against premature or insufficiently researched requests, and against many requests in a short time, and says repeat offenders can face delays, investigation or account action. A reimbursement service that floods Seller Support puts your account at risk to earn its percentage.
Six signs you need an FBA reimbursement service
Nobody has looked at the reimbursement reports
Lost and damaged inventory goes unclaimed until the window closes, and the revenue is gone for good.
Customers are refunded but returns never arrive
Amazon's customer return claims open 60 days after the refund and close at 120.
Removal orders arrive short or damaged
Removals lost in transit can be claimed from 15 days after the last movement, within 75 days of the shipment's creation.
Reimbursements look too low
Pre-order losses are paid at sourcing cost; without yours on file, Amazon uses its own estimate.
Shipments to Amazon come in short
Units that went missing between your warehouse and the fulfillment center are their own claim type.
A service files hundreds of claims a month for you
Amazon's policy warns against large numbers of requests in a short time. That volume is a risk, not a feature.
The four FBA reimbursement claim types, and how each one is paid
| Claim type | When it happens | How Amazon values it | Window, where Amazon states it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipment to Amazon | Units lost or damaged on the way into the fulfillment network | Sourcing cost | On Amazon's shipment claims page |
| Fulfillment center operations | Units lost or damaged inside a fulfillment center | Sourcing cost | On Amazon's fulfillment center claims page |
| Customer returns | A customer was refunded or replaced, and the item did not come back sellable | The refund or replacement, minus applicable fees | From 60 to 120 days after the refund |
| Removals, lost | A removal order lost in transit to your address | Sourcing cost | 15 days after last movement, within 75 days of creation |
| Removals, damaged | A removal order delivered damaged, or a grading dispute | Sourcing cost, reduced if the item was unsellable | Within 60 days of delivery |
Amazon caps any single unit's reimbursement at $5,000 and recommends third-party insurance above that. Where a claim is valid, Amazon may send a replacement unit instead of money.
Eight areas of an FBA reimbursement service, and the question behind each
- Reports and data reviewed
- Which items show as lost, damaged or refunded without a return in the inventory reports, and where are the discrepancies between what was sent and what Amazon recorded?
- Eligibility
- Does each unit meet all seven of Amazon's conditions, including an account in normal status?
- Already reimbursed?
- Has Amazon already paid for or replaced this unit, so a claim would be a duplicate?
- Claim windows
- Is each claim inside its window, and which ones open or close in the next two weeks?
- Sourcing cost
- Is your sourcing cost on file in the Inventory Defect & Reimbursement portal, with proof, so payouts are not Amazon's estimate?
- Evidence
- Are invoices, shipment details and photos ready for the claims that need them?
- Valuation disputes
- Was any reimbursement paid too low, and is it still inside the 60 day dispute window?
- Root causes and errors
- Which issues repeat: packaging, labeling, carriers? Fixing the errors behind them is worth more than the claims.
The windows and values every FBA reimbursement claim runs on
Two things decide what a claim is worth: whether it is filed inside its window, and the value Amazon pays. Customer return claims open 60 days after the refund and close at 120. Removal claims have their own windows. And for losses before a customer order, the value is your sourcing cost.
Pre-order claim value = sourcing cost × units, capped at $5,000 per unit
Customer return claim value = refund or replacement price minus applicable fees
Sourcing cost = cost from the manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, excluding shipping, handling and duties
Worked example, illustrative
A brand has 40 units lost in a fulfillment center. Its real sourcing cost is $11 an item, but it never entered one, and Amazon's estimate for the product is $8.
- Paid on Amazon's estimate, the claim returns 40 × $8 = $320.
- With the brand's sourcing cost on file and documented, it returns 40 × $11 = $440.
- The difference, $120, comes from one entry on the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page, not from filing more claims.
- If a payout was already made too low, a valuation dispute has 60 days from the reimbursement.
| What | Amazon's rule | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcing cost | Your cost from the manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, without shipping, handling or duties | Manage Your Sourcing Cost, in the Inventory Defect & Reimbursement portal |
| Maximum per unit | $5,000 | The reimbursement policy |
| Customer return claims | No sooner than 60 days, no later than 120 days after the refund | The customer return claims page |
| Removals lost in transit | From 15 days after the last movement, within 75 days of creation | The removals claims page |
| Valuation disputes | Within 60 days after the reimbursement is issued | Contact Us in Seller Central |
What a reimbursement audit finds
Illustrative examples on an unnamed account. Not client results.
No sourcing cost on file for any product
Pre-order losses are paid on Amazon's estimate, which may be lower
Enter each product's sourcing cost with proof, before the next claim
Twenty-two refunds with no return, now 70 to 110 days old
They are inside the 60 to 120 day window, and some close soon
File the eligible ones now, oldest first
A removal order that arrived 18 units short
Removals lost in transit have their own window from the shipment's creation
File within 75 days of creation, with the removal details
Losses repeating on one product
A labeling or packaging problem, costing more than the claims recover
Fix the prep, then keep claiming what is still owed
The first 30 days, then every month
Week 1: access and the audit
You authorize Shelfcrest as a service provider in Seller Central for inventory, reports and cases. Every lost, damaged and refunded-without-return unit is listed with its claim type and window.
Week 2: sourcing cost set
Your sourcing cost is entered for each product with the documentation Amazon accepts, so the claims that follow are paid on your cost, not an estimate.
Week 3: claims closing soonest
Eligible claims are filed in order of their windows, shortest first, each one checked for eligibility and for an existing reimbursement before it goes in.
Week 4: the rest, and the first report
Remaining eligible claims are filed at a pace Seller Support can handle. The first report lists every unit, claim, amount and outcome.
Every month after
New lost, damaged and returned units, open claims followed up, valuation disputes where payouts were low, and the causes behind repeat losses.
Never
Duplicate claims, claims for ineligible units, or bursts of requests. Amazon's policy treats those as interference, and your account carries the risk.
Included in the FBA reimbursement service
- An audit of lost, damaged and refunded-without-return items
- Every unit checked against Amazon's seven eligibility conditions
- Sourcing cost set for each product, with documentation
- Claims filed inside their windows, shortest first
- Valuation disputes where a payout was too low
- A monthly cycle for new items and open claims
- A log of every claim, amount and outcome
- The repeat causes of losses, with the fix for each
- Your reports and claim log stay yours
Insurance for high value items and disputes that need legal help are not included. For inventory planned so fewer items go missing, see FBA inventory management. For cases beyond reimbursements, see full account management.
A 10-step FBA reimbursement check you can run this week
- Open the reimbursements report and total what Amazon paid in the last 90 days.
- Open the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page and check whether your cost is on file for every product.
- List customer refunds from 60 to 120 days ago where the item never came back.
- Check each of those against the reimbursements report, so nothing is claimed twice.
- List removal orders from the last 75 days and compare what was sent with what arrived.
- List shipments to Amazon where the received quantity is below what you sent.
- Pull the invoices for the products involved, in case Amazon asks for proof.
- File one researched claim, see what Amazon asks for, then file the rest the same way.
- Note which products lose items most often, and why.
- Set a monthly reminder: windows close whether you look or not.
If that check turns up more claims than you can research properly, that is where an FBA reimbursement service pays for itself. The ACoS calculator uses the same cost data as your sourcing cost.
Doing it yourself, a percentage-based service, software, or a flat fee FBA reimbursement service
| Option | Works well when | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Doing it yourself | A few claims a month and time to research each one | Windows close while the account is busy with sales |
| Percentage-based claim service | High volumes of clear-cut losses | Paid per claim won, which can reward volume over research, the pattern Amazon's policy warns against |
| Reimbursement software | Spotting candidate items in large catalogs | Software flags items; it does not check eligibility, duplicates or the sourcing cost behind the payout |
| Flat fee FBA reimbursement service | You want claims researched, paced and logged, with no incentive to file more | Services that promise a recovered amount before they have seen the reports |
Who this service is for
A good fit
- Private label brands on FBA with regular shipments, returns and removals
- Brands with no sourcing cost on file, or payouts that look low
- Brands worried about a claim service filing too much in their name
Not a fit
- Accounts that want claims filed for items already reimbursed
- Brands looking for a guaranteed recovery amount
- Merchant fulfilled only accounts
What the FBA reimbursement service costs
FBA reimbursement: quoted after the audit
The FBA reimbursement service is a flat fee quoted in writing after the free audit, never a percentage of what Amazon pays you. A flat fee means there is no reason to file a claim that should not be filed. The monthly plans are on the pricing page.
Amazon FBA reimbursement service FAQ
What is an Amazon FBA reimbursement service?
An Amazon FBA reimbursement service helps FBA sellers recover lost funds: it finds items Amazon lost, damaged or refunded without a return, checks them against Amazon's reimbursement policy, sets the sourcing cost so payouts are right, and files the eligible claims inside their windows.
Are FBA reimbursements automated?
Some are. Amazon reimburses some losses on its own, through an automated system. Its policy says that where an eligible unit has not already been reimbursed, the seller can file a claim, and the process depends on where the item was lost.
How much does Amazon reimburse for lost inventory?
For losses before a customer orders, Amazon reimburses your sourcing cost: what you paid the manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, without shipping, handling or duties. For customer returns, the refund or replacement amount minus fees. The maximum is $5,000 per unit.
What is sourcing cost on Amazon?
Your cost to source a product from a manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, or to make it if you are the manufacturer. You can enter it on the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page; otherwise Amazon uses its own estimate.
How long do I have to file a customer return claim?
No sooner than 60 days and no later than 120 days after the customer refund or replacement.
How long do I have to file a removal claim?
For removals lost in transit, from 15 days after the last confirmed movement, and within 75 days of the date the shipment was created. For damage or grading disputes, within 60 days of delivery.
Can too many reimbursement claims hurt my account?
They can. Amazon's policy warns against insufficiently researched or premature requests and large numbers of requests in a short time, and says sellers who repeat this may face delayed support, monitoring, investigation or account action.
What if a reimbursement is too low?
You can dispute the valuation through Contact Us in Seller Central within 60 days after the reimbursement was issued.
Does Amazon always pay money?
No. For a valid claim, Amazon may send a replacement unit of the same product instead of reimbursing.
What if a lost unit is found later?
Amazon can reverse the reimbursement when a reimbursed unit is found and returned to your inventory.
Do reimbursement services cover FBA fee errors?
This service covers inventory reimbursements: lost, damaged and returned items. An FBA fee that looks wrong can be raised as a case in Amazon Seller Central, and the monthly report flags any that show up.
Why a flat fee instead of a percentage?
A percentage pays per claim won, which rewards filing more. A flat fee pays for researched claims, which is what Amazon's policy asks for.
What access do you need?
Service provider access in Seller Central for inventory, reports and cases, and your product invoices for sourcing cost proof.
What happens if we stop?
The claim log, the reports and your sourcing cost entries stay yours.
Get a free FBA reimbursement audit.
Send your store link. You get a written audit: items that may be owed, which windows close soonest, whether your sourcing cost is on file, and the first claims to file.