Amazon FBA Reimbursements: How to Claim Money for Lost and Damaged Inventory
Amazon loses or damages seller inventory every year — and most sellers never claim it back. Learn the complete process to audit your FBA account and recover what you're owed.
Amazon Loses More Inventory Than You Think
Amazon's fulfillment centers process billions of items annually. Inventory gets lost between check-in and storage, damaged during handling, or incorrectly reconciled during returns. Amazon's own policy states they are financially responsible for inventory lost or damaged while in their custody — but they don't automatically reimburse you. You have to find the discrepancies and file claims.
On average, FBA sellers with more than 200 SKUs recover between $500 and $5,000 per year in reimbursements they didn't know they were owed.
Types of FBA Reimbursements You Can Claim
- Lost inventory. Items that were checked into a warehouse but never found again. Visible in your inventory reconciliation report.
- Damaged in warehouse. Items marked as damaged by Amazon staff during picking or packing. Amazon pays you the estimated sale price.
- Returns not restocked. A customer returned an item, Amazon received it, but the units never came back to your sellable inventory.
- Incorrect refund amounts. Amazon refunded the buyer more than they should have and charged it to you.
- Inbound shipment discrepancies. You sent 100 units but Amazon only checked in 95. The 5 missing units may be reimbursable.
How to Audit Your FBA Account
Step 1 — Download Your Inventory Reports
In Seller Central, go to Reports → Fulfillment → Inventory Reconciliation. Download the report for the past 18 months (the maximum lookback period Amazon allows for claims).
Step 2 — Cross-Reference Returns vs. Restocked
Go to Reports → Fulfillment → Returns → Return Report. For every return, check whether the unit was restocked, removed, or disposed. Units marked "returned to inventory" but not appearing in your counts are claimable.
Step 3 — Check Inbound Shipments
Go to Manage FBA Shipments → Closed Shipments. Compare units shipped vs. units received for every shipment. Any shortfall over 30 days old is eligible for reimbursement.
Step 4 — File Your Claims
Open a support case in Seller Central for each discrepancy. Include the shipment ID, ASIN, and the number of units you're claiming. Be specific — vague claims are rejected. Amazon typically processes claims within 5–10 business days.
Common Mistakes That Get Claims Rejected
- Filing too early (within 30 days of the discrepancy — Amazon may still be reconciling)
- Filing too late (after the 18-month window — claims are permanently barred)
- Missing shipment IDs or ASIN references in your case
- Claiming items that were already reimbursed automatically
How LarqShield Helps
LarqShield's document storage keeps your shipment records, inventory snapshots, and return receipts organized by SKU. When you need to file a reimbursement claim, you have every document ready in under 2 minutes — rather than spending hours digging through Seller Central reports.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon is legally responsible for FBA inventory lost or damaged in their network.
- You must proactively file claims — Amazon won't do it automatically.
- Audit every 90 days to stay within the 18-month lookback window.
- Inbound discrepancies, lost items, and unrestocked returns are the top three categories.