First FBA Shipment - 75% Stock Damaged
I'm a small snacking business owner and I had trusted amazon FBA and sent a small shipment of about 200 units but to my surprise 75% of it is unfullfilable and has been tagged under distributor damaged. I'm really at a loss of words and extremely depressed, I had taken a business loan for this. I've raised a case but it's still unanswered and it's close to two days. Can anybody help? Since I got it packed myself there is no chance that these many would be damaged, I had packed it with extreme care.
First FBA Shipment - 75% Stock Damaged
I'm a small snacking business owner and I had trusted amazon FBA and sent a small shipment of about 200 units but to my surprise 75% of it is unfullfilable and has been tagged under distributor damaged. I'm really at a loss of words and extremely depressed, I had taken a business loan for this. I've raised a case but it's still unanswered and it's close to two days. Can anybody help? Since I got it packed myself there is no chance that these many would be damaged, I had packed it with extreme care.
8 replies
Seller_lFg7VUzl8pJZA
Distributor Damage is a very broad term. The "damaged" items will need to be removed from FBA. If your removal is automatic it will be despatched back to you soon, otherwise you need to request removal.
Perhaps it not a serious matter but some mis-labelling problem.
Jameson_Amazon
Hi @Seller_FJsuKCpyzGAhS,
Thank you for reaching out on the Seller Forums!
When you have a moment, can you please send me your Seller Support case IDs for this? I'd be happy to take a further look into those correspondences to see how I can best help here.
Thanks again,
Jameson
Seller_4JtyTlVSF5UwH
I had similar first experience with Amazon FBA. Luckily I sent only small quantity (45) in FBA, out of this 10 units Amazon marked as short quantity and claimed that I have sent less units. Since it was my first FBA shipment I took extra care and sent exactly 45 units but even after fighting with Amazon seller support service they kept telling 'short quantity'.
With this kind of experience I lost trust with Amazon FBA, so I took loss of missing units and removed my available units as well from Amazon FBA. However, the overall Amazon FBA process is so pathetic that even after 14 days I'm still waiting for my units. The FBA removal process takes 42 days (as per policy) so ultimately my inventory is stuck and I can't sell.
In my view Amazon FBA is beneficial for only Amazon and not for sellers or customers. FBA charges are so high that as a seller you need to increase your prices to make profit and ultimately customer has to pay high. In this case it's difficult to compete with other sellers who sell on low prices.
So I don't recommend Amazon FBA to anyone.
Seller_NUMlGw8QIojqg
vendors r always at loss on Amazon. They only favour the customers and their fulfillment centers.
Only option from them to grow on the portal is just play advertisements which is a total loss. We don't get any profit from those ads. When we started on this portal we were asked to do so and result was we were at loss of 95% of the amount.
Seller_wbfRWG4nSNsnG
That’s incredibly frustrating — and sadly, not an isolated case. There have been multiple reports of Amazon under-reimbursing for lost FBA items, even when sellers provide valid invoices showing the true cost.
Here are some steps you can try to get a fair resolution:
1. Reopen the Case & Escalate:
Go back to the original case and request escalation to an FBA Reimbursement Specialist or a Team Lead. Politely insist on a manual review and ask them to explain how they calculated the $44.17 amount.
2. Highlight the Reimbursement Policy:
Reference Amazon’s own FBA Lost and Damaged Inventory Reimbursement Policy, which states that reimbursement should be based on the product’s fair market value. Make sure your invoice includes all required details: product description, cost, date, and seller info.
3. Attach Supporting Proof:
Include any packing slips, shipment tracking details, product listings, and even a signed letter explaining the actual cost — it can sometimes help with manual reviews.
4. Use the "Seller Assurance Team" Route:
Some sellers have had success by specifically asking for the case to be reviewed under the Seller Assurance Escalation process. It can trigger a more detailed review.
5. External Escalation (if nothing works):
If internal Amazon channels don’t help, you could consider filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or the Washington State Attorney General, especially if you’re a U.S. entity. These actions have prompted responses in the past.Hope this helps. Keep pushing for a proper review — sellers deserve to be compensated fairly when Amazon loses inventory.
