Guest written by David Schenkler & Better Refunds

Amazon, the juggernaut of online retail, evokes different sentiments depending on one’s perspective. For consumers, it’s a paradise offering convenience, speed, and hassle-free returns. As the cherry on top, Amazon has the best customer service in the world.

But for FBA sellers and vendors, the relationship is more complex. While Amazon offers unparalleled opportunities for establishing and managing businesses, navigating its ever-changing policies and operational intricacies can be daunting. FBA sellers and vendors can find themselves grappling with Amazon, feeling as though it does not offer them the same level of support as it does to consumers.

FBA sellers and vendors, whether they realize it or not, are forfeiting significant amounts of unclaimed funds due to operational errors on Amazon’s part. Nevertheless, with strategic methods, these reimbursements can be recovered, leading to enhanced profitability and business prosperity.

Amazon Reimbursements Guide for the Perplexed

Amazon Reimbursements differ from refunds, catering specifically to FBA sellers and vendors. These reimbursements are granted when Amazon acknowledges errors in its processes, such as lost or damaged inventory, overcharged fees, or erroneous removal orders.

Let’s dive a little deeper into this.

FBA Sellers – Where’d my inventory go?

Amazon’s vast ecosystem comprises an intricate web of transactions. With so much going on, things are bound to happen, such as lost or damaged inventory within FBA warehouses, issues with inbound shipping, overcharged fees, errors in customer returns processing, erroneous removal orders, and the list goes on.

Each scenario directly impacts your bottom line. To address them effectively, you need to scour through the data Amazon provides to make reimbursement claims. However, since you have to manually submit each claim, this can be a time-consuming and daunting task.

Vendors – Why am I getting overcharged on everything?

Amazon can over-receive or under-receive, causing PO to shipment discrepancies, shipment to fees discrepancies, invoice to receivals discrepancies, and payments to inventory-shipped discrepancies.

Amazon only provides limited data, which is confusing and difficult to understand. The fees can be charged months after the PO arrives at the Amazon warehouses, which makes it difficult to reconcile your records for accounting purposes and understand what really happened. This is aside from the regular chargebacks, shortages, and other fees Amazon deducts that are both convoluted and complicated.

Amazon Reimbursements = Increased Profitability → Get Yourself Some Better Refunds

Here at Better Refunds, we can successfully recover:

  • 1-5% of the annual FBA revenue of a Seller.
  • 4-10% of the annual 1P revenue of a Vendor.

That’s a lot of money that can be recovered and repurposed to:

  • Restock inventory
  • Invest in growth opportunities
  • Expand your business
  • Boost your bottom line
  • Make your accountant happy
  • Pay your employees
  • And more…

Strategies for Retrieving Better Amazon Reimbursements

Documentation: You are running a business! Having proper documentation is paramount to the success of your business. For some of the Amazon Reimbursement Scenarios, providing documentation such as invoices, packaging slips, bills of lading, proof of delivery, pictures, and LPNs serves as evidence to prove and support reimbursement claims, significantly enhancing success rates by a staggering amount.

Remeasurements: Amazon charges FBA fees based on the size of the packaging. Double-check Amazon’s measurements against your own. Rectifying inaccuracies and optimizing packaging size will lead to increased profitability.

Automatic Removal Orders Turned ON: As long as this is turned on, you can get reimbursed if Amazon disposes of your inventory without your permission.

Manage Claims Volume: Shocking! Amazon doesn’t like receiving a ton of reimbursement claims from one account! Limit the amount of cases you are opening a day.

Timely Claim Submission: Amazon’s policies clearly stipulate that your reimbursements have expiration dates, necessitating prompt claim submission to prevent forfeiture of entitled funds.

  • FBA Seller Central
  • Most scenarios: 18 months prior
  • Inbound Shipments (US): 9 months prior
  • Inbound Shipments (UK/EU): 6 months prior
  • Fees (e.g., FBA fees): 3 months
  • Vendor Central
  • All scenarios: 2 years prior

Unlock Maximum Reimbursements with Better Refunds: Better Refunds utilizes a proprietary algorithm to identify and reclaim unclaimed funds efficiently. With meticulous attention to detail and comprehensive coverage, Better Refunds consistently delivers superior results, maximizing reimbursements for FBA Sellers and Vendors.

Conclusion

Proactive strategies and expert assistance can significantly enhance reimbursement outcomes, ensuring FBA sellers and vendors capitalize on every opportunity to optimize profitability within the Amazon ecosystem.

Want to find out more? Join today, and Get Yourself Some Better Refunds!