Your Go-To Guide for Amazon FBA Reimbursements

At Sitruna, we’ve been working with Getida, who are renowned for their expertise in auditing and securing FBA refunds, bringing invaluable support to Amazon sellers, ensuring they reclaim the money owed to them by Amazon. In this guest blog, Maria Spano, Marketing Coordinator at Getida, shares her insights on navigating the complexities of FBA reimbursements, from damaged and lost inventory to fee overcharges and returned items. Dive into this comprehensive guide and discover how Getida's specialised services can safeguard your profits and streamline your reimbursement process.

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Not all sellers realise that Amazon might owe them money - or that this cash can be claimed in the form of Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) refunds.

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Despite its titanic size, Amazon still makes errors that can impact your bottom line. When these mistakes happen, they are called discrepancies and they could be costing you more than you think.

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Whenever Amazon damages or loses one of your products, or overcharges you on fees, you could be eligible for an FBA refund. The catch is that you must remember to file your Amazon FBA refund claims on time. If you fail to do this, you will never get your money back.

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Learning about the impact of discrepancies leaves many sellers somewhat shocked. The idea of taking on the FBA refund claims process can also be intimidating. However, this is not a challenge to back down from.

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Let’s explore the way Amazon FBA refunds can give a boost to your business.

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What Types of FBA Refunds Are Possible?

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A range of situations may merit an Amazon FBA refund, but there are five major categories that you need to be aware of. These categories cover many of the most common discrepancies, but you may find other unique issues arise as well.

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Amazon sellers who know the ropes are probably aware of Getida’s Amazon reimbursement solution. Before looking at some of the benefits of Getida’s services, let’s consider the following discrepancy categories:

• Damaged inventory
• Lost inventory
• Destroyed inventory
• Amazon fee overcharges
• Returned inventory

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Damaged Inventory

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Even though your inventory is usually safe in Amazon’s care, occasionally damage does occur to an item. When this happens you should seek an Amazon FBA refund to compensate you for the loss. 

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To find out about damage to your products you should consult the Inventory Damage Report. This report covers the following types of damage:

• Items that have been lost in Amazon’s fulfilment center for 30 days.
• Products that were lost or damaged on the way to a customer from Amazon’s fulfilment center.
• Items that were damaged or lost on the journey to Amazon’s fulfilment center.
• Products that were lost or damaged in the Amazon fulfilment center.

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Lost Inventory

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It is always disappointing to find out that your inventory has been lost. You likely worked hard researching the perfect item or even creating it, so this loss can be particularly annoying. Unfortunately, these losses happen, but you can make sure you know what to do when you face this situation.

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As with product damage, there are many scenarios that create this type of discrepancy. A product can become lost on its way to Amazon’s warehouse, during its storage in the warehouse, or on its way to a customer. Sometimes items are placed with another seller’s stock by mistake or an erroneous barcode sends the item to the wrong place.

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Thankfully, you have 18 months to file an Amazon FBA refund claim after your product goes missing. The experts at Getida can conduct a thorough audit of your account history to find any such discrepancies and make sure you get your money back. This can save you the trouble of finding your way around the claims process.

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Destroyed Inventory

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Some sellers do not realise that Amazon reserves the right to destroy their products without consulting them first. This means you may not know in advance if Amazon sees fit to destroy or throw out one of your items. 

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You must keep a sharp eye on your records to make certain you know about any product destruction or disposal. If any mistakes happen, you should make an FBA refund claim.

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Amazon Fee Overcharges

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Fees are a part of life for Amazon FBA sellers, associated with everything from shipping to storage to commissions. However, Amazon may be overcharging you in one or more of these areas.

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For instance, if the weight and dimensions of a product are inaccurate in Amazon’s records, you could be overcharged for shipping. This will impact your profit margin significantly over time as every single product of that type is affected.

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When making an FBA refund claim of this kind, take care to have the accurate weight and dimensions of your product on hand.

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Returned Inventory

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If you have been selling on Amazon for a while, you are familiar with customer returns. However, you might not realise that you could be eligible for FBA refunds for return-related discrepancies.

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Whether a customer returns an item in damaged condition, fails to return the item, or even returns the wrong item, you are entitled to an FBA refund. Watch vigilantly for this type of error to avoid missing your chance for reimbursement.

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How to Get Your Amazon FBA Refunds

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Now that you know a little more about how Amazon FBA refunds work, you might be looking forward to claiming your own. 

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The process might seem daunting, but there are a few different ways to approach the claims process.

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1. Claim Independently

Some sellers decide to pursue their FBA refunds on their own. This can work, but be aware that a complete account audit going back 18 months is essential to maximising your refund. As an entrepreneur, your time is a valuable resource that might be spent better on other areas of your business.

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2. Hire a Virtual Assistant (VA)

Other sellers might choose to find a VA to help them file their FBA refund claims. Delegating can be a good move for Amazon sellers, but it is essential that you hire the right VA for the job. Inexperienced or untrustworthy individuals could ultimately end up costing you money.

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3. The Getida Amazon FBA Reimbursement Solution

Among the available Amazon FBA reimbursement solutions available on the market, Getida’s services stand out from the rest. Unlike some companies, Getida offers a robust service for all the different types of FBA reimbursement. In addition to this, Getida’s team includes former Amazon FBA reimbursement employees who know exactly what to look for.

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Using specialised software, Getida will conduct a full audit of your transaction history to find all discrepancies within your reports. Then, Getida’s experienced case managers will take care of any necessary communication with Seller Support. Meanwhile, you will be free to relax or work on other areas of your enterprise.

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Going Forward

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Discrepancies can be discouraging, but they don’t have to be. As you develop an understanding of the different types of FBA refunds, you will see that there is plenty of cash to be reclaimed.

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Rather than taking on the task on your own, why not get a little help from the experts at Getida? Those who wish to maximise their refunds will appreciate the comprehensive service that Getida provides. 

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You can sign up today to get a free estimate of your potential FBA refund. What are you waiting for?