Key Insights
- What you may have been missing
With Amazon removal orders errors and discrepancies occur, meaning Amazon likely owes you money. Finding what’s owed and knowing how to reclaim it is key. - Turning awareness into recovered revenue
By understanding these fees and how to recover them you make the recovery process part of your operations, restoring lost margins as they happen. - A new way of thinking
Rather than simply processing removal orders without regard for potential loss, make fee recovery part of your routine operations and get back those funds you should never have been charged.
Missed Opportunity: Amazon Removal Orders
An Amazon removal order is a formal request initiated by a seller to remove inventory from Amazon’s fulfillment centers, usually initiated when:
- Inventory is unsellable (damaged, expired, returned)
- You want to avoid long-term storage fees
- You’re discontinuing a product or shifting strategy
- You need to reallocate stock to another channel
These can come in the form of a Return, where inventory is shipped back to you, a Disposal, where Amazon destroys or recycles the inventory, or a Liquidation, where Amazon resells the inventory to recover partial value.
Like most high-volume systems, Amazon removals are not perfect. Errors and discrepancies occur. If not monitored and reclaimed, these discrepancies quietly erode your margins and result in missed Amazon reimbursements. The good news is that they represent claimable reimbursement opportunities that you can actively recover.
| Discrepancy Type | Description | Notes |
| Lost in transit | Amazon marks removal order as delivered, but you never receive the items | Requires proof of non-receipt. Can also be claimed if Amazon removal order tracking shows no movement for 15+ days. |
| Partial delivery | Fewer units received than listed in removal order | Compare received quantity vs. order details |
| Damaged during removal | Items arrive physically damaged due to Amazon handling | Must prove damage occurred in Amazon’s custody |
| Incorrect item sent | Wrong ASIN or SKU received | Amazon may reimburse or correct the shipment |
| Incorrectly removed as “expired” | Items are removed and labeled as expired when they are not, rendering them unsellable. | Requires proof of the actual expiration date (e.g., batch info, photos). |
| Auto-disposal without consent | Amazon disposes of inventory without seller request | Especially if item was sellable or not expired |
| Untracked removal fees | Fees charged for removal orders that were never executed | Can be disputed with Seller Support |
Show Me the Money
Finding the discrepancies that translate into claimable funds means making a few standard procedures part of your regular operations.
Pull the Right Reports
The following are found under Reports > Fulfillment > Inventory:
- Removal Order Detail: Lists all removal orders, including item quantities and delivery status.
- Amazon Reimbursements Report: Shows reimbursements issued by Amazon.
- Returns Report: Helps identify returned items that may have been removed or mishandled.
- Inventory Adjustments: Tracks changes to inventory due to loss, damage, or removals.
Reconcile Inventory Movement
Compare things like units requested for removal vs. units received, removal fees charged vs. actual service performed, and items marked as disposed vs. your disposal requests.
In doing so look for missing units, incorrect ASINs, damaged goods, auto-disposals without consent and any other discrepancy that is the result of an error on Amazon’s behalf.
Learn how to get back what you’re owed under Amazon’s evolving policies through proven strategies for ongoing recovery with our free Comprehensive Guide to Recovering Lost Profits.
From Operational Cost to Recovered Revenue
When you’ve found fees that were taken in error, you can recover them by filing claims.
Note: Amazon’s reimbursement policy has changed, so you’ll want to become familiar with the latest updates.
Start by checking eligibility. Amazon will only reimburse if:
- The item was enrolled in FBA at the time of removal
- Your account is in good standing (not suspended or restricted)
- The item wasn’t defective
File a Claim
The process for filing a removal order claim requires navigating to the correct workflow in Seller Central. Follow these steps for the most direct path:
Navigate to Help > Get Support > Selling on Amazon.
If you don’t see a direct option for removal orders, click “My issue is not listed“.
In the text box that appears, type “Removal Claim” to describe your issue. This will trigger the correct workflow.
Provide the necessary information:
- Removal Order ID
- ASIN/FNSKU of the affected item(s)
- Quantity discrepancy
- Clear proof of non-receipt or damage (photos, packing slips, tracking details, etc.)
Track Claim Status
Claims are typically reviewed within 1–2 weeks. You’ll receive reimbursement either as replacement inventory or monetary credit based on average selling price.
Remember to keep detailed records of all removal orders and received inventory, and file claims within Amazon’s eligibility window.
Automation of the discovery of discrepancies/errors and the filing of claims is recommended. The right strategic partner can work on your behalf to uncover and recover this hidden profit.
“Seller Investigators has an automated process every single week to go into your Amazon account, find that lost money that Amazon owes you, and use its team of experienced recovery specialists to do all the ticketing and effortlessly uncover those funds.”
~Adam Runquist, founder of HeistLabs
Getting Help
When it comes to Amazon removal orders, it’s time to make recovering these lost fees part of your new process by using dedicated Amazon Reimbursement Services. Seller Investigators by Carbon 6 covers the widest range of reimbursement scenarios:
- Inbound Shipments
- Lost Items
- Damaged Items
- Customer Returns
- Overages & Discrepancies
Our FBA reimbursements solution recovers hidden profits by identifying inventory losses, shipping errors, and refund discrepancies.
Start your free audit now and see what you’re missing.
Start Your Free Amazon Reimbursement Audit
Let us handle the complex and time-consuming process of auditing these orders, identifying errors, and managing the entire claims process to recover money that you’re rightfully owed.
A New Way of Thinking
Ultimately, it’s up to you to stop leaving money on the table. Treating removal orders as a simple operational cost means accepting errors that directly eat into your margins.
Whether you build these reconciliation steps into your internal operations or partner with an expert to do it for you, the key is to act. Don’t overlook this reimbursement opportunity—reclaim the revenue you’ve rightfully earned.
