Inbound missing - Amazon is claiming I had sent an empty box (which they did sign off for receipt)
Hello Community Manager
I started this new thread per@Jameson_Amazon's recommendation for the captioned issue of mine (originally I tagged with another seller's thread of a similar issue: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/ac2d85fb-66b2-40f8-a26b-bdc005edef51?postId=ac2d85fb-66b2-40f8-a26b-bdc005edef51)
I need help with our December inbound shipment for missing items:
(1) we sent 5 boxes, and 5 boxes were delivered to FBA. Now they told me all the items in one of the boxes were all gone
All the 14 skus in one of the 5 boxes were missing per your counting. However, we did not send any empty box to you, nor did we short-deliver any boxes. (the carrier's POD "proof of delivery" proved that all boxes were delivered)
see the case IDs.
14533315861
14500364721
(2) additional quantity discrepancies found
Please kindly refer to the below case, and please help.
14543999561
Best regards,
Inbound missing - Amazon is claiming I had sent an empty box (which they did sign off for receipt)
Hello Community Manager
I started this new thread per@Jameson_Amazon's recommendation for the captioned issue of mine (originally I tagged with another seller's thread of a similar issue: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/ac2d85fb-66b2-40f8-a26b-bdc005edef51?postId=ac2d85fb-66b2-40f8-a26b-bdc005edef51)
I need help with our December inbound shipment for missing items:
(1) we sent 5 boxes, and 5 boxes were delivered to FBA. Now they told me all the items in one of the boxes were all gone
All the 14 skus in one of the 5 boxes were missing per your counting. However, we did not send any empty box to you, nor did we short-deliver any boxes. (the carrier's POD "proof of delivery" proved that all boxes were delivered)
see the case IDs.
14533315861
14500364721
(2) additional quantity discrepancies found
Please kindly refer to the below case, and please help.
14543999561
Best regards,
56 replies
Seller_CW0P5hgbsiqWX
Could very well be. Did you file a claim with the shipper?
Seller_wxnYBNcXPyGYL
Send the shipping receipt it should have the weights on the packages. We ship UPS and I have them weight each box even if prepaid
Seller_4ws8etrJhi2Wc
I had a similar issue with FBA claiming my box was short of units which is no way because I take photos when I pack them, so I opened the case with the photo taken before shipment (I do that everytime with multiple item packages) and Amazon found the lost units
Seller_OzTW6Hnll2b1N
Wishing you the best of luck with this. We're still battling one that we made a post about 2 months ago. The mods even created a case and escalated the case. The results of the case are astounding and shocking. We are still battling it.
Same deal, empty box despite proof of delivery showing 39 lbs upon delivery signed for by Amazon staff. The shortages occurred at different FCs than where we sent the products to, actually across the entire US.
During the case, we found out that it wasn't actually a shortage as initially reported. Amazon actually unreceived our inventory due to perceived issues with the shipment not matching the shipment plan. And get this, Amazon has no trace of our inventory after unreceiving it, aka they lost it. And the kicker is they are refusing to reimburse!
We know we shipped exactly per the shipment plan, but Amazon keeps pointing to their FBA reimbursement policy clause where to be eligible for reimbursement the shipment must be shipped per the shipment plan.
Amazon is claiming that the shipment was unreceived due to them thinking the ASINs didn't match, the quality didn't match, or the quantity of products didn't match the shipment plan. They would not specify which one it was however, despite us asking multiple times. They just claim it didn't match the shipping plan. Extremely vague.
Amazon refuses to provide any proof or evidence of their claims that the shipment did not match the shipment plan, despite us not letting the case close without any evidence of their claims.
We even added up the individual weights of all 86 SKUs in the box showing it adds up perfectly to 39 lbs. Matching the weight on the proof of delivery, which is signed for by Amazon staff.
We keep providing indisputable evidence that the shipment was shipped exactly per the shipment plan.
Amazon refuses to provide us with any evidence whatsoever that it didn't. They are just expecting us to take their word for it.
This is a $1600 discrepancy, so no we aren't going to take Amazon's word for it.
Amazon even advised "we understand this may set a precedent" in their response.
That precedent is that under what has been explained to us on the case, Amazon technically will never have to reimburse another FBA seller for lost inventory again.
This is because they can just claim the shipment was not shipped according to the shipment plan. Since they do not need to provide evidence of this claim (despite Sellers having to provide evidence for everything), it technically could not be the truth, they can just say it didn't match, despite you providing multiple pieces of evidence showing otherwise.
Without Amazon providing evidence of their claim, that's basically what that is. And with this, they will point to their FBA reimbursement policy and say because it wasn't shipped according to the shipment plan, they do not have to reimburse.
We told them we're going to warn other FBA sellers on the forums in our response on the case.
Wishing you the best of luck with your issue. We were shocked as we've been reimbursed for many lost items in the past. We thought a forum mod looking into our case and escalating internally would not result in reimbursement being denied.
The 2nd most shocking thing was finding out this "shortage" was not actually a shortage, but actually was Amazon unreceiving our inventory due to perceived issue with the shipment, then losing the inventory and not having a trace of it after they unreceived it.
@Jameson_Amazon@Topher_Amazon
@Ricardo_Amazonwas the mod who was escalating our case. He stopped responding to our thread we had about the issue as well. The case is still open if anyone wants to help out. We refuse to let it close without Amazon providing evidence of their claims.
Seller_WgGBIpv2Dp3Rx
Hello Community Manager,
I got a reply on my case for the issue of the entire 14 ASINs inside a box missing from inbound.
In the reply, the Seller support said they did a second count and physical count to only confirm all those missing ASINs had never been received. So they marked this case of shipment investigation as "Completed".
But from the ASINs they listed in the reply for missing, I noticed that this time there were only 13 of them.
That meant Amazon has managed to find 1 missing ASIN back. And that further meant Amazon did receive the box into the FBA warehouse during inbound.
All these clues just reminded me of something wrong in the FBA warehouse.
I have reponed my case and shown seller support the Airway bill to prove I did send all the boxes in decent weights.
Seller_wsWoyVEmA3pft
I had the same problem as you today, amazon said my box had 0 items in it. who would be so stupid to send an empty box to amazon warehouse, it's obvious amazon lost the shipment, just find an excuse to reply to the seller, they are just like a irresponsible attitude it's infuriating!
Seller_kQrY4lyJadFVC
I lost $400 last year. They will give you the runaround of your life. Ask for invoices of purchased items, etc.
I finally just gave up. Had put so much time and energy into it. Now, we pay extra for shipping, but never ship them more than $100 worth of merch. per shipment.
I had to pass on the extra cost to customers.
Seller_krZxnfmccBclT
GO to your shipments page, find that shipment and select on the right hand side where it says "track shipment". Go to the "contents" tab and you should see each SKU in the shipment. Find this SKU and look to the right, there should be a drop down box that says "action required". That drop down box will have several options, including "research missing units". Select this. This will give you a way to dispute it. You should attach an invoice from your supplier, received within the last 12 months (ideally 6 months) showing that you indeed had the inventory you're claiming. Also attach (you may have to add this to the case once its open) the signed proof of delivery. In the comment box you should type something to the effect of "According to (insert carrier name) all items were shipped and received by Amazon employee (insert name on proof of delivery) at (insert date and time shown on proof of delivery). Furthermore, each carton contained (insert number of items) and were shown to weigh (insert weight of carton). All cartons contained the same number of items and all had the same weight, please reimburse me for the lost items." You may have to go back and forth on cases, but as long as you have proof showing you did have that inventory in the form of a manufacturer's invoice and proof it was delivered, you should get reimbursed for the lost units. If you do not have the "research missing units" option in the drop down however, it will be very difficult to get anything accomplished, as most Seller Support Staff will simply tell you that you need to do what I've told you to do, no matter how many times you tell them that the option isn't there. You will have to go back and forth around 10 times and you'll maybe get someone that isn't just cutting and pasting and will actually read your full issue and try to help. Good luck.
Seller_iobipI6xASRkh
@Seller_WgGBIpv2Dp3RxCheck the inventory ledger. Let us know what it says.
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/reportcentral/LEDGER_REPORT/0
Look up each FNSKU that is missing (I create a spreadsheet) and see if your receiving warehouse checked any in. Sometimes it goes missing after being received and then transferred to another warehouse. They then tag the shipment ID onto the internal transfer loss so that it looks like you shorted the shipment. Trust me, I have had them do this on shipments that have been closed in full (100% checked in with everything there) 4 months later.
Do any of the items missing show any movement with the FBA Shipment ID? If so then you can prove the box wasn't empty.
Seller_XOyuvhU4L6GII
I've encountered a similar situation with my shipments.
We typically pack four units in a larger box, clearly indicating the number of units inside, a practice we've followed numerous times before. However, it's been more frequent that Amazon is now claiming that it's my fault for sending only one shipment when they were expecting four units.
This frustrating experience is one of the reasons I've decided to discontinue using FBA. Given our lack of competition and our ability to ship out within 1-2 days, I believe it's in my best interest to stick with FBM.
Best of luck in resolving your situation.
-LM
