Quick answer: An FBA shipment should be reconciled only after Amazon marks it eligible for investigation. A strong reconciliation file connects the shipping plan, carton-level contents, carrier proof of delivery, sourcing documents, and the final units received. Proof that a truck reached the fulfillment center is necessary but doesn't prove which units were inside, the best evidence is created before pickup, not after the shipment closes with missing units.
A seller sent 18 cartons containing 540 units of replacement filters to FBA. The carrier showed delivery, the fulfillment center appointment had been completed, and the proof of delivery was signed. Weeks later, the shipment closed with zero units received. She uploaded the proof of delivery to a case, and Amazon replied that delivery confirmation didn't prove the shipment's contents. From her point of view the answer seemed absurd, why would a seller ship 18 empty cartons? From an evidence point of view, the file had a real gap: it proved freight arrived, not what each carton contained or whether the labels tied the freight to the correct FBA shipment.
The six links in an inbound evidence chain
Ownership: the seller owned or sourced the units. Identity: the units matched the SKUs or FNSKUs in the shipping plan. Quantity: the stated number of units was packed. Carton mapping: units were assigned to specific cartons. Transport: those cartons were collected and delivered. Amazon receipt: Amazon received, over-received, under-received, or failed to receive the units. Most rejected claims have strong evidence for only two or three of these six links.
Shipment status is not a simple timeline
A shipment moves through created, shipped, in transit, delivered, checked in, receiving, and closed, and units can also transfer between fulfillment centers after receipt, so the shipment page, FBA inventory view, and available quantity can update at different times. A delivered shipment showing zero received is not automatically lost. A closed shipment with a confirmed discrepancy is more actionable, but the seller must still use the reconciliation eligibility process shown in Seller Central before filing.
What to collect before the shipment leaves
Shipping-plan evidence: shipment ID, destination FC, SKU and FNSKU list, expected quantity, box count, and creation and ship dates. Carton evidence: for each carton, the number, weight, dimensions, units by SKU, and the FBA box label. A packing station can photograph the open carton, the packed contents, and the sealed carton label, not always required, but powerful for high-value or frequently disputed shipments. Sourcing evidence: invoices or manufacturing documents covering the quantity shipped, matching the business identity. Carrier evidence: tracking events, bill of lading, proof of delivery, and pallet count.
The closed-shipment investigation
Wait for reconciliation eligibility, Amazon often assigns an eligibility date, and opening cases before it usually just triggers a request to wait. Download the shipment contents and record expected, received, and discrepancy quantities by SKU. Search for offsetting overages, a missing unit in one shipment may appear as an overage or adjustment elsewhere, worth checking nearby shipment dates and the Inventory Ledger. Check stranded, reserved, and FC-transfer quantities, since units may exist without being immediately sellable, covered further in Amazon reserved inventory explained. Build exact unit math: units shipped, units received, units found through adjustment or overage, units reimbursed, and the net unresolved quantity. Then submit one organized reconciliation request with clearly labeled attachments: shipping plan, carton manifest, invoice, bill of lading, proof of delivery, and the unit reconciliation table.
A case description that support can investigate
State it precisely: "Shipment FBA123 was delivered to FC XYZ1 on June 4 under PRO number 123456. The carrier proof of delivery confirms 18 cartons and total weight of 612 kg. The shipping plan contained 540 units across one FNSKU. The shipment closed on July 10 with zero units received and is now eligible for reconciliation. We checked the Inventory Ledger and nearby shipments and found no offsetting receipt, overage, or adjustment. Attached are the shipment plan, carton manifest, purchase invoice, bill of lading, proof of delivery, and unit reconciliation. Please investigate the missing 540 units under the inbound reimbursement policy." This defines the discrepancy instead of asking support to reconstruct the warehouse process from a screenshot.
Edge cases that need a different approach
Partial receipt across multiple SKUs: don't file one vague claim for the whole shipment, reconcile by SKU and carton, since a full carton may be missing while another was over-received. Amazon counts more units than were sent: don't treat an overage as free inventory, investigate whether it belongs to another shipment or another seller's mislabeled stock. One carton label used twice: the physical cartons may arrive, but Amazon's system can treat one as a duplicate, making your own packing records crucial. Parcel versus LTL freight: parcel claims rely on tracking by box, while LTL relies more on the bill of lading, appointment, and signed delivery. Shipment closed without ever showing checked in: emphasize destination, appointment, and carton-level identification, and ask support to investigate a full-shipment receipt failure, not merely a normal undercount.
The evidence that changed the answer
The first case included only the signed delivery receipt and invoice. It was denied. The second submission included a carton manifest showing 30 units in each of 18 cartons, photos of each sealed carton with unique FBA labels, warehouse weight records, a bill of lading matching total weight, and an Inventory Ledger extract showing no receipt or adjustment. The case was escalated for a full-shipment investigation. This doesn't guarantee reimbursement, but it changes the question from "did something arrive?" to "where did these identified cartons and units enter Amazon's system?"
Prevention is cheaper than reconciliation
Set a risk-based evidence standard: low-value frequent shipments need a saved shipping plan and carrier tracking, medium-value shipments need carton-level contents and a weight record, and high-value or historically disputed shipments deserve open-carton and sealed-carton photos, a label scan, and a full chain-of-custody archive.
EcomSanity doesn't replace Amazon's shipment-reconciliation process, but it can help identify the business impact of delayed or missing stock by showing sales velocity, days of inventory, and the revenue at risk while a shipment remains unresolved, useful for deciding whether to expedite replacement inventory or wait for the investigation. For lost or damaged units already inside the fulfillment network, see Amazon FBA reimbursements in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Amazon reject my reimbursement claim even though the carrier confirmed delivery?
Delivery confirmation proves freight reached a fulfillment center, it doesn't prove what each carton contained or that the labels tied the freight to the correct FBA shipment. A strong claim needs carton-level evidence connecting ownership, identity, quantity, and carton mapping, not just a signed proof of delivery.
When can I file an FBA shipment reconciliation claim?
Only after Amazon marks the shipment eligible for investigation, usually after it closes with a confirmed discrepancy. Opening cases before that eligibility date usually just results in a request to wait, so check the shipment's status first.
What evidence should I collect before a shipment even ships?
A shipping-plan record (shipment ID, destination FC, SKU list, expected quantity, box count), carton-level evidence (weight, dimensions, units by SKU, carton number), sourcing evidence (invoices matching the shipped quantity), and carrier evidence (tracking events, bill of lading, proof of delivery).