I still remember the feeling of opening my "Inventory Reconciliation" report for the first time in 2024. I was convinced Amazon’s fulfillment centers were precision machines. Robots, scanners, AI—how could they lose anything?
Then I saw the numbers. Over the course of 12 months, 150 units of my best-selling kitchen gadget had simply vanished.They weren't sold. They weren't returned. They were just... gone.
I did the math: 150 units x $25 sale price = $3,750.
I felt like I had been robbed, but the thief was my business partner. This is the reality for every FBA seller. Amazon handles billions of units, and cracks in their system are inevitable. If you aren't actively auditing your account with an amazon reimbursement service, you are effectively donating your margin to Jeff Bezos.
Here's where it gets interesting: Amazon knows they owe you this money. But in 2026, their new policies make it harder than ever to get it back without a fight.
What Is an Amazon FBA Reimbursement Service?
When people search for amazon reimbursement services, they usually think it's just for "lost" items. But it is much deeper than that.
These services connect to your Amazon Seller Central account via API. They scan 18 months of data looking for discrepancies in:
-
Lost Inventory: Units that entered the warehouse but never left.
-
Damaged Inventory: Items crushed by a forklift or dropped by a robot.
-
Fee Overcharges: Amazon measuring your 6-inch box as 8 inches and charging you higher storage fees.
-
Customer Returns: Customers who got a refund but never actually sent the item back (this happens more than you think).
My "Honest Failure": In 2023, I tried to do this myself. I downloaded the reports, highlighted the missing SKUs, and opened 10 cases with Seller Support. Amazon denied 8 of them. They replied with generic templates: "Inventory verified.Case closed." I gave up because I didn't have the time to argue. I left probably $2,000 on the table that year because I was too stubborn to hire a pro.
The 2026 Policy Shift: Why "DIY" is Dead
If you are reading amazon fba reimbursement service reviews from 2024, they are outdated. As of January 2026,Amazon has fundamentally changed how they handle these claims.
1. The "Sourcing Cost" Valuation Amazon used to reimburse you based on the average selling price minus fees. It was great; you made your profit margin on lost items. Now, Amazon increasingly pushes to reimburse based on sourcing costor manufacturing cost. They want to see your supplier invoices. This means you aren't making a profit on lost items; you are just breaking even.
2. The 60-Day Hard Stop You used to have 9 months to file some claims. Now, for many "lost in warehouse" and damaged claims, the window has tightened to 60 days. If you miss that window, the money is gone forever. This is why automated amazon reimbursement software is non-negotiable now. Humans forget; software doesn't.
Best Amazon Reimbursement Service: The Big Players
There are dozens of tools, but only a few dominate the market. Here is my breakdown of the best amazon reimbursement service options based on my trials.
1. GETIDA
The industry giant. They have the most robust team of former Amazon employees who handle the cases manually after the software flags them.
-
Cost: 25% of recovered funds. (Free to audit).
-
Pros: They fight the hardest. If Amazon denies a claim, GETIDA appeals it 3-4 times.
-
Cons: Their dashboard can be a bit overwhelming.
2. Seller Investigators (Carbon6)
I switched to them for a few months in 2025. Their interface is cleaner, and they are very transparent about which cases are "in progress."
-
Cost: 25% of recovered funds.
-
Pros: Excellent weight/dimension audits. If Amazon is overcharging you on size, they catch it fast.
3. Helium 10 (Refund Genie)
If you already pay for Helium 10, you have this.
-
Cost: Included in subscription (mostly).
-
Limitation: It is a "DIY" tool. It finds the errors, but you have to copy-paste the text and file the claim.Opinion Statement: Unless you have a virtual assistant, avoid DIY tools. The time you spend fighting with Seller Support is worth more than the 25% fee you save.
I use Closo to automate my inventory planning to prevent these discrepancies in the first place. The Closo Demand predictor helps me understand exactly how much stock should be moving, which makes spotting "lost" units much easier when the sales velocity doesn't match the inventory drop. It saves me about 3 hours weekly of spreadsheet analysis.
The "Audit" Trap: What They Don't Tell You
When you sign up for an amazon reimbursement audit, you will see a big number: "Potential Recovery: $10,000." Do not go buy a Rolex yet.
Here’s where it gets interesting... "Potential" does not mean "Approved." Amazon has a "Inventory Adjustment Report" where they might have lost an item on Monday but "found" it on Thursday. The software might flag it as lost, but Amazon will reject the claim because they eventually located it. Realistically, expect to recover about 30-40% of the "Potential" number the software shows you.
An Anecdote on Expectations: I referred a friend to GETIDA. The dashboard showed $5,000 pending. He got a check for $1,800. He was mad. I told him, "Dude, that's $1,800 you didn't have yesterday. It's free money."
Amazon Reimbursement Audit for FBA Fees (The Hidden Goldmine)
Lost inventory is obvious. Fee overcharges are silent killers. This is called a cubiscan audit. If your product is 10 x 10 x 2 inches, but Amazon measures it as 10 x 10 x 2.5 inches, you might jump into a higher fee tier. You could be overpaying $0.50 per unit. If you sell 10,000 units a year, that is $5,000 gone.
The Fix: A good fba audit service will flag this. They will ask you to send a photo of your product next to a ruler. They submit this to Amazon, Amazon remeasures it, and (hopefully) refunds you the difference for the past 90 days.
(Parenthetical aside: I once had a product re-measured three times. Amazon kept claiming it was "Oversize." I finally realized my packaging manufacturer had slightly increased the box size without telling me. The error was mine, not Amazon's. Always measure your own samples!)
Manual vs. Automated: A Comparison
Is it worth paying the 25% fee?
Opinion Statement: Using automated scripts or bots to spam Amazon with claims is a fast way to get your account suspended. Services like GETIDA use human case managers to file claims manually, which keeps your account safe.Never use a "bot" service that promises 100% automation without human oversight.
Leveraging Data with Closo
While reimbursement services fix the past, you need tools to protect the future. I use Closo as my command center.Specifically, the Closo Demand predictor helps me validate my inventory health. If Closo predicts I will sell 500 units in July, but Amazon reports I only have 300 units left despite sending in 600, I know immediately there is a discrepancy. I don't wait for the quarterly audit; I trigger a spot check immediately.
Using Closo alongside a reimbursement service gives you a "Shield and Sword" strategy. Closo is the shield (inventory visibility), and the reimbursement service is the sword (fighting for your money).
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Is it safe to give these services access to my account?
Yes, if they are part of the Amazon Selling Partner Appstore (which GETIDA and Seller Investigators are). You are giving them "User Permissions" restricted mostly to reports and case management. They cannot access your bank account or change your listings.
Common question I see... How far back can they go?
Typically 18 months. However, the 2026 policy updates have shortened the window for certain claim types (like warehouse damage) to 60 days. This means if you haven't audited your account in the last two years, the money from 2024 is likely gone forever. The best time to start was yesterday.
People always ask me... Can I use two services at once?
No. Do not do this. If Service A and Service B both file a claim for the same lost unit, Amazon will flag your account for "double dipping" or spamming. Pick one provider and stick with them.
Conclusion
Amazon FBA is a volume game. When you move volume, things break. An amazon reimbursement service is not an optional "nice to have." It is basically insurance. I view the 25% fee as a "Finder's Fee." I would happily pay someone 25 cents to find a dollar on the street for me.
My honest assessment is that if you are doing over $10,000/month in sales, you are losing money every single month you don't have one of these services connected. Don't try to be a hero and file cases yourself on Friday nights. Hire the pros,pay the fee, and reinvest that recovered capital into more inventory.
If you want to stop bleeding inventory and start predicting your real stock needs, check out the Closo Seller Hub.
For a deeper dive into the specific fees you might be overpaying (and how to audit them), read Amazon FBA News
And if you are tired of Amazon losing your stuff and want to diversify, the Best Cross Listing Software 2025 is your exit strategy.
