Reimbursement for seller-fulfilled orders
On this page
1. SAFE-T Coverage and Eligibility
2. SAFE-T claim guidelines
3. Orders ineligible for SAFE-T claims
4. SAFE-T reimbursement claims filing steps
5. Track SAFE-T claim status
6. Appeal SAFE-T claim decision
7. SAFE-T claims effect on my Amazon performance metrics
The Seller Assurance for E-Commerce Transactions (SAFE-T) program allows sellers in the seller-fulfilled network to request compensation from Amazon after a refund is deducted from the seller account and issued to the buyer for a buyer return. This policy also provides coverage for replacements. At Amazonâs sole discretion, you may be issued reimbursement where Amazon determines that you were not at fault for a buyerâs return.
1. SAFE-T Coverage and Eligibility
When Amazon issues a refund to a buyer via Refund at First Scan (RFS) or Customer Service issued refunds for sellers enrolled in Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA) or Seller Fulfilled by Prime (SFP) programs and you believe it was not your fault, you may file a claim for reimbursement via SAFE-T. In addition, if you offered the buyer a free replacement for a return and you believe the returnâs condition was not your fault, you may file a SAFE-T claim.
Note: Automated Refunds issued when you donât process refunds within four calendar days of receiving a returned item are not eligible for SAFE-T claims. Instead, you can use the Guided Refund Workflow (GRW) within the four-calendar-day assessment period to grade returned items, apply appropriate restocking fees, and upload evidence when items are returned in a different condition than shipped.
Below is a list of cases where you will be eligible for a reimbursement. These situations do not guarantee a reimbursement, and Amazon maintains sole discretion to determine what reimbursement amount, is issued.
You may be eligible for a reimbursement in the following cases:
- The buyer said they received the item late or never received it, but you have proof of delivery. In this case, you may be eligible for reimbursement if:
- You purchased a âClaims Protectedâ shipping label through the Amazon Buy Shipping service, and the tracking confirms that the order was shipped on time and met the Maximum Estimated Delivery Date, or
- You provided a signature confirmation of delivery to the buyerâs address, and the tracking confirms that the order was shipped on time and met the Maximum Estimated Delivery Date.
- The buyer returned an item in a damaged or unsellable condition, and Amazon determines you were not at fault.
Note: As per Amazonâs restocking fee policy, if the product is damaged by the buyer, you will be reimbursed up to 50% of the order sales price of the product depending on the extent of damage as assessed by Amazon.
- The buyer returned an item that was materially different from the item you shipped to the buyer, and Amazon determines you were not at fault.
Note: As per Amazonâs restocking fee policy, if the product returned by the buyer is a materially different item, you will be reimbursed up to 100% of the order sales price of the product.
- The buyer did not return the product, even though the buyer has received a refund. Whether or not an item has been returned is determined by either of the following:
- a lack of a âReturn Merchandise Authorization (RMA)â for the particular return item, or
- a lack of a carrierâs âfirst scanâ.
Note: Items that are Hazmat or Non-Returnable, as determined by Amazon, would not be returned by the buyer, and thus no reimbursement will be provided.
- Buyer returned item after the return window: You are eligible for reimbursement if Amazon initiated a return on behalf of a buyer for an item that is outside of the return window.
Note: As per Amazonâs restocking fee policy, if the buyer returns an item in the original condition more than 15 days past the return window, you will be reimbursed up to 20% of the order sales price of the product. The 15 days allow for return transportation from the buyer to the seller.
- Amazon provided buyer a refund of item price or return shipping cost (in cases where the return reason is considered the buyerâs fault as described at Return Reason codes for prepaid returns as you failed to provide a refund within 2 business days of receiving a US domestic return. You may be eligible for a reimbursement.
Note: For Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) items under 50 lb, you are responsible for paying return shipping cost regardless of the return reason. For Prime items with 50 lb or higher, you may be eligible for reimbursement of return shipping cost if the buyer selected a return reason that Amazon deems âbuyer faultâ.
- You may be eligible for reimbursement for a free replacement if the buyer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement, and the buyer sent back an incorrect item or an item in an unsellable condition.
Note: You must submit the reimbursement claim for the âReplacement Order IDâ in such cases.
- The buyer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement, and Amazon also issued a refund to the buyer.
Note: Only replacements requests by buyers through the Online Returns Center may be eligible for a reimbursement, requests accepted through the Buyer Seller Messaging are not covered by the SAFE-T policy.
2. SAFE-T claim guidelines
You must follow all the below guidelines for your request for reimbursement to be considered.
- Claims must be submitted in Seller Central within 60 calendar days of a refund being charged to your account or receipt of the returned item in the case of a free replacement.
- Only refunds issued by Amazon to buyers on your behalf are eligible for reimbursements. You are not eligible for reimbursement if the refund was issued by you.
Note: To check if an Amazon-issued refund was applied on your seller-fulfilled order that was returned with a Prepaid Return Label, go to Orders tab and select Manage returns, search for the return, and then click View more details. You can file only one claim per Order ID.
- You must reply to information requests from Amazon investigators. Failure to provide sufficient information within seven days will result in denial of your claim.
3. Orders ineligible for SAFE-T claims
Non-exhaustive list of orders that are ineligible for SAFE-T reimbursement are listed below:
- An order is not eligible if the refund hasnât been debited from your sellerâs account yet. Try to file the claim once the refund is debited.
- An order is not eligible for SAFE-T reimbursement on the basis of late delivery if you bought a âLate Delivery Riskâ shipping label through Amazon Buy Shipping for the particular order.
- An order is not eligible for SAFE-T reimbursement on the basis of late delivery if you bought a âClaims Protectedâ shipping label through Amazon Buy Shipping for the particular order but did not meet the orderâs ship by date.
- An order is not eligible for a reimbursement if Amazon issues a refund for a non US return as per the international return policy. To avoid such refunds, you are required to provide a US domestic return address or set up a return-less refund rule through their âReturn settingsâ prior to receiving the return request, or provide merchant pre-paid label to the buyer through the âManage Returnsâ page within 2 days of the return request.
- An order is not eligible for reimbursement for return shipping cost if the offer is indicated as âFree Returnsâ on the customer store-front.
- Orders that are damaged or lost in return transit are not eligible for reimbursement from SAFE-T including the Amazon fees or send shipping label costs. Contractually, you are the shipper of record and may file a claim with the carrier to recover any loss.
Note: For UPS delayed/lost-in-transit packages, we recommend calling the UPS Preferred Claims Team at 1-800-711-5914 and provide the agent with relevant details. Do not file MFN damage or loss claims with an alternative UPS phone number or on the UPS website
Note: If the order was delivered by Amazon Shipping, you may raise a claim directly with Amazon Shipping here.
- If you refuse a return shipment for any reason, no reimbursement is available for the refund of the return item or the return shipping cost.
- Shipping adjustment charges are not eligible for SAFE-T claims (for example, where a buyer sends back the return in a different or bigger box).
- If you have selected âReturnless Refundsâ through your return settings and an automated returnless refund was provided to a buyer, you are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Return-less refunds issued by Amazon for non-US returns with sales price less than $25 are not eligible for reimbursement. Such refunds are issued as per Amazonâs international return policy.
- In case of free replacements, you are not eligible for a SAFE-T claim while the original item is in transit to your return address. If the buyer fails to return the original item to the carrier within 30 days of the replacement order being shipped, you will be eligible for an auto-reimbursement. Please allow 7 business days for the reimbursement to show up on your âPaymentsâ page in Seller Central.
- Orders with an A-to-z Guarantee claim are not eligible for SAFE-T claims (you have the ability to Appeal an A-to-z Guarantee claim).
- Chargeback claims are not covered by this policy. For more information, go to chargeback policy for details.
- Refunds issued by Amazon to buyer for recalled products are not eligible.
- FBA orders are not covered by this policy. See FBA buyer returns policy for FBA reimbursement policy.
- Applicable fees will be deducted from reimbursements.
4. SAFE-T reimbursement claims filing steps
Note: If Amazon has refunded the buyer and the order has a valid return merchandise authorization (RMA), wait for at least 15 days or until you receive the item, before filing a claim. You can verify whether an order has a valid RMA in the Manage Returns section of Seller Central.
Note: The claim will not be processed if you are not a registered account user. If you are not a registered account user, contact the account administrator and request that your email address is added to the âRegistered Usersâ list.
Follow the below steps to file a reimbursement request:
- From the Orders tab in Seller Central, go to Manage SAFE-T Claims.
- Click File a new SAFE-T Claim, in the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Enter the Order ID, RMA ID or Tracking ID for the return and then click Check Eligibility.
- If your order is eligible, proceed to the next step. If not, there is no option to request reimbursement claim be filed and reviewed.
- Select the reason that best describes your case for your reimbursement claim.
- In your claim, provide detail as to why you believe Amazon should compensate you. For example, the product was returned in an unacceptable condition.
- Attach all necessary support documentation (for example, images of damaged item, shipping label, image of the Return Mailing Label, tracking ID, delivery proof or any additional information you see necessary to review your claim), if applicable, and then click Submit Safe-T Claim.
8.Note:* All images must be submitted in jpg, jpeg, png, jpeg, or bmp format. Maximum file size of an image is 10 MB. You will receive an email confirming the receipt of your claim. Any future correspondence on your claim should be done on the Manage SAFE-T Claims page.
9.Note:* For a materially different or wrong item received, provide images showing the difference between the item that was shipped and returned, return mailing label used by the buyer and an official document with the original serial number, unique device identifier (such as a barcode scanner), or IMEI as proof.
- By filing a claim, you confirm that all information you submit is true. Any misrepresentation may lead to revocation of your selling privileges, charge back of prior compensation that had been provided to you, or any other action deemed appropriate by Amazon.
Note: Communications related to SAFE-T claims can be viewed in the Communication Center in Manage SAFE-T claims page. Each claim on this page will have an option to view the message in order to check correspondence on that claim. Any attachments can also be uploaded from the same tab.
Note: You can view updates on your claim in the Manage SAFE-T claims page, which will highlight the claims that need your response. You can click the âView messageâ that will open the SAFE-T Communication Center where you can read and respond to the message.
Note: It might take up to 24 hours for the claim status to be updated in the Manage SAFE-T Claims page, after you reply.
Note: During the investigation process, Amazon investigators might require you to provide additional information. In such a case, you will receive a notification from SAFE-T team and need to reply within seven days on the same page in the Manage SAFE-T claims. Failure to respond with requested information within 7 days will lead to denial of the claim.
5. Track SAFE-T claim status
To track the status of your reimbursement claims, go to Orders and select Manage SAFE-T Claims.
- The navigation menu on âManage SAFE-T Claimsâ has different tabs depending upon the claim status (for example, âAwaiting seller Responseâ, âResolvedâ, and âUnder Investigationâ). You can click the respective tabs, and the claims with status change or requiring response will be highlighted. You will also get an email notification whenever the status of any claim changes. However, it will be a no-reply email and will contain a link to direct you to the respective claim on the Seller Central SAFE-T Communication Center.
- You can search for claims in the specific time period by selecting the box next to Claim Date at the top left to select the date range.
- You can also search for a specific order ID, ASIN, RMA or SAFE-T ID using the search box on the top right.
- For every claim, you can find the information on product name, quantity, claim amount, SAFE-T claim ID, reason, description, attachments that you provided, order date, claim date, claim status, reimbursement amount, and return request date.
6. Appeal SAFE-T claim decision
- If you do not agree with SAFE-Tâs decision, and you have additional information and evidence to support your claim, you can appeal within seven days of claim decision via the Manage SAFE-T claims page using the âreplyâ option, available for resolved claims. You can appeal a SAFE-T claim only once, so study the denial reason carefully and provide additional information that will support your appeal.
- The âManage SAFE-T Claimsâ page will indicate âReply by â for each claim. For resolved claims, the timeline to respond will be indicated as âAppeal by â for each claim.
Note: Do not reopen the same claim multiple times without any additional information, or you may be flagged for abuse of the SAFE-T process and action may be taken against your account. For more information, refer to the âSAFE-T claims effect on my Amazon performance metricsâ section of this help page.
Note: Do not discuss SAFE-T decisions with Selling Partner Support, as they are unable to influence the decision on a SAFE-T claim. Instead, directly connect with the SAFE-T team via Manage SAFE-T Claims page.
7. SAFE-T claims effect on my Amazon performance metrics
Filing SAFE-T claims does not impact your performance metrics, but any attempt to abuse the SAFE-T process or seller reimbursement policy can lead to action on your account.