When a buyer files an Amazon A-to-z Guarantee claim for "item not received": the seller's 48 hours, appeals and reimbursement

Amazon Seller Reinstatement Support (hereafter "we") is not an official Amazon contact channel and has no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. This article is for sellers who ship their own orders and have received an A-to-z Guarantee claim (called the "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee" in the official Help) from a buyer who says the item did not arrive.

To give the answer first: what a seller can do falls into three stages. Before a claim, reply through Buyer-Seller Messages within 48 hours of the buyer's first message and try to resolve the problem. After a claim is filed, answer Amazon's request for additional information within 48 hours. After a claim is granted, file an appeal within 30 days of the debit. When responding to a claim or filing an appeal, tracking information, proof of delivery and the record of your messages with the buyer are what the decision is based on. Whether a claim is granted is decided by Amazon.

• If no claim has been filed yet (the buyer has messaged you saying the item has not arrived), go to "The 48 hours before a claim"
• If you have received a claim notification, go to "After a claim is filed"
• If the claim has been granted and the amount debited from your account, go to "If the claim is granted"

This article is based on the Seller Central Help pages "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims", "Responding to Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims", "Appealing an Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claim" and "Preventing Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims", checked on 19 October 2026. Policies and screens change, so please also check the notice you received and the latest Help pages.

What we handle is preparing and revising submission drafts. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself.

What the A-to-z Guarantee is: a scheme for seller-fulfilled orders that covers delivery and item condition

According to the official Help, the Amazon Marketplace Guarantee applies to orders that sellers ship themselves and covers both prompt delivery and the condition of the item on receipt. If a buyer is not satisfied with an order and the seller resolves the problem directly through Buyer-Seller Messages, the Help explains, the seller can avoid a worsening Order Defect Rate (ODR).

The buyer must first contact the seller and give the seller a chance to resolve the problem. The Help states that a buyer cannot file a claim without contacting the seller first. In other words, before a claim there should normally be a message or a return request from the buyer.

When a buyer can file a claim	Conditions for filing (as stated in Help)	What the seller checks first
The item was not received	The buyer waited until the estimated delivery date plus 3 calendar days, or until delivery was confirmed by valid tracking information; and contacted the seller through Buyer-Seller Messages; and the problem was not resolved within 48 hours of the first message	The date and time the message was received and your reply in Buyer-Seller Messages, and the tracking information in Manage Orders
The item was not as expected	The buyer contacted the seller through a return request; and the seller did not authorise a return request that needed manual authorisation within 48 hours (including closing or declining it), or, for a return to an overseas return address, the seller provided neither a prepaid return label nor a refund without return within 5 days	The return request in Manage Returns and the date and time it was authorised or declined

This article mainly deals with the first row, claims for "item not received". For how to handle return requests, see the seller-oriented section of the article on buyers who repeatedly return items and the Help page on managing returns.

The three conditions for an "item not received" claim

Reading the Help conditions from the seller's side, a buyer can file a claim when all three of the following are true.

• The buyer waited until the estimated delivery date plus 3 calendar days, or until delivery was confirmed by valid tracking information
• The buyer contacted the seller through Buyer-Seller Messages
• The problem was not resolved between the seller and the buyer within 48 hours of the buyer's first message

In other words, the 48 hours after the buyer's first message are the seller's window to act. Your reply and your records during this period become the material for the later investigation and appeal.

The 48 hours before a claim: when a buyer tells you the item has not arrived

STEP 1. Reply through Buyer-Seller Messages within 48 hours

The Help says that when a buyer has a delivery problem, the seller must reply to the buyer's message through Buyer-Seller Messages and should resolve the problem within 48 hours of the first message. If the problem is still unresolved after 48 hours, the buyer can file a claim once 3 days have passed from the estimated delivery date. Reply through Seller Central's Buyer-Seller Messages so that a record remains.

STEP 2. Check the tracking information and proof of delivery

In Manage Orders, check the tracking number for the order and the carrier's records. As ways to prevent claims, the Help lists adding valid tracking information to every shipment and obtaining proof of delivery from the carrier, such as a completed delivery confirmation. It also states that not providing tracking information is one of the grounds on which a buyer's claim may be granted. If you forgot to enter the tracking number, you can enter it from "Edit shipment" in Manage Orders.

STEP 3. Decide whether to refund or wait for the investigation

The Help lists, as one way to prevent claims, refunding promptly when a buyer asks about a refund so that the buyer does not need to file a claim. It also states that if, during the investigation of a claim, the seller issues a full refund with "Refund buyer", the claim is closed, but in that case the Order Defect Rate is affected. You can also ask the buyer to return the item before you refund. If there is a delivery confirmation record that conflicts with the buyer's explanation, the flow is to gather your records and answer Amazon's investigation.

After a claim is filed: the four outcomes, and answering Amazon's request within 48 hours

When a claim is filed, the seller receives an email notification. In Seller Central, go from the "Performance" menu to the "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims" management page to track claims. The Help states that it is the seller's responsibility to keep checking and resolving claims made against them.

Outcome after a claim	What happens	Effect on the Order Defect Rate (as stated in Help)
The seller chooses a full refund	If the seller issues a full refund with "Refund buyer" during the investigation, the claim is closed	Affected
Amazon investigates the claim	Amazon considers the seller's replies in Buyer-Seller Messages, the authorisation of return requests and other factors, and may ask the seller for additional information. If the seller does not reply within 48 hours, Amazon may grant the buyer's claim	Affected if granted
The claim is granted automatically	If one of the cases under "Main cases of automatic approval" applies, the claim amount is debited from the seller's account	Affected
The buyer withdraws the claim	The claim is closed	Not affected

Main cases of automatic approval (those related to delivery)

Of the conditions for automatic approval listed in the Help, these are the ones relevant to an "item not received" claim.

• The seller did not respond through Buyer-Seller Messages within 48 hours to a delivery problem raised by the buyer
• The seller did not ship the order by the expected ship date
• The seller did not use a trackable shipping method and did not provide a valid tracking number in Manage Orders when the order was received
• The seller did not deliver the order by the latest estimated delivery date
• The seller did not deliver the order to the address specified by the buyer
• The tracking information provided by the seller shows that the order is undeliverable

The return-related conditions for automatic approval (not authorising or declining a return request within 48 hours, not refunding within 5 days of receiving an item returned with a prepaid return label, and so on) are listed in the same Help page.

How to answer Amazon's request for information

According to the Help, when Amazon decides it needs additional information during the investigation, it contacts the seller by email and also shows a notification on the Seller Central home page. For delivery-related claims, the information requested includes the shipping method, proof of delivery, a valid tracking number and the carrier details. Records of your communication with the buyer (showing whether the buyer confirmed receipt or indicated satisfaction with the transaction) are also covered.

• From the Seller Central menu, open "Performance" and then "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims"
• In the "Claims requiring action" tab, find the claim and select "Send details to Amazon"
• In the comment box, enter information that helps Amazon understand the situation and your view
• Files cannot be attached to the comment box, so send documents such as proof of delivery through Buyer-Seller Messages and state in your reply that they are attached there
• Click "Submit"

The Help states that if there is no reply within 48 hours of the request, the buyer's claim is granted, the claim amount is debited and the Order Defect Rate is affected. It also says to check your email frequently and that responding quickly is important.

If the claim is granted: the 30-day appeal, reimbursement and reversal of the Order Defect Rate impact

How to file an appeal

If Amazon grants the buyer's claim (automatically or after an investigation), the seller can request a review. According to the Help, an appeal can be submitted within 30 days (counted in calendar days) from the time the amount is debited from the seller's account.

• From the "Performance" menu, select "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims"
• In the "Option to appeal" tab, find the claim and select "Appeal decision"
• Follow the on-screen instructions and upload proof of delivery or documents supporting the reason for your appeal
• If you select "Other" as the reason, write in the text box so that it is clear why you believe the original decision was wrong
• Select "Submit"

After submission, Amazon reviews the information and contacts you by email if it needs more. The Help says you must reply to this request within 72 hours (the deadline differs: 48 hours for requests during the investigation, 72 hours for requests after an appeal).

What an appeal can reverse, and how long it takes

The Help states that when you appeal a decision, either the refund cost or the impact on the Order Defect Rate may be reversed. It can take up to 7 days for the reversal of the Order Defect Rate to be reflected on the order page or for the amount to be reimbursed to your seller account. Based on the results of the appeal investigation, Amazon makes the final decision on whether to reverse the original decision in whole or in part.

After 30 days have passed

If the seller does not appeal within 30 calendar days, the Help says, the claim is closed and the negative impact on the Order Defect Rate cannot be reversed. Write down the deadline first, counting from the date of the debit. How to read the Order Defect Rate and how it relates to other metrics is covered in the article on the Account Health Rating.

When you cannot accept the claim, such as "the buyer used the item for two months and then said it never arrived": what to sort out

Sellers sometimes tell us that a claim saying the item had not arrived was filed a long time after the purchase. Within the official Help pages checked for this article, no upper limit on the number of days after purchase within which a claim can be filed is stated. Even for a claim you cannot accept, what the investigation and the appeal look at are records. Rather than feelings, gather the following material in time order.

• The ship date, and the date and time you sent the shipping confirmation
• The tracking number and the carrier's delivery completion record (such as a completed delivery confirmation)
• Confirmation that the delivery address matches the shipping address on the order
• Your exchanges with the buyer in Buyer-Seller Messages (including any record showing the buyer confirmed receipt or was satisfied)
• Whether there was a return request, and the date and time it was authorised or declined

If the buyer agrees to have the refund reversed (for example, because they received an item that arrived late), the buyer must request the reversal of the claim amount from the "Problem with order" page in their own account, or contact Customer Service. The Help states that Amazon cannot retroactively charge the refund amount back to the buyer without an explicit request from the buyer to reverse the refund. Once you have the buyer's agreement in Buyer-Seller Messages, guide them through this procedure.

A seller does not need to decide what the buyer's intentions were. How to keep records of related orders, such as orders where the buyer's name and the recipient's name differ, is covered in the article on held orders and suspicious orders. Where a legal claim or legal judgement is needed, consult a lawyer.

Preventing the next claim: the delivery, response and return practices the Help recommends

Of the practices listed in the Help page "Preventing Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims", these are the ones relevant to "item not received" on seller-fulfilled orders.

• Add valid tracking information to every shipment (this also relates to the Valid Tracking Rate and the Order Defect Rate)
• Send the shipping confirmation before the expected ship date, so that the carrier's first scan happens before the expected ship date
• Make sure delivery is completed before the estimated delivery date, and notify the buyer if it will be late
• Obtain proof of delivery from the carrier
• Respond to buyer contacts within 48 hours
• If you cannot ship because of a holiday, illness or external factors, set your listings to inactive and update your account settings so that you receive return request emails
• For return requests that need manual authorisation, respond with an authorisation or a decline within 48 hours of receiving them
• Refund within 2 business days of receiving a return (if you do not refund within 5 days of receipt, this meets a condition for automatic approval)

Late shipments and cancellations affect metrics other than the A-to-z Guarantee as well. How to read the pre-fulfilment cancel rate is covered in the article on the cancellation penalty.

What we can do about an A-to-z Guarantee claim

Replying to a claim, filing an appeal and refunding the buyer are procedures you carry out yourself from the Seller Central screens. We do not log in to your account or send anything on your behalf.

What we help with is reviewing the notice you received and the material you provide (tracking records, your exchanges with the buyer and so on), sorting out what is being asked of you, and preparing and revising the draft of the explanation to send to Amazon. If repeated claims have worsened your Order Defect Rate, we help with the draft of that appeal in the same way.

Whether a claim is granted or reversed on appeal is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise an outcome. For cases we consider difficult, we tell you so before you engage us, to the extent known at that point.

Our fee is the same for every engagement: an initial fee of 80,000 yen plus a success fee of 80,000 yen (both including tax), paid by bank transfer. The initial fee is payable regardless of the outcome; the success fee is charged when the purpose of the engagement, such as reinstatement of the account, is achieved. If it is not achieved, no success fee is charged. Consultations are free, as often as you need.

Frequently asked questions

Q. The tracking shows "delivered", but the buyer filed a claim saying it never arrived. Will it be granted?

A. Amazon decides. The Help says that in its investigation Amazon considers the seller's replies in Buyer-Seller Messages and other factors, and may request the shipping method, proof of delivery, a valid tracking number and the carrier details as additional information. An order shipped without a trackable method and without a valid tracking number meets a condition for automatic approval. Reply within 48 hours of the request with the delivery completion record and your exchanges with the buyer.

Q. Can a buyer file a claim out of the blue, without contacting me first?

A. The Help states that a buyer cannot file a claim without contacting the seller first. Contact arrives through Buyer-Seller Messages, so check your inbox and reply within 48 hours of the first message. If you receive a claim notification you were not expecting, first check Buyer-Seller Messages and Manage Returns for a message or request you may have missed.

Q. How much does a granted claim affect my Order Defect Rate?

A. The Help says the Order Defect Rate is affected when the seller issues a full refund, when Amazon grants the claim and when the claim is granted automatically, and is not affected when the buyer withdraws the claim. Check the Order Defect Rate figure on your Account Health page. If the decision is reversed on appeal, the impact on the Order Defect Rate may be removed.

Q. After I refunded, the buyer told me the item had arrived. Can the refund be reversed?

A. The Help has no procedure for the seller to reverse it. The buyer must request the reversal of the claim amount from the "Problem with order" page in their own account, or contact Customer Service. Once you have the buyer's agreement in Buyer-Seller Messages, guide them through this procedure.

Q. How long do I have to file an appeal?

A. Within 30 days (calendar days) from the time the amount is debited from your seller account. If Amazon asks for additional information after you submit, reply within 72 hours. The Help states that once 30 calendar days have passed the claim is closed and the impact on the Order Defect Rate cannot be reversed.

Summary

• The A-to-z Guarantee (Marketplace Guarantee) applies to seller-fulfilled orders, and a buyer cannot file a claim without contacting the seller first.
• Within 48 hours of the buyer's first message, reply through Buyer-Seller Messages and try to resolve the problem.
• After a claim is filed, answer Amazon's request for additional information within 48 hours. Proof of delivery, the tracking number and your message records are the material.
• If the claim is granted, file an appeal within 30 days of the debit. Reply to further requests within 72 hours; a reversal takes up to 7 days to be reflected.
• To prevent the next claim, add valid tracking information to every shipment, ship by the expected ship date so that the shipping confirmation and the first scan happen before it, and keep to the 48-hour reply.

*This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.

Further reading

Before making repeated Amazon returns: restriction notices and purchase history Read article → A surge in pending Amazon orders: documenting suspicious orders and seeking support Read article → Reviewing your Amazon Account Health Rating: warnings and improvement priorities Read article →