What is A-to-Z Claim Amazon - Complete Guide for Sellers

‍Amazon shoppers can file A-to-z claims when they are unhappy with the purchase and can’t resolve the issue directly with the seller. In such a case, customers can make a claim directly to Amazon, deciding if a buyer is eligible for a refund.

If an Amazon seller receives numerous A-to-z claims, that negatively impacts their Amazon account health. Therefore, you must avoid such claims and settle the customer's problem before they file claims.

Keep reading to find out what is an A to z claim on Amazon, how it works, and tips to handle A-to-z claims.

What Is An A-to-z Claim?

Amazon A-to-z guarantee claim is a customer complaint directly to Amazon when they are unsatisfied with the product and can’t settle the issue with the seller.

Such claims are made about Amazon’s A-to-z guarantees. A-to-z guarantees is Amazon's program protecting customers when they buy items from third-party sellers. It guarantees that they'll receive the orders on time and in the condition described by the seller.

If the buyer encounters any of these issues and can't resolve them directly with a seller, they can file an A-to-z guarantee claim with Amazon. Amazon will then review the claim and decide whether to issue a refund.

However, a buyer should try to contact the seller first and attempt to resolve the issue before filing a claim.

A-to-z guarantee covers

• Items arriving late or not at all;
• Significantly damaged or defective items;
• Items that don't match the seller's description;
• Problems, when customers have returned the item and the seller, isn't responsive or doesn't honor the return policy.
  

Note. A-to-z Guarantee claim only applies to purchases from third-party sellers, not items sold directly by Amazon.

When Can a Buyer File an Amazon A-to-z Claim?

An Amazon A-to-z Guarantee claim can be filed by a customer in any of the situations below.

Missing item

If the customer never receives their order.

Late arrival

If the item arrives past the latest estimated delivery date.

Item is not as described

If the received item is faulty, damaged, incomplete, or significantly different from what was listed.

Refund issues

If the customer returned the item as agreed upon, but the seller hasn't issued the promised refund after receiving it.

Return policy violation

If the seller doesn’t honor Amazon's return policy, like refusing a valid return request within 48 hours.

Unauthorized charge

If the customer believes you charged them more than the authorized amount for the purchase.

How long can a buyer file an Amazon A-to-z claim?

There are time limits for filing a claim. If a customer has not received the order, they must also wait 3 days past the maximum estimated delivery date before they can file a claim. Then, they have up to 90 days after the maximum estimated delivery date to file an A-to-z claim to Amazon. The timer starts after the latest possible delivery date provided by the seller. 

Also, a buyer should contact a seller directly before filing a claim to Amazon and wait for 48 hours until that seller responds. If the seller doesn’t respond, the buyer can contact Amazon directly.

How Does A-to-z Claim Work?

As an Amazon seller, here's what happens when a customer files an A-to-z guarantee claim.

Step 1. The customer contacts you first

Amazon requires buyers to reach out to you directly to try to resolve issues like late deliveries or damaged items. This gives you a chance to find a solution without involving Amazon.

Step 2. Respond promptly. You have 48 hours to respond to the customer's message (for delivery issues) or return request (for product issues).  Providing a replacement, issuing a refund, or otherwise addressing their concern can prevent the claim from being filed.

• Customers can file claims if:
  • You don't respond to their message or return request within 48 hours;
  • You deny a valid return request without explanation;
  • You provide an invalid return label or no label for international returns.

Step 3. Refund the customer (optional)

You can choose to offer a full refund to the customer at this stage. While this will resolve the claim, it might affect your seller metrics.

Step 4. Amazon investigates

If you don't offer a refund, Amazon will review the claim details, including your communication with the customer.  Providing a clear and prompt response with any relevant evidence (tracking info, photos) can strengthen your case.

Step 5. Respond to Amazon's request 

Amazon might ask for additional information during their investigation.  Responding within 72 hours with any details that support your position is crucial.

Step 6. Possible outcomes

• Claim granted in customer's favor: If Amazon finds evidence against you, they might grant the claim and issue a refund to the customer using your funds. This can negatively impact your seller metrics.
• Claim denied: If Amazon sides with you, the customer won't receive a refund, and your metrics won't be affected.

Step 7. Appeal a claim

If you think the decision is unfair, appeal the claim within 30 calendar days. Give a proof of your standpoint.

When is an A-to-z claim automatically granted to a buyer?

Your claim will be automatically granted to the customer and he will be refunded in the following situations.

No response

You didn't respond to the customer's message about a delivery issue within 48 hours through Buyer-Seller Messages, or you didn't respond to their return request for a product issue within 48 hours.

International returns

You approved a return with an international address but failed to provide a prepaid return label or agree to a refund without requiring a return within 5 days of the request.

Missed shipment

You didn't ship the order by the promised date.

No tracking

You didn't use a trackable shipping method or provide a valid tracking ID when the customer placed the order.

Late delivery

You didn't deliver the order by the latest estimated delivery date.

Undeliverable package

The tracking information you provided shows the package cannot be delivered.

Wrong address

You delivered the order to an address, different from the one provided by the customer.

Unprocessed return

You didn't issue a refund within 5 days of receiving a customer return with a prepaid label.

Lost return

The customer returned the item with a prepaid label, but the package was lost during transit.

Return issues

The customer returned the item with a prepaid label, but it can't be delivered or is being sent back to you due to an outdated or incorrect return address you provided.

How to Know about A-to-z Claim?

Amazon will send you an email notification whenever a customer files a claim against your account.

You can also proactively monitor your A-to-z claims on your Account Health Dashboard.

Additionally, you can track the status of any claims by going to the Manage A-to-z claims page under the Account Health dashboard in your Seller Central account. This way, you can stay on top of any potential issues and address them promptly.

How to Deal with A-to-z Claim Amazon?

If you don’t handle with an A-to-z claim and don’t react to Amazon’s request within 72 hours, the shopper will win the claim. In that case, your account will be debited for the claim amount. Also, this will negatively impact your account health and ODR.

Therefore, you can try to settle the issue with the buyer before they file the A-to-z claim so that they withdraw it.

Steps to handle A-to-z claim step by step

Step 1. Research the claim and see whether it is fair. If the claim is legitimate, respond to the shopper within 48 hours, apologize, and try to settle the claim. You can offer a full refund.

Step 2. If you didn’t manage to settle the problem and the shopper files the claim to Amazon, respond within 72 hours. Attach any information you think is relevant. If you believe that the claim is not fair, give your proof. If a product was damaged, upload proof of commercial liability insurance.

Step 3. If Amazon needs additional information, they will contact you. If the issue concerns delivery, they may ask you to give proof of delivery, carrier details, tracking number, and dispatch method. For returns claims, provide shipping details, return address, and eligibility of the return request. Amazon can also ask about your correspondence with the shopper regarding the order. Provide the necessary information.

Step 4. If the claim is denied, you shouldn’t do anything. If the claim is granted to the shopper, appeal it within 30 days.  

Step 5. Proactively avoid A-to-z claims by improving your shipping and fulfillment, providing the best customer services, and responding to your buyers in a short time.

How to Respond to Amazon about A-to-z Claim

If Amazon needs more details to investigate an A-to-z claim, they'll send you an email and a notification on your Seller Central homepage. You'll have 72 hours to respond.

Steps to respond to Amazon about the claim

Step 1. Go to the Account Health Dashboard in Seller Central and select A-to-z Guarantee Claims. 

Step 2. Look for the claim under the "Action Required" tab (usually the default).

Step 3. Click "Respond to Amazon" for that claim. Explain your position on the claim and why it shouldn't be granted in the customer's favor. Include any relevant details in the text box. You can't attach documents directly in the response. If you have additional proof (like printouts), send them to the customer through Buyer-Seller Messages and mention it in your response (e.g., "Additional information attached in Buyer-Seller Messages").

Step 4. Click "Submit" to send your response.

How do A-to-z Claims Affect My Seller Account?

A-to-z Guarantee claims can affect your seller account in a few key ways. If a claim is denied, there’s no impact on your Order Defect Rate (ODR) or account health. If a claim is granted, ODR increases, account health may be negatively affected, and the customer receives a refund from your funds.

Order Defect Rate

When a claim is granted in favor of the customer, it reflects poorly on your account and increases your ODR. A high ODR can negatively impact your seller privileges, such as limiting your listing visibility or even suspending your account. Sellers are expected to keep ODR below 1%.

Account Health

A-to-z claims negatively contribute to your overall Seller Account Health. Too many claims can lower your account health, potentially leading to account suspension. If your Amazon account gets an «Unhealthy» Account Health Rating, Amazon may suspend your account.

Refunds

If a claim is granted, the customer will be refunded using funds from your seller account, impacting your cash flow.

Note: If a buyer withdraws a claim and it’s closed, that will not affect your Order Defect Rate.

Related: Amazon Account Health – A Guide for FBA Sellers in 2023

How to Avoid A-to-z Claims?

You can minimize A-to-z claims and keep your Amazon seller account healthy by proactively avoiding them, as described below.

Stay away from problematic products

The best way to avoid A-to-z claims is to research the products you are going to sell before you buy them. Make sure they don’t have any alerts or many negative reviews. 

Seller Assistant helps identify such products. This popular product-sourcing platform helps find profitable deals that don’t have any issues.

Seller Assistant’s Advanced IP Alerts feature conveniently shows you on the Amazon product and search pages, and in the Side Panel View if a product has previously triggered problems with account health. It marks products and brands generating account health issues with a red triangle icon. Data is collected daily.

Ship smartly

Always include valid tracking information for all deliveries. Ship with trusted partners. Consider requesting additional proof of delivery, like signature confirmation. Ship on time and confirm shipments are scanned by the courier on or before the promised "ship by" date. If a delivery runs late, promptly notify the customer to avoid frustration and potential claims.

Consider proactive refunds

If a customer requests a refund, think about accepting the return and issuing the refund promptly to prevent them from needing to file a claim.

How to Appeal an A-to-z Guarantee Claim?

If an A-to-z claim was decided against you, you have 30 days to appeal the decision if you have new information that wasn't considered before. 

Steps to appeal an A-to-z guarantee claim

Step 1. Gather your evidence

Present new details that support your case. This could be anything from proof of delivery to communication with the customer.

Step 2. Appeal the claim

Go to the Account Health Dashboard in Seller Central and select A-to-z Guarantee Claims. Under the Option to Appeal tab, find the claim you want to challenge and select "Appeal decision."

Step 3. Make your case

Clearly explain why the original decision was wrong, include any new evidence you gathered in the text box, and attach documents.

Step 4. Submit and wait

Once you submit your appeal, Amazon will review the new information. They might ask for additional details within 72 hours. Respond promptly to avoid delays.

FAQ

What is the A-to-Z claim seller?

An A-to-z Guarantee claim on Amazon protects buyers if they have issues with their order, like not receiving it or receiving a damaged item. If the seller can't resolve the problem, the buyer can file a claim and potentially get reimbursed from the seller's account.

How long will it take for the A-to-z claim to be completed?

Resolving A-to-z claims can take up to 90 days after the estimated delivery date.  Sellers have 72 hours to respond to the claim with relevant information, while the overall process depends on Amazon's investigation and any potential appeals.

Can a customer cancel A-to-z claim on Amazon?

No, customers cannot directly cancel an A-to-z claim on Amazon. However, if they receive the item or the seller resolves the issue to their satisfaction, they can withdraw the claim, potentially reversing any refund.

What is a denied Amazon A-to-z Claim?

If an A-to-z claim was denied, it means that it was successfully closed in a merchant’s favor. In that case, the amount will not be debited to the seller's account, and account health is not damaged. When Amazon denies a buyer’s A-to-z claim, they can submit an appeal within 30 calendar days.

Final Thoughts

Amazon shoppers can file A-z claims about Amazon sellers if they are unsatisfied with the products or services and can’t resolve the issue directly with the merchant. If they make a claim directly to Amazon and win a refund, that negatively impacts the seller’s Amazon account health. Avoiding such claims and settling the customer's problem before they file A-to-z claims is preferable.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to avoid products that trigger Amazon account health problems, including A-to-z claims. Amazon seller tools can help you with this task.

Seller Assistant is one such tool. It’s an all-in-one extension that incorporates all features vital for product research. Advanced IP Alerts can immediately tell you if a product has any sales restrictions or has led to problems with account health in the past. It combines a Side Panel View, FBM&FBA Profit Calculator, Quick View, ASIN Grabber, IP Alert, Stock Checker, Restrictions Checker, in one tool.