For any brand selling on Amazon, recovering lost revenue from damaged, missing, or mishandled inventory is critical to maintaining margins. In 2025, Amazon implemented major changes to its FBA reimbursement policies, reducing claim windows, shifting to costbased reimbursements, and automating certain recovery processes.
While these updates aim to simplify reimbursements, gaps remain. That’s where reimbursement software comes in.
Third-party services like GETIDA, RefundSniper, and Seller Locker help sellers capture what Amazon may miss. But with tighter timelines and new automated claims, are these tools still worth it? And how can agencies ensure clients are fully informed and reimbursed?
Let’s break it down.
How Amazon Calculates Reimbursements
As of March 31, 2025, Amazon reimburses sellers for lost or damaged FBA inventory based on the sourcing cost, the actual cost to procure or manufacture the item. If no sourcing cost is submitted in Seller Central, Amazon will estimate the item’s value based on market comparables.
Sellers can input costs directly using the Inventory Defect & Reimbursement (IDR) portal. Reimbursement for customer orders may still use the item’s sale price, but only if the order was already placed before the item was lost or damaged.
Action Item: Ensure that cost data is submitted for every SKU to avoid underreimbursement.
Claim Windows Have Tightened
Amazon now enforces strict deadlines for reimbursement claims:
Lost or damaged in warehouse: file within 60 days of event Customer return issues: 60–120 days from the refund or replacement Removal order lost in transit: 15–75 days depending on the issue Removal order delivery issues: file within 60 days after return delivery
If you miss these windows, Amazon will deny your claim.
Are Reimbursement Tools Like GETIDA Still Necessary?
Despite Amazon’s advancements, tools like GETIDA continue to provide value. Internal analysis from a pet care brand showed that GETIDA still identifies reimbursement opportunities Amazon misses, particularly inventory discrepancies, complex transfers, and ambiguous warehouse events.
Since April 2025, claim volume from GETIDA dropped noticeably, suggesting Amazon’s systems are catching more cases automatically. However, there are still numerous claim types, particularly removal errors and unreturned refunds, that are not proactively reimbursed by Amazon.
GETIDA and similar tools help sellers: Monitor claim deadlines Submit and dispute undervalued claims Track reimbursement history and sourcing cost gaps
For now, it’s premature to cancel these services, especially with Amazon’s stricter timelines and sourcing cost dependencies.
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Limitations and Reporting Gaps
Currently, there’s no reliable way to align the Fulfillment Report with the Reimbursement Report in Seller Central. Without that correlation, it’s hard to validate whether all eligible reimbursements are being processed.
If reconciliation between these reports becomes feasible, sellers may eventually reduce reliance on thirdparty providers. Until then, GETIDA and similar tools act as a second layer of assurance.
How to Present Reimbursement Data
During monthly reporting, include both the Amazon Reimbursement Report and the third-party report (like GETIDA). This helps:
Provide transparency, compare recovery sources, and show that every opportunity is being reviewed.
Also request that clients provide accurate sourcing cost data for each SKU. Amazon’s internal estimates are often below actual landed costs, which can lead to underreimbursement.
Verifying Reimbursement Accuracy
While we haven’t yet been able to create a consistent match between fulfillment and reimbursement data, this remains a priority. Developing a system to cross-check these sources would allow us to validate Amazon’s performance internally and reduce unnecessary dependency on outside services.
Next Steps for Brands and Agencies
Submit sourcing costs for all SKUs using the IDR portal. Continue using GETIDA or similar services. Include both reports in the client reviews. Track claim timing to stay within Amazon’s tighter windows. Begin exploring data reconciliation between Fulfillment and Reimbursement reports
Final Thoughts
Amazon’s 2025 updates to its FBA reimbursement policies are a step toward automation, but they’re far from comprehensive. Third-party tools remain essential for identifying missed reimbursements and navigating the new rules around sourcing costs and deadlines.
If your brand isn’t actively monitoring reimbursement reports or claim timing, you may be leaving thousands of dollars unclaimed.
Need help implementing a reimbursement process that delivers? BellaVix can guide your team through a best-in-class approach that minimizes lost revenue and builds operational trust.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What has changed with Amazon’s reimbursement policy in 2025?
Amazon now reimburses sellers based on the submitted sourcing costs, rather than the estimated selling price. Most claims must now be filed within 60 days, a significant reduction from previous timeframes. Automation handles many cases, but manual oversight is still needed.
2. Are tools like GETIDA, RefundSniper, and Seller Locker still effective?
Yes. These tools continue to recover money that Amazon’s automation has missed. GETIDA offers broad coverage, RefundSniper is known for its deep manual audits, and Seller Locker specializes in fee-based overcharges.
3. What types of cases does Amazon still miss?
Removal order losses, unreturned customer refunds, inventory stuck in transfer, fee mischarges, and reversals are all areas where automation falls short. These require regular auditing or third-party intervention.
4. What happens if I don’t submit sourcing cost data?
Amazon will estimate your item’s manufacturing cost using market comparables. These are often undervalued, meaning you may be reimbursed less than your true cost of goods. Supplying your own cost is the best way to ensure accurate recovery.
Ready to Recover Every Dollar Amazon Owes You?
Amazon’s new reimbursement rules are stricter than ever, meaning more sellers are leaving money on the table. Whether it’s missing inventory, underpaid claims, or expired deadlines, unclaimed reimbursements are quietly eroding your margins.
At BellaVix, we’ve helped brands uncover thousands in missed payouts using a proactive, data-driven approach that blends Amazon policy knowledge with third-party auditing tools like GETIDA. We don’t guess—we track, reconcile, and recover what’s rightfully yours.
If you’re ready to take control of your reimbursement strategy and make sure your sourcing costs and claim windows are optimized for 2025’s new rules, we’re here to help.
Fill out the form below, and one of our experts will walk you through a proven system to capture more, faster. No pressure. Just real insights built to protect your bottom line.
Let’s start recovering your lost revenue—before Amazon’s deadlines close the window for good.