Damaged Return Claims on Amazon India

When a damaged return is claimable

Not every unhappy return is a claim. Amazon looks at who held the item when it got damaged and what the return reason was. Broadly, sellers raise claims in these situations:

• Self-ship or Easy Ship returns that reach you damaged, used, with a different item, or with parts missing.
• Returns that never reach you although the tracking shows delivered or the customer has been refunded.
• FBA returns where the unit was damaged or lost while in Amazon's fulfilment network.

Eligibility rules, claim types (such as SAFE-T for seller-fulfilled returns), reimbursement basis and time limits change from time to time. Read the current policy pages in Seller Central and your seller agreement before you plan around them.

Collect evidence before you raise the case

Most rejected claims fail on evidence, not on the facts. Build the file before opening the case:

• Order ID, return ID, ASIN and SKU.
• Return AWB and courier delivery proof.
• Your original dispatch packing photos or video, showing the item in good condition.
• An unboxing video of the returned parcel, with the AWB label visible, recorded without a break from sealed to opened.
• Clear photos of the damage, the product label, batch or serial number, and the outer packaging.
• Invoice and, if relevant, your inbound or GRN record for FBA stock.

Make this a standing process at your returns desk. Evidence recorded after the fact is hard to produce.

Steps to file the claim in Seller Central

Menu names change, so treat this as the general flow and confirm against your own dashboard.

1. Log in to Seller Central and open your returns view (Orders, then Manage Returns or the returns report).
2. Find the return by order ID or return ID. Check the return reason, the receipt status and the condition Amazon recorded.
3. Identify the right route: a SAFE-T claim for seller-fulfilled returns, or an FBA reimbursement request for inventory handled by Amazon.
4. Select the claim reason that matches what you received: damaged, different item, missing parts or not received.
5. Upload your photos, video and documents in the formats the form accepts.
6. Submit and note the claim or case ID in your own tracker.

If the form does not fit your situation, use Contact Us or the case log, and state the order ID and the exact issue in the first message.

Write the case so it can be approved

Reviewers read many cases a day. Keep yours short and factual:

• One order per case unless the form asks otherwise.
• Lead with the facts: order ID, return ID, AWB, date received.
• Say what is wrong in one line, for example: "Returned unit has a broken zip and visible wear; the dispatched unit was new and sealed."
• Refer to the attached files by name.
• State the amount you are seeking and its basis, such as the item's price or your cost, as the policy allows.

Avoid long complaints about the customer or the courier. They add nothing to the decision.

Common rejection reasons and fixes

If a claim is rejected, reply on the same case with additional evidence first. Raise a fresh case only if support advises it.

Track the claim and match the money

Approval is not recovery. Keep a simple register with return ID, claim ID, date filed, amount claimed, status and amount credited. Then check the credit in your settlement or payment reports and see whether it matches what you expected.

This is where small gaps hide: partial reimbursements, claims approved but not yet credited, and returns that were never claimed. MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle is built to reconcile marketplace sales and settlements and to track returns and recovery cases. Myntra Excel reports are reviewed today, and Amazon coverage is a scope discussion, so ask us what is feasible for your account.