Unplanned prep services

When you comply with Fulfillment by Amazon’s Packaging and prep requirements and Shipping and routing requirements and ensure that your carriers and suppliers also follow them, it enables efficient and accurate receipt and storage of your inventory at the fulfillment center.

When there are problems receiving inventory at the fulfillment center, we perform unplanned services to successfully process products into your sellable inventory. This may cause costly delays and affect your ability to sell products quickly.

See Inbound performance summary for further details on problems with shipments received in Amazon fulfillment centers and the action to take to avoid these issues in the future.

Note: Please note that we may, in our discretion, ship your non-compliant products back to you by Cash On Delivery instead of performing such services.

Inbound performance coaching levels

Additional coaching or product prep requires resources. For repeated instances of the same problem group, Amazon escalates your coaching level (Standard, Elevated, Critical). The first coaching level starts from Standard.

Note: Amazon escalates your inbound performance issues by problem group. For more information, see Inbound performance summary.

How to see your coaching level escalations

Follow the steps below to see your current coaching level and escalation criteria as your maximum permitted problem rate.

In Seller Central, go to the Shipping Queue page, click Track shipment to the right of the shipment with problems
On the Shipment summary page, go to the Problems tab and click View Details and scroll to Coaching Details
Check your Problem Rate and the Maximum Permitted Problem Rate for the particular problem group
Note: Maximum Permitted Problem rate are determined to each seller using as basis for your coaching level elevation and de-elevation.
Amazon calculates the problem rates below over a four-month period:
- Problem rate (shipment-level): Number of shipments with problems / total number of shipments sent
- Problem rate (item-level): Number of items with problems / total number of units shipped
Note: Please check Shipping Queue page or Inbound Performance report to check if your problem rate is categorized as shipment-level or item-level.
If your problem rate exceeds the maximum permitted problem rate, we escalate you to the next coaching level for that problem group.

Example of coaching level escalation and de-escalation

The following table provides an example of coaching level escalation and de-escalation as simulation.

Samples:

Problem group: Unplanned Prep – Bagging.
The maximum permitted problem rate: 0.36%
Note: The number (0.36%) we use in the chart as the maximum permitted problem rate is a sample. Please find your maximum permitted problem rate for each problem group at Seller Central.

We set 21-day grace period to help sellers to correct next inbound defect problems. We do not escalate you further for the same problem group.

Problem date	Your problem rate	Coaching level	Problem quantity	Fees per unit	Total unplanned service fee	Notes
April 14	0.01%	Standard	2	92 JPY	184 JPY	First instance for this problem group in 4 months There is a 21-day grace period where we do not escalate you further for this group.
April 20	0.40%	Standard	6	92 JPY	552 JPY	No escalation Your problem rate exceeds the maximum permitted rate (0.40% > 0.36%), but you are still within the 21-day grace period (beginning April 14)
May 10	0.50%	Elevated	5	102 JPY	510 JPY	Coaching level escalated Problem rate exceeds the maximum permitted problem rate (0.50% > 0.36%) Outside the 21-day grace period (beginning April 14)
June 20	0.50%	Critical	10	102 JPY	1,020 JPY	Coaching Level escalated Problem rate exceeds the maximum permitted problem rate (0.50% > 0.36%) Outside the 21-day grace period (beginning May 10)
Oct 25	0.20%	Elevated	5	92 JPY	460 JPY	Coaching level de-escalated Problem rate below the maximum permitted problem rate (0.20% < 0.36%) for the last four months (June 20 to Oct 20)

How to de-escalate your coaching level

If your problem rate remains below the maximum permitted problem rate for a four-month period from the first date of escalation (June 20 in the example above), we lower your coaching level by one.

Note: If you do not send inventory during the four-month period, you are not eligible for de-escalation.

Unplanned service fees

FBA currently charges fees for the following unplanned services.

See Inbound performance summary for details on problem definitions.
See Inbound performance alerts and feedback for details about the different types of alerts.

Problem Type	Unplanned Prep Service	Coaching Level
Problem Type	Unplanned Prep Service	Standard	Elevated	Critical
Labeling defects and errora Including Hiding extra barcodes and defect ASIN appliance.	Label Unit	51 JPY	81 JPY	81 JPY
Poly bagging required	Enclose unit in poly bag	92 JPY	102 JPY	102 JPY
Bubble Wrap required	Bubble wrap unit	92 JPY	122 JPY	122 JPY
Taping required	Tape unit	51 JPY	81 JPY	81 JPY

Note: Labeling issues and errors: If it is difficult to identify a product due to an issue with labels and barcodes, it will be received as "Inbound Performance - ASIN only for accounting”. Even in such cases, an unplanned service fee will be charged.

Note: Poly bagging required: In case of damaging other items, such as ink leakage from a printer, we pack it as a Poly bagging and receive it as unsellable inventory. Even in such cases, an unplanned service fee will be charged.

View unplanned service fees for a shipment

You can view all of your unplanned service fees in the following four locations:

On your Inbound Performance report see the fees column
On your Shipping Queue page, click Track shipment to the right of the shipment with problems. On the Shipment summary page, go to the Problems tab
On the Manage Your Payments page, go to the Transaction view tab, filter view for Service Fees, then find Unplanned Service fees in the Product Details column.
For an overview of all receipt-related problems, see the Inbound performance summary page .

Disputing Unplanned Service fees

You may submit an investigation request if you believe we charged you an unplanned service fee in error. If you do so, we will verify the current prep guidance against your specific product or the issue reported at the fulfillment center.

For more information, see the Submit an investigation request section of Inbound performance alerts and feedback.

Note: We will only consider investigation requests you submit within 14 days of the problem report date.

View disputed unplanned service charge reimbursements

You can see your service fee reimbursements in the following Seller Central locations.

The Fees column of your Inbound Performance report. Fee reimbursements appear as a negative fee adjustment.
The Reason column of your Reimbursements report

You should receive your reimbursement on the next scheduled Amazon payment. If you do not, view the status of the dispute in your Case Log . Search for the relevant case and click View or Respond.

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