FBA Customer Returns Report: What Every Reason Code Means
The reason column in your FBA Customer Returns report uses one of 33 short codes — DEFECTIVE means the item is defective, NOT_AS_DESCRIBED means the listing oversold it, SWITCHEROO means Amazon shipped the wrong item. Below is the full table in plain English, grouped into fix-vs-ignore categories, plus the six condition codes that decide reimbursements.
All 33 FBA return reason codes, in plain English
Codes and buyer-facing descriptions are Amazon's, exactly as documented for the FBA Customer Returns report. The six groupings are KnowVault's analysis framework — the grouping is ours, the codes are Amazon's. Individual codes on single orders are noise; the same code repeating on one ASIN within 30 days is a signal. If a code appears in your file that isn't here, Amazon added it — the classifier below buckets unknowns instead of guessing.
Buyer intent — no product problem
Nothing here is wrong with your product. A few are normal e-commerce churn; a rising share of FOUND_BETTER_PRICE is a pricing-review signal, and UNAUTHORIZED_PURCHASE is fraud on the buyer’s account, not your listing.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
NO_REASON_GIVEN | No reason — “I just do not want the product anymore.” |
UNWANTED_ITEM | Unwanted item. |
FOUND_BETTER_PRICE | “I found better prices elsewhere.” |
ORDERED_WRONG_ITEM | “I accidentally ordered the wrong item.” |
UNAUTHORIZED_PURCHASE | Unauthorized purchase — for example, fraud. |
Quality & product — fix the product
The costliest group: refunded units that often come back unsellable. Clusters of these on one ASIN point at your supplier or packaging, not your listing.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
DEFECTIVE | Item is defective. |
QUALITY_UNACCEPTABLE | Product performance or quality is not up to my expectations. |
MISSING_PARTS | Shipment was missing items or accessories. |
WARRANTY | Item defective after arrival — warranty claim. |
NOT_COMPATIBLE | Product is not compatible with my existing system. |
Description — fix the listing page
When these cluster, the listing is setting the wrong expectation. Your product may be fine — the description, sizing chart, or images are not doing their job.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
NOT_AS_DESCRIBED | Not as described on website. |
MISORDERED | Ordered wrong style, size, or color. |
Size & fit — apparel and jewelry variants
Amazon splits fit complaints into category-specific codes. All of them trace back to sizing tables and product photography — the cheapest returns to fix with a better size chart.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
APPAREL_TOO_SMALL | Apparel: product was too small. |
APPAREL_TOO_LARGE | Apparel: product was too large. |
APPAREL_STYLE | Apparel: did not like the style of the garment. |
JEWELRY_TOO_SMALL | Jewelry: too small or short. |
JEWELRY_TOO_LARGE | Jewelry: too large or long. |
JEWELRY_BATTERY | Jewelry: battery is dead. |
JEWELRY_NO_DOCS | Jewelry: missing manual or warranty. |
JEWELRY_BAD_CLASP | Jewelry: broken or malfunctioning clasp. |
JEWELRY_LOOSE_STONE | Jewelry: missing or loose stone. |
JEWELRY_NO_CERT | Jewelry: missing promised certification. |
Fulfillment — fix the process (and check for money owed)
These point to packing, labeling, carrier handling, or Amazon’s own fulfillment. SWITCHEROO means Amazon shipped the wrong item — an Amazon error worth cross-checking against your reimbursements.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
SWITCHEROO | “Amazon sent me the wrong item.” |
DAMAGED_BY_CARRIER | Product was damaged or defective on arrival. |
DAMAGED_BY_FC | Product became damaged or defective after arrival. |
EXTRA_ITEM | Extra item included in shipment. |
Logistics & undeliverable — no product issue
Address failures and delivery misses. They inflate your return count without saying anything about the product — filter them out before you draw conclusions.
| Code | What the buyer is saying |
|---|---|
MISSED_ESTIMATED_DELIVERY | Item took too long to arrive — “I do not want it anymore.” |
UNDELIVERABLE_INSUFFICIENT_ADDRESS | Undeliverable: insufficient address. |
UNDELIVERABLE_FAILED_DELIVERY_ATTEMPTS | Undeliverable: failed delivery attempts. |
UNDELIVERABLE_REFUSED | Undeliverable: refused. |
UNDELIVERABLE_UNKNOWN | Undeliverable: unknown. |
UNDELIVERABLE_UNCLAIMED | Undeliverable: unclaimed. |
OTHER | Return option is not available. |
Source: Amazon's FBA Customer Returns report documentation — the reason table is mirrored in full by Gorilla ROI's returns guide and the Seller Central help page (help page requires a seller login; checked September 2026). Amazon updates the list occasionally — the official help page wins if anything drifts.
The six condition codes — where reimbursement money hides
After the return reaches a fulfillment center, the report's condition (disposition) decides what happens to the unit — and whether you get paid.
| Condition | What it means | Amazon pays? |
|---|---|---|
SELLABLE | Unit came back in sellable condition and returned to your inventory. | No |
DAMAGED | Damaged — Amazon takes responsibility; ownership transfers to Amazon and you are compensated under the FBA inventory reimbursement policy. | Yes |
CUSTOMER_DAMAGED | Buyer damage — unit comes back unsellable with no reimbursement. Inspect before auto-disposing; many are resellable. | No |
DEFECTIVE | Customer stated it is faulty — refunded, and the unit stays in your inventory as unsellable. Inspect before disposal. | No |
CARRIER_DAMAGED | Carrier damage — Amazon takes ownership and compensates you per the reimbursement policy. | Yes |
EXPIRED | Within roughly 50 days of expiration — set aside as unsellable and eventually removed for disposal; you can request return first. | No |
For every DAMAGED or CARRIER_DAMAGED unit, cross-reference the Reimbursements report for a matching payout — a missing entry is an open claim. And don't auto-dispose of CUSTOMER_DAMAGED or DEFECTIVE units: opened packaging often qualifies as customer damage while the unit inside is fully resellable.
Download the report in 3 clicks
Open the FBA reports library
Seller Central → main menu → Reports → Fulfillment.
Pick “Customer Returns” under Customer Concessions
That is the FBA Customer Returns report: return date, order ID, SKU/ASIN, condition,
reason, status, and customer comments per unit.Download now — or schedule it
The Download tab gives an immediate file; the Request tab schedules recurring delivery. MFN (self-fulfilled) returns live in a separate report — export both for the full picture. More detail in our returns report export guide.
Stop reading codes one row at a time
Classify your returns CSV — free
Upload the file you just exported and the Return Reason Classifier sorts every return into six fix-vs-ignore buckets — buyer intent, quality, description, size & fit, fulfillment, and other — then ranks your worst ASINs first. Runs on rules, no account needed.
Free · No credit card required
Classify my returns →Codes tell you what — cross-validation tells you why
Want the full evidence-cited report? Free during beta
KnowVault's return attribution report cross-checks your return reason codes against your negative review themes, ASIN by ASIN — where both point the same way, that's your real problem, delivered as a prioritized fix-first list.
Free during beta · No credit card required
See the return attribution report →Frequently Asked Questions
What do the reason codes in the FBA Customer Returns report mean?
The reason column records which of Amazon’s 33 return reason codes the buyer selected — DEFECTIVE (item is defective), NOT_AS_DESCRIBED (not as described on website), SWITCHEROO (Amazon sent the wrong item), APPAREL_TOO_SMALL, FOUND_BETTER_PRICE, and so on. The full table with plain-English meanings is above, grouped into six categories.
Which return reason codes mean Amazon owes me money?
Reimbursements are decided by the condition code, not the reason code: DAMAGED and CARRIER_DAMAGED are the two dispositions where Amazon takes ownership and compensates you. For every unit under either code, cross-check the Reimbursements report for a matching payout — a missing entry is an open claim.
Where do I find the FBA Customer Returns report?
In Seller Central: Reports → Fulfillment, then Customer Concessions → Customer Returns. Use the Download tab for an immediate file or the Request tab to schedule recurring delivery. Returns on orders you ship yourself (MFN) live in a separate report under Orders → Manage Returns.
What is the difference between a reason code and a condition code?
The reason code is what the buyer claimed when returning (“too small”, “defective”). The condition code is what Amazon’s warehouse found when the unit came back (SELLABLE, DAMAGED, CUSTOMER_DAMAGED, DEFECTIVE, CARRIER_DAMAGED, EXPIRED). Reasons drive product fixes; conditions drive reimbursements.
Why do so many returns say NO_REASON_GIVEN?
Amazon lets buyers return in one click, so many never pick a real reason. Watch the trend instead of the count: when NO_REASON_GIVEN grows alongside NOT_AS_DESCRIBED or quality codes, buyers are softening the real complaint — the customer-comments column often says what the dropdown didn’t.