The A-to-z Guarantee lets a customer get a refund when an order does not arrive or is not as described, and the seller pays for it. Two deadlines decide most cases: 3 calendar days to respond once a claim is opened, and 30 days to appeal a decision already taken. Alongside it sits a tool many brands leave unused: the SAFE-T claim, which asks Amazon to reimburse a refund granted to a customer when the fault was not yours.
For a group selling across several European stores, claims are rarely an individual problem. They are a metric, an operating cost and, since 2024, a product-liability question in the EU.
Based on Amazon’s Seller Central announcements for the European stores, checked in October 2026.
How fast do you have to answer an A-to-z claim?
Three calendar days from the moment the claim is opened. Miss it and Amazon decides without your side of the story. If the decision has already gone to the customer, you have 30 days to appeal with evidence: tracking, proof of delivery with signature or photo, buyer messages and a timeline.
In a multi-store operation the first deadline is the one that is lost, because claims land in different stores, languages and time zones. Ownership of the queue matters more than the wording of the reply.
Why do A-to-z claims matter at group level?
Every claim granted counts towards the Order Defect Rate, together with negative feedback and chargebacks. Amazon expects it below 1%; above that, a store risks losing the Featured Offer and, in serious cases, the account. Most claims start upstream, in delivery and tracking: on Amazon.it, for example, merchant-fulfilled orders now need 90% on-time delivery and 95% valid tracking, as we explain in the 2026 FBM rules for Amazon.it.
Three days is not long when a claim is in a language your team does not read. We handle the queue, the evidence and the replies. The first 30-minute call is free.
What is a SAFE-T claim and when can you file one?
SAFE-T is how a seller asks Amazon to reimburse a customer refund when the seller was not at fault. Amazon lists these cases:
- refunds issued without a return when they should not have been;
- refunds higher than due;
- abuse of discounts by the buyer;
- items lost or damaged in transit;
- returns not received in their original condition;
- cases where the customer received both a replacement and a refund.
Claims are filed under Orders → Manage SAFE-T claims, at ASIN level since 2025, with predefined reason codes.
How do you file SAFE-T claims that are not rejected?
Amazon’s own guidance from February 2026:
- wait 15 business days after the refund before claiming on a return;
- check eligibility: eligible programme, order not cancelled, no reimbursement already requested;
- no duplicates with other reimbursement routes, such as an FBA claim;
- complete evidence up front, with clear photos;
- answer within 7 days when Amazon asks for more.
The most common rejection reasons, according to Amazon, are carrier-related issues, insufficient evidence and repeatedly submitting invalid documents. Since July 2026 the downloadable Refunds and replacements report shows, order by order, whether a SAFE-T claim is possible and why not. At volume, that report is where recovery work should start, before anyone writes a claim.
We start from the Refunds and replacements report, keep only the eligible orders and file them with complete evidence.
How should returns with swapped items be documented?
Before the parcel is opened. Amazon’s community moderators recommend photographing the parcel as received with the label and tracking visible, weighing it unopened, recording signs of tampering, then photographing the contents from several angles with labels, barcodes and serial numbers, and keeping everything until the claim is closed. For a returns team handling several stores, this is a procedure to write down once and apply everywhere.
Does the A-to-z Guarantee cover property damage and personal injury in the EU?
Yes, since 2024 in the EU and UK stores. For claims under €1,000 linked to defective products, Amazon may compensate the customer directly, at its discretion, without recovering the cost from you or your insurer, provided you comply with its policies and hold valid commercial liability insurance. Above €1,000, Amazon or its third-party administrator will ask you to cooperate in assessing the claim.
Resellers who are not the manufacturer will be asked for the manufacturer’s insurance or contact details. If you cannot provide them within seven business days, or have no valid insurance when required, the compensation is yours to pay. For manufacturers selling across Europe, this belongs in the insurance review, not only in customer service.
Insurance, manufacturer details and seven-day response times are part of account health now. Let us look at how your stores are set up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an A-to-z claim and a SAFE-T claim?
The customer opens an A-to-z claim against you. You open a SAFE-T claim towards Amazon, to recover a refund granted to the customer when you were not at fault.
Amazon refunded the customer despite proof of delivery: what now?
Appeal within 30 days with tracking and proof of delivery. If the case is one of those listed, for example a return not received in original condition, a SAFE-T claim is also possible.
What happens if a store collects too many claims?
Its Order Defect Rate rises. Above 1% you risk the Featured Offer and, in serious cases, the account. If that has already happened, see Amazon account suspended.
We handle claims, returns and account metrics across Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Poland and Turkey as part of our Amazon account management.
Suspensions, performance, compliance: talk it through with someone who does it daily. The 30-minute call is free.
