.png)
Amazon A-to-Z Claims (and Walmart Disputes) in 2026: How Sellers Actually Reduce Risk
- Matt Talmage
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Don't let Amazon A-to-Z Claims become routine, expensive, and account-damaging.
If you sell on Amazon long enough, you’ll deal with an A-to-Z claim. Not because you’re sloppy—but because marketplaces optimize for buyer trust, not seller convenience.
What is avoidable is letting claims become routine, expensive, and account-damaging.
At Flashpricer, we don’t pretend repricing magically prevents disputes. But we do see clear patterns in which sellers get hit repeatedly and which ones don’t—across both Amazon and Walmart.
This guide breaks down:
How A-to-Z claims actually work
The Walmart equivalent sellers underestimate
Where sellers make things worse than they need to
How pricing discipline quietly reduces claim exposure
What Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee Really Does
Amazon describes it plainly: the A-to-Z Guarantee protects buyers when items sold by third-party sellers arrive late, damaged, incorrect, or refunds aren’t issued on time.
From the seller’s perspective, this means:
Amazon acts as judge and jury
Funds can be pulled directly from your account
Repeated claims affect Order Defect Rate (ODR)
Amazon is explicit about ODR thresholds and enforcement. A-to-Z claims do not apply to:
Digital goods
Orders fully paid with gift cards
Orders already charged back
How the Amazon A-to-Z Claim Process Works
The flow is structured—even if it doesn’t feel that way at first.
Buyer experiences a delivery, condition, or refund issue
Buyer must contact seller first (48 hours to resolve)
Buyer files A-to-Z claim if unresolved
Seller has 72 hours to respond
No response = automatic buyer win
Seller has 30 days to appeal
Amazon documents the process in depth.
The biggest mistake sellers make? Ignoring the initial buyer message and forcing the claim escalation.
Walmart’s Version: Fewer Claims, Faster Consequences
Walmart doesn’t call them A-to-Z claims, but disputes work similarly—and often move faster.
Walmart focuses heavily on:
On-time delivery
Accurate listings
Refund speed
Seller response SLAs
Official Walmart dispute and performance guidance can be found on their marketplace website.
Unlike Amazon, Walmart is less forgiving of repeated issues. Seller Scorecard metrics are closely tied to enforcement, including suspension risk.
How Sellers Make Claims Worse Than Necessary
Across Flashpricer’s Amazon and Walmart data, repeat claim sellers tend to share the same behaviors:
Over-promising in listings to stay competitive on price
Using slower fulfillment to preserve margin
Ignoring early buyer messages
Treating disputes emotionally instead of procedurally
Claims are rarely caused by one bad order. They’re caused by systems that stretch too far under price pressure.
Where Pricing Quietly Enters the Picture
Here’s the part most claim guides never mention: Aggressive pricing without control increases claim exposure.
Why?
Tighter margins reduce tolerance for reships or refunds
Sellers cut fulfillment corners
Customer expectations rise as prices race downward
Operational mistakes compound
Flashpricer data shows sellers with disciplined repricing:
Maintain buffer for refunds
Avoid desperate undercutting
Keep fulfillment and service consistent
See fewer repeat disputes across both marketplaces
Repricing doesn’t prevent claims—but bad pricing decisions create the conditions for them.
How Flashpricer Helps Reduce Downstream Risk
Flashpricer doesn’t intervene in disputes. What it does is prevent sellers from pricing themselves into fragility.
Across Amazon and Walmart:
Sellers maintain sustainable price bands
Buy Box wins aren’t dependent on razor-thin margins
Promo spikes don’t force fulfillment compromises
Competitive reactions don’t trigger panic pricing
Claims hurt most when your business has no slack. Pricing discipline creates slack.
The Question Sellers Should Be Asking
If your pricing strategy leaves no room for mistakes, how confident are you that the marketplace won’t eventually find one?
Comments