Amazon stranded inventory is stock sitting in FBA warehouses that customers cannot buy.
The units exist, but they are not linked to an active listing. That means zero sales, ongoing storage fees, and capital locked up in products going nowhere.
Stranded inventory happens more often than most sellers realize. A listing error, a policy violation, or a missing product detail can disconnect your stock from your storefront without warning. The longer it sits, the more it costs.
This guide explains what causes Amazon stranded inventory, how to find and fix it, and how to prevent it from draining your profits.
Amazon stranded inventory actively drains your business from multiple angles while generating zero revenue in return.
The true impact of Amazon stranded inventory becomes clear when you run the numbers. Here is how costs accumulate across different scenarios.
A seller has 50 units of a product stranded due to a listing error. The item measures 1 cubic foot and sits in standard storage.
Total cost: $537 for one overlooked SKU
A seller has 200 units stranded in November due to a category compliance issue.
Total cost: $4,080 during your highest revenue month
A seller does not notice 100 units stranded for 270 days.
Total cost: $2,160+ before disposal or removal fees
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Most stranded inventory is preventable if you know the triggers and set up the right habits.
Top causes and prevention tips:
Scenario: You update prices in QuickBooks, but the sync to Amazon fails. By the next day, Amazon flags a price mismatch and strands 80 units.
Prevention: Set weekly audits for price rules and confirm all fields before bulk uploads. Use real-time sync tools to keep pricing consistent.
Scenario: A product is missing required information or documentation. Amazon suspends the listing, leaving inventory unsellable.
Prevention: Review all listings for completeness before sending inventory. Monitor for listing alerts daily and resolve issues immediately.
Scenario: Amazon restricts an ASIN due to policy changes or category requirements. Inventory for that ASIN becomes stranded overnight.
Prevention: Stay updated on category policies and check ASIN status before restocking.
Scenario: You use a bulk upload template to update listings but accidentally populate the quantity column, converting FBA listings to merchant-fulfilled. Inventory is orphaned in the warehouse.
Prevention: Double-check bulk upload files and avoid unnecessary changes to fulfillment channels.
Scenario: Inventory sells on another channel, but the sync to Amazon is delayed. Amazon’s records become inaccurate, and units are stranded.
Prevention: Use real-time inventory sync and set up alerts for sync failures.
Even with good habits, issues can slip through, so here is how to find and fix Amazon stranded inventory fast.
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Quick action is critical. Amazon will dispose of stranded inventory after 30 days, so regular checks are non-negotiable.
Step-by-step:
Manual checks work for small catalogs, but as you scale, consider automating alerts. High-volume sellers often automate alerts to catch issues before the 30-day window closes.
Manual fixes work, but Amazon’s automation settings can make or break your outcomes. Here is what to know.
Amazon’s default automation settings can cost you. Customise your preferences to stay in control.
By default, Amazon will dispose of stranded inventory after 30 days unless you change this setting.
Beyond Amazon’s built-in tools, some sellers use inventory dashboards that flag orphaned SKUs in real time, especially valuable for multichannel operations.
As your business grows, manual checks and settings reviews become harder to manage. Here is when to automate prevention.
Suggested read: Large Amazon Seller’s Guide to Expanding Product Lines
Manual audits cannot keep up with growth. Automation and real-time sync prevent costly mistakes at scale.
Signs you have outgrown manual prevention:
Benefits of inventory management automation:
Webgility automates inventory sync and reconciliation across channels, helping sellers prevent mismatches that can trigger Amazon stranded inventory.
Ready to take action? Here is your 30-day audit and prevention plan.
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Turn knowledge into action. Use this checklist to audit, resolve, and prevent Amazon stranded inventory over the next 30 days.
Checklist:
As your business scales, syncing inventory and accounting data automatically can transform a weekly headache into a background process, freeing up time and protecting profits.
Webgility connects your Amazon account to your accounting software and syncs inventory in real time across all your sales channels. When stock moves, your records update automatically.
You gain visibility into inventory performance, costs, and profitability without manual reconciliation.
The Wine RayZyn Co. struggled with errors from manual data entry and disconnected systems across channels like Amazon and their ecommerce store.
After implementing Webgility, the team was able to automatically sync inventory and sales across all their marketplaces and QuickBooks.
This eliminated human errors, gave them clear visibility into key performance data from a single dashboard, and helped them make faster, smarter decisions.
Schedule a demo with Webgility today.
Use the Stranded Inventory Report in Seller Central. Go to Inventory > Manage Inventory and click “Fix Stranded Inventory” to see affected SKUs and reasons.
If inventory remains stranded for over 30 days, Amazon will automatically remove or dispose of it and charge you a removal fee per unit, based on size and weight.
Automation tools can alert you to listing or sync errors in real time and keep inventory data consistent, but regular manual checks are still recommended.
Stranded inventory lowers your IPI score, which can trigger storage limits and restock restrictions, restricting your ability to grow on Amazon.