5 Big Reasons for Amazon Stranded Inventory and Ways to Fix Them

Stranded inventory can occur for various reasons, each requiring a specific solution. Let’s explore some of the most common causes and their potential fixes:

Amazon Listing Errors

One of the primary reasons for stranded inventory is a listing error, which occurs when your inventory is not connected to any active ASIN.

This can happen if a listing is accidentally deleted or if a competitor intentionally tries to get your listing removed. While not common, there are instances where a competitor might report your listing for alleged policy violations, which could temporarily take it down:

• Claiming issues with the product’s condition
• Alleging intellectual property infringement
• Reporting violations of Amazon’s policies.

To fix this issue, you may need to relist your product or contact Amazon Seller Support for assistance, depending on the specificity of the error.

Restricted ASINs

Amazon may restrict the sale of certain ASINs due to –

• Intellectual property violations
• Poor product quality
• The need for additional safety testing

When an ASIN is restricted, the associated inventory becomes stranded.

In such cases, it’s best to contact Amazon Seller Support to understand the reason behind the restriction and take the necessary steps to resolve the issue or remove the inventory if required.

Account Suspension or Listing Suspension

Amazon may suspend your seller account or individual listings for various reasons, such as:

• Missing required information (e.g., images, bullet points, age requirements)
• A high number of customer returns
• Violations of Amazon’s policies

To address this issue, you’ll need to identify the reason for the suspension and take corrective action. This may involve providing missing information, addressing customer concerns, or complying with Amazon’s policies.

Amazon Pricing Errors

Amazon may deem your product’s price too low or too high compared to similar offerings and suppress the listing, causing your inventory to become stranded.

For instance, let’s say you set a minimum price of $17.99 for a particular ASIN. If you then accidentally list that product at $17.89, Amazon will disable the listing since it violates your own minimum price rule. As a result, the associated units would get stranded.

Thankfully, this pricing issue is usually an easy fix. Simply double-check and adjust the minimum and maximum price ranges in your Seller Central “Manage Inventory” section. This should reactivate the listing and make that stranded inventory available for sale again.

Product Expiration or Obsolescence

If you’re selling grocery items or products with expiration dates, Amazon will mark the inventory as stranded once it reaches its expiration date.

In such cases, you’ll need to create an Amazon removal order to have the expired products returned to you or disposed of by Amazon.

Similarly, the associated inventory may become stranded if a product becomes obsolete or discontinued. In these situations, you’ll need to remove the inventory from Amazon’s fulfillment centers and delete the listing.