Non-Delivery Scams on Amazon
Fraudulent third-party Amazon sellers collect payment for products that are never dispatched, or ship empty boxes and items that do not match the listing, exploiting the volume of Amazon orders to delay detection.
Part of: Non-Delivery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
While Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee provides recourse, fraudulent third-party sellers still manage to operate non-delivery and misdescription schemes on the platform by timing fraud spikes to overwhelm Amazon's dispute resolution capacity, or by targeting buyers who may not know how to file a claim.
The high volume of genuine Amazon orders means buyers may not notice a non-arrival for several days, giving fraudulent sellers time to process more orders and collect more payments before the account is suspended.
How this scam works on Amazon
A fraudulent third-party listing offers a product — frequently a high-demand item — at a competitive price. After payment, the seller ships nothing, ships an empty box, or ships a completely different low-value item. They may provide a tracking number that shows a delivery scan to a different address, designed to make the non-delivery appear to be a postal issue rather than seller fraud.
Some sellers accept orders across multiple Amazon marketplaces simultaneously, maximising volume before the account is suspended. Others deliberately use products in high-demand periods — holiday seasons, product launches — when Amazon's customer service capacity is most stretched and claims processing is slowest.
Buyer-side non-delivery fraud also occurs: a buyer claims non-delivery on a genuinely received item to obtain a refund while retaining the goods — a form of friendly fraud that legitimate sellers must guard against.
Common red flags
- Third-party listing with prices significantly below other sellers for the same product
- Seller account with very few completed reviews for the scale of listing volume
- Tracking information showing delivery to a different postcode or address
- Empty box or unrelated item arriving in place of the ordered product
- Seller who is unresponsive to messages and resolution centre contacts
How to protect yourself
- Check third-party seller feedback before purchasing high-value items from marketplace sellers
- File an A-to-z Guarantee claim through Amazon's Resolution Centre for any undelivered or significantly misdescribed item
- Pay via credit card to retain chargeback rights if the A-to-z process fails
- Photograph unboxing of high-value Amazon deliveries to document any discrepancy
- Report fraudulent sellers via Amazon's 'Report Abuse' link on the listing
How to report it
- Open a case in Amazon's Resolution Centre via your order history
- Use the 'Report Abuse' link on the seller's storefront page
- Contact your card issuer for a chargeback if Amazon's resolution does not resolve the issue
Frequently asked questions
What is the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee and how do I file a claim?
The A-to-z Guarantee covers eligible purchases from third-party sellers when goods are not delivered or are significantly not as described. File a claim via Your Orders in your Amazon account, then select the relevant order and choose 'Problem with order'. You must attempt to contact the seller first and wait the required period before Amazon reviews the claim.