Shipping Inventory from Amazon or 3PL Warehouses to Cahoot

This guide explains what to expect when sending inventory to Cahoot from Amazon AWD (Amazon Warehousing & Distribution), Amazon FBA Removal Orders, or third-party logistics warehouses (3PLs).

Why Amazon & 3PL Removals Are So Problematic

When Amazon or a 3PL ships your inventory to Cahoot, here's what actually happens:

Parcels arrive over weeks or months: Instead of one organized shipment, you'll receive dozens of small boxes trickling in over 8–12+ weeks, sometimes longer. They arrive via different carriers (UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon delivery) with no coordination.

No identification or packing lists: Boxes arrive with no Cahoot Inbound ID, no reference to your company name, and no packing slip showing what's inside. Our warehouse has no way to know what they contain without opening them.

Mixed and mismatched contents: Boxes contain random combinations of SKUs with no organization. Items from completely different removal orders may arrive in the same parcel. Quantities rarely match what you expected.

Missing or incorrect barcodes: Products frequently arrive with no barcode at all, wrong barcodes, or multiple conflicting barcodes (FNSKU labels covering manufacturer barcodes). This means we cannot scan items into inventory without additional work.

Unknown and unexpected items: Amazon often sends SKUs you didn't request, duplicates from old removal orders closed months ago, or items that don't match your product catalog.

What This Means for Receiving Your Inventory

Because Amazon/3PL removals arrive in such poor condition, our warehouse team must:

• Open every parcel manually to identify contents since there are no packing lists
• Sort mixed SKUs that arrive jumbled together in single boxes
• Investigate unknown items by comparing product descriptions, dimensions, and images to your catalog
• Contact you repeatedly to confirm SKUs, quantities, and handle unexpected items
• Take photos and document problems for every issue encountered
• Apply missing barcodes or labels to items that cannot be scanned
• Wait for parcels to trickle in over many weeks before the inbound can be completed
• Set aside problematic units until you provide clarification

Time required: Amazon removal receiving takes at least 5× longer than a normal compliant inbound.

What You'll Be Charged For

When your Amazon or 3PL removal inventory arrives, you should expect fees for:

• Opening and sorting parcels – Manual opening of every box to identify contents
• SKU identification – Matching unlabeled items to your product catalog
• Investigation time – Researching mismatched quantities and unexpected items
• Communication – Multiple messages and photo exchanges to resolve issues
• Barcode application – Labeling items that arrived without scannable barcodes
• Photography and documentation – Recording issues for your review
• Manual sorting – Organizing mixed SKU cartons
• Extended receiving time – Additional labor beyond standard receiving

These fees are not penalties. They reflect the actual additional labor required to process disorganized shipments.

Critical Requirement: Create Your Inbound BEFORE Shipping

If parcels arrive without an Inbound ID in our system:

• They will be set aside in a holding area
• Our team must manually investigate to determine which seller they belong to
• This causes weeks of delays
• You'll be charged for investigation time
• Inventory cannot be made available for sale until identified

Always create your Cahoot inbound before anything ships from Amazon or your 3PL.

What If You Don't Know Exactly What Amazon Is Sending?

We understand that Amazon and many 3PLs don't provide complete packing lists, and you may not know exactly which SKUs or quantities are being shipped to Cahoot. Create the inbound anyway with whatever information you have.

Here's how to handle incomplete information

Step 1: Create an inbound with the SKUs you know about
Add any SKUs you're aware of from your removal order, even if quantities are uncertain. Use your best estimate for quantities.

Step 2: Add a detailed note in the Inbound Notes field
Clearly explain the situation. Example note

Step 3: Post a message in the Inbound Conversation Panel
Immediately after creating the inbound, post a message explaining:

• This is an Amazon/3PL removal shipment
• The full list of SKUs/quantities is unknown
• Parcels will arrive over many weeks
• You expect additional unlisted items to arrive
• You will respond quickly when the warehouse contacts you about unknown items

Why this matters: When our warehouse team sees parcels arriving without matching SKUs, they'll know to

• Set those items aside in connection with your inbound
• Wait for confirmation before proceeding

This simple step prevents your inventory from being completely lost in our holding area and reduces investigation time (and fees).

Best Practice: Ship Removals to Yourself First

How to Minimize Extra Fees

If you must ship directly from Amazon/3PL to Cahoot:

1. Create the Cahoot inbound in advance
Include all expected SKUs with accurate barcodes and quantities before anything ships.

2. Provide all tracking numbers immediately
Even though Amazon splits shipments into many parcels, upload every tracking number you receive to your Cahoot inbound.

3. Ensure products have clear barcodes
Each unit should have only ONE scannable barcode that matches the Cahoot barcode. Remove or cover FNSKU labels and Amazon stickers that create confusion.

4. Use box content labels for mixed SKUs
If shipping boxes with multiple SKUs, include carton labels showing contents.

5. Respond quickly to warehouse questions
When our team contacts you about unknown items or mismatches, reply promptly. Communication delays directly extend receiving time (and costs).

6. Set realistic expectations
Understand that Amazon removals will always take longer and cost more than normal inbounds. Budget accordingly.

What Happens When Your Removal Shipment Arrives

Here's how Cahoot processes Amazon/3PL removals:

Step 1: Receive clearly compliant items
Any units that are properly barcoded and match your inbound will be received normally.

Step 2: Set aside problematic items
Unknown SKUs, missing barcodes, damaged units, and mixed cartons are separated for investigation.

Step 3: Document all issues
Our team photographs problems, scans barcodes when possible, and records detailed descriptions.

Step 4: Contact you through the inbound conversation panel
You'll receive messages with photos asking for clarification on SKUs, quantities, and unexpected items.

Step 5: Await your response or perform corrective prep
Receiving cannot continue until you confirm information or approve additional prep work (all chargeable).

Step 6: Complete receiving as parcels arrive
Since Amazon shipments trickle in over weeks, the inbound remains open until all parcels arrive or you confirm quantities.

Common Problems You Should Expect

These are normal, expected issues with Amazon and 3PL removals

• Parcels arriving 2–3 months after your removal order was created
• Items you don't recognize because Amazon sent the wrong products
• Quantities that don't match your removal order summary
• Duplicate units from old removal orders you thought were completed
• Products with barcodes that don't match your Cahoot SKU database
• Damaged packaging or dirty items
• Multiple barcodes on the same item causing scanning errors
• Boxes labeled as containing one SKU but actually containing completely different items

Bottom Line

Amazon and 3PL removal orders are inherently messy and expensive to receive. They require significantly more warehouse labor than normal inbounds due to:

• Lack of organization and identification
• Missing packing lists and barcodes
• Mismatched quantities and unexpected items
• Extended timeframes as parcels trickle in
• Need for constant seller communication

The more organized your inbound is before it reaches Cahoot, the lower your receiving costs will be.

Best practice: Ship removals to yourself first, consolidate and prep properly, then send one clean shipment to Cahoot. This eliminates most extra fees and gets your inventory available for sale much faster.