More sellers are sourcing from India for Amazon, particularly home textiles, handicrafts, leather goods, and decor. The products have appeal and the unit costs are workable. Trouble starts when a supplier used to shipping to wholesalers fills an order for Amazon. Receiving rules are strict, customers are quick to review, and a few cartons that fail the requirements can lock inventory for weeks. An Amazon FBA inspection checks the things that matter to this channel.
Start with labels and barcodes. Each unit must carry a scannable barcode that matches your listing, either the manufacturer barcode or an Amazon label with the FNSKU. The inspector scans a sample of units and matches the code to the listing. Unreadable, misplaced, or duplicated labels cause inventory to be received under the wrong product, or not received at all. Printing the labels at the factory is cheaper than paying a prep centre in the US to relabel every unit.
Packaging requirements are specific. Loose items usually need a poly bag, and bags above a certain opening size need a suffocation warning. Fragile goods, such as ceramic or glass decor, need protection that survives a drop. Items sold as a set must be marked so they are not split. Cosmetic and Ayurvedic products add their own labelling rules. Amazon changes its requirements from time to time, so check Seller Central before every production run.
Carton rules matter too. Most cartons should stay under 50 pounds, about 22.5 kg, and the dimensions should fit inside the limits given for standard items, with each box labelled on the outside. Mixed cartons holding different products invite receiving errors. The inspector weighs and measures a sample of cartons, checks the shipping label, and confirms that the quantities on the box match the contents list.
Dimensions and weight in the listing need to match the real product. Amazon measures what arrives and bases fees on the result. If a cushion cover is listed as small and the packed item is larger than recorded, fees rise and margins vanish. Inspectors measure packed units and compare the figures with the listing data you supplied.
Product quality is where reviews are won or lost. A cushion cover with uneven stitching, a brass planter with a sharp edge, a leather wallet whose colour rubs off. The inspector checks a random sample against the approved sample and specification, sorts defects by severity, and photographs anything borderline. For textiles, a quick wash or rub test on a few units can predict what customers will see after the first wash.
Indian conditions add moisture risk. Monsoon humidity can leave fabrics and paper packaging damp, and cartons stored near the floor pick up water. After a sea voyage of several weeks, damp goods can arrive with a mildew smell, which customers notice at once. Ask the inspector to check carton moisture and storage conditions, and consider silica gel or moisture-barrier bags for sensitive products.
Sea freight from Indian ports to the US takes several weeks, followed by customs clearance and transport to the fulfilment centre. A shipment found faulty on arrival is an expensive correction. A pre-shipment check lets you fix the problem while the goods are still at the factory, and the photos give you something concrete to send the supplier.
Many small sellers consolidate goods from several suppliers into one container. If you do, a check of each supplier’s goods before consolidation prevents one bad lot from holding up the whole shipment. Keep the reports so you can trace complaints back to the right supplier.
Photos serve two purposes here. They show you what is wrong, and they can also become reference material for your listing and for the supplier’s next order. Ask the inspector for pictures of the packed unit, the barcode label in place, the carton label, the inside of a sample carton, and any defect found. If a dispute with Amazon over a damaged or non-compliant shipment comes up later, dated photographs taken before the goods left India are better evidence than a description.
Combine the FBA checklist with a standard pre-shipment inspection so the same visit covers product quality, packaging, and Amazon requirements. Write your checklist from Amazon’s current rules and your own return data, and update it after each shipment. The cost of a day’s inspection is small next to stranded inventory or a run of one-star reviews.