Getting Started with Sniper
Last Updated: 2025-12-05 22:45 UTC
You're Losing Money to Shortage Claims
Every year, Amazon, Walmart, and Target deduct millions from CPG brands for "shortages" — products they claim never arrived. Many of these claims are wrong. The products shipped. The carrier delivered them. But fighting each claim manually takes hours, and most finance teams don't have the bandwidth.
That's where Sniper comes in.
We analyze your shortage claims, match them against your shipping records, and build professional dispute packets. You file with the retailer. When you win, we take 25% of what you recover. If you don't recover anything, you pay nothing.
What You'll Need
Before you start, gather these items:
Your shortage claims data:
- Claim IDs from retailer portals (Amazon Vendor Central, Walmart Retail Link, etc.)
- PO numbers associated with each claim
- Claim amounts and dates
Your shipping records:
- PO numbers matching your claims
- Tracking numbers (FedEx, UPS, USPS) or PRO numbers (for freight)
- Carrier names
Don't worry if you don't have everything perfect. We provide templates that show you exactly what format we need.
Step 1: Sign the Agreement
Before we can generate dispute packets, you'll need to accept our service terms. This takes about 2 minutes.
What you're agreeing to:
- We charge 25% of recovered funds — only when you actually get paid
- You'll upload settlement reports so we know when claims are resolved
- Either party can cancel with 30 days notice
Step 2: Download Our Templates
Sniper uses a simple template-based workflow. We provide the format — you fill in your data.
Go to app.plixo.ai/sniper/ingest and:
- Click "Download Template" on the Deductions card
- Click "Download Template" on the Shipments card
You'll get two CSV files:
plixo-deductions-template.csv— For your shortage claimsplixo-shipments-template.csv— For your shipping records
Step 3: Fill in Your Deductions Data
Open the deductions template and add your shortage claims:
| Column | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Claim_ID | The claim reference from your retailer (e.g., CLM-2024-001) |
| Retailer | Amazon, Walmart, Target, or Other |
| PO_Number | The purchase order number |
| Claim_Date | When the claim was filed (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| Amount | Dollar amount (e.g., 1250.00) |
| Reason | Must be "Shortage" — other reasons are skipped |
Important: Sniper only processes shortage claims. If you include compliance issues, pricing disputes, or other claim types, they'll be skipped automatically. We focus on shortages because they have the highest win rate when you have shipping evidence.
Where to find this data:
- Amazon: Vendor Central → Payments → Shortage Claims → Export
- Walmart: Retail Link → Financial → AP Deductions → Download
- Target: Partners Online → Claims → Export
Copy the relevant columns into our template format.
Step 4: Fill in Your Shipments Data
Open the shipments template and add your shipping records:
| Column | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| PO_Number | Must match the PO numbers in your deductions |
| Carrier | FedEx, UPS, USPS, ODFL, XPO, etc. |
| Tracking_Number | For parcel shipments (FedEx, UPS, USPS) |
| PRO_Number | For freight/LTL shipments (ODFL, XPO, Estes) |
| Ship_Date | When the order shipped (YYYY-MM-DD) |
Parcel vs Freight:
- Parcel carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS): We verify delivery automatically through carrier APIs. Just provide the tracking number.
- Freight/LTL carriers (ODFL, XPO, Estes, ABF, SAIA): Carrier APIs don't reliably confirm delivery. You'll need to upload signed Bills of Lading (BOLs) as evidence. Learn more →
Step 5: Upload Your Files
Go back to app.plixo.ai/sniper/ingest:
- Upload your filled deductions template
- Upload your filled shipments template
Sniper will:
- Parse your data
- Match deductions to shipments by PO number
- Verify delivery for parcel shipments
- Flag any claims that need additional evidence
Step 6: Review Your Claims
Within minutes, you'll see your claims in the Sniper dashboard with:
- Win Probability — Our estimate of recovery likelihood (0-100%)
- Status — Where each claim is in the process
- Evidence — What shipping proof we found
Focus on claims with 50%+ win probability. These have strong evidence and are worth your time to file.
For freight shipments: You'll see prompts to upload signed BOLs where we couldn't verify delivery automatically.
Step 7: Download and File Dispute Packets
For each claim you want to dispute:
- Click Generate Packet to create a professional PDF
- Download the packet
- Upload it to the retailer portal (Vendor Central, Retail Link, etc.)
- Mark the claim as "Filed" in Sniper
The packet includes a cover letter, evidence summary, and supporting documents — everything the retailer needs to process your dispute.
Learn what's in a dispute packet →
Step 8: Track Results and Get Paid
After you file, retailers typically respond within 30-90 days.
When you receive a settlement:
- Export the settlement report from your retailer portal
- Upload it to Sniper
- We'll match recoveries to your filed claims
- We invoice you 25% of recovered amounts
This step is important — we only charge you when you actually receive money, and we need to see your settlement reports to know what was recovered.
Learn about resolution uploads →
Common Questions
How much does this cost? 25% of what you recover. No monthly fees. No setup fees. If we don't help you recover money, you pay nothing.
Which retailers do you support? Amazon Vendor Central, Walmart Retail Link, Target Partners Online, and others. The template format works for any retailer.
What types of claims can you dispute? We focus on shortage claims because they have the highest win rate when you have shipping evidence. Compliance and pricing disputes require different evidence and are flagged for manual review.
Why do I have to use your template? Different retailers export data in different formats. Our template ensures we get exactly the data we need in a consistent format. This means faster processing and fewer errors.
What if I use freight carriers? For freight shipments (ODFL, XPO, Estes, etc.), you'll need to provide signed Bills of Lading. We can't always verify delivery automatically like we can with FedEx or UPS.
How long does it take? Claims are analyzed within minutes of uploading your data. Retailers typically respond to disputes within 30-90 days.
What are the filing deadlines? Amazon gives you 60 days from the claim date. Walmart gives you 45 days. Target gives you 30 days. Sniper tracks these deadlines and alerts you when claims are about to expire.
Need Help?
Our team is here to help you get started:
- Email: support@plixo.ai
- In-app chat: Available during business hours
Not sure how to fill the template? On the data upload page, click "Need Help Getting Started?" and we'll have someone reach out to walk you through it. We can even help you extract data from your retailer portals.
Most customers are up and running within an hour of signing up.