“order cancellation” is just a header option in the drop down menu when you go to contact a seller. The customer chose the wrong reason. It happens.

Tell them to return the item and then you will refund. All you can do!

You are not required to comply with your buyer’s request and cancel the order.

Buyers have 30 minutes after placing each order to cancel it. Once this time expires, they can only return the order for a refund or request the seller if it could be cancelled.

Since your order was already delivered, simply advise them to return it for a refund.

Possibly view this initially as a buyer that is not fully up-to-date on how things work on Amazon. It sounds, if you seek the innocent interpretation, as a buyer that wants an exchange. As AngelicPretty accurately stated, buyers have 30 minutes after placing an order to automatically cancel it within Amazon; no merchant involvement needed. So after 30 minutes, we all get the requests because it’s one of the available choices about why a buyer is contacting seller. I might say, "Hello --buyer—, I see your communication about the item that you purchased from me via Amazon. I also checked on the tracking and I see that we shipped that the same day as your order (date), and that you received it in just two days (date). If you would like to get a different size/color, sort of an old-fashioned exchange, this is how to do that with Amazon: 1. Return the first item through the Amazon order you placed; and 2. Buy the new one right now so that we may ship that one just as quickly. Amazon is not equipped for traditional returns where you send back item one in exchange for item 2. I do apologize for any inconvenience on Amazon’s policies and procedures. I am __name at Amazon seller _____, feel free to contact us for help about the products.

Note: Most of the time we get these direct or indirect exchange requests, it is because item on order one was a bargain, and the new one that they want is closer to normal/retail price. Such as buy the discounted size XS in last year’s color, and now need to upgrade to this year’s color in size medium.

Asked and answered.

OP knows how to handle return requests.

It has been helpful to try to receive and digest each buyer communication as innocent, in need of a solution, until proven otherwise. Having been at this for a long time, it is so incredibly easy to become hardened by the 5-10% of horrible people out there scamming every seller and Amazon along the way. But 90% of the people buying from us via Amazon are really just trying to figure it out. You are the experts, help them. Probably 90% of our “INR” claims go away happily or vanish after one solid email reply (it’s a long one, but it works) because at least 90% of those are people experimenting with a trick they heard/read somewhere (to get free stuff) or truly just didn’t find or get their package yet (delivered to wrong address, scanned by USPS prior to delivery, left in an unusual location, or the older story . . . the buyer thinks Amazon only uses UPS).

Nice helpful responses from sellers will usually be met with nice correspondence and good intentions. I am in no way denying the 5-10% of horrible people that often indicate who they are by the tone and words used in that first communication, and certainly they become exposed if you “screw up their scam” by replying nicely. Live longer and prosper more by starting these interactions as if the person is good, like you, and just wants some help figuring it out.

Was that a message from amazon’s customer service? The messages from them are always weird. Ignore it and tell customer to return for a refund. No exchanges and no cancellation after shipment.

Charge them for shipping both ways and tell them you do not do exchanges. Only refunds. It is best to set you business up for Automted returns. That way Amazon automattically sends customers a prepaid label and you Pay Amazon shipping prices for the return label. Trust me it is cheaper than whatever you are paying.

I think its just an option they select. In any case, its not uncommon to find a buyer who has never returned something before. Its happened to me twice. Both times, I walked them through how to initiate a return. Both the buyers I dealt with were pleasant and were able to open a proper return.

Faced the same issue recently.
Just explained that I have shipped the items & cannot cancel it.

I had a customer request to cancel an order today that had already shipped yesterday AND the day prior to that (as they double ordered). As a seller we have no choice but to ship orders they place, regardless of the fact they may have made a mistake. We are to ship…that is what we are supposed to do and as fast as possible! Here was my responses…

Initial Contact: Hello,
We’ve been contacted by a customer regarding the order identified below.

Order#: (removed for privacy in forum)
Item: ITEM IS LISTED HERE
Reason: Returns and Refunds
Details: Customer made duplicate order and needs refunded for item

To respond to this customer, please reply to this e-mail or visit your seller account at the following link:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/communication-manager/inbox.html
Sincerely,
Customer Service Department
Amazon.com

Now obviously this is NOT the way it works…we just dont willy nilly refund money because someone made a mistake. Our responses:

Hello,
We have been contacted regarding the order referenced that it was a duplicate order/ordering mistake and you need refunded for the item. According to Amazon policy, the item must be returned to the warehouse BEFORE a refund is processed, so you have to return it to the warehouse before that can occur. You may process automatic returns via your account order status window and will be provided with a return label for that purpose via that automated process. At the time of your product return to the warehouse, you will be refunded the product cost minus the cost of the return freight per published policy at the time of purchase.
Thanks for the opportunity to service your business needs! If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at (our phone #) .
Our Seller Name

Then within five minutes…I sent this as well just to follow up and close my end of the loop completely. Its about all you can do. You may find some of the links in this next one helpful at times…

Hello. I am contacting you to further follow up and help you with the return label on the duplicate order you placed. This is not an issue and will be automatically authorized and should provide you with an automatic prepaid return label by doing the following:
Go to the screen listing YOUR ORDERS from your control panel on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/order-history?ref_=nav_orders_first
Find your order referenced above (order ID# I list the ID# here) that you wish to return on your order list…and hit the RETURN OR REPLACE ITEMS button, which will start an automatic return process and provide you with a prepaid return label for your purchase. Attached is a picture of where the button will be on your control panel that I took from my own account in order to display the button that you need to press to start the return process and get a label. You will be provided to a label to return your product and upon its return to our warehouse you will receive a refund per the published policy at time of purchase. See the attached picture for the button you need to press on the above referenced link to start the process and receive and automatic label. This link here may or may not work to start your return label process as I copied it from my own account on an order and replaced it with your order # which theoretically when you are logged into your account should start the process automatically… https://www.amazon.com/spr/returns/cart?encoding=UTF8&orderId=PASTE THE ORDER ID# IN HERE&ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_return_replace_o00_s00
In the event it does not work…just go to your own Amazon order control panel and hit the return or replace item button, as shown on the attached image, and it will do the same thing from your own account and start the process for you.
Thanks again for the opportunity to service your business needs! If you need any additional assistance feel free to let me know. Thanks!
Our Seller Name
Again…if you need further assistance contact us directly at (Our phone #)

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