I’m always wary of Amazon changes but this sounds like a positive move.

We have gotten A-Zs because buyers communicate through messages about some issue without opening an official return request. We reply and they mysteriously never get the message. The A-Z comment (often opened by an Amazon agent) says ‘ no response from seller.’

Now they will be required to open a return request first and as long as we authorize it within 48 hours. Make sure that gets done or claims will be auto-authorized!

Who are these sellers who have a choice? All of my returns are auto approved by Amazon. Are you talking about out of policy returns? That sounds unfair that Amazon will approve a claim if a seller does not realize they have an out of policy when they are normally all auto approved.

I thought the policy was that all returns HAD to be auto authorized without the sellers approval? Is this not the case anymore?

How would INR claims work with Amazon buy shipping? Would a return request need to be opened (for an item not received) prior to asking the customer to open an A to Z?

I’m not sure what this really means for us, I mostly believe that we are now required to respond to out of policy return requests within 48 hours or it’s auto refund time. It may also mean that the customer has to file a formal return request before an A-Z can be filed. Hopefully it means that seller support has been trained in the appeal process.

The fact that Amazon is comfortable introducing new half-baked rule changes on us in November is perhaps the most troubling thing about the new policy. Effective immediately! Grrr

Love it!

So basically those of us who had been forced into Auto-Approved Returns and set it up to approve returns that meet Amz policy will only see Out of Policy Return Requests from buyers, theoretically.
And since we are in the Extended Return time frame come Jan., 2020 we may have many returns.
After Jan. 31, 2020 then we may see messages for returns that are out of policy.
Looks like no Snow Birding for me this year or cruising since on-board email is too expensive and this could be even more expensive.
Wonder how CSR’s are going to interpret this policy? Oh boy ain’t we gonna have fun?

After reading the policy (a few times), and all the comments here thus far, I’m left scratching my head. Just what does this policy apply to? Why was it imposed? Do we indeed need to acknowledge each auto-authorized return (within 48 hrs, not 2 business days)? Does it apply only to returns requests that are NOT auto-authorized? Big, unanswered questions.

Yet the prognostications are flying.

BUT – does this prevent an AtoZ for a return that is requested (and auto-approved) more than 48 hours prior, but never shipped (scanned as received at postal) using Amazon pre-paid shipping label ?

Is the scammer going to figure out –
request a return, don’t ship. Wait 48 hours. AtoZ.

Is this a loophole Amazon did not consider?

New policy does not appear to require the customer to actually ship the item. It just says

To help you avoid any potential or unnecessary A-to-z Guarantee claims, we ensure that customers first submit a return request in the Online Return Center and wait 48 hours for your response prior to being eligible to file a claim.

Open for abuse.

Does this apply even if one’s Amazon store is set to Vacation Mode?

I was away this past weekend and received a return request. I did not have a computer/laptop with me, so I could not generate a return label and attach it to the return process, so I left the request un-approved until I got home on Sunday.

Since this was last weekend, I don’t think it will affect me, but I’m curious for future reference - do sellers have to respond/approve return requests within 48 hours even if their shop is on Vacation Mode?