Customer returns for international sales

When processing an international return for orders shipped to customers in the three North American marketplaces, Japan, and the nine European marketplaces, you must use one of the following methods:

• Returnless Refund: Offer a full refund without requesting the item to be returned

• Provide a domestic return option: Provide a local return address in the buyer's country. For example, if you sell on Amazon.co.uk, you will provide a return address in the United Kingdom. If you do not have a local return address, an international returns provider on the Solution Provider Network can help.
• Important: If you choose this return method for Amazon.com orders shipped to customers in the United States, you must use Amazon’s prepaid returns service. Additionally, you will not have the option to provide your own prepaid return shipping label to US customers. You must issue refunds within two business days of receiving the returned item. For more information, go to Prepaid returns for seller fulfilled orders.

• Provide prepaid international return shipping: Provide your own prepaid return mailing label for a return request from the marketplace in which you are selling. For example, if you are selling on Amazon.de and shipping from China, you will provide the customer with a return label from Germany to your location in China. We recommend that prepaid return shipping labels include tracking.

If you are fulfilling customer orders in the US from outside the US, you must provide Amazon with a valid US return address (for items under $25). Amazon will use this address to generate prepaid return labels for customers on eligible return requests. If a US return address is not provided, Amazon will issue the customer a refund for eligible returns without requiring the item to be returned (Returnless refund). Our international returns provider on the Solution Provider Network can help if you do not have a local return address.

How to offer each return method

Returnless Refund

Follow the steps below to offer a full refund without requesting that the item be returned.

1. From the Orders drop-down menu, click Manage returns.
2. Select the return you would like to refund, and then click Issue refund.
3. Select Buyer return as the reason for the refund, and process a full refund.
4. Close the returns request by selecting Refund without return as the reason for closing the request and provide comments to the customer.
   Important: If you are issuing a Refund without return, you must refund the exact amount paid for the item. Negotiating a partial refund is not an alternative to a return.

You can automate returnless refunds for orders shipped to customers in United States, United Kingdom, and Germany based on item price, category, and return reason. For more information on setting this up, go to Returnless resolutions (refunds/replacements).

Provide a domestic return option

Follow these steps to provide a local return address:

1. From the Settings drop-down menu, click Account Info
2. On the Seller Account Information page, under the Shipping and Returns Information section, click Return Information. On the Return Settings page, click Return Address Settings.
3. Select an existing local address as your default return address or enter a new default return address
   Note: This must be a valid address that you are authorized to use.
4. Click Submit.

If you do not have a local return address, an international returns provider on the Solution Provider Network can help.

Provide prepaid international return shipping

Follow these steps to provide a pre-paid return mailing label for a return request.

1. On the Orders drop-down menu, click Manage Returns
2. Click Authorize Request for the return request you would like to approve.
3. Under Your return mailing label section, select I will provide a pre-paid mailing label for this request.
4. Upload a shipping label, select the carrier used, and enter the Tracking ID if you have it
5. Set the return label cost to 0.00 to ensure that the buyer is not charged for return shipping.

If we notice that you did not follow these requirements, we may pro-actively issue a refund to affected customers (allowing the customer to keep or discard the item).

As you consider how your customers will return items that they purchase from you, keep the following options in mind:

Customs

For international returns, you are responsible for complying with all the import and export obligations, and for payment of all applicable duties and customs fees.

Using Fulfillment by Amazon

Offering partial refunds:

In certain situations, it may be appropriate to offer a partial refund on the returned product. Full refunds should be given for returns, cancellations and out-of-stock items. Partial refunds should only be performed as a goodwill gesture or for compensation/dispute resolution issues (for example, the item arrived slightly damaged or there were minor discrepancies in the product description) and are made at the discretion of the seller. If you decide to issue a partial refund, we recommend agreeing on this with the buyer in advance to help avoid misunderstanding or a possible A-to-z Guarantee claim. For more information, go to Issue a Partial Refund.

Engaging a third-party international returns provider:

We have created a list of return providers who can accept returns in your customers' countries. Depending on your sales volume and unit price, international return providers may offer solutions that reduce the costs you incur when customers in other counties return your products. For example, some providers will consolidate returns and ship them back to you or ship them to another customer. For a list of international return providers, go to Solution Provider Network.