Customer Service by Amazon refund reimbursement policy

Amazon provides and has sole discretion in determining all post-order customer services, including customer returns, refunds, and adjustments related to self-fulfilled Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA) items. You agree that Amazon may charge the costs of any returns, refunds, or other adjustments and concessions related to self-fulfilled CSBA items to your seller account.

When Amazon issues a refund to a customer and you think that you should not be responsible for the charge, you may file a claim for reimbursement via the Seller Assurance for ecommerce Transactions (SAFE-T).

1. Can I be reimbursed if Amazon processes a return on my behalf?

You may be eligible for reimbursement if a customer has been refunded by Amazon for one of the following reasons and the amount reimbursed to the customer has been taken from your seller account.

Below are the scenarios where you may be eligible for reimbursement. This list does not guarantee reimbursement, and Amazon maintains all rights to determine what reimbursement value, if any, is issued:

• The customer said they never received the item, but I have proof: You may be eligible for reimbursement if you purchased the delivery shipping label through the Buy Shipping services, and the tracking shows the item is delivered but the customer claims they did not receive the package. If you did not purchase a delivery shipping label through the Buy Shipping services, you must provide signature confirmation of delivery to the buyer’s address to be eligible for a reimbursement on your SAFE-T claim.
  Note: This does not apply to items that are deemed Hazmat or Non-returnable by Amazon systems unless the return reason is the customer’s fault. For more information about when a return reason is considered as the customer’s fault, go to Return reason codes for prepaid returns.
• The customer returned a damaged item or an item with parts missing: You may be eligible for reimbursement if an item is returned to you in unsellable condition and Amazon determines you were not at fault. (Send appropriate photo evidence linking the return to the purchased product).
  Note: Per Restocking fee policy, if the product is damaged by the customer, the reimbursement will be limited to a maximum of 50% of the order value of the product.
  Note: Attach all necessary support documentation (example: supportive images of damaged item, image of the return mailing label, tracking ID, delivery proof, or any additional information you see necessary to review your claim. All images must be submitted in jpg, jpeg, png, pjpeg, or bmp file types. Maximum file size of an image is 10 MB.
• The customer returned an item that was not what I sent: You may be eligible for reimbursement if a materially different item is returned to you and Amazon determines you were not at fault.
• The customer did not return the item (evident by lack of a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) or lack of a carrier 'first scan' in a return). You may be eligible for reimbursement if there is no Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) or carrier 'first scan' in the return.
  Note: This is not applicable to items that are deemed 'hazmat' or 'non-returnable' by Amazon systems unless the return reason is buyer faulted. For more information about when a return reason is considered as the customer’s fault, go to Return reason codes for prepaid returns.
• The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement, the customer sent back an incorrect item or the original item not in sellable condition, or Amazon issued a refund to the customer.

  You may be eligible for reimbursement for a free replacement if:

  • The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement and the customer sent back the incorrect item or the original item in an unsellable condition.
    Note: You must submit the reimbursement claim for the replacement order within 60 calendar days after receiving the original item.
  • The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement and Amazon issued a refund to the customer.
    Note: You must submit the reimbursement claim for the original order within 60 calendar days of a refund being charged to your account for the original item. Provide the tracking information, image of the returned item, and image of the return label for the replacement order while filing a claim. Note that Returnless Replacements are not eligible for SAFE-T claims.
    Note: After requesting a replacement order, the customer should send the original item back to you within seven days after the replacement request date. You will receive a notification from Amazon to ship the replacement item after the original item is returned. You may be eligible for a reimbursement claim for the replacement order only if the original item is sent back to you in a different condition. Orders that are in transit are not eligible for a SAFE-T claim. For more information, go to Replacements for seller-fulfilled returns.

• The customer returned an item after the return period: You may be eligible for reimbursement if Amazon initiated a return on behalf of a customer for an item that was outside of the return window when the customer requested to return.
  Note: Amazon calculates the return window for Seller Fulfilled Orders based on maximum estimated delivery date and three days additional time for postmarking the item.
• Amazon issued a refund to the customer for return delivery label, even though the customer was responsible for paying for return delivery: You may be eligible for reimbursement if the return reason is listed as customer fault in Return reason codes for prepaid returns.
• You may be eligible for reimbursement if Amazon determines that the customer repeatedly abused Amazon's return or refund policy and you were not at fault. You should file a reimbursement request with evidence of how the customer’s behavior abused the return or refund policy.
• You may be eligible for reimbursement if Amazon determines that a refund to a customer was due to an Amazon error and you were not at fault. You should file a reimbursement request with evidence of Amazon’s error.

2. Are there any restrictions for filing a reimbursement claim for a CSBA order?

The following restrictions apply to reimbursements:

• Only refunds issued to customers by Amazon on your behalf may be eligible for reimbursements. You are not eligible for reimbursement if you issued refund to the customer.
• Reimbursement claims must be submitted within 60 calendar days of a refund being charged to your account.
• You can file only one claim per order ID.
• Reimbursements for a single order will not exceed $5,000. For items valued at more than $5,000, we suggest that you purchase third-party insurance.
• Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) orders are not covered under this policy. For more information about the FBA reimbursement policy, go to FBA customer returns policy.
• Chargeback claims are not covered under this policy. For more information, go to our full chargeback policy.
• Orders with an A-to-z Guarantee claim are not eligible for SAFE-T claims (you have the ability to Appeal an A-to-z Guarantee claim).
• If you refuse a return shipment for any reason, the order is not eligible for reimbursement.
• Items lost or damaged in transit, either outbound or return, by any carrier other than Amazon Shipping are not eligible for SAFE-T claims. Instead, you can raise a claim with the carrier for a possible reimbursement. For lost or damaged packages sent using Amazon Shipping, you can find instructions to file a claim here. For a lost or damaged package sent with a third-party carrier, ask the carrier directly about their reimbursement policy.

3. How do I file a reimbursement (SAFE-T) claim?

Steps to file a reimbursement claim:

• From the Orders tab in Seller Central, go to Manage SAFE-T claims.
• Click File a new SAFE-T claim, in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• Enter the order ID for the return and then click Check eligibility.
• If your order is eligible, proceed to the next step. If not, there is no appeal option to request the claim be filed and reviewed for the order ID.
• Select the reason that best describes your case for your reimbursement claim.
• In your claim, provide details about why you believe Amazon should reimburse you. For example, you have been overcharged for the return label or the product was returned in an unacceptable condition.
• Attach all necessary supporting documentation (see note), if applicable, and then click Submit SAFE-T claim. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your claim, any future correspondence on your claim should be done on the Manage SAFE-T Claims page. All images must be submitted in jpg, jpeg, png, pjpeg, or bmp file types. Maximum file size of an image is 10 MB.

4. How do I check the status of my claims?

To track the status of your reimbursement claims, go to Orders>Manage SAFE-T claims.

• The navigation menu on the ‘Manage SAFE-T Claims’ has different tabs depending upon the claim status (e.g. ‘Awaiting Seller Response’, ‘Resolved’ and ‘Under Investigation’). You can click on respective tabs and the claims with status change or requiring response will be highlighted. You will also get an email notification whenever the status of any claim changes. However, it will be a no-reply email and will contain a link to direct you to the respective claims on the SAFE-T Communication Center on Seller Central.
• You can search for claims in the specific time period by selecting the box next to Claim Date at the top left to select the data range.
• You can also search for a specific order ID, ASIN, RMA, or SAFE-T ID using the search box on the top right.
• For every claim, you can find the information on product name, quantity, claim amount, SAFE-T claim ID, reason, description, attachments that you provided, order date, claim date, claim status, reimbursement amount, and return request date.

5. Can I appeal a SAFE-T claim?

• If you do not agree with the SAFE-T’s decision, and you have additional information and evidence to support your argument, you can appeal the SAFE-T claim within seven days of claim decision via the Manage SAFE-T claims page, through the reply option available against all resolved claims. You can appeal a SAFE-T claim only once, so study the denial reasons and provide additional information that will support your appeal.
• Manage SAFE-T claims page will indicate "Reply by <Date> <Time>" against each claim. For resolved claims, the timeline to respond will be indicated as "Appeal by <Date> <Time>" against each claim.

6. Do SAFE-T claims affect my performance?

• Filing SAFE-T claims does not count against your performance metrics, but any attempt to abuse the SAFE-T process or seller reimbursement policy may lead to performance action on your account.
• When you file a reimbursement claim, you confirm that the details mentioned in the case are true and that any misrepresentation or deviation from the statement may lead to removal of your selling privileges, return of all earlier reimbursements, or any other appropriate action by Amazon.