Reminder: Additional return shipping options for seller-fulfilled returns
As part of a four week experiment to understand buyer behavior, last week we introduced UPS as a return shipping option for items below 15 ounces and 130 inches in girth under the Amazon Prepaid Returns Label (APRL) Program. Until the first week of October, customers will have the option to drop off their returns at a UPS or USPS location.
We’ll use the information gathered during this period to improve the seller-fulfilled returns experience and our policies. We understand that UPS shipping may incur a higher price than USPS, and we will reimburse the price difference for every label created during the experiment.
To seek a reimbursement, go to the How to file a reimbursement (SAFE-T) claim section on Reimbursement policy for Prepaid Return Labels (PRL) in the seller-fulfilled network.
For more information, go to Shipping costs for seller-fulfilled returns.
Reminder: Additional return shipping options for seller-fulfilled returns
As part of a four week experiment to understand buyer behavior, last week we introduced UPS as a return shipping option for items below 15 ounces and 130 inches in girth under the Amazon Prepaid Returns Label (APRL) Program. Until the first week of October, customers will have the option to drop off their returns at a UPS or USPS location.
We’ll use the information gathered during this period to improve the seller-fulfilled returns experience and our policies. We understand that UPS shipping may incur a higher price than USPS, and we will reimburse the price difference for every label created during the experiment.
To seek a reimbursement, go to the How to file a reimbursement (SAFE-T) claim section on Reimbursement policy for Prepaid Return Labels (PRL) in the seller-fulfilled network.
For more information, go to Shipping costs for seller-fulfilled returns.
53 replies
Seller_JIwyO1RhH5Asc
You want to understand buyer behavior? Look no further than the weekend before Prime Day when thousands of YOUR customers flocked to Amazon because of a Tik Tok rumor and tried to place orders for high value electronics (MacBooks, iPhones, Gaming Consoles, etc) with payment methods that didn’t have sufficient funds. Thousands of YOUR customers brazenly tried to steal from your “partners” and you did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but say, “our site is working as intended.” Every single one of these accounts should have been suspended for intentionally trying to steal from your “partners.” It’s called FRAUD Amazon, FRAUD.
Seller_UHKa8X0C480G1
I am still waiting for you to do an experiment to understand seller behavior and revenues which includes implementing fair policies for sellers to address the following:
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Eliminate current return policy - refund on first scan of an item. This policy would not hold up in a court of law. Let alone no online store has this policy for a reason - not profitable.
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Reduce the hold time of disbursement of funds - At the point of sale, money should be disbursed to the seller similar to your refund at first scan for buyer regarding returns only this policy is reversed.
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Shipping metrics - One target - Did the package arrive by the target date? Just because an item is shipped one day late does not necessarily prevent it from getting their on time.
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Listing categories - Streamline data required to list the product. Do you really need department and gender? Is there such a thing as boys department gender girl?
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Brand gating - Every time you close a brand off from sellers that profit goes straight to ebay or some other platform. Why don’t you do a study on how many sellers sell on other platforms? I think a moment of enlightenment is long overdue.
Seller_rvCSZEMYSAObH
There is currently no transparency on the return label costs,
we have some items where the return label costs more than item itself + Shipping
how is this possible?
we have no idea what the charges
there is zero breakdown.
Also opening a support case or filing reimbursement is nearly impossible as we do not have the info to understand complete picture.
Seller_3NvT4P2ouRoEb
Why can’t Amazon reimubrse us automatically?
Seller_563Iv8I49hnnl
We are always nothing but guinea pigs to Amazon. That’s just my opinion.
Seller_EkU2DrNTzLUpf
I just want to know why books that are returned are returned via the most expensive option, rather than the media rate I used to ship the books to the customer. Had a fun one last week… book only cost $18 to ship back… for a 1.5 lb book… why so much? who knows… but I lost well over $10 on the whole transaction.
Seller_dwxnQOEZdIc9A
the most terrible part of Amazon, the sellers have no say in returns or how it is done, just a thing to loose money on items sold and return shipping!
Seller_dwxnQOEZdIc9A
How to file a reimbursement (SAFE-T) claim has anyone tried and been successful?
Seller_nkBcHPWfscgWg
I’m glad you realize this will cost us more, but SAFE-T claims are a hassle and we are only sporadically reimbursed. Most of our SAFE-T claims reimburse us for the return shipping and nothing else, regardless of what the claim was actually for. I don’t have time to file more SAFE-T claims, much less for ones that will give me back a dollar on the difference between USPS and UPS for a lightweight item.
I understand that a policy of USPS labels for less than 1lb items isn’t always the most convenient for every buyer and I don’t really have a problem with Amazon trying to make things easier for buyers who don’t have easy access to a post office, but you really need to stop coming up with cool ideas for buyers and passing the work and expense back to us.
At this rate, Amazon will have a policy that every seller must offer free overnight delivery on every order to better delight buyers, but don’t worry, Amazon will reimburse us for the difference between overnight delivery and standard delivery, as long as we give a 15 minute powerpoint presentation with a brief musical interlude, refreshments, and a sock puppet show, after which they will reimburse me just for the cost of the paper plates.
The fact is that it takes a solid 5 minutes to file a proper SAFE-T claim. If I have to file claims on 30 returns, that’s 2 and a half hours of just asking Amazon to please give me back money that should already have been mine in the first place. Considering how much Amazon lowballs SAFE-T claims, I can only expect to receive around 20-30% of what I am actually owed. At that point, is filing these claims even worth my time? I suspect not. I’m too busy filing claims for buyers returning their old, used crap in stead of my shiny new stuff and getting back just the value of the return shipping.
