The Meaning of General Adjustment: A Double Entendre
The term "general adjustment" may not mean what you expect; it can also be interpreted as a subtle way of saying “screw you.”
From my understanding, “general adjustment” is intended to be used for unique situations that don’t align with the other established refund reasons. For instance, if a customer purchases a six-pack of a product and two items are damaged, they might request a partial refund. This scenario doesn't fit into categories like “not as described” or “arrived late.” In such cases, customer support has the discretion to issue a refund for the damaged items by selecting general adjustment.
However, it's common knowledge that customer support often opts to refund the entire order instead. I’ve experienced this myself as a buyer. I ordered a multi pack of a product that comes as an aerosol spray, and one unit arrived with a damaged nozzle, rendering it unusable.
When I contacted customer support to request a refund for just that one unit, they immediately proposed a full refund for the entire order. I had to argue with them to ensure I only received a refund for the damaged item.
So, what exactly is “general adjustment” used for? It appears to be the cause of an ever-rising number of refunds for items that typically cannot be returned, such as consumables.
So, I came to the conclusion is simply means “screw the seller.”
Happy New Year, everyone!
The Meaning of General Adjustment: A Double Entendre
The term "general adjustment" may not mean what you expect; it can also be interpreted as a subtle way of saying “screw you.”
From my understanding, “general adjustment” is intended to be used for unique situations that don’t align with the other established refund reasons. For instance, if a customer purchases a six-pack of a product and two items are damaged, they might request a partial refund. This scenario doesn't fit into categories like “not as described” or “arrived late.” In such cases, customer support has the discretion to issue a refund for the damaged items by selecting general adjustment.
However, it's common knowledge that customer support often opts to refund the entire order instead. I’ve experienced this myself as a buyer. I ordered a multi pack of a product that comes as an aerosol spray, and one unit arrived with a damaged nozzle, rendering it unusable.
When I contacted customer support to request a refund for just that one unit, they immediately proposed a full refund for the entire order. I had to argue with them to ensure I only received a refund for the damaged item.
So, what exactly is “general adjustment” used for? It appears to be the cause of an ever-rising number of refunds for items that typically cannot be returned, such as consumables.
So, I came to the conclusion is simply means “screw the seller.”
Happy New Year, everyone!
3 replies
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
I expect a good many Amazon terms mean exactly that.
My buying experience with asking for partial refund was like yours. I ordered boxes, arrived with zero protection; two of the outer boxes so badly damaged as to be useless. Could not return as I had an immediate need for that size box.
Was an uphill battle getting a partial refund.
Glenn_Amazon
Hello @Seller_8sP6ffckcRn6v,
There are many different instances in which a refund might be issued by Customer Service. The best course to contest the decision for Seller Fulfilled Orders is to file a Safe-T Claim. You can review on the Reimbursement for seller-fulfilled orders help page. Thank you for your understanding.
-Glenn
Seller_Lg4mBXF35fU5u
Is this seller-fulfilled or FBA?
If it's FBA and the refund notice says "Issuer of Refund : Customer Service", then Amazon customer service decided to issue a refund without needing a return (it might be, for instance, an order where the customer says it did not arrive). In this case, you should see a reimbursement for the return - it can take about two months after the customer is refunded.
If it's seller-fulfilled, you should look at the return reason - sellers can refund the order manually and choose that reason, for instance - and of course, turn off CSBA that allows Amazon to refund unilaterally (with no automatic reimbursement and making you file SAFE-T for it).
