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Pinned by community managerAmazon returns and replacements
In this article, we will cover customer return and replacement procedures for Amazon sellers to be aware of.
As an Amazon seller, it is important to follow the proper return and replacement procedures to avoid fraudulent claims that may lead to losses for your business. Let’s take a look at the right procedures for returns and replacements.
Returns and replacements
To process a return request, go to Manage Returns, where you can review, authorize, or decline requests. You can also access Manage Returns by clicking the Orders drop-down menu in Seller Central. We recommend that you respond to any incoming return requests within 24 hours. For additional information regarding how to manage your returns, go to Manage seller-fulfilled returns.
Note that some items bought on Amazon can't be returned. If these items are delivered in damaged or defective state, the buyers might request a refund or a replacement. In such situations, you must be able to fulfill these requests through a returnless refund or a returnless replacement, where you allow the customer to keep the product. However, such requests cannot be made by the buyer in case of remorse situations, like change of mind or orders placed in error. For more information on non-returnable items, go to Items that Can’t be Returned.
Refunds
You must issue a refund either after a product is returned or when you are allowing the buyer to keep the product (returnless refund).
Before you issue a refund for a return request, consider the following:
- After you authorize a return request, we strongly advise that you wait until you receive the item back from the buyer before you issue a refund. If you allow the buyer to keep or discard the item, you would issue the refund without waiting for the return.
- If the buyer returns the item to you damaged or in a condition that is different from the condition in which you sent it, you have the option to issue a partial refund. If you decide to issue a partial refund, we recommend explaining this to the buyer in advance to help avoid misunderstanding or a possible A-to-Z guarantee claim.
- If you described and listed the item accurately but the buyer just no longer wants it or made an ordering mistake (for example, selected the wrong size or color), you may refund the item price but not refund the shipping cost.
You may occasionally want to compensate a buyer in addition to refunding basic order costs. Refer to Issue Concessions.
To avoid a negative customer experience, actively monitor the refund to ensure that it is issued to the buyer in a timely manner.
For more information, check out the Amazon returns and refunds policy.
Unusual Spike in Orders to Same Location. HELP NEEDED!
I recently received 8 orders in just 40 minutes, all shipping to South Elgin, IL, with different names and addresses but the same ZIP code. After some investigation, I found that some of the phone numbers linked to these orders have online complaints about people receiving unexpected packages from Amazon, Walmart, or even China. This doesn’t seem like a typical dropshipping activity—could it be a targeted attempt to harm my store through fake reviews or feedback? Has anyone experienced something similar? What are the possible motives behind this, and how should I address it? Your insights would be appreciated!
Thanks
Did the Amazon represenstive proceeded correctly or not?
Hi Everyone,
I'm reaching out to see if anyone has encountered a similar situation and to seek advice on how to handle it effectively.
As an international seller, we offer both Seller fulfilment (FBM) and Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) options for our customers across different countries.
Recently, we had a customer in the USA who placed a Seller Fulfilled order from our UK warehouse on October 27th to the USA. A week later, they noticed that we had sent out stock available through FBA and contacted an Amazon representative. The representative advised them to place a new order through the FBA stock (which was placed on November 5th) and to request a return for the original Seller Fulfilled order. They were assured that they would receive a full refund, including the shipping costs, once the return was processed. This guidance was given despite the fact that the initial order had already been dispatched and delivered by USPS to their address, shortly after.
To my knowledge, Amazon's Terms & Conditions specify that shipping costs for Seller Fulfilled orders are non-refundable unless the item is defective or the wrong product was received. Moreover, if the customer decides to return the item, they are typically responsible for covering the return shipping costs to our designated local return address.
I believe the advice given by the Amazon representative was incorrect and misleading. Instead of directing the customer to resolve the issue directly with us, they were promised a full refund, including shipping costs, which goes against Amazon's policy for Seller Fulfilled orders.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback or insights from other international sellers who have experienced similar situations. Am I correct in assuming that once a customer places a Seller Fulfilled order and agrees to the shipping charges, these costs are non-refundable unless there is a defect or error with the product?
Looking forward to your thoughts and input.
Thanks in advance
1 Star Unverified Review On a New Product
Hi everyone,
I recently launched a brand new product on Amazon, and I used the Vine program to get initial reviews. All of them were 5-star reviews because the product is genuinely high-quality and well-received. However, out of nowhere, I received a 1-star unverified review from someone who didn’t even purchase the product.
This is incredibly frustrating, especially since the product is new and has very few reviews. That single 1-star review has dropped the overall rating to 3.7 stars, which is devastating for a product that was otherwise doing so well.
I wouldn’t have minded if the review was genuine—if a real customer had purchased the product and had a negative experience—but this seems absurd since they never bought it. I also know the rules and can assure you that the product is exclusively sold on Amazon, so there’s no chance they purchased it elsewhere.
What’s more frustrating is that when I checked the reviewer’s profile, I noticed they’ve left multiple 1-star reviews on other products too. It seems like they might be targeting products unfairly or just leaving negative reviews indiscriminately.
I contacted Amazon support to report this issue, hoping they could remove the unverified review. Unfortunately, I was told that nothing could be done about it, which feels incredibly unfair given the circumstances. It’s disheartening that a single malicious review can impact a product’s performance so significantly, and there’s no recourse for sellers.
This feels unethical and is really damaging to the business and the product’s lifespan. A 3.7-star rating is a major hurdle for sales, as most customers won’t even consider buying a product with that rating.
Has anyone else faced this situation? If so, how did you handle it? I’d appreciate any advice on how to approach this issue with Amazon or mitigate the damage.
Buyers with malicious feedback
Buyers with malicious feedback, buy the item with no problem, then feedback that our product is defective, return it, and we return it to the buyer for a refund. Request to remove buyer's malicious feedback, request Amazon support.
Suffering from a Fake Review
Hi@Seller_Lz6S1nnAIzbYB,
A customer named “Allie” left a fake review on my ASIN. I did report abuse and sent community-help@amazon.com, but still haven't received any response.
The customer has posted reviews for a total of 16 products within just two days (November 10th and 11th). It is unusual for a customer to leave reviews on 16 different products in such a short timeframe. Furthermore, only 4 of these products received 5-star ratings, while the rest received 3 stars or lower.
Also, this customer reviewed 4 candle products from different seller. He left 2 five star reviews on two products from the same seller, and 3 stars reviews on other 2 different sellers.
These two reasons already proof that this is a fake customer account, but Amazon still hasn't taken any action.
Recieved retalitory negative after winning A-Z claim
What's up party people. Hope all is well on this Monday afternoon.
Any mods here please help with order 114-6655600-6921849. I repeat what I said in all other posts, Amazon has been AMAZING for me as a seller. I keep meticulous records, follow all protocols and above all.. am a buyer centric seller. I am in a category which has an above normal illegitimate return rate. I can always count on Amazon to be fair and protect me when I need it. This has honestly been my experience!
Whenever someone leaves a negative it really kills your score. I got one years ago, which I deserved. It forced me to make changes and grow as a seller. The one I received for this order is an obvious retaliation. The buyer lost the A-Z claim, messaged me saying he's gonna ruin my reputation, make YouTube videos and link to my profile. This is what I have to risk every time I choose to stand my ground on an illegitimate claim.
Appreciate blankets of protection and words of encouragement...
Thank you..
Unjust Negative Feedback – Case #16695702871
I’m reaching out to address an issue with unjust feedback left on my account. The feedback states, "Never received order," which is not only misleading but also unfairly impacts my seller rating.
I dispatched this package on time via USPS Priority, adhering to Amazon’s policies. I have Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) and Automated Handling Time (AHT) enabled for my account, ensuring compliance with all shipping guidelines. Despite this, USPS delayed the package during transit for reasons beyond my control.
To make amends for the delay, I refunded the entire order amount as a goodwill gesture, even though this incurred a financial loss for me. However, the customer’s feedback implies that I failed to fulfill my responsibility, which is not accurate.
I filed a dispute with Seller Support, providing all relevant details, including tracking evidence, dispatch timeline, and everything. Despite presenting clear proof that this delay was a carrier issue and not my fault, I received the standard automated response stating the feedback does not meet removal criteria. The case number for this issue is 16695702871.
While I understand delays are frustrating for customers, sellers should not be punished for issues caused by carriers. My metrics demonstrate my dedication to timely and reliable service:
Buyers received packages 3.0 days early on average.
I handed off packages 0.2 days earlier than the promised handling time.
My transit time averages 1.5 days faster than promised.
Feedback like this, resulting from a carrier delay, is beyond my control and should not tarnish my reputation. It is discouraging that instead of a proper review of my case, I received an automated response and the case was closed without resolution.
I urge Amazon to review Case #16695702871 thoroughly and remove this unfair feedback. Sellers like me, who consistently deliver excellence, should not bear the brunt of rare carrier-related issues. Out of thousands of successful deliveries, a handful of delays caused by carriers should not define my performance.
Please address this matter promptly and help uphold a fair and just feedback system for sellers.
"Buy Amazon Shipping" A-Z claim protection questions
We have been using "Buy Amazon Shipping" service for all of our orders for a long time. However just 2 weeks ago, a buyer filed an A-Z claim as "item not received". The carrier UPS has the order delivered to the correct address. The first claim was denied to the buyer and the buyer filed the claim again with the same reason with a comment "received an empty box" then the claim was granted to the buyer. We messaged the buyer before the first claim was filed and was told that the box delivered torn and damaged. We tried appealed the decision and got the answer from Amazon saying "Although we understand your position, we stand by our decision." We would like to have some clear understanding of this "Buy Amazon Shipping" claim protection policy. Thank you for all your help in advance.
I’m extremely frustrated with the handling of this issue! A customer left a negative feedback claiming, “Never received package nor any human contact regarding my issue,” which is entirely false.
The package was dispatched on time on September 6, 2024, via USPS Priority Mail, with a valid tracking id stated in the case id. According to USPS tracking, the package was actually delivered three days early and before the promised delivery window and placed securely at the mailbox.
I provided seller support with all the evidence, including screenshots of the tracking information and metrics showing my consistent performance:
Despite presenting this clear evidence, I received the same automated response saying the feedback doesn’t meet removal criteria. This is completely unfair and unacceptable!
I urge Amazon to revisit Case ID: 16695602871 and escalate this matter. Sellers should not be penalized for false claims, especially when they have fulfilled their obligations efficiently and within the promised timelines. Please look into this case and remove the unjust feedback—it is damaging my hard-earned seller reputation!
Refund non returnable items
Hello, I do not understand why they do not ask for evidence from the people who make these refunds, they say they arrived damaged, now General adjustments cannot even be disputed since it is a waste of time and they refund them and they can ask for them 100 times and do the refund 100 times, my question is how to stop these people, I have up to 4 refunds from the same person, I report and nothing happens, should I continue feeding them, that is my question, nothing is going to happen? Should I continue to be their Personal Santa Claus? I reported 3 incidents as abuse and they never see anything suspicious but it is no coincidence that it is the same article, the same person and the day they receive it they make the refund and ask for it again ... This is overwhelming, what can I do, I need to get rid of these people who are doing these things HELP SOS PLEASE
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