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Last updated on June 2nd, 2023
Written by Himanshi Raj
Amazon's a great place to shop for a reason that you can find almost everything at competitive prices. So why go to a mall when you can just shop online for great deals?
As great of a marketplace Amazon is, it, unfortunately, has its drawbacks. Customers don’t always get what they want out of their purchases, leading to dissatisfaction on their end. Their displeasure may also prompt them to ask for their money back.
For sellers, refunds remain a challenge to their businesses. Not only do they affect your account’s overall health, but your brand’s reputation as well. Combating them means understanding them. We know that managing them can be stressful, so we’ve made a comprehensive guide for sellers like yourself.
This “how to get a refund on Amazon” guide will discuss other relevant points, such as reasons for refund requests. We’ll include timely changes to keep you updated.
Customer satisfaction isn’t always 100% guaranteed. Whether your purchase doesn’t meet expectations or is something you don’t want, some items are bad purchases. And with that matter, it’s no surprise that some shoppers would want their money back.
Below are some common reasons for refund requests. Consider these reasons and learn from them as you grow your business:
Even if shoppers placed their order correctly, sellers/merchants might send the wrong items. Situations like these make it clear to sellers that they’re obligated to accept return requests and ship the correct products.
Time-sensitive orders exist. As much as you try fulfilling orders quickly, some shoppers may no longer need your items by the time they arrive at their doorsteps. While it may not be your fault, don’t be surprised if customers ask for refunds.
Customers can get impulsive when shopping online. While that’s understandable, it can get frustrating when they return your items without valid reasons. As tempting as it sounds, sellers, unfortunately, can’t insist on justifications for returns because such policies rarely favor them. Shoppers can file chargebacks if they can’t return their purchases, even if they don’t have valid reasons.
Gift shopping is challenging because they often come with a disclaimer. And unfortunately, that disclaimer often states that shoppers can return it if they don’t like what they’ve received. And unfortunately for sellers, cases like this usually happen.
Many sellers and buyers scammers, unfortunately, lurk on Amazon to prey on unsuspecting sellers and shoppers. These scams play out by laundering money from stolen credit cards. You can combat this by only offering refunds to the original cards and in-store credit for card purchases. However, if you want to prevent laundering scammers altogether, we suggest using anti-fraud tools to block them.
Items damaged during shipping are something sellers can’t control. Much like the first reason, merchants in this situation are obligated to issue refunds. Shoppers are justified in asking for their money back since they received defective items. Lower your chances of item defects through a thorough inspection and careful packing.
Some customers return their purchases after using them for specific reasons. For example, let’s say that a customer immediately sent back the mood lights they bought from your store after using them for a party. This practice is called wardrobing.
Wardrobing hurts sellers because shoppers are abusing their return policies. This friendly fraud puts merchants in difficult positions because they’re forced to deal with friendly fraud chargebacks. Since customers committing wardrobing are willing to lie about their reasons for chargebacks.
Amazon is a customer-friendly marketplace. Setting your business up for success means following Amazon's lead on customer commitment. Part of that commitment is understanding how refunds work.
Refunds are almost inescapable on Amazon. As much as we like to imagine a world without them, they’re an unfortunate norm in e-commerce. And with that, sellers should familiarize themselves with Amazon's refund process in case of future encounters. Your professionalism in handling such situations will boost your reputation because it’ll help you appear legitimate to sellers.
True to its commitment to excellent customer service, Amazon has implemented changes to its refund policy. Keep an eye out for these updates:
Despite its hassle-free process, some shoppers find sending back their purchases inconvenient. While that’s understandable, you may be wondering how to get a refund on Amazon without returning items. Fortunately, the e-commerce giant has formulated a solution for that.
Amazon’s returnless refund option has served shoppers well since its 2017 launch. This policy aligns with their pro-customer environment, and the company expects sellers to adopt the same mindset. Requesting one requires initiation of a regular refund; Amazon will notify customers if their items are eligible for returnless refunds.
Returnless refunds wouldn’t exist if Amazon didn’t think it was a beneficial policy. These are some of the advantages it presents:
When customers return items, sellers are expected to cover the shipping costs unless Amazon shoulders them. Sellers must also pay employees for the return assessment. Amazon FBA sellers should also pay storage fees once the returned items get back to them.
Returnless refunds save many sellers tons of money. You won’t have to worry about piling additional costs if your shoppers avail of this option.
Sellers can use returnless refunds to their advantage by establishing their rules or terms. Start by heading to the Returnless Refunds tab. Once there, add new rules that fit the criteria shoppers should meet. If you want to offer returnless refunds for specific SKUs, fill up the Returnless Resolution template to initiate that.
Returnless refunds make and keep shoppers happy. Sellers should always try to get on their good side if they want to maintain and expand their customer base. Even if they returned your products, they’d still be satisfied with your quick action.
If you’ve resolved returnless refunds well, shoppers won’t leave negative reviews. This helps improve your ranking on Amazon’s search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing your visibility.
As convenient as it is, Amazon’s returnless refunds have their disadvantages. Watch out for these cons before offering one to your customers:
Every Amazon seller wants to grow their sales and scale their business for long-term success. However, as they pile up, returns threaten your business’s health, especially your profits. So, protect your store by setting your rules, as stated in the advantages earlier.
Selling on a huge place like Amazon means you’ll likely encounter unpleasant shoppers alongside great ones. Sellers can’t solely rely on Amazon's safety measures to keep shoppers honest. When dealing with returnless refunds, they should exercise caution to avoid falling for scammers’ tactics.
Amazon Prime has tons of benefits subscribers can enjoy upon availing of the service. These perks include free delivery and video and music streaming. As of writing, Amazon Prime has over 200 million subscribers worldwide.
Subscribers who haven’t used their benefits for some reason can get a full refund of their current membership period. Per Amazon, subscribers who haven’t used their Prime accounts after their free trial expiry can receive a full-amount refund from the company. In addition, subscribers who’ve only used their accounts occasionally can get partial refunds for the months left unused.
Do you want to know how to get a refund on Amazon Prime? Take note of the following channels and methods:
Customers may contact an Amazon customer support representative through either of these numbers:
Follow the representative’s instructions once you’ve reached them. You may want to have a pen and paper on standby in case you need to jot down any details.
Get your money back through these simple steps:
If you want to ensure your business’s long-term success, you should learn how to get a refund on Amazon. A simple lesson like this can go a long way for your store’s growth, especially in the brand protection and customer satisfaction departments. So with that, don’t take this article’s takeaways for granted.
Are you having trouble dealing with all of these? Don’t worry—we at Seller Interactive are here to help! Our team knows how overwhelming refunds can get, so please don’t hesitate to ask a credible account manager for expert advice. Schedule an appointment with us by emailing [email protected] and let’s get started!
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