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Last updated on July 31st, 2023
Written by Himanshi Raj
Refunds are inevitable in a big marketplace like Amazon. And believe us when we say that they're not fun!
Every Amazon seller knows that not every customer will be happy with their purchase. Still, it's best to avoid refunds and returns as much as possible. Losing money and receiving negative customer feedback make a bad experience for everyone involved.
Both sellers and buyers find refunds troublesome because there's a process that should be strictly followed. But learning how to request a refund on Amazon isn’t actually too difficult to understand. Allow Seller Interactive to show you how it works so whenever you come across a customer wanting a refund, you can walk them through and answer all their questions.
Customer satisfaction isn't always 100% guaranteed. Whether your customer’s purchase doesn't meet their expectations or they regret their purchase, it should come as no surprise when some shoppers want their money back. Below are some common reasons for refund requests.
Wrong Shipment
Even if shoppers place their orders correctly, sellers might accidentally send the wrong items. Situations like these make it clear that you’re obligated to accept return requests and ship the correct products.
Delayed Arrivals
Time-sensitive orders exist. As much as you try fulfilling orders quickly, some shoppers may no longer need the items by the time they arrive on their doorsteps. While it may not be your fault, don't be surprised if your customers initiate a refund request.
Buyer's Remorse
Your customers can get impulsive when shopping online. While that's understandable, it’s 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.
Gifts
Gift shopping is challenging because they often come with a disclaimer. And unfortunately, that disclaimer often states that shoppers can return the item if they don't like what they've received.
Fraudulent Purchases
Many sellers use black hat tactics and 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.
Damages and Defects
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. To lower your chances of item defects, conduct a thorough inspection, practice careful packing, and learn the ropes of selling on Amazon FBA.
Wardrobing
Some customers return their purchases after using them for specific reasons. For example, let's say that a customer immediately sends back the mood lights they bought from your store after using them for a party. This practice of abusing return policies is called wardrobing, and it can hurt sellers.
Wardrobing puts merchants in challenging positions because they're forced to comply with friendly fraud. Since customers committing wardrobing are willing to lie about their reasons for chargebacks, there’s not much you can do about it.
Refunding on Amazon is quite different from requesting one from a brick-and-mortar shop. To get a refund from a physical store, you can instruct shoppers to contact your in-store staff and inform them of their concerns. The staff must then forward that concern to you or the store's manager. Then, the store can either issue a refund or give the concerned customer store credits.
Requesting a refund on Amazon requires plenty of attention to detail. So before selling anything, you should look at the product's title, description, and photos to check if it matches the item you’re selling. Since transactions happen online, issues like miscommunication and mishandling are more likely to arise. Is it frustrating? Absolutely—especially if these issues happen often.
However, it's best to keep all documentation on hand. For your customers to have an easier refund process, walk them through the following steps when requesting a refund.
Tell your customer to go to the Your Orders page and select Return or Replace Items for the item they want to return. Next, they’ll need to select the reason for the return from the drop-down choices on the following page. Then, they should submit the request.
Inform them that they will see a confirmation message which indicates that their return request has been sent. Amazon will assess this and contact them with further instructions within two business days.
After your customer submits the request, you—the seller—need to accept it. Then, they’ll have to choose how they'd like to return the item. For example, they can use a prepaid shipping label or arrange their own shipping.
If they choose to have Amazon return it, they will be provided with a return shipping label. At this point, you can instruct them to click the Continue button after selecting their preferred option.
Lastly, they'll need to pack up the item securely, include any paperwork or other items that came with it, and attach the shipping label. Then they’ll have to send it back to Amazon according to the instructions.
Once Amazon receives the item, they will process the customer’s refund request and issue a confirmation via email. The refund amount should reflect in their preferred refund method within a few days.
And that's all there is to it! Customers can easily return an item and get their money back with only a few clicks. So the next time a customer of yours is not quite satisfied with their purchase, remember Amazon's return policy; it’s easy for them to get a refund and for you to get your item back.
Does your customer want to get a refund without returning the items to you? Well, sellers can process returnless refunds painlessly. In some cases it’s more costly to go through the return process than just conceding a refund. So if this option is available and it boosts your customer’s loyalty, then choose this route.
Amazon allows customers to choose the Instant Refund option, if it's available. If your customer is eligible, you can issue the refund through the buyer’s credit card or in a gift card instantly.
There are two types of refunds sellers can issue on Amazon. Depending on the circumstances, they can give one of the following choices.
Going by its name, a full refund covers the total amount customers paid—even the shipping costs. You can issue this if Amazon customers return their item/s without damages or missing components. Amazon will also issue a full refund for wrong packages.
Did your items get delivered with damaged or missing parts? Amazon's got your customers covered. Tell them they can request a full refund since the package arrived in poor condition.
Amazon sellers can issue partial refunds under the following circumstances:
Your customers may be asking how to request a partial refund on Amazon. If so, you can inform them that the process is no different! You can walk them through the steps in the previous section.
If you want to know more about partial refunds, take a look at the table below.
Now that we've got the "how to request a refund on amazon" part figured out, the waiting game begins. Processing and issuing refunds usually take around 7 to 10 business days. However, some cases may take longer because of the circumstances of specific requests.
Your customer’s chosen payment methods also affect turnaround times. For example, if they used their debit or credit card to pay for their orders, they might need to wait an additional 3 to 5 business days for the refund to reflect on their account.
Once you issue an Amazon refund, financial institutions will take time to get the funds to the customer’s account. For example, debit cards and SNAP EBT cards will take up to 10 business days after processing a refund.
On the other hand, credit cards take 3 to 5 business days. Amazon.com gift cards and gift card balances have much shorter turnaround times with each taking only 2 to 3 hours. If your customers want to know how long each method takes, advise them to check Amazon's website for the complete list.
Knowing how to request a refund on Amazon is a valuable lesson every Amazon seller should learn. The process can get overwhelming for both you and your customer, which is typical. However, having prior knowledge of how refunds work also makes way for smoother transactions, which results in excellent customer service.
Do you have any questions on how to deal with your customer’s refunds on Amazon? We're here to help! Our team would be glad to answer anything you want to ask. Book a call.
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