How to Request a Refund on Amazon: A Comprehensive Guide

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 purchases. Still, it’s best to avoid refunds and returns as much as possible. Losing money and receiving negative customer feedback together make for a bad experience for everyone involved.

Sellers and buyers find refunds troublesome because there’s a process that should be strictly followed. The good thing is that there’s an abundance of Amazon news sites available for sellers that provide changes, improvements, opportunities, and know-how on Amazon in a way you can easily understand, just like Seller Bites.

Learning how to request a refund on Amazon won’t be that hard to understand anymore. And for this article, allow us to show you an easy and stress-free process that even beginners can pick up!

How to Request a Refund on Amazon in 8 Simple Steps

Refunding on Amazon is quite different from requesting one from a brick-and-mortar shop. To get a refund from a physical store, shoppers should get in touch with an in-store staff member and inform them of their concerns. The staff member must then forward that concern to the store’s manager. Then, the store can either issue a refund or give the concerned customer store credits, depending on their conditions.

Requesting a refund on Amazon requires plenty of attention to detail. So before buying anything, buyers should look at the product’s title, description, photos, and reviews. Since all this happens online, issues like miscommunication and mishandling are more likely to arise. Is it frustrating? Absolutely—especially if these issues repeatedly happen.

However, it’s best to provide every document and requirement they’re going to need. For an easier refund process, here’s what you’ll need to do. 

1. Log in to your Amazon account.
2. Find and click the Returns and Orders button.
3. Look for the item/s you want to return.
4. Click the Return or Replace Items option. 
5. Pick the problem that best describes your order and request. 
6. Choose how you want to receive your refund.
7. Pick your desired return method.
8. Return the item using that chosen method.

You’ll notice that the instructions tell customers to choose a return method, depending on whichever is convenient for them. That’s because Amazon usually requires buyers to send their purchases back to them, per their return policy. So before completing the steps above, don’t forget to familiarize yourself with them to avoid running into future issues.

Instant Refunds

Do you want to get a refund without returning items? Worry not because Amazon has an option for that. You can choose the Instant Refund option if it’s available. Sellers issue this refund through credit cards or refunded as a Gift Card balance.

Types of Refunds

There are two types of refunds sellers can issue on Amazon. First, depending on the circumstances, they can give one out of the following choices:

Full Refund

Going by its name, a full refund covers the full amount customers paid for—even the shipping costs. Sellers will issue this if Amazon customers return their item/s without damages or missing components. They’ll also give this one out if buyers receive the wrong packages.

Did your packages come with damaged or missing parts? Don’t worry—Amazon’s got you covered. You can request a full refund in this case since they arrived in poor condition.

Partial Refund

Amazon sellers usually issue partial refunds under the following circumstances:

• Customers fail to return their purchased item/s within Amazon’s 30-day period
• Customers are discovered to be at fault for an item’s damages
• Customers forgo returning their purchased item/s altogether

You may be asking the “how to request a partial refund on amazon” question as you read this part. The good news is that the process is no different! Just follow the steps in the previous section, and you should be good to go.

If you want to know how much the price changes are in partial refunds, take a look at the table below:

Refund Turnaround Times: When Will You Get Your Money Back?

Now that we’ve got the “how to request a refund on amazon'' part figured out, the waiting part comes. 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 chosen payment methods also affect turnaround times. For example, if you used your debit or credit card to pay for your orders, you might need to wait an additional 3 to 5 business days for the refund to reflect on your account.

Once a seller issues an Amazon refund, financial institutions will take time to get the funds to your 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 you want to know how long each method takes, check Amazon’s website for the complete list.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to request a refund on Amazon is a valuable lesson every Amazon customer should learn. The process can get overwhelming while learning it, which is normal for most buyers. However, Amazon sellers should familiarize themselves with the process to better assist their customers requesting for such. Having prior knowledge of how refunds work also makes way for smoother transactions, which results in great customer service. 

Do you have any questions on how to deal with refunds on Amazon? We’re here to help! Our team would be glad to answer anything you want to ask. So book a call with us or send an email to [email protected] to get started!