Amazon has time and again proved itself as an e-commerce giant with a whooping customer base of over 300 million across the globe. Started in 1994 as a bookselling company, this retail giant has since expanded by leaps and bounds and today it stands as the world’s largest online retailer. One can practically find everything under the sun here. Shopping with Amazon is very user-friendly, safe, and easy. Once an account is set up, shopping at Amazon is a click away. One can select the product, add it to their cart, and buy the items they wish to. Payment can be made at the time of purchase through online payment methods via credit cards and debit cards. There is absolutely no need to fret regarding the security of the card details; the information you provide Amazon is encrypted, offering you the best data protection. Almost all the products on Amazon are quality for cash on delivery too. However, there are still times when customers choose to send the product back.
1. Amazon’s Return Policy
With third-party sellers collaborating with Amazon to sell their products, Amazon’s return policy is a bit confusing at times. The basic return policy details for Amazon are:
- Any item is eligible for return if it was delivered in a damaged condition if there are missing parts or accessories, or if the item delivered is different from the item which was ordered.
- Items with the “Fulfilled by Amazon” logo alone are bound by the return policy of Amazon.
- Other items that do not carry the “Fulfilled by Amazon” logo are bound by the return policies of the third-party sellers. In some cases, one might have to bear the cost of return shipping.
- All the items that are returned must be in their original condition, with price tags, invoices, bills, and any accessories, if any, intact.
2. How to return goods you bought on Amazon
So you order something on Amazon. Be it a brand new mobile or a new dress that you find really cool, You try it and you don’t seem to like it. You wish to return it. The first thing you must do is initiate a return from either your Amazon app or the site. Once your return request is accepted, the package to be returned has to be prepared. Though it is not necessary for you to pack the item the way it was delivered, it is advisable that basic packing be done to ease the work of the pickup person. Remember, the return will not be picked up until the package has the bill or invoice for the goods that need to be returned. Therefore, in case you wish to return goods, it’s advised that you keep your bills safe.
3. How Amazon deals with a returned product
Once you return the item you did not want to, Amazon deals with it in three ways:
- If the item is brand new, with zero to very minimal defects, then it is sent back to the inventory. This applies to dresses and upholstery fabrics that were returned because of a size mismatch. There is no damage to the product; the product is as good as a new one; hence, it is sent back to where it came from so that it can be packed and sold again as new.
- If the item is a bit old, with no or very minimal defects, like ones with small scratches or missing instruction manuals, then it is seldom sold as “used” under “Amazon Warehouse deals”. Most of the products under the Warehouse deals are open-box deals. The items under sale in the warehouse deals are grouped into four categories. Used: Like new, Used: very good, Used: good, and used: acceptable.
One quick tip about getting products from Warehouse Deals is to opt for products after reading through the defect description of the product. You will not be disappointed if you choose the first two categories of goods. Like new and very good, almost as good as the new ones on the online store. Not many of us are aware of warehouse deals. A tiny scratch might save you a thousand bucks if you have mastered the art of judging product quality by defect description. For example, a Samsung S8+, which is sold for around $680, costs around $580 in Amazon warehouse deals. The best part about the warehouse deals is that they come with a 30-day return policy, the same as that for normal products. All that is needed from your end is to make sure you inspect it thoroughly and return the product within the stipulated time if found unsatisfactory. Even smartphones, cameras, video games, and groceries are part of the warehouse deals.
- In some cases, Amazon does neither of the above, but they send the returned item back to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then might refurbish the product or in cases where the product is beyond repair, the manufacturer dismantles the product and recycles it.
4. Returning a Product to Amazon
It has to be noted that every return has to be reasoned out. The reason should be stated at the time of the initiation request. This is to help the executives at Amazon grade the items returned. This dedicated grading team unpacks the returned items and grades them according to a set of pre-set standards set by Amazon.
This easy, hassle-free return policy of Amazon comes with a “Concession Abuse” flag. If you tend to send back almost more than half of what you generally buy on Amazon with no genuine and valid reason, your account is bound to be flagged for “Concession Abuse”.
Having a Prime account with Amazon does not give you any advantage with respect to the return policy, but an Amazon Prime account is a great way to expedite product delivery. Prime Services also provides video streaming services similar to that of Netflix. Twice a year, Amazon offers a 10 to 20% discount for Prime accounts. Prime account or not, shopping with Amazon is sure to be a great experience, both in terms of product quality, return policy, and customer service. Since the return policy of Amazon depends on the kind of product, always make sure you take note of it before you make a purchase.
