Jessica, do you know what Amazon´s return policy is? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Amazon is so large and complicated in its many functions, you may find yourself wondering whether or not its return policy is easy to figure out.
According to their website, the Amazon return policy has benefits, such as accepting returns for most products as long as they are undamaged and returned within 30 days. However, some of the complications with Amazon’s return policy have to do with the nature of allowing third-party sellers to determine their own return policies.
In this article, we’ll go into more detail on why Amazon’s return policy sucks and, alternatively, what makes it great!
3 Reasons Why Amazon’s Return Policy Sucks
Amazon is a huge company with many different branches. It has its own line of manufactured, high-quality products in everything from groceries to electronic devices and its own army of shipping personnel, yet its website also provides a platform for third-party sellers.
With so many moving parts, it’s no wonder that there are a few sucky things about Amazon’s return policy.
The three least-helpful things about Amazon’s return policy are listed below:
- Some Items Are Ineligible For Returns
- Items Fulfilled by Third-Party Sellers Cannot Be Returned to Amazon
- Returned Amazon Devices Must be Returned in Strict Conditions
These few issues might be enough to turn you away from Amazon as a place to purchase products, but we’ll go into them in more detail below if you’re interested in making a more informed decision.
1. Some Items Are Ineligible For Returns
There are a few items that cannot be returned to Amazon at all. When purchasing from Amazon, it is a good idea to look at the following list of non-returnable items and be sure that this discouraging aspect of the return policy won’t affect your plans!
- Hazardous Materials – Hazardous materials might be any kind of gas, like helium, or flammable liquids, which could even include some common items like insecticides.
- Gift Cards – One of the most useful things to purchase from Amazon is a Gift Card for another distributor or company! However, unless the law specifically requires it, Gift Cards are not accepted as returns by the company.
- Pet Food – If you purchase kibble or any other kind of feed from Amazon.com, don’t expect to be able to return it even if it’s the wrong thing. Due to the perishable nature of pet food, Amazon won’t take any of it back.
- Grocery Products – Amazon does sell its own groceries, and with their delivery service, it is something many people take advantage of. However, if you are brought the wrong product or order something by mistake, beware: these groceries are not returnable.
- Online Subscriptions – If you subscribe to an online service through Amazon and open it to find that it isn’t what you wanted or you accidentally purchased the wrong subscription, tough luck; Amazon will not accept returns or refund the subscription.
- Live Bugs – If you own a pet that lives on a diet of live insects, you might think Amazon is a convenient way to feed your animal. However, as with the above products, if you find yourself with the wrong kind of creepy-crawlies, you’ll be stuck with them, because Amazon does not accept returns of live insects.
- Theme Park Tickets – If you decide to take the family on a vacation and find more affordable tickets to your desired theme park on Amazon, watch out! If they aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, you will not be allowed to return those tickets to Amazon.
2. Items Fulfilled by Third-Party Sellers Cannot Be Returned to Amazon
One of perhaps the most irritating things about Amazon is that they allow third-party sellers to determine their own return policies.
This means that even if purchasing using Amazon’s platform was convenient and easy, returning a product cannot be done the same way.
Instead, customers must go to the “Your Orders” section on Amazon.com and track down the third party’s return policy specific to that product
3. Returned Amazon Devices Must Be Returned under Strict Conditions
The Amazon company actually makes its own brand of several different electronic devices. These include the Fire Tablets, Kindle e-Readers, Amazon Fire TV products, and even Echo and all of Echo’s correspondingly-sold accessories.
While these products are useful and help connect your devices under Amazon’s umbrella for efficient use, Amazon utilizes a more high-maintenance return policy for these devices.
The return policy itself states that your device can only be returned under the following strict conditions:
- Must be purchased through Amazon Pop-Up – An Amazon “Pop-Up” is a small kiosk or table, usually in a local shopping center like a mall, where Amazon devices are stocked and advertised. The rest of the return conditions only apply as long as you’ve purchased the device from one of these specific locations.
- Must be returned within 30 days – The policy states that no devices that are returned to Amazon will be accepted if you try to return them any later than 30 days. This is similar to other Amazon products’ return policies, but with these devices, there is no negotiation for more time allowed.
- Return Shipping costs not always reimbursed – Amazon doesn’t always pay you back for the shipping costs of returning a product to Amazon.com, if that is the route you decide to take. In fact, Amazon only promises to pay for return shipping if it is verifiable that the item is being returned due to the company’s error.
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4 Reasons Why Amazon’s Return Policy is Great
For all the sub-par aspects and complications Amazon’s Return policy represents, there are ultimately more reasons why Amazon’s Return Policy is great! The top 4 of these benefits are listed below:
- You Can Return Items For a Refund
- It’s Possible to Return Items After 30 Days
- You Can Track Your Return
- Some Fashion Items Are Returned For Free
Though each of these benefits are simple and efficient, we’ll go into them in a bit more detail so you can see how to make the most of Amazon’s return policy!
1. You Can Return Items For a Refund
Even with all of its moving parts, departments, and services, Amazon doesn’t skimp on refunds!
Of course, the products must be returned within the 30-day time limit in general (though some items, like mattresses, have a longer return limit) and they should not be damaged or in any way rendered un-sellable.
As long as the returned item meets those requirements, odds are, Amazon will offer you a refund!
For example, Amazon.com is willing to give a full refund, with no explanation or damaged goods necessary, for the following brands thanks to their Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee:
- Core 10
- Buttoned Down
- Obsidian
- Moon and Back
- Peak Velocity
- Amazon Elements
- Wickedly Prime
- Mama Bear
- Presto!
- Happy Belly
- Pet Foods (most brands)
2. It’s Possible to Return Items After 30 Days
Though, as previously stated, their third-party sellers have their own policies, Amazon themselves will allow returns, in general.
They simply have to be sent back to Amazon or delivered to an in-person location within 30 days, either of your in-store purchase or within 30 days of the item’s delivery by order!
3. You Can Track Your Return
Isn’t the tracking feature one of the best things about shopping online? Well, luckily, Amazon has improved the ability to watch your package get closer to your home by extending it to returns!
In the name of efficiency, a customer’s ability to do so is found in the same area of the website: under “Your Orders.”
This way, if you’re expecting a refund, you’ll know right away when your package has been returned to its sender and how much longer you’ll need to wait.
4. Some Fashion Items Are Returned For Free
Amazon Style, the clothing brand of the Amazon company, offers free returns on almost all of its items. This is important to celebrate when you factor in shipping costs in the case of items purchased online.
Not only can you return Amazon Style items at no extra cost, but most of the time, these items are eligible for a full refund!
There are a few stipulations to remember: the clothing can’t be damaged and still has to be returned in their original packaging, so be sure to save the tags, boxes, and receipts!
Amazon Return Policy FAQs
Below is a list of questions frequently asked and relevant to Amazon’s return policy!
Can you return Amazon items after 30 days?
Actually, it is possible to return items to Amazon 30 days after they have been delivered! However, there is a catch.
The Amazon company reserves the right to charge a “restocking fee” for any item that is either returned after the 30-day limit or is missing pieces and otherwise unsellable.
Amazon will not, however, accept any items that are returned after the 60-day limit has passed from the time of item delivery.
What is Amazon’s new return policy?
Before the year 2021, people selling items on Amazon.com could charge a restocking fee for any item returned, no questions asked.
Since 2021, however, Amazon stipulated that restocking fees were only allowed to be charged if, as was mentioned above, the item being returned was damaged or returned past the time limit.
This doesn’t apply to software and video games.
Can I return an Amazon item if I’ve opened it?
Though Amazon vendors do reserve the right to refuse to accept any returned items, the standard return policy states that you can return items to the Amazon Warehouse if they were purchased from Amazon.com even if the box has been opened.
Bear in mind, however, that this item must be returned without any damages and within thirty days of the shipment being processed on the receipt of the item.
How long do you have to return a purchase from Amazon?
Each item comes with a different “return window,” or the amount of time that can pass before returns are no longer accepted.
However, in most cases, this amount of time is a month or thirty days after the item’s initial delivery. For all items, no more than 60 days should pass between delivery and return times.
What happens if you miss the Amazon return date?
If, for whatever reason, you can’t manage to return your item to Amazon before the return date has passed, you may still be able to return the item. Simply call customer service, as listed on Amazon.com, and ask for an exception to the return policy rule. Amazon has accepted returns past the return date before; however, you might have to pay a restocking fee.
Can we return Amazon products after 2 months?
A product that is being returned to Amazon.com within 10 days of its delivery can be returned and refunded, while a 30-day undamaged product is accepted as a return, and any returns after 60 days will not be accepted.
Can an Amazon seller refuse a return?
An Amazon seller is incapable of refusing to accept a returned item.
This may sound harsh, especially because some items may be returned damaged or opened, but the Amazon company is ultimately responsible, since 2021, for approving returns.
Can Amazon refuse a refund?
The Amazon company can choose to refuse to refund any returned item or claim that money should be refunded.
Amazon company usually does not honor claims on a refund that are for a product which was not only delivered on time, but in the condition described by the seller.
In Conclusion
There are many downsides and many upsides to Amazon’s return policy. Some of the disadvantages include the need to navigate special return standards according to whether or not the item you purchased was from Amazon or a third-party seller.
Another is the specific conditions items must be returned under.
However, Amazon’s return policy has more benefits than it does disadvantages. For example, what other company with so many departments, including grocery shopping and electronic device manufacturing, would offer to not only refund your money but track the returns? Amazon’s return policy may be complex, but it is well worth understanding!