Customer gets refunded and goods arrive; says she is keeping items
A customer places an order for two items. I sent them tracked. The tracking shows that they are in limbo and eventually the customer asks for a full refund. I give full refund.
I asked the customer if the parcel turns up, would she turn it back at the door. That way, it will get returned to me. She says that she will do this.
Today, I notice that the item has been delivered. I contact the customer and she says that, yes, she has received the parcel. The customer tells me that she will pay for one of the items and keep the other free-of-charge because she feels she was inconvenienced and had to buy the items elsewhere.
I ask he to return them since there is no way to pay for an item in this way on Amazon. She repeats that she is keeping one and will pay for the second one. Then she sends me another email stating that she has decided to keep both items, after all. She adds that: “It is only fair for the lateness of the delivery”.
I have opened a case with Amazon Seller Support but they are sending me around in circles and not much help at all. I have also written to the customer informing her that I want my goods returned and that I will have to take it further if she does not return the items. She responded by telling me that she will report me to Amazon.
So, what recourse do I have here? I am pretty sure that others have experienced this and wondered what you did to recover your items.
I just feel that customers are being groomed to believe that they can order goods and if they do not arrive on time, they get to keep them AND have a refund. I am a small seller and simply cannot afford this kind of thing.
Thanks so much.
Customer gets refunded and goods arrive; says she is keeping items
A customer places an order for two items. I sent them tracked. The tracking shows that they are in limbo and eventually the customer asks for a full refund. I give full refund.
I asked the customer if the parcel turns up, would she turn it back at the door. That way, it will get returned to me. She says that she will do this.
Today, I notice that the item has been delivered. I contact the customer and she says that, yes, she has received the parcel. The customer tells me that she will pay for one of the items and keep the other free-of-charge because she feels she was inconvenienced and had to buy the items elsewhere.
I ask he to return them since there is no way to pay for an item in this way on Amazon. She repeats that she is keeping one and will pay for the second one. Then she sends me another email stating that she has decided to keep both items, after all. She adds that: “It is only fair for the lateness of the delivery”.
I have opened a case with Amazon Seller Support but they are sending me around in circles and not much help at all. I have also written to the customer informing her that I want my goods returned and that I will have to take it further if she does not return the items. She responded by telling me that she will report me to Amazon.
So, what recourse do I have here? I am pretty sure that others have experienced this and wondered what you did to recover your items.
I just feel that customers are being groomed to believe that they can order goods and if they do not arrive on time, they get to keep them AND have a refund. I am a small seller and simply cannot afford this kind of thing.
Thanks so much.
68 replies
Seller_JB8wPCk9zkyad
Correct.
How much was the item.
How much do you value your time, sanity and feedback.
This is how it works, and this is what you have to factor in.
Seller_Rds42gzScDQFa
I purchased two nice juicy steaks from Tesco yesterday. As I had to queue for a long time for a self checkout to pay I told the member of staff who was overseeing them that I was only going to pay for one of the steaks. She then called the manager. As this inconvenienced me even more I said I’m now not going to pay for either adding it’s only fair because I have been inconvenienced.
My case comes up next week 
Seller_K2RpcYM4cunKp
Brilliant! That actually puts it into perspective. I mean, if we went around the High Street stores acting like that, we would be thrown out and told not to come back.
The fact is, you can only do this kind of thing and get away with it on Amazon.
I have now threatened her (albeit in a very business-like way) with police intervention and a small court claim. She quickly opened a return case, which I have accepted.
Seller_QOwDDuKmoItYH
I don’t know what you’d have to do with high value items but today I had someone say they did not receive an item that has clear tracking via Royal Mail - she said, regardless, she did not receive… so ultimately I apologise and give the woman a refund in order to protect my damn feedback… what I do think is wrong is this:
If I can prove it was delivered why oh why do I have to do things like this to protect my feedback. At the very least Amazon should dismiss such feedback and delete… not amend or strike through, but completely not allow a negative feedback on the basis of a non-delivery that can be seen via RM.
Yes, I think you’re right. People know Amazon always takes the customers side and I’m happy to take some things on the chin but it’s bad enough I lose the money. The overly-exaggerated apology… and if you find it keep with our compliments, should be enough for Amazon to say’You know, this seller has been more than fair - let’s delete that feedback… but they don’t.
High value items are not so easy, and I’m not sure what I’d do but it’s only fair that assuming you could arrange collection, that she returns the item - Amazon should support you on that. I think it is worth asking them. They may charge her card??
Seller_Gyxl3CWGjSd3N
Never refund until you have received the order back as per Amazon policy. I think you are going to have to take this on the chin and learn from it im afraid. Dont get me wrong, im 100% behind you and the item should either be paid for or returned but as you say, some customers see Amazon as a way of free shopping and dont see the small business having to foot the bill thinking its Jeff the rich guy so who cares?
Seller_9gxLEcl5fL4JO
I think you should open a case with Seller central, take a screenshot of that message where she confirms she recieved the goods and ask them to recharge her card - they can 100% do this. They do it for customer returns if you haven’t returned the goods but asked for instant refund so they can take the money back.
I would keep it short and sweet, as SS is quite simple and they cannot comprehand the full situation.
State something like:
Customer ordered on xxxx
Item shipped on xxxx with courier xxx, tracking xxxx
Customer advised goods not received on xxxxx
Tracking confirmed parcel was in transit but customer did not wish to keep waiting for delivery
We offered and processed full refund as a gesture of good will, advising customer to refuse the parcel when it arrives
Customer agreed to this and we refunded in full on xxxx
Goods are now showing as delivered on xxxx
Customer confirmed via messages (screenshot) attached she in fact accepted the parcel
As customer now received goods and advised they are keeping them, can you please recharge their card for this purchase.Messages can be found in our inbox, please also see a screenshot of their message confirming receipt of the goods and intention to keep.
Thank you
I try to break it down for them to make it clear. It seems to work most of the time. What is there to loose? After all despite her opening a return, it doesn’t mean she will return the goods.
Seller_CGwMPmgFwo3kd
You have the persons details all depends how far you want to go with it you could send her a message stating that the issue arose outside of your control and you did everything you could to ensure your side of the deal was fulfilled and that ultimately you issued a refund and lost out not only on the revenue but the cost to deliver! She has no right to keep the products.
Give her 7 days notice of your intention to inform the credit reference agencies of her failure to pay for the items, explain this is not a route you want to take, but in what are already difficult times you can not afford for them to keep the product for which you could have raised a claim to recover the value through the postage insurance.
Ultimately you could file a claim on the Court service website if you do this you can add £80.00 admin fee that the person would have to pay if you win the case, which you likely will as you have issued a refund that she is now theoretically stealing!
The mere threat should be enough but as i said earlier it all depends how far you want to go with it!
Buyers don’t seem to understand that we do everything we can to deliver on time but once it is in the hands of the courier it is out of our control.
Seller_uLWfKCVo2Wbga
I’ve had this where they have said an item is faulty, got a full refund and not sent it back and Amazon have done nothing about it. I had it where the wrong item has been sent and then the right one sent but they have refused to send the wrong one back even with a courier picking it up. Again, Amazon didn’t do anything. I’ve had it where items have arrived after a refund, like you, and the items ever sent back or paid for. Guess what amazon did? Yep absolutely SFA…
They allow customers to be thieves at their seller’s expense…but having worked with Amazon for many years I’m really not surprised by any of their low down tactics anymore. They are a disgusting company with no morals and I am trying every day to move away from them.
Seller_cedsnRIkO32W2
In fairness to the customer, it should have been delivered on time. Your only option really is to open a money claim via the small claims court.
Seller_KL2DNJGuNpMzr
The Postal Services Act 2000 clearly states that it is certainly illegal to open someone’s post, or delay it reaching the owner.
The Act says: “A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”
We use this is correspondence to Customers who fail to return post. Quite simply the item no longer belongs to the Customer as they claimed a refund for Undelivered Items.
Once the refund has been actioned between Amazon.co.uk & the seller the contract of sale has been broken.
