Customer returns for international sales

When processing an international return for orders that you ship to customers in the nine European stores, the three North American stores or Japan, you must use one of the following methods listed below.

From October 5, 2021, all MFN Selling Partners that sell on the European stores Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it and fulfil customer orders from abroad, are required to provide Amazon with a default domestic return address for items equal or under £20 or €25 (including VAT) or otherwise offer returnless refunds for these items. For example, if you are fulfilling orders from Amazon.de from outside Germany, then you are required to provide a German default return address (or a returnless refund) if the item is equal or under €25 (including VAT), or if you received an order on Amazon.co.uk and the item is equal or under £20 (including VAT) and you are fulfilling orders from outside UK, you are required to provide a UK default return address (or a returnless refund). The default return address you provide to Amazon is used to generate either an Amazon Pre-paid Return Label (applicable to APRL enrolled sellers only) or an unpaid address label for the customer on all returns that fall under Amazon’s return policy, to allow customers to send the item back to you.

If a default domestic return address is not provided in the store you are selling in, then Amazon will automatically issue a refund on your behalf, for all in-policy returns that meet the above-mentioned thresholds, without requiring the item to be returned to you (returnless refund).

We consider your product price (including VAT) when applying the thresholds of this policy. Note that the refund processed for the customer includes product price inclusive of VAT and shipping paid by the customer as applicable.

If you do not have a domestic return address for one or more of the European stores that you are selling from, you can get in touch with an international returns provider on the Service Provider Network page, who may be able to help.

Return method options:

• Return method 1: Returnless refund: Offer a full refund without requesting that the item be returned.
• Return method 2: Provide a Default Domestic Return option: Provide a default domestic return address in the store you are selling in. For example, if you sell on Amazon.de, provide a German default return address or if you sell on Amazon.co.uk, provide a default return address in the United Kingdom. If you do not have a domestic return address, an international returns provider on the Service Provider Network may be able to help.
  Important: If you choose this return method for Amazon.co.uk orders shipped to customers in the UK, you must use Amazon’s prepaid returns service. Note that you are required to issue refunds within two working days of receiving the returned item. For more information, go to Prepaid returns for seller fulfilled orders.
• Return method 3: Provide Prepaid International Return Shipping: Provide your own prepaid return mailing label for a return request from the store in which you are selling. For example, if you are selling on Amazon.de and request returns to be shipped to China, you will provide the customer with a return label from Germany to your location in China. We recommend that prepaid return shipping labels include tracking.
  Important: For International returns, the cost of return shipping is always the seller’s responsibility, even for customer-responsible returns. If you offer a domestic return option, you are generally not required to refund the cost of the original shipping for customer-responsible returns. For seller-responsible returns, you must refund the cost of original shipping.

Return method 1: Offer returnless refund: Offer a full refund without requesting that the item be returned:

1. From the Orders drop-down menu, click Manage returns.
2. Select the return you would like to refund, and then click Issue refund.
3. Select Buyer return as the reason for the refund, and process a full refund.
4. Close the returns request by selecting Refund without return as the reason for closing the request and provide comments to the customer.
   Important: If you are issuing a Refund without return, you must refund the exact amount paid for the item. Negotiating a partial refund is not an alternative to a return.

1. From the Settings drop-down menu, click Account info.
2. On the Seller Account Information page, under the Shipping and Returns Information section, click Return address.
3. On the Return Settings page, click Return address settings.
4. Select an existing domestic address as your default domestic return address or enter a new default return address.
   Note: This must be a valid address that you are authorised to use.
5. Click Submit.

Return method 3: Provide a prepaid return postage label for a return request:

1. On the Orders drop-down menu, click Manage Returns.
2. Click Authorise request for the return request that you would like to approve.
3. Under Your return postage label, select I will provide a prepaid postage label for this request.
4. Upload a shipping label, select the carrier used and enter the Tracking ID if you have it.
5. Set the return label cost to 0.00 to ensure that the customer is not charged for return shipping.

Alternatively, you can email the pre-paid return label to the customer from the Buyer-Seller Messages section of your Seller Central account.

Examples of providers of prepaid labels include:

• Evri
• Royal Mail
• UPS
• DHL
• La Poste:

If we determine that you did not follow these requirements, we may pro-actively issue a refund to affected customers (allowing the customer to keep or discard the item).

As you consider how your customers will return items that they purchase from you, note the following options:

Customs

For international returns, you are responsible for complying with all the import and export obligations, and for payment of all applicable duties and customs fees.

Using Fulfilment by Amazon

When you choose FBA, Amazon will handle local returns on your behalf for FBA orders in that store, so you don’t have to worry about providing a local return address. To learn more about FBA returns, go to FBA Customer returns policy.

Offering partial refunds:

In certain situations, it may be appropriate to offer a partial refund on the returned product. Full refunds should be given for returns, cancellations and out-of-stock items. Partial refunds should only be performed as a goodwill gesture or for compensation/dispute resolution issues (for example, the item arrived slightly damaged or there were minor discrepancies in the product description) and are made at the discretion of the seller. If you decide to issue a partial refund, we recommend agreeing on this with the buyer in advance to help avoid misunderstanding or a possible A-to-z Guarantee claim. For more information, go to Issue a Partial Refund.

Engaging a third-party international returns provider:

We have created a list of returns providers that can accept returns in your customers’ countries. Depending on your sales volume and unit price, international returns providers may offer solutions that reduce the costs you incur when customers in other counties return your products. For example, some providers will consolidate returns and ship them back to you or ship them to another customer. For a list of international return providers, go to Service Provider Network.