Amazon giving a refund before I have received the item back
Long story short, I sold something that was brand new in the box, unopened etc.
They requested a refund after 28 days of using the item, stating that it now no longer works. Although frustrating, I can accept this.
However, what I can’t understand if why have Amazon issued a refund before I have received the item back? I would like to inspect the item for damage, and actually see if the item has the problem the buyer is reporting as the reason for the refund.
I now am down in money, without my original item, and I have no word from Amazon or the seller if there is any requirement or intention to send the item back to me.
Surely Amazon should follow their own process, whereby if I buy something from them and it’s faulty a refund is only issued once I have sent the item back and it has been confirmed as received by them?
Any help much appreciated, I’m new to selling on Amazon.
Thanks!
19 replies
Seller_EHYOwAkoZV3Hb
Was it in the form of an A to Z or a return request?
Seller_XcWd0bjg62i66
This unfortunately isn’t always true, I bought a (FBA) Crockpot and it arrived cracked, I spoke to them via chat and they sent a replacement right away and sent me a collection label, which I emailed to my partner to return. Being stationed away from home he forgot/was too lazy and never actually returned it, and we have not heard from Amazon since. So now we essentially have two (albeit one with a cracked inner pot).
Seller_aI5ueLXYKbqEI
Hi guys, thanks for the replies so far.
This was fulfilled by me.
So do I need to contact the seller and get them to return it or will they already have been instructed by amazon to do that?
Thanks
Seller_aI5ueLXYKbqEI
Also, I’ve just seen this…
I want Amazon to generate a Return Merchandise Authorisation number
I selected that option. Which sounds like Amazon will issue the instructions to return the item to me?
Seller_lt0vdQSvuVUco
I’ll cut to the chase on this one for once.
It’s sounds to me like an A-Z claim if you didn’t initiate the refund yourself.
The return of the item to you then becomes a random event that will have no bearing on you getting your funds back. In other words, you may get the item back, you may not. Either way, the money’s back with the customer and you won’t be seeing it again.
If the buyer opened an A-Z, then that will have happened on one of two basis:
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The buyer had a genuine grievance with the item, is honest and could return your item once they’ve realized they have been refunded. The likelihood, in this scenario, is that this buyer has not opened many A-Z claims in the past, if any. Unfortunately, given that this sort of buyer is less likely to open A-Z claims means that you’re also less likely to have had your claim opened by one.
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The buyer has learned, either through their own experience or from friends/family/reading that if they open an A-Z claim, they get their money back regardless of whether they return the item or not. Such buyers could well make purchases with the full intent of opening an A-Z, even before they buy. They know full well that there is practically no probability of recourse for stealing in this fashion (the inherent nature of this sort of person sometimes allows them to believe, bizarrely, that they haven’t stolen anything). Again unfortunately, given that this sort of buyer is more likely to open A-Z claims means that you’re also more likely to have had your claim opened by one.
Until the law redresses this in a highlighted way, examining past behaviour and holding offenders to account, the ranks of the second group will continue to grow as more people learn that the system is a zero-risk, something-for-nothing free-for-all. To be honest, even as rife as it is, I’m amazed we don’t see more of it given the cacophony and easy-steal the A-Z system now represents.
Seller_KkNSwtcpCZjEf
Fully understand your frustration.We have just had that with a sale to Germany, the customer said the item was not as described and rather then asking for a return request which we would have approved as we have to allow for 14 day refund due to internet sales, he opened an A-Z claim and amazon refunded the customer within 48 hours or so and we’ve now lost on both counts, we will have the refund debited from our amazon account and the customer is sitting pretty, he has the money back and still has the item, i have contacted him today to see if he has had the courtesy of returning to us, we await a reply. FRUSTRATING !!!
