Hi,

In June, we sold a brand new, sealed, and tagged luxury watch on Amazon Italy for €719. The watch was delivered to the customer in Italy within 48 hours. The customer emailed us, claiming they received an item different from what they ordered. When we asked for photos as proof, the customer provided several pictures of a watch of the same brand but with a different dial color. The watch was totally damaged, with numerous strap scratches, a missing crown, a second hand falling off, and rust on the dial.

We informed the customer that this watch was not purchased from our store, as we do not sell used or repaired items. The signs of usage and the condition of the watch indicate it was purchased and used for over five years. Therefore, we rejected their false request.

At the same time, we reported the customer to Amazon for unreasonable requests, fraud, and abuse in three separate reports. I contacted Amazon for instructions on how to handle this situation. According to Amazon's policy, I had to accept the return request, organize the return from Italy to the UK, and provide a return postage label.

I did so by purchasing postage through UPS business with a drop-off point in Italy. I provided clear instructions in five points on how to organize the return, including the drop-off point in Italy with a postcode and detailed address. In point 4, I instructed: "Stick the postage label on one side of the parcel and on the other side, attach three invoices (attached with the postage label). Ensure the invoices are not covered and are available for customs."

Two days later, the customer dropped off the parcel at the UPS point. From that time, errors started occurring when tracking the parcel on the UPS official website. I contacted UPS numerous times via phone and email, providing the LOA for customs charges, commercial invoice, and proforma invoice. However, the errors persisted, and the parcel remained in the UPS warehouse in Italy.

In the meantime, the customer opened an A-Z claim, which was granted in favor of the customer, resulting in a refund of the purchase costs. This also negatively impacted my Italian Amazon account's Order Defect Rate (ODR), putting it at risk of deactivation.

I didn't appeal the A-Z claim immediately since I was still waiting for the parcel and was in contact with UPS, requesting updates on the parcel status.

Finally, after 40 days, the parcel dropped off in Italy on 19/06 was returned to the sender on 02/08 without ever leaving Italy. After a phone call to UPS and an official complaint, I received confirmation that the parcel never left Italy because there were no three invoices attached to the parcel.

I immediately informed Amazon about this fact, asking for advice. They responded that I needed to contact the customer and demand an explanation, but I never received a reply from the customer.

With only four days left to appeal the A-Z claim, I submitted an appeal. This morning, I received a response from Amazon:

"Upon further review, we have decided to uphold our original decision. We have reviewed all available information and confirmed that the merchandise for the order was correctly returned. Since you are responsible for this return, we have reimbursed the buyer and debited your seller account. We recommend that you follow up directly with your courier."

I am asking what I did wrong. The buyer/scammer provided false information from the beginning and deliberately failed to attach the three invoices necessary for UPS customs clearance. The buyer did not follow the return instructions, and I have done more than required on my end. Can someone please advise? Thanks.