Solved - Why do I have to fund return postage for an accidental order?
Hi all,
I don’t mind funding return postage where I am at fault (other than people abuse the returns reason) but I can’t understand why I have to fund return postage for accidental orders. This leaves me in some cases £10 out of pocket.
In comparison, I recently returned an unwanted item to amazon and had to pay my own return postage so why are our buyers allowed free returns?
Is there anywhere (return settings) where I can change this setting?
Thanks
Solved - Why do I have to fund return postage for an accidental order?
Hi all,
I don’t mind funding return postage where I am at fault (other than people abuse the returns reason) but I can’t understand why I have to fund return postage for accidental orders. This leaves me in some cases £10 out of pocket.
In comparison, I recently returned an unwanted item to amazon and had to pay my own return postage so why are our buyers allowed free returns?
Is there anywhere (return settings) where I can change this setting?
Thanks
0 replies
Seller_7VbclcPFFRTnc
And why £10 ? Amazon provide the buyer with a returns label worth £3.35 - fully tracked
When you go to the refund page in the rerurn, just tick the box to charge the buyer for the returns label
Seller_SITNVuZK87zGK
To add to the above, under the new Refund at First Scan Policy - IF the return reason selected was Accidental Order - amazon SHOULD deduct the value of the prepaid label supplied from the refund they apply. If they don’t - you should win a Safe-T claim to claim the cost of the return label back.
Seller_xUKHc5xSYJmI4
We have noticed many are selecting the wrong reason for return and then getting a prepaid return label knowing full well the seller would be out of pocket. There is always a potential downside the giving a partial refund because you may experience negative feedback which can damage seller metrics and then the inconvenience of getting it removed when you have followed the policy.
You would have thought buy now when selecting the reason for return from the above list the buyer is fully aware of any deductions when making the request. The other issue is you have to wait 30 days for the order to come back yet the prepaid label is not valid 7 days. The other information is which is incorrect is on the returns it says carrier has collected when it’s not actually been returned. The returns policy has always caused an issue for many reading the cases for many sellers.
We have noticed many are saying the costs of a prepaid label is more than the actual costs of returning a normal standard size letter or large letter. Also the costs for processing a return which does not meet the conditions stipulated on Amazon own returns policy is very high such as returning an item when incidental order and the package is opened and show signs of use. Or a clothing item when the tags have been removed worn for the particulate occasion and returned or the packaging has been removed and returned without any retail packaging or torn.
Seller_lljyzgTxr5fgI
The big problem with the returns system is that, under the first scan system, most refunds are already issued before anybody receives anything back. Whilst a lot of buyers are ignorant of the system, a substantial number are not and they know how to get free postage. It’s even worse with FBA because quite often, sellers don’t even see the goods that have been returned unless they request a removal order. We get very few returns but anything that is returned, we create a removal order so it comes back to us for inspection.
That said, the SAFE-T claim system works quite well and as @Langley_Projects has found, it is quite easy to process.
Seller_xUKHc5xSYJmI4
I had the same issues when I was working for a multinational. I decided to work in every department to find out what they do. Looking at their processes and seeing what impact it has on another department. The processes clashed with various departments because they were the old school many did not want implement new processes as result the multinational company lost millions of pounds every year on administration costs. Thousands of high level complaints. It was only me in the business who took the time to learn what they do and finally I got someone senior on my side to listen. I saved the company 26 million pounds and decided 17 years service to leave.
Seller_sSxf9ltVoIMz9
Seems like a lot of people need to read up on the Distance Selling Regulations …
You have to, by law, refund the customer including any outward postage - IN FULL. no if’s no but’s. If the product is returned you must refund in full the original order value including any postage (I know there are a couple of exceptions but if you are relying on them you are in the wrong business).
You can, in some instances insist the buyer pays return postage, for example ‘unwanted’ or ‘changed mind’. However Amazon has a habit of charging you for the return label anyway (might just be me) or the customer knowing full well the rules/law’ simply says ‘not as described’ and you are liable for the return postage as well… I used to appeal half a dozen a month with Amazon but what’s the point 6 x 3.35 equals less than my life is worth for 2-3 hours of grief
It is annoying when people misuse the returns postage rules but what can you do, I take a holistic approach, 99% of customers are decent honest people, it is all to easy to focus on the 1% .
Seller_4lwmfpmJcG44K
I’ve gone through the figures for returns on my account as an FBA seller and in all situations where there is a “Return” I lose out. By lose out, I mean even if I get my item back or Amazon reimburse me, I refunded the customer back more than the reimbursement received…).
If Amazon’s delivery agent loses the parcel, even though I expect Amazon to have insurance and to claim the loss from the delivery agent, I lose out.
If the customer damages the item, I lose out.
If Amazon simply tells the customer they dont even need to return the product, I lose out.
In all of this though, I have noted that Amazon refunds the the remainder of the total sale value, after I’ve made a contribution - and this comes to less than they received as their commission. So when I lose out, Amazon still makes a small bit of money.
Seller_Ahkc0GltxokjB
what if amazon automatically refund the buyer includes postage if there is buyer fault?
Seller_OD408ZNiEUfUp
The best one I have had. Customer returned item using Amazon return label. Amazon refunded on first scan as they now do and deducted £3.35 for return postage label from the refund they issued. A few hours later customer opens A-Z case demanding the £3.35 taken also be refunded.
So amazon has refunded the buyer, Amazon deducts this label cost from the refund, for an item that has not yet come back, and we have to answer the A-Z case to Amazon over what Amazon has done with this refund for an item we have not yet had back…
unreal.
