Are you using the Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program, Customer Service By Amazon (CSBA) program, or Amazon Prepaid Return Labels (APRL) for seller-fulfilled orders? Has
Amazon issued a refund to a Buyer on your behalf but there was an issue with the returned item? Was that refund issued within the last 60 days? Then you might be eligible to file a SAFE-T reimbursement claim!
As we have seen questions about SAFE-T claims in the Forums, we want to shed some light on: when you can file a SAFE-T claim, which scenarios are not eligible for SAFE-T and what to do if a SAFE-T claim is denied.
Examples of scenarios that are eligible for SAFE-T:
1. Issue with a returned product: A Buyer returns a damaged, incomplete or different product.
Note: When filing a claim, please upload photos of the returned item and the returned package with the return label clearly visible on the package.
2. Buyer received a replacement: The Buyer agreed to a replacement before Amazon issued the refund and you provided the replacement. Note: For such cases, the Buyer’s agreement to the replacement needs to be visible in Buyer-Seller-Messages and you must provide the tracking ID of the replacement shipment when filing a claim. Please note that we only consider claims for replacements that have been successfully delivered to the Buyer’s address.
3. Out of return window: The return was made outside of the return window. Note: There is an extended holiday return window for orders placed between November 1st to December 31st.
4. Buyer responsible for shipping costs: If the return shipping cost was refunded even though the Buyer was responsible for return shipping as per theReturn Reason codes for Prepaid Returns tables, you can file a SAFE-T claim to recover those costs. Note: There are several scenarios in which you must pay the cost of return shipping regardless of the return reason and are therefore not eligible for reimbursement of return shipping cost. This includes:
• Fashion items (see Free returns for fashion items).
• Items below 22.6 kg which are listed in the Seller Fulfilled Prime program (see Returns policy for Seller Fulfilled Prime).
• International returns (see Customer returns for international sales).
Examples of scenarios that are not eligible for SAFE-T:
1. Refund issued by the seller: Only refunds issued by Amazon are eligible for SAFE-T. If there is no Amazon-issued refund and the buyer returned an item in different condition, you may deduct (up to 100%) from the refund (please seepartial refund).
2. Orders falling under a different Amazon policy: You cannot file a SAFE-T claim for FBA orders or orders with AtoZ Guarantee claims or Chargeback claims.
3. Loss/damage in transit: Loss or damage caused by shipping carriers is not eligible for reimbursement from Amazon. Those claims must be filed directly with the carrier.
4. Return refused: If you have refused a return shipment, you are not eligible for SAFE-T.
What to do if a claim was denied:
Step 1: Understand why the claim was denied by going to the Manage SAFE-T Claims page and clicking View message on the respective claim. The message(s) from the investigator will highlight the denial reason and the corresponding policy.
Step 2: If your claim was denied even though it meets the eligibility requirements as per policy, you can appeal the decision within 7 calendar days by providing additional supporting evidence. To submit this evidence, simply reply on the claim and upload the relevant documents. Please note that you can only appeal a claim decision once and that we may stop responding to repeated appeal attempts.
Please make sure to review the respective SAFE-T policies for additional information:
• SAFE-T reimbursements for APRL returns
• SAFE-T reimbursements for CSBA orders
• SAFE-T reimbursements for SFP orders
Any other open questions? If there are any other areas of SAFE-T claims that are still unclear to you, feel free to ask questions below.
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