"Item arrived too Late" but no, item arrived on time.
Hello,
My customer has initiated a return request citing late delivery of the product and selected "Item arrived too late" as the reason for the return.
The timeframe provided by Amazon for delivering the order to the customer is as follows:
- Delivery Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 - Thursday, February 1, 2024
The order was delivered to the customer on January 25th. Today is Jan 28th also :)
My question is: Can a customer choose "Item arrived too late" as a reason for return even if the order is delivered to them within the dates set by Amazon for sellers? Shouldn't this be checked when customers open return requests and when they are approved by Amazon?
I am aware that I paid extra for expedited shipping for this delivery and unfortunately, I see that this expedited shipping fee served no purpose and will have a negative impact on my budget.
To avoid any impact on my account health, I accepted the return and sent the return label to the customer. I also informed them that the product was delivered within the timeframe specified by Amazon. However, my expectation from Amazon, as the world's largest online marketplace, was different, and as a seller, I expected Amazon to provide feedback to my customer confirming that the product was delivered on time and to not approve the return request.
What are your thoughts? Am I approaching this situation emotionally as a new seller, or am I thinking incorrectly?
Thank you in advance for your responses.
Best regards,
Oguzhan
"Item arrived too Late" but no, item arrived on time.
Hello,
My customer has initiated a return request citing late delivery of the product and selected "Item arrived too late" as the reason for the return.
The timeframe provided by Amazon for delivering the order to the customer is as follows:
- Delivery Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 - Thursday, February 1, 2024
The order was delivered to the customer on January 25th. Today is Jan 28th also :)
My question is: Can a customer choose "Item arrived too late" as a reason for return even if the order is delivered to them within the dates set by Amazon for sellers? Shouldn't this be checked when customers open return requests and when they are approved by Amazon?
I am aware that I paid extra for expedited shipping for this delivery and unfortunately, I see that this expedited shipping fee served no purpose and will have a negative impact on my budget.
To avoid any impact on my account health, I accepted the return and sent the return label to the customer. I also informed them that the product was delivered within the timeframe specified by Amazon. However, my expectation from Amazon, as the world's largest online marketplace, was different, and as a seller, I expected Amazon to provide feedback to my customer confirming that the product was delivered on time and to not approve the return request.
What are your thoughts? Am I approaching this situation emotionally as a new seller, or am I thinking incorrectly?
Thank you in advance for your responses.
Best regards,
Oguzhan
8 replies
Seller_7LrAV0m5llaI7
My question is: Can a customer choose "Item arrived too late" as a reason for return even if the order is delivered to them within the dates set by Amazon for sellers?
Yes, they can. It arrived too late for the customer.
It should be, but it doesn't matter, as a seller can return anything for any reason within 30 days.
You can charge a restocking fee and deduct return shipping costs back if you paid for it.
It's good that the customer selected a return reason that is decided by the customer, instead of such as like Item Damaged or Defective. This allows you to deduct a restocking fee since the customer decided that they no longer needed it and that there is nothing wrong with the item.
Seller_LTv2zrpA8Qcn1
I had a somewhat similar situation -- where it was ordered Expedited, buyer made a return request before the end delivery date (matching the tracking date) and stated "arrived late" as the reason...
I approved the RR and noted in the section provided in the RR page, that "this item was clearly received on time since the buyer filed the claim before the delivery end-date".
He filed an A-Z when I indicated he'd have to pay to return it, but that I would not charge the restocking fee. (I didn't charge the latter because I suspected the book would re-sell soon after -- your choice, of course). Amazon funded that A-Z and it did not affect my ODR.
At least write a note pointing out the (obvious) discrepancy of delivery dates, so it can be read before a decision is made. Good luck.
Seller_gbpM9y6H8rMPM
I also encountered a similar situation. I sent the product requested by a customer from Canada, and later, they messaged me. I provided them with the necessary information about the return process. However, just 10 days before the deadline, they applied for A to Z Guarantee, claiming that the product didn't arrive. In the A to Z Guarantee process, they didn't request any documentation from me; they simply asked me to wait. The result was a refund to the customer. The Order Defect Rate (ODR) was not affected, and the product, which reached the customer, was not returned. We ended up with a loss of -$60 from this transaction. So, I ask, what is my fault in this trade?
There are situations where A to Z Guarantee works well. However, it seems that Amazon is not aware of the abuse happening in cases like this. Especially recently, customers in Canada are getting products for free using similar methods, and they don't even return the items. A to Z Guarantee should protect not only the customer but also the seller. If Amazon offers such a service to its customers, it should also take responsibility for potential losses. Now, the customer is satisfied. Why not? They got the product for free, received a refund, and didn't return the item. If we are to incur losses in such cases, shouldn't Amazon also incur losses? Why do store owners always end up losing?
Because of the principle that the customer is always right.
There are many online selling platforms worldwide. I initially chose Amazon because it was supposed to be a fair platform. The plan was to start with drop shipping, understand the system, and then work with the FBA method. But lately, I see that it won't be necessary. I closed two out of my existing four stores, and I am considering closing the remaining two as well. It doesn't make sense to continue when there is no profitability. Closing seems more reasonable than losing money.
Seller_Il1cqykZ3t8t8
Amazon, as we know it, has become a platform where the value placed on sellers is seemingly diminished.
This brings to mind a quote from Jeff..
However, one aspect that might be overlooked is the customer's right to retun a product without needing to provide a specific reason.
